Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu is a witty, heartfelt glimpse into the chaos, humor, and humanity behind the teachers’ lounge door. When a substitute teacher’s unexpected death sets off a chain of wild events, the novel follows an eclectic cast of educators juggling personal struggles, school politics, and the absurdity of daily life. With sharp humor and genuine warmth, Mathieu brings these characters to life, making you root for them through every mishap and moment of triumph. Being a public school teacher for almost 30 years, I related to so much of this book. I also recognized so many people I have worked with in the characters. I do think since the book kind of highlights a different character with each chapter, that perhaps some readers might feel like it isn't a cohesive story. But for me, the main character in the book is the school. The teachers and admin profiled in the novel are merely orbiting around the school. I really loved this book. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read it as an ARC.

Working in a school, this book spoke to me in a few levels. The building politics, the alliances (whether on purpose or accidental), all of it is pretty standard in a school setting for students and staff alike. Thankfully I work in a building with less drama than happens in this book but it was mostly light and funny while dealing with some serious topics. My biggest critique is the pacing. It was inconsistent going from fast to slow and everywhere in between. I’d have preferred a consistent pace - although the pace of the chapter did seem to match that of the character it was focused on so perhaps this was purposeful.

The Faculty Lounge is a compassionately written slice of life novel by Jennifer Mathieu. Released 23rd July, 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Dutton imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

Warmly written "comfort reading", set around a fictive (but realistically rendered) high school in Texas and the staff who call it home, it's got good bones and the author makes good use of the vignette format to interweave the stories of the large cast of characters.

After the death of a retired elderly substitute teacher on a sofa in the school faculty lounge, the story radiates outward in ripples, tracing the interconnections between the late Mr. Lehrer (10th grade English) and his colleagues, former students, and others... and with the connections between the characters themselves.

Four stars. It would be a good low stress choice for a book club discussion, for public library acquisition, or for home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fun and breezy book. As somebody who works in a school, it was a spot-on and humorous take on school culture!

This was a fun and enjoyable read! A good palette cleanser from heavier fantasy I’d been reading! If you or someone you know is in education this would be perfect for you!

This was an enjoyable light read. I think if you have ever been a teacher or worked in public education you will appreciate this book!

Here's the thing: parts of this book I really enjoyed and found to be quite charming! Others, not so much. While having chapter be a new character was interesting to me, it was a bummer that some characters ended up making me want to put the book down due to boredom compared to others whose chapters were really engaging. I just wanted more from this book, but in the end I liked it as a whole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC!

Don't let the goodreads star review scare you off! Jennifer typically writes YA and this is her intro into adult fiction and I think she did a fantastic job. It's a wonderful sneak peak into the world of educators and other school staff. It was a warm and heartwarming. I like an academic setting, and if you do too, then I recommend you give this one a whirl!

When you were a student you wondered what went on in your teachers lives. Well this book delves into those lives and what it's like navigating the parents of the students. I enjoyed the ensemble of cast and how each educator loved teaching their students.

Thank you for the advance copy #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu!

This book was such a sharp, entertaining read! It perfectly captures the drama, politics, and unspoken tensions of academia, with characters that feel so real—flawed, witty, and sometimes a little messy. The writing is smart and engaging, balancing humor with deeper themes about power, ambition, and the personal cost of professional life. If you love stories that dive into workplace dynamics with a mix of satire and heart, this one is a must-read!

This book had me cracking up. Definitely appealed to me as a teacher. Well portrayed. A little bit of a slow start in the beginning. I only wish I had someone to read it with.

This was a cute slice of life story following teachers and administrators at this one school we follow a bunch of different POVs. I thought the writing was entertaining it kept me engaged but I think it might have resonated more if I worked in the education system even so I still really enjoyed this book and thought the characters were well fleshed out for as short of a time we spent with each of them.i would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

As an educator I really related to this book! I loved every single chapter highlighting the different members of staff. From the school nurse, to the English Department, to the custodian, every person had a story worth listening to.

Mr. Lehrer, a former teacher at Baldwin High School, and now a substitute there, is found dead in the faculty lounge by a new, young teacher. In his will he requested his ashes to be spread in the school courtyard. His story (and impromptu funeral) is the catalyst and the thread connecting other teachers' stories, and memories, and highlights some of the struggles each person faces in the building. Taking place during the course of a school year this book made me laugh, but it's also a thought-provoking look at what teachers deal with every day.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

a lighthearted celebration of finding your people. perfect for anyone who's felt the joys of community and the warm sense of belonging that accompanies.

equally humorous yet real, this book also made me appreciate all of my years of public school and all of the educators and teachers that made an impact on my life.

The Faculty Lounge gets the reader into the heads of a Texas school's teachers and administrators. As someone outside of this world, I appreciated the insight. While I liked that the characters were flawed, I was also a bit bummed by some of their actions and the lack of exploring the poor decisions. Still, the writing was good.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu presents an intriguing exploration of the lives of teachers and the often hidden struggles they face behind the classroom doors. The novel follows a group of educators who navigate their personal and professional challenges, touching on themes like ambition, burnout, and the complicated nature of work relationships. Mathieu’s writing is sharp, and she does a good job of portraying the pressures that come with the teaching profession, along with the emotional weight of balancing personal desires and responsibilities.

However, while the book has strong potential, I found some aspects of the narrative a bit lacking. The pacing is uneven, and certain plotlines feel underdeveloped. While the characters are interesting, they often feel more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out people, and I struggled to connect with them on a deeper level. Some of the conflicts felt a little forced or predictable, which detracted from the impact of the story.

That said, The Faculty Lounge does offer an insightful look into the world of educators, and there are moments of genuine emotional resonance. It’s a thought-provoking read, but with more depth in the character development and plot, it could have been even more compelling.

The Faculty Lounge is a smart, satirical take on life in a high school setting. Mathieu’s sharp humor and keen observations on the world of education make this a fun, thought-provoking read.

The Faculty Lounge is an enjoyable novel. I would consider it a character study of sorts that gives the audience a glimpse into the outside lives of high school teachers in one Texas school. Filled with humor, the book is a workplace novel set over one academic year. The cast of characters, love their jobs for the most part, educating young minds and trying to make a difference in the world; but with any occupation there are aspects they would rather gloss over as well.

This is the first novel I have read by Jennifer Mathieu and I would be interested to see what her backlist was. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the chance to read this novel.

I went into this book blindly so I was surprised to hear about a death in the first chapter. I'm a big thriller reader so I kept waiting for some kind of twist. However, it was a sweet ode to teachers daily life and the challenges they face at school. I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives throughout each chapter. Overall, I was entertained by this book and thought it had a sweet closure.