Book Review for Madam by Phoebe Wynne
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

What a suspenseful and dark read this as! The main character arrives at at an all-girl boarding school not knowing just how convoluted her new assignment is going to be. A mystery with a touch of the gothic that will definitely keep the reader immersed!

I read Madam the week leading up to Halloween, curled under a book with a cup of coffee. It was the perfect read since I wanted something kind of dark and creepy. The setting, an all girls school, interested me, and once I was 1/3 of the way in, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s suspenseful & had a memorable ending. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style.

This book was just not my cup of tea. While I appreciated the feminist themes, I didn't feel like there were any revelations here on expectations of women in society or how important it is for a woman to be given choices. I think the book was going for sinister and creepy with this mysterious school, but I only felt baffled at the situations and Rose's reactions to them.

Thank you Net Galley.
I can appreciate the authors effort on research about Greek mythology (which I found interesting at times) and a interesting story line. I dislike giving negative reviews and will not post this socially, but this book was somewhat lacking. The only way I can describe 3/4 of this piece is "jumbled" and "predictable". The reason I have given this a 3 star is because of the effort Ms . Wynne has put into this, otherwise I would probably have rated it a 2 star.

Madam is built up to be a big modern gothic, similar to a Rebecca. The gothic horror/suspense is there but the story feels like something essential is missing. Rose takes a teaching job at an exclusive boarding school for girls. The girls are supposed to be the cream of the crop and Rose is teaching Classics after something mysterious caused the last Classics teacher to lose her position. Nothing is as it seems as the school does not seem to care about academics and the girls all seem to be focused on subjects more appropriate for Victorian England. The suspense is there and the school draws Rose in similar to the Firm by Grisham. Once part of the institution you they own you for life. The ending seemed to be the only possible outcome in true Gothic style. My biggest issue with this book was throughout the first half, I did not understand why some would remain teaching in these circumstances. The true danger to Rose is never uncovered until the last half of the book. A little spooky and definitely full of loathsome characters, the book ends stronger than it begins for an intriguing conclusion. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

This book was compelling until about 2/3 of the way in. I couldn't wait to read it each night, wondering what the mystery of the boarding school was. I was disappointed though by what felt like male wish fulfillment. No spoilers, lol! The ending felt rushed and I wasn't certain truly how Rose managed because it was confusing to me.

It was also hard to remember that the book was set in the 90s (I think?). No cell phones or internet made it possible for this mystery to continue.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

Phoebe Wynne’s gothic masterpiece, Madam, to be published May 18, 2021, will suck you in from the first page, whirl you into a vortex and then gently leave you down again – with your inner feminist raging.

Believing it almost too good to be true, Rose Christie is offered a dream job at an upscale girls’ school in the Scottish highlands. With the promise of substantial pay increase and her mom requiring expensive medical care, this seems like a prayer answered. Rose looks forward to teaching Classics to 14-year-old girls from upper class, well-connected families. The isolated campus, Caldonbrae Hall, surrounded in mist and perched high on a precipice overlooking a raging ocean, is steeped in tradition and provides an elite education for girls. Rose, now required to be addressed as Madam, finds it as difficult to fit in with the well-established teaching staff as she finds teaching the snotty, eye-rolling teenagers. Furthermore, she feels like something just isn’t quite right at the school. What is going on within the hallowed halls of Caldonbrae? What happened to the previous teacher? Do strict uniforms really civilize? You’ll have to brush up on your classics so that you can fully enjoy this beautifully written novel this Spring.

Having wandered through castle ruins in the mist and having a career in teaching, I could easily identify with Rose. In hindsight, I should have reacquainted myself with my D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths before reading. I will re-read Wynne’s mystery again so that I can focus more on the ancient Greek darkness, rather than the punchy feminist theme. I loved how she personified the school; it truly is a legendary character. Wynne reminds us of the value of education and in the face of conflict, encourages us to rescue ourselves rather than blindly relying on others. Central to the storyline is the ancient Greek belief that we are hardwired for struggle and it’s our job to endure. You’ll become very aware of the tension-filled struggle and well as the endurance in Wynne’s masterfully penned mystery. Of paramount importance to Wynne’s success is her career in teaching. She was able to borrow from schools she taught in and her spot-on descriptions of students could have only come from someone who has stood at the front of a class full of teenagers! There’s no doubt, her next gothic mystery set in a French château, due later next year, will become as successful.

Thank you, Phoebe Wynne, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Rose, a young Classics teacher from England, takes a coveted teaching job at Caldonbrae Hall, a prestigious girls’ boarding school in Scotland. The first half of the book has an ominous feel, with the impending clever twist in the story. The book is very well written and atmospheric. It would make a good movie. Recommended.

From the comp titles to the alluring cover, I was intrigued by Madam's premise. I love a good boarding school mystery, so I was excited to start this one.

Rose secures a position as the head of Classics at an elite all-girls boarding school in Scotland. Worried about leaving her ailing mother but excited at the potential that comes with the job, Rose does her best to fit in but finds that the harder she tries, the more she feels alienated from the group. Disobedient students, vague rules, and mysterious traditions, there are countless reasons she could fail, but as she learns more about the school and its history, she realizes that there's more at stake than her career.

I liked this book.

As a protagonist, Rose is an interesting character. Her interactions with the students were my favorite moments, and I think Wynne nailed the voices here. At times, this reminded me of A Cure for Wellness, where she knows there's something off with her circumstance but she can't quite put her finger on what it is--until she can. It was entertaining to see her weave through the ambiguities and strangeness until the answers tumbled forward, and I think a lot of readers will get the full impact of the reveal. I also think some will figure this out sooner than later, and even if you do, there's still an uneasy sense of dread that lingers between the lines. You don't know what's going to happen, but there's no shortage of speculation.

Because of this, I wouldn't categorize Madam as a mindless beach read. While the surface-level plot of Rose and the strange school is both concerning and engrossing, there's more going on here than that. Classic Greek and Roman women and their stories are woven into the symbolism of the girls' dynamics. Wynne gives us excerpts/synopses of the books the girls are discussing to put us more in Rose's mind frame. It goes a long way to strengthen atmosphere, character depth, and conflict, and I think these are particularly helpful to readers who may not be versed in classics to Rose's extent. This is a book about social issues: gender inequality, gender roles, and sexuality. Classism and racism. It is also a book that makes you question your blind faith into systems because everyone else around you tells you that it's working, or it's good, or it's the way things are done.

I did have some believability issues where I had too many questions of plausibility. I got that there's supposed to be this in-the-dark atmosphere, but I struggled with how little Rose knew about her position, how little effort she put into lesson plans, assessments or finding her footing in curriculum, and her blind assumption or acceptance of being out of the loop. Suspending those aspects, however, I loved seeing how she navigated her situation.

Overall, Madam is an atmospheric, clever mystery that touches on relevant social issues and wants you to question established social norms. I'd recommend to fans of Cure for Wellness, Dead Poets Society, boarding school mysteries in the vein of JT Ellison's Good Girls Lie, or quiet international suspense.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for pre-approving an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Madam was definitely different. I enjoyed reading about the isolated Scottish all girls school, Some parts did seems kinda drawn out. Rose’s character did remind me a little of The Handmaids Tale. I think I was in the mind frame this was going to be a lot more suspenseful so that was a little bit of a let down for me.

Boarding School? ✔
ELITE & SECRETIVE boarding school? ✔
Elite and secretive boarding school housed in an OLD CASTLE? ✔
In an ISOLATED old castle in SCOTLAND? ✔
SCOTLAND? ✔
Gorgeous cover? ✔
Gothic thriller? ✔

I pretty much had all I needed from that point and dove in headfirst once I received word that I had been approved.

Caldonbrae Hall is an elite boarding school for girls, nestled on the coast of Scotland. Those lucky enough to be admitted are being prepared to 'serve society'. Yet what we think of when we hear that phrase is not at all what is actually intended. The synopsis does mention that that book is Stepford-y and that's true, so I don't consider that a spoiler. Basically the girls are being groomed to be perfect wives for the nation's elite. Those who don't quite turn out the way they are 'supposed' to end up on Pathway C, or worse. Anything else I say about this most certainly WILL be a spoiler, so I have to stop there.

Anyway, the story follows Rose Christie, a Classics teacher in her mid-twenties who somehow finds herself the head of the Classics department, despite being the newest and youngest teacher at the school. Like, she is literally hired to be the head of the department. Definitely the first sign that something is amiss underneath that shiny veneer. She is also the first new teacher hired in over ten years, and coupled with statements made by both students and staff about Rose "not knowing anything YET" (my emphasis), it is clear that Caldonbrae is not all it claims to be.

There are many vague references by staff and students about the goings-on and what they're doing, but none of it adds up to Rose, nor does it add up to the reader. On top of that, there is the mysterious departure of Jane, the woman Rose was hired to replace. The synopsis refers to her as "a woman whose ghost lingers everywhere" but I have to say, I quite disagree with that assessment. Rose does spend time trying to figure out what happened, and how one student, Bethany, fits into it all, but she goes about it in a terribly stupid and clumsy way, and in reality Jane doesn't matter all that much to the story once the loose end with Bethany are tied up.

Rose does not have much choice but to go on teaching, imparting knowledge on her young students - most of whom don't care and tell her that it does not matter. Naturally this makes Rose upset and she does her best to get through to the girls on why so many of these historical women are important. Bonus points because the author included my girl Boudicca. I especially appreciate the author's inclusion of what Rose was teaching the girls about each of these women, ranging from Medea to Dido to Medusa and so many others. The older girls especially make life tough in class for Rose, and there are constant mentions asking Rose if she is one of those feminists, etc. Those comments occur often enough that it is easier to piece together after a while the true purpose of the school - not just a great academic education.

Despite being the main character, Rose was so annoying at times. She is trying to find out what happened to her predecessor, and sends off all these letters - did she not think for one second that the school might be monitoring said letters? She already knew something strange was going on, that there were things she didn't know. And off she goes, shining a big spotlight on herself by digging around and not being at all subtle about it. Not only did she do this once, but multiple times. Even after she knew the administration was watching her carefully, she continued to do really stupid things at the stupidest times, no matter what good intentions she might have had for the students themselves. It was baffling.

One thing I especially loved about the story was that the author chose to set it in the 90s. No fear then of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. It added to the suspense because no matter how Rose tried to seek out information about the whispered stories of a student death, or anything else, her resources were limited. It would be very hard to find this believable if it had been set in the present day.

This is not a fast-paced novel, so you will be disappointed if that is what you are looking for. The build-up is half the fun of this one, the mind games being played and the things going on that make Rose question everything.

In the end, Rose does not save the girls as she hoped she could. Instead, the ending is so much better than that.

Highly recommended.

I was immediately drawn into this novel by the difficult relationship between Rose, the protagonist, and her narcissistic mother, and Rose’s decision to leave England to teach in Scotland. My favorite part of the book was the description of the gothic style girls’ boarding school that made me think of Harry Potter novels, but after that, my interest waned. For some reason, Rose’s lessons in Classic literature were included in the story, page after page, which IMHO should have been edited out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for offering an ARC of the novel for an honest review.

I tried to get through the book but gave up at 60%. It was moving at a snail's pace, and I just couldn't feel anything other than frustrated at the book. It was so unrealistic in so many ways that I could not manage to suspend my disbelief. I don't see the comparisons to Margaret Atwood and Madeleine Miller. I really appreciate the opportunity to read it and won't post a negative review anywhere, but It was just not a book for me. It is very possible I am missing an awesome 40% at the end, because the goodreads reviews are pretty high but I had to just admit it was not for me. Thank you for the preview.

Really, what could be better than a feminist novel set in a gothic boarding school, interwoven with classical myths? The novel launches in a slow burn, much in the way the protagonist's experience begins. As the novel unfolds and secrets start to be revealed, the novel escalates in both pace and stakes, leaving you racing to the end. I don't want to say too much about the ending, but I did find it very satisfying as it pulled no punches.

*An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the Publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an unbiased review*

This was a different kind of novel than I expected. I jumped into this thinking it would be a little more thrilling and angsty and as disappointed as I thought I would be with it not being those things I loved it! It wasn’t a fast paced couldn’t put it down kind of book but the story was well developed and came full circle thank god.

You have innocent Rose who is a feminist type of woman with open eyes and passion about teaching and being a leader to others in education and life. She gets the opportunity to go teach at Caldonbrae which is a very reputable school and she just can’t believe her luck. When she gets there it all seems not as quite as what she believed. What are they teaching these girls? What is truly going on with the ways the girls speak to eachother and teachers only being addressed as ‘Madam’. She finds out the truth and tries to defy what she can but the school has quite a grip on her so what is she to do!?

It’s an endearing story of a woman who can give passion into what she knows and how impressionable young girls can be. I really enjoyed the writing and it was very smooth transitions overall. The only downside for me was there were two characters introduced as being slightly creepy and having issues with the school and eachother and I never fully grasped their story. I would have wanted more detail about what and why with them.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC.

Madam is a riveting gothic novel that I enjoyed reading although I am not a big fan of dark gothic stories. Phoebe Wynne is a new to me author. Although the story started off slow in the beginning, I believe that it is the intent of the author to have a slow build to really bring out the mystery and suspense of the school… Cladonbrae Hall, a school for girls set on the rocky cliffs in Scotland. The school provides for a backdrop of dark gothic mystery, intrigue, twists and the unknown. I am not sure why this story is deemed a “Women’s Fiction” because it is far from that and is more in line with a mystery suspense/horror genre.

The main character Rose Christie, a young Classics teacher, helps to intensify the eerie side of academia at the school and its …what I believe some secret order type of society that everyone knows except the heroine. The psychological suspense as the story builds, puts to light that the girls are not really interested in learning and catapults Rose on a journey to discover the truth of the place. The wanting to know is key to the suspense of this story that reveals the true intent of the school’s vision.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed are completely my own.

Whew. This was wild. Reading the description I was like, cool, gothic horror, boarding school in a creepy castle, missing teacher, this is definitely a ghost story.

It is *not* a ghost story, spoiler alert, but it is a very twisted, dystopian, Handmaid’s Tale type of nightmare.

It was creepy, unsettling, and I couldn’t put it down!

If you’re a fan of gothic horror meets dystopian, I highly recommend you pick this up!

Comes out Feb 2021.

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Perhaps the prologue about the fire gave to much away? I lo e boarding school books, so the description really caught my attention. After a strong start of Rose telling her mother about getting the job at the well-known school and the journey to the school my attention started to wane. The description of her first days was not very interesting. How many times can we hear about how she hadn't met with the headmaster yet? I headed to Goodreads to check out reviews to get an idea of what other readers thought. There was a SPOILER! So it seemed like forever that I knew what was going on but Rose didn't. Regardless of the spoiler, it did take a long time for Rose to find out. And until she did the book was confusing. I skipped over the "Stories" that were interspersed.
The premise of the book was intriguing - it was a great story. Sans spoilers it would have been a huge surprise. I didn't like some of the stuff that was going on - it was kind of disgusting. As far as characters, I couldn't keep the girls straight until close to the end. Frances' "reveal" seemed tacked on and not needed. I loved how Rose tried to add lessons within her lessons. Very smart and sneaky.
The end was very good, but the epilogue was kind of so-so.