Rating: 4.5

I was sold on this book from when I read that it was a ‘darkly feminist tale’ and ‘perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood’, with The Handmaid’s Tale being one of my favourite books. The striking red of the cover and the female figures on it evoke The Handmaid’s Tale and its red symbolism of the Handmaid’s, whilst drawing me to find out more. I could not have been more thrilled when I received the email confirming that I had been accepted to read and review Madam via NetGalley, and it definitely did not let me down.

The plot was very cleverly created and initiated throughout. Many of the twists and turns were definitely unexpected, whilst the ones that were still had a component that surprised me in some form. I also loved the elements of different classical mythologies infused throughout the narrative which provided Rose with a medium to communicate to her students, creating new possibilities for them. The Gothic elements throughout serve to effectively conjure suspense and keep readers in the darkness that consumes the setting of Caldonbrae Hall. Just as Rose is kept in a position of ignorance for most of the novel, we too are as readers who follow this protagonist on her journey to discovering what really occurs in this highly esteemed institution. All of these elements allow the book to be truly gripping, intriguing its readers who are driven to continue reading in order to discover more.

There are definitely parallels but also divergences from Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale too which I have found very interesting to explore. Both Wynne and Atwood create the protagonist’s mothers as feminists who, due to institutions and regimes of oppression and patriarchy, are no longer able to demonstrate their feminist tendencies, being trapped by these systems. The protagonists Rose and Offred do not align themselves to these feminist ideals, but start to consider them once subjected to oppression. Rose unlike Offred however directly asserts her feminist views throughout the novel, whilst Offred still doesn’t seem to particularly consider them, at least not in any way to alter her position. Although Rose is a flawed character in many ways, I also both loved and hated how she wasn’t afraid to speak out, despite constant warnings, these escalating in danger as the narrative progressed. The part hatred was drawn from my investment in the character, not wanting her to be punished and fearing for her safety. Rose is the character who instils some of her students with hope through offering them feminist alternatives to the ideals of patriarchy in which they have been indoctrinated with. Like Offred however, Rose remains powerless to actually create the change herself, although Rose’s actions at least contribute to some form of this. I really wanted to compare these two characters because they are such complicated female protagonists, and I also think it’s the English student in me wanting to analyse them. Don’t worry, I won’t write an essay on this, although it would definitely be an interesting one!

The epilogue perfectly sets-up the potential for a sequel, and I really hope that there is one, perhaps from multiple perspectives, including Rose’s and Freddie’s. Madam is an enthralling, suspenseful mystery, full of darkness and secrets to discover, heightened by a variety of Gothic elements. Out today (13th May), Madam should definitely be your next read!

Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for the ARC of Madam, in exchange for an honest review!

I love school stories, I've read all of them- from Enid Blyton to PG Wodehouse to Chalet School. This book is what you would get if you mixed up Get Out, Suspiria and Enid Blyton! For a short summary of the book- Rose is a Classics teacher who gets a much coveted post at a posh boarding school for girls in Scotland called Caldonbrae. It seems like a dream job, with an excellent salary and other perks, but All is not as it seems, in classic Gothic style. I've studied in similar schools, not residential, but schools run along similar lines ( given our massive colonial hangover, Indian schools when I was a kid have adopted the worst of the Victorian boarding school). It's incredible how well the author captures the very particular oppressiveness to these places, and how easily their supposed disciplinary practices can be mined for horror. In my school, for instance, all the girls' skirts were measured everyday in school assembly, and an inch shorter called for a caning, a public dressing down, multiple reminders of the perfect little ladies we were meant to be. This isn't normal or healthy by any means, but it's absolutely taken for granted! And this is in the 1990s, not the 1890s. So many instances of the book made me wince in recognition, I absolutely love that it's set in the 90s, when I was in school. It's very evocative of my schooldays- the intense friendships, the crushes on the school Head Girl( House Captain, in my case!), the one fun teacher you wanted to impress. The protagonist's lesson plans are woven into the story, and I really liked that- for one, they reminded me of my French lessons at school, which were very similar, with a short simple passage that you had to translate ( French is obviously a lot easier than Ancient Greek and Latin, of course) The author puts her spin on it though- the passages for translation aren't just the Punic Wars or Caesar's campaigns, she takes stories of women from antiquity, and gives us a far more sympathetic perspective on them, which is great for teenage girls. I feel terribly envious of the students lucky enough to have been taught by Phoebe Wynne!

The horror in this book is derived from the banality of evil, basically systemic patriarchy and conditioning that frames a complete lack of agency as a desirable choice. A cursory scroll through Instagram is enough to demonstrate how manicured and perfectly put together women are expected to be. For every perfectly groomed celebrity talking about #bodypositivity, you have teenagers posing in outfits clearly catering to the male gaze, under the guise of empowerment, which is merely then performance and not actual feminism. I'm in a country where nearly 90% of marriages are "arranged", by the couple's parents, and "convent-educated" is still something that apparently improves a girl's "Value", so a lot of this book felt practically like nonfiction! In a lot of instances, specially the social class the students come from in this book, women are encouraged to get an education merely so they can command higher dowries in the Marriage Mart ( such as it is), perish the thought they actually do anything with that education. This is a horror as insidious as anything Margaret Atwood has come up with, and just as hard to fight, and I appreciate that the author recognises it as such. And it isn't going anywhere!

The ending of the book is great, and Medea and Dido would be delighted with the actions of the protagonists! The author doesn't give you an unrealistically positive ending, but she does leave you with hope for the future, as it should be. Excellent book, I'm so grateful I was given this ARC. Definitely going to keep a lookout for all of Phoebe Wynne's future books!

Thank you to Netgalley, Quercus and Phoebe Wynne for my arc of Madam in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing 13th May 2021

When Rose is head hunted for a teaching job at a prestigious private boarding school in Scotland she can’t believe her luck. She’s not been teaching for very long and the money will mean she can get better care for her mother. It’s almost too good to be true.

And maybe it is. Rose is the first new hire in a decade and it shows. Caldonbrae Hall is a school which prepares its girls in a unique and as Rose soon finds out dark way. As she struggles to come to terms with the horror of what she’s uncovered Rose realises just how much is at stake now that she is in the web of Caldonbrae.

This was an incredibly atmospheric book that held undertones of classics like Jane Eyre and Rebecca crossed with The Handmaid’s Tale. The build up was slow abs suspenseful allowing the reader to feel the knife edge of danger lurking between its pages. And when it hits the shock leaves you reeling. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author in future!

This is a fascinating book and I loved the style of writing, the sense of dread and the growing tension.
The author delivers a good story that kept me reading.
The world building and the character development are very good, the plot flows even if it's a bit too slow at times.
It's good modern gothic stories with a strong feminist side.
The mythological stories are fascinating and I liked how they were used to help the girls to reflect.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ok, this is a rough one. I wanted to give this at least 2 stars for the intriguing premise, but this read was just so unenjoyable for me that I have to be honest. There is nothing about this one that I enjoyed. If anything it left a really sour taste in my mouth and I wish I could reclaim my time from reading this one. This is unfortunately the brutally honest truth.

One of the frustrating things about this read is that I can appreciate the concept and ideas behind it, but was turned off by the way this concept actually played out. The idea of a creepy boarding school, a patriarchal cult controlling students and society, and a heroine’s fight against that should make for an awesome read. It didn’t.

There was no atmosphere really created in this book. It lacked suspense and it was obvious where the book was going very early on in the read. This book could have benefited from some unsettling midnight walks with disturbing noises ala any gothic fiction book other than this one. There is nothing to see here, folks.

What we got instead was retelling after retelling of mythological stories and lessons that followed these retellings. It bogged the pacing down and made many parts of this book a chore to read. We had Rose, our protagonist, explaining these stories to the students and the students mostly rebelling against her teaching. I wanted to step in and help her mangage her classroom honestly.

Also, our perspective is from Rose, and she is not the strongest character in the book. She does not do anything to really propel the story forward. She has no agency. It is beyond frustrating. Some of her students have more agency and are generally more interesting than she is. I think the book may have been stronger if it had been from their perspective instead of Rose’s perspective.

Probably the most egregious parts of the book are the racial stereotypes presented and unnecesarily gratuitous scenes of pedophilia. The later does nothing to further the story and we already know this school is bad by this point so, yikes, this isn’t good addition to the story. Less is more and this addition actually made me physically ill - especially because our protagonist does NOTHING about it. Also, the racial stereotypes, are very upsetting. This is what the AAPI community is talking about when they talk about stereotypes and we need to listen to them. I need authors, editors, and publishing houses to do better.

This read is not subtle, is dull, and offensive all at the same time. I cannot recommend it and I wish I did not have to give this negative review, but here we are. I have to be honest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rose Christie cannot believe it when she is offered a job at the prestigious boarding school Caldonbrae Hall, set on a recluse peninsula above the Scottish cliffs. They haven’t hired new staff for more than a decade and the Classics teacher is a lot younger than her colleagues, much closer in age to her students. School does not only cater for her, but also for her mother whose health is deteriorating and who thus can get the best medical care. The rules at the institution are strict and not easy for Rose to figure out, too different is her new work place from the schools she worked before. Yet, she soon gets the feeling that what is advertised as tradition is much more an overcome idea of the world in which women are reduced to being pretty and just longing for being married. Only in her classroom can she talk about the female heroines of the ancient world that have always fascinated her – yet, this is not a way of thinking which is tolerated there and soon Rose finds herself deep in trouble.

Phoebe Wynne’s debut novel “Madam” combines the classic boarding school novel with elements of Gothic fiction and also classic literature. She sets the story at the beginning of the 1990s thus offering a world without the world wide web when it was still possible to keep young women secluded from the outside and thus possible to control what they have access to. Free spirits just like Rose, taking feminist standpoints, were not part of the school’s personnel and it becomes quickly obvious why.

At the first glance, Caldonbrae Hall is a highly admired and impressive institution. The girls come from the noblest families and seem to be well-educated in their manners. Yet, Rose soon detects that there is also something lacking, an aspects she considers crucial in her teaching: free thinking. The pupils all seem to follow are a very limited view of the world and do not develop any aspiration for themselves. Most astonishingly, it seems as if they are happy with the choices that are made for them.

The Gothic novel elements – the virginal maidens, the castle like school with its old walls, a threat which is difficult to locate, the gloomy weather with frequent storms, people hiding crucial information, and most of all, the story of some girl’s mysterious death the year before – all contribute to an unsettling atmosphere which can be felt throughout the novel. Rose quickly realises that she needs to flee but is successfully kept from doing so.

Rose’s heroines, the stories of ancient goddesses and nymphs like Daphne, Antigone, Dido or Lucretia, are wonderfully integrated into the novel and a stark contrast to the girls’ views. This is what I liked most about the novel since it nonchalantly underlines that you still can learn something from these old stories and find role models even though times have changed a lot.

A novel I totally enjoyed indulging in which combines classic literature with a bit of mystery.

This book has been sitting on my tbr for so long as due to the pandemic (I presume) the publication date was pushed back and back.

The date is finally almost here, and I have to say it was worth the wait. You know when you pick up a book and it grabs you from the first paragraph? Well, this book is one of those. I’d been out walking all morning so I’d thought I’d just pick it up for 10 mins before having an afternoon nap....well, the nap didn’t happen did it...I was caught from the start.

It’s a wonderful story, fantastic writing, and quite awful really, but I think we all know that this book isn’t far from the truth is it?...

Just fantastic!!!! Read it.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy

I was eagerly anticipating this novel as it seemed like it would be packed with all the things I love in a novel and I did enjoy it. Madam follows Rose Christie as she is recruited to teach Classics at the prestigious girls’s boarding school Caldonbrae Hall in Scotland. It soon becomes apparent that Rose is the first new teacher at the school in many years and there seems to be a lot of secrets being kept from her. The girls she teaches seem odd at times and the other members of staff are quite cold towards her. I found this novel suspenseful and I enjoyed getting lost within the pages. My only criticism is that it felt that some parts of the novel were too long and this detracted from what was happening in the novel for me. On the whole though I did enjoy this one – I thought it was unsettling at times and I loved that I didn’t know anymore than Rose did so I was right along with her as she tried to figure out what she had got herself into. This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

This book appears to be dividing readers, I must say that I loved it. 4.5 stars.

From the moment Rose steps into the Scottish school (which made me think of Hogwarts) it's clear she does not fit in and that she (and us) are not getting the full story. What develops is truly horrific and this seems to be where the readers divide. It is deeply disturbing and I can understand why some readers would be put off by the themes, I would be deliberate with who I choose to recommend this book to. It would be a great book for a book club such as mine because it is sure to get everyone talking and stating their opinions.

It's not perfect, I think it definitely could have been shorter and slightly less repetitive in places, but it is compelling and thought-provoking.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this unsettling book.
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I suspect this will be a 'love it or hate it' novel and has a lot of triggers. I loved it it. I couldn't put it down. It has echoes of Margaret Attwoods 'A Handmaids Tale' but this is not in a dystopian setting. Its a brooding feminist tale set in an elite boarding school in Scotland and all isn't as it seems to be. This will be a cracking book club read which will generate a lot of discussion.

"Madam" is set in the majestic and imposing Caldonbrae Hall, a prestigious boarding school, that just hired her new classics teacher – Rose Christie. Rose is impressed and slightly overwhelmed by her new surroundings, rather creepy and unhelpful teachers and students that are very disinterested in her lessons, except a small group of younger girls, who she befriends. Together they study ancient women, their stories helping the girls understand the world around them a bit better. But Rose is soon entangled in some disturbing events and her confidence vanished. There are dark and sinister secrets hidden between these walls, and she needs to decide if she wants to escape or face the reality. The book is predictable in places, but the sinister feel of the place was amazingly well depicted. The strange rituals and traditions of the school made me grateful that I went to a completely ordinary school, but I loved the depictions of the building and its beautiful surroundings, wild and remote Scottish peninsula, cliffs, and the coast. Although Rose seemed lost and confused loads of times, and her pupils rude and spiteful, I enjoyed the way in which the author wrote about her relationships with younger girls.

This is the best novel I have read in a long time. It is mysteries and scary. Rose is offered the job as head of classics in a Scottish public school but what is going on at this school? Women teachers are all called madam which is the start of the oddness in this school. Rose tries her best to fit in but why has the headmaster taken over her mother’s care in an expensive home? Rose begins to feel trapped at the school but cannot seem to work out what is going on. She teaches her fourth year group about strong women in the classics lessons and they really enjoy this and take it to heart. The story would appeal to conspiracy theorists and the violent end is a huge shock. Rose was such a great teacher her fourth year class to anything to help end the school and it’s sexual misuse of students. See if you can work out which teacher Rose could trust if any. What an amazing story this is and beautifully written. Phoebe Wynne is an author to look out for.ob as head of classics in a Scottish public school but what is going on at this school? Women teachers are all called madam which is the start of the oddness in this school. Rose tries her best to fit in but why has the headmaster taken over her mother’s care in an expensive home? Rose begins to feel trapped at the school but cannot seem to work out what is going on. She teaches her fourth year group about strong women in the classics lessons and they really enjoy this and take it to heart. The story would appeal to conspiracy theorists and the violent end is a huge shock. Rose was such a great teacher her fourth year class to anything to help end the school and it’s sexual misuse of students. See if you can work out which teacher Rose could trust if any. What an amazing story this is and beautifully written. Phoebe Wynne is an author to look out for.

Rose is recruited to Caldonbrae school set in rugged Scottish countryside. It has a secret and hidden purpose in the ‘education’ of you g ladies. Rose is the first ‘new recruit’ to the teaching team and what appears to be the job of her dreams turns into a nightmare world from which there would appear to be no escape. Rose teaches classics and after a rocky start imbues some of the girls with power to kick against conformity and cleverly links the progress to women in myths and legends. A cruel place living in a past time needs to be brought to book.
A cleverly written gothic tale set in the present with aspects of much earlier times.

Caldonbrae Hall is an all girls' boarding school of great renown. Rose Christie is its most recent arrival, as the new Classics teacher and the only recruit to come from outside of the school in over a decade. Her new role comes with a sizable wage, an apartment on the premises, and healthcare for her ailing mother. It initially feels like a dream come true to teach there but the issue of having your dreams all granted from one place is that it now owns you and all of your happiness.

This was a startlingly bleak read in which both Rose and the reader become increasingly exposed to all the sinister events occurring inside this great institution's walls. My issue stemmed from Rose's inability to see the truth of what was occurring, even after it was made obvious to the reader. A great portion of the novel was spent on Rose attempting to educate her young charges and getting thwarted at every turn, as well as having her every movement scrutinised and found wantingly unfeminine or uncouth by the other members of staff. This was of interest and critical to the plot but I felt too large a focus was spent here before Rose was rewarded with the truth.

Once Rose was awakened to the full extent of the crimes committed the tension that dogged the initial stages of this book was still not alleviated. Having it confirmed only made both Rose and the reader aware of how truly depraved and backwards this school's dogma was.

I had little idea of the direction this novel would take, from this point, but thought scenes of action outside of the school's walls would occur. They did not and I became disheartened by Rose's inactivity. The ending saw her become a passive participant in the horrors unfolding and she became someone I lost much respect for. I'm glad the final scenes, followed by the epilogue, altered this.

Rose Christie is offered a job in Caldonbrae Hall, a fictional school in Scotland. It is 1992 and Rose is 26 and needs the job which mysteriously includes medical care for her Mother who has MS. Rose moves from 1992 London, in which she watches strong women characters like Thelma and Louise, and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, into a dark and secretive educational environment where teachers or ‘Madams’ teach the brattish children of the elite. Of course nothing is what it seems. The novel is successful in creating a sense of gothic doom with ominous gatekeepers, rickety steps to coastal caves and the oppressive school itself.

Rose is too busy trying to fit in she oversees some worrying signs and despite study classics to understand people she fails at this time and time again during the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for a review copy.

A contemporary, gothic novel with a good pace and interesting characters. The main character Rose, a Classical Civilisation teacher, kept the novel real and of its time (early nineties). Heroines from ancient Greece and Rome were cleverly woven in to illustrate feminist actions and rebellion. The novel flowed well and gathered enough pace to ensure that one couldn't put it down. Such a clever ending.

There's a truly Gothic feel to this modern-day boarding-school tale! It's 1992, and Rose Christie has just taken a post as head of Classics at Caldonbrae School on a remote west-Scotland coast, where daughters of the UK's elite are sent for a first-class education.
But right from the outset, something strikes Rose as not quite right. The girls are precocious, the staff guarded, the headmaster a distant, unwelcoming figure. Why is more emphasis put on lessons like discipline and conversation than on academic subjects? What happened to her predecessor Jane? What's going on with sixth-former Bethany, who stalks Rose like a shadow, yet seems to resent her very presence? And what are the "values" that the girls set so much store by, which no-one will explain to Rose?
As Rose goes looking for answers, the walls of the school close in, and she finds herself trapped physcially and mentally - for under the guise of a caring employer, the powers-that-be now control every aspect of her life. Can Rose save herself, and the girls in her care from their presumed destiny?
This was a really powerful story. Sinister from the outset, with its description of the school building as a hulking black mass, its roof sporting half-faced gargoyles bathed in shadows, and its suggestion of curses, hauntings and sinister secrets, it also explores the theme of female power - or lack of it - in our very recent past.
The author uses tragic figures of women from classical myth and legend to illustrate how women's destiny may be shaped by men, but cannot always be controlled by them. It's an analogy not lost on Rose - but will her young pupils get the message?
With a perfectly-paced plot that carries us along with Rose as she gradually realises the horror of the situation, descriptive prose that builds a tense and menacing atmosphere, and a cast of characters - not many likeable, but all truly mesmerising, this is a gripping, convincing, cautionary story of what can happen when girls are not persuaded of their true value in this world.

A deliciously gothic and compelling read. Think Bronte's 'Jane Eyre' and Du Maurier's 'Rebecca' but with a sinister contemporary twist that will make your skin crawl!

A little slow in places but full of atmosphere, following eerily in the footsteps of gothic tradition while holding it's own with a passionate feminist streak. Wynne keeps you guessing till the very end.

I especially loved the interweaving of the ancient texts with the narrative of Rose and Caldonbrae. They provided a wonderful depth to the story and some cleverly executed foreshadowing of events to come...

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

With various reviewers comparing this book to Margaret Atwood, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, I had high expectations. While not quite up to the standard of those two writers at their best, Madam offers the promise of Gothic horror, finely built up. However, I found the actual revelations not to be especially earth-shattering. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Rose is a young Classics teacher who is recruited to head the Classics department at Caldonbrae Hall, a hugely exclusive all-girls’ boarding school set on a remote peninsula in Scotland. The building is Victorian gothic, looming over the small village below but gated and looked upon askance by the villagers. Rose gets a flat on the top floor, and her mother, who has MS and is deteriorating, is moved to an expensive nursing home at the school’s expense. The pupils wear Victorian-style gowns as uniforms, colour-coded depending on their year. They are the daughters of businessmen, royalty, politicians, the judiciary, and they are self-assured and confident in a way that Rose, with her middle-class liberal upbringing and public education, certainly is not. 

As Rose starts her teaching duties, on probation, it becomes increasingly clear that there are many things being kept from her about the way the school is run, the full set of rules both girls and teachers are subject to, and indeed the actual purpose of the whole system. Much like the Hotel California, this a place you can never leave... Rose brings her tales of Greek and Roman women to her teenage audience, encouraging them to question the traditional male view of Medea, Boudicca, even Medusa, without realising the extent to which she is challenging the school values of Discipline and Value.

The build-up of the mystery is well done, leaving the reader eager to discover the next layer of revelation. But somehow, when the full picture was revealed it came as a bit of a let-down. Maybe there were too many hints along the way, but I thought the premise was not actually that outlandish - awful, yes, but not horrifying, more like not really believable. Still a pretty good ride though, and one heck of a dramatic ending, though it’s previewed at the beginning so again, it doesn’t pack quite the punch it could have.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Quercus Books for approving me for an ARC of this book. I read this as a buddy read with fellow friend Meg Readz and really enjoyed chatting with her about the book.

This book has been described as a dark, gothic, feminist tale and in my opinion it delivered on that. The setting of Caldonbrae Hall was fantastic! Before I’d even met the school girls I could already feel the spooky and eerie atmosphere, I for one did not want to be wondering those school corridors alone!

Once I met the student’s I was reminded just how cruel teenagers can be and I knew that something big was brewing. I felt for Rose when she joined the school as she was being put through her paces not just by her student’s but the staff as well. They treated her as an outsider (which she was) and I could understand and feel Rose’s frustration that something deeply disturbing was going on.

The first third of the book was a little slow to get going and I did struggle to keep up with all the names, especially the student’s. I also wasn’t keen on the introduction of House See. For me those characters didn’t feel entirely necessary and would of made the book a little easier to read.

Once Rose discovered the dark secret being concealed in the school I quickly found myself engrossed and addicted to the read. It was one of those where I didn’t know what was going to be round the next corner and I often felt my heart in my throat, terrified that the worst would happen to Rose. The mythological stories that were inserted at different points of the book were fascinating! I had heard of a couple of them before but what I thought was clever was how Rose included them in her teaching and showed the feminist side. She desperately wanted to get through to the girls and show them that they could choose a different path, her discussions with Freddie, Nessa and Daisy showed her true passion and care for the students.

As I neared the end of the story the drama and action built and built until a superb conclusion was drawn. Those final moments were intense and brought about an ending I hadn’t imagined. In my personal opinion I would of ended it slightly differently so that there was some culpability and Rose could of told her story, nevertheless I still enjoyed the read.