The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu tells the story of several teachers after Mr Leher, a substitute teacher who once was a full time teacher at Baldwin High School, has died on the faculty lounge. The story focus on each teacher at the school and sometimes we get a peak at the teachers past "life" and now the day to day on either how Mr Leher impacted the other teachers or just their own day to day life post "Ash Gate".

The faculty lounge is very sarcastic and delves into the life of each teacher and some of their inner struggles. I thought the author did a great job portraying characters battling with grief and addiction, while maintaining a lighter tone throughout the book. Even if most of the book was lighter there were some parts that did bring a tear to my eyes.

Overall, my rating is 3.5 but rounded it to 4 stars as there is no half stars here.

I think any former teacher or anyone who has worked in a school before should definitely check out The Faculty Lounge.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin House Dutton for this ARC the above review is of my own thoughts.

What teacher wouldn't feel drawn to this book? I've heard a few wild things in my teachers' room over the years, and our old one did have an ancient old couch in it. To the best of my knowledge, no one ever died on that one, which is where my experience diverges from The Faculty Lounge, the new book by teacher Jennifer Mathieu. The story begins with that death, of a retired teacher who came back to substitute until he was called to the big classroom in the sky. Both new and veteran teachers react to his death, and the book moves on to tel their stories, both in and out of the classroom. As a teacher who has taught for over two decades, a lot of their experiences in the building rang really true (especially the parts about what goes through a teacher's head during a faculty meeting...). I'd DEFINITELY recommend to teachers, but other readers would also identify with the faculty, and former high school students will find themselves wondering about the private lives of their old teachers...

THE FACULTY LOUNGE by Jennifer Mathieu is a humorous, heartwarming and timely story that is a tribute to teachers and school staff dealing with a myriad of issues facing today’s schools. Set in present-day Texas, we meet a diverse cast of characters who work at the fictional Baldwin High School. The story begins with the untimely death, in the faculty lounge, of an elderly substitute teacher, who had been a teacher there for decades. What follows is a narrative through the eyes of many of his colleagues as their own backstories and personal challenges are revealed. The author’s portrayal of these characters is heartfelt and insightful, capturing their lives with both humor and empathy. There are both light-hearted and serious moments and while I am not an educator myself, several of my friends are, and I could easily envision the scenarios presented. I enjoyed this well-written and thought-provoking book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I kept picturing the characters as the people that play in abbott elementary, so for me this was an enjoyable read with some heavier topics. I think this is a great book for educators and people that like dry humor.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu was such a fun read!
The characters are richly drawn and the storytelling was is beyond humorous.
A truly unique and different story. Which is what sucked me in.
There literally wasn’t a slow or disappointing moment in this novel.
This is what great contemporary adult fiction should be!!
So pitch perfect that I can’t find a single fault with it.

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu is a must read for anyone who has or is a teacher. The novel shows the stress of being a teacher today, but also the quiet joy of the profession.

Through the course of one school year, Mathieu’s book follows a group of teachers and administrators as they deal with a crisis almost too over the top to believe: a long-time teacher-turned-substitute has died in the third-floor faculty lounge. The rest of the book shows each of the teacher’s stories.

It’s an easy and quick read, as each chapter focuses on a different character at the school, with a single through-line, which was quite an effective way to tell this story.

**Features:**

- A humorous but realistic look into the lives of teachers
- Lighthearted but explores serious topics like death, substance abuse, trauma, and the state of public education in the U.S.
- Focuses more on the experiences of certain individuals rather than the central plot

After a retired teacher-turned-substitute is found dead in the third floor faculty lounge, most agree that it is not the craziest thing to happen at Baldwin High School. But when his memorial service runs afoul of the PTO president, everyone knows things are about to get more interesting than usual. As a teacher, I can say that this book is so real in so many ways and had me laughing in solidarity. Though a few situations felt a bit exaggerated, I appreciate that the humor from this book comes from the matter-of-fact way the story is presented rather than trying to make witty comments about otherwise serious situations. These teachers do not feel like caricatures and there are a lot of sensitive topics covered in a way that is respectful but allows space for moments of levity. That being said, this is definitely a book for teachers and I could see non-teacher readers struggling to connect with it in the same way. This book also has a loose central plot and is more about the experiences this group of teachers has over the course of a school year, so those who enjoy more plot-driven books should probably steer clear.

**Did someone read my emails?**

Other than finding a dead body in the lounge, most if not all of the things happening to these teachers have happened to me in some capacity. Even the way some of the emails and text messages are worded are so on point in this that they could have easily come from my own colleagues. I appreciate how it manages to capture a number of ‘teacher types’ and represents teachers of multiple generations. There are a lot of bigger issues in education that constantly hang in the background and come to play in the experiences teachers have. Though a bit direct in some places, this book manages to represent these problems without making it feel like a lecture or even the main purpose of the book. This is an unapologetic yet human look into the lives of teachers that feels extremely authentic.

**A book for teachers, but not many others**

As the book itself states, the experience of teaching and being a teacher is hard to explain to those who have never done it (though you nurses out there probably understand pretty well anyway). This book does not try to explain and merely gives you a glimpse into a group of teachers’ lives over the course of a school year. Teachers or those who know them well will naturally connect to the ‘teacher humor’ and understand a lot of the nuances in each experience. However, I’m not sure there is enough here for those who are unfamiliar with the teacher's life to fully connect with. Though there are some narrative through lines, there is not a particularly strong central plot to serve as a support pillar for these experiences nor did I find it a truly in-depth character study. Some of the messaging, particularly regarding standardized testing, is a bit heavy-handed but also not presented in a way I feel will impact the casual reader. Ultimately, this gives you a peak behind the teaching curtain, but not everyone will understand what they are seeing.

The Faculty Lounge brought humor into the stories of high school teachers, administrators and staff in Houston, Texas. This was fiction but I could see a lot of things that could ring true from a teachers POV. I have worked in the service industry so certainly I resonated with the story quite a bit.

Each chapter is from another staff member's POV, which gave you a look into their lives and gave reason to their actions and thoughts about teaching, students, etc.

I can see a lot of previous, current and even roommates of teachers fully enjoying this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Mathieu and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC

This is a well-written novel that offers a very realistic look inside the lives of high school teachers. They are overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. Set in a large fictitious school in the not-so-fictitious Houston, TX, it shows the stresses and sometimes utter ridiculousness that teachers face each day. I was really enjoying this book until the author decided to get political about halfway through. There is no balance to the liberal political views in this story, even though it is set in a very conservative state. It is insulting to conservatives, especially people of faith. I'm not saying there are no teachers like the ones in this book. But I was born and raised in this state and I know numerous high school teachers. No teacher like the ones I know (from a world view) exists here.

I really wanted to like this book, and I did right up until the author decided to make political statements, making this a miss for me.

Not family friendly due to profanity and sexual situations.

The Faculty Lounge offers an emotional look into the lives of those who work in education from the administrative level, to the educators, to school nurses, guidance counselors, and even custodians. It was an eye opening experience to read about the very real challenges facing those who work in education and the choices they’re forced to make between what they believe is right and toeing the company line. As someone who typically gravitates towards certain characters in multiple POV books, I love the decision to make each chapter focus on a different member of Baldwin High School. It helped balance the heartwarming with the heartbreaking, the humorous with the witty, and kept the story from veering too far down a certain path. I don’t work in the education space, but Mathieu wrote in such a way that you couldn’t help but sympathize with the situations. I would strongly encourage reading this book.

The book starts with the sudden death of an elderly substitute teacher at the Texas Baldwin High School. The scattering of his ashes on school grounds catches the attention of nosy parents, setting in motion a weird, tragic, beautiful and humorous year. Through the death and other situations (over-bearing parents commenting on curriculum choices, social media, banned books, to name a few) readers experience a multiple point-of-view story about the life at the school over the course of a year. Each chapter paints a compelling portrait of a member of the staff, from the seasoned veterans to the brand-new teachers, from the administrative staff to the janitorial department, highlighting how an individual impacts and is impacted by the different aspects of school-life. Some stories are funny, some hopeful, some sad but what brings them all together is that feeling of community around the teacher’s sudden death. There is not much of a plot nor a main character, but every character explored had a depth and richness to their story. The humor in this book is sarcastic but it is still a fun and great read. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the educational field, or who wants to learn about it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu tells the story of one school and its faculty, consisting of administrators, teachers, substitutes, nurses, counselors, and custodians. When an elderly substitute teacher drops dead in the faculty lounge in the middle of the school day, it unites the faculty against grief professional development, against busy body district office and nosy parents, and unintentionally brings everyone together. Each chapter is devoted to a different member of the faculty as they tell their story, mixing their past and present. Mathieu does an incredible job weaving together the tales of each person and making you feel for them in only a few pages. From the beginning teacher in her first year who found the substitute teacher to the immigrant custodian who was likely the substitute's only friend in the building, from the administrator struggling with grief and to do her job to the nurse put in a sticky spot, there is a bit of something in here for anyone who has ever worked in a school to relate to.

As a teacher, I found myself drawn to the dynamics between everyone as they dealt with so many realistic problems that we encounter on a daily basis. Parents requesting alternative assignments for their kids because they believe the material to be controversial? People being unable to find jobs in their fields after immigrating to the US despite being qualified in their home country? Professional development that treats teachers like they are students and is universally detested? Happy hour on Fridays for team building? I laughed at so many of the situations, I shed a few tears over the despairing state of education, and I found hope for the future of students. In other words, I loved everything about this book as a teacher. Only one thing annoyed me, and it was that everyone was addressed as "Mr." or "Mrs.", from the oldest to the youngest teachers. I work in a last name school, we forego the formalities and just use last names with each other, so the formality killed me. But maybe there are some schools where they are polite and use people's titles when addressing them. Nonetheless, I adored this book. It is one I will think about nonstop when I start back up in a month with students. If you're a teacher, this is a must read that will give you all the feelings!

Faculty Lounge tells the story of an ensemble of characters beginning with the death of an elderly substitute teacher, Mr. Lehrer, on the couch in the faculty lounge. And, as one of the teachers says - it’s not the weirdest thing to happen at the school.- which leads to telling of many tales. Each member of the faculty has his/her own story to tell, many of them interconnected with the other characters, and many having some connection with Mr. Lehrer (who had actually taught at the school for many years, retired and came back as a sub). This novel shows how people can find purpose and interconnection in their everyday work life.

While (and I feel like I say this a lot), this one took me a bit to get into - I ended up loving this. I appreciated how the story came full circle with all roads leading to Mr. Lehrer in some way or another - he was a thread in many chapters and even though he dies before the novel begins, he was present throughout many characters’ journeys. While this was a novel, there was an element of short stories to it since each chapter was the tale of a different member of the faculty (but the book still had the structure of a novel since the it followed a linear storyline throughout - the academic year kept moving along with an underlying plot). Everyone in the book gets their backstory told, so by the end, the reader feels like part of the school. This was a clever and emotional novel and one I really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC to review

4.25 stars

This book can be viewed as a tribute to teachers and other staff. Its setting is a Texas High school, but it delves into their lives outside working hours. It is a warm-hearted, poignant, and memorable character study. Many enter the profession with enthusiasm and dedication to connect with the students and positively affect their lives. Some become disillusioned but continue to hang on to their position and lose much of their effectiveness in their daily routine. Some scenes are hilarious, others sad and thought-provoking. It reminds one of the importance of human connections and that teachers have a life outside work. It addresses the professional challenges from parents, the school board, and the bureaucracy that must be endured.

The death of an elderly, retired teacher, now working as a substitute in the teacher's lounge, sets off a variety of reactions among the staff. Some remember him as a talented teacher, while others fail to understand how he could love his work and miss his classroom on retirement. They count the time until they can leave the profession and look forward to their pension. He wanted his ashes scattered in the schoolyard, which sets off some hilarious and troubling events.

As a long-retired High school teacher and later working in the guidance field, I found many of the characters and their tribulations to be relatable. We never had a dead body in the faculty lounge but the air was pungent from smoking. This relatability of the characters will surely invoke a sense of empathy in the readers.

I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for this entertaining book. It will be of interest to anyone employed in teaching and those who appreciate schools and educators' work. Publication is due July 23. The book's entertainment value will surely make readers feel intrigued and eager to read.

This is an insightful look into the lives of a high school's teachers, administrators, and staff in Houston. While this is fiction, it may resonate with teachers as they see bits and pieces of their lives and experiences portrayed in this novel.

Each chapter is told from a different person's perspective. The chapters are longer to capture the storyline and the characters' actions and reactions to the situation at hand. I enjoyed peeking into these characters' lives and learning more about them and how they felt about teaching, the students, and even the parents. There are some funny moments that we could all relate to, such as replying to an email instead of forwarding it and venting about said email.

There are some hard-hitting moments, too. For example, when someone is caught drinking on the job, the end result is not what you might expect.

I was touched by how one teacher, Bob Lehrer, touched many of their lives. Some worked with him for years, some only knew him as a substitute, but the wisdom he imparted was life changing. He made an impact on his students and those around him. Many teachers strive to have that impact on their students. It inspired a young teacher as she learned from his ways.

I felt like this book depicted high school in Texas, from the testing to the politics and the parents. It might represent high schools in other states as well, but definitely Texas, but without the football tie.

If you are a fan of Abbott Elementary, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are a teacher, you might see yourself or fellow teachers within the pages.

We give the book 4 paws up.

I had mixed feelings about this one. It started off strong with the death of a beloved school faculty member and the internal staff e-mails were funny. But around halfway through the book it took a nosedive into the political realm and I usually don’t prefer that in my fiction. It hit on heavy issues like abortion, illegal immigration and resorted to labeling a former president as bigoted. A couple of character stories were one-dimensional and did not resonate with me despite being part of that demographic. I appreciate the attempts at diversity with an inside look into the struggles public schools often face but it read less as a story and more of a soundboard for political beliefs.

Thank you Dutton for my e-copy of Faculty Lounge. I wished I had liked it more but these are in fact my honest opinions and review.

This book is both hilarious and heartwarming, and I really enjoyed it! It starts off with a young teacher discovering the dead body of a substitute teacher in the faculty lounge. We then get the story of the rest of the school year (as well as past events) through the perspective of everyone from the principal to the undocumented custodial worker to the school nurse. I liked how we got so many perspectives and stories, and I loved how the writing style was both matter-of-fact and funny. As the roommate of a teacher, I have heard so many stories of what really goes on behind the scenes at school (both with students and admin), and this book felt like it could have been one of her stories. It was funny and warm and appreciative of educators and all that they do. I loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. THE FACULTY LOUNGE is out on July 23!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ebook arc.
Reading this book is like attending a school wide teacher meeting about information that does not pertain to you. It was interesting but did not keep me invested. I chucked and enjoyed some moments but overall.. it was an okay book.
Here's why YOU should read this book: this book is for the people who would like insight on what teachers experience on a daily. The sense of humor is dry and sarcastic, the diverse characters will make you laugh but most importantly; each story, each character shows you resilience, human connection, and the hurdles educators endure inside and outside of the classroom.
Although this book was not for me, it could be for you!

I went into this one with high hopes, it sounded like a sweet, heartfelt, character driven read. I was disappointed.
The POV is so far removed from the characters that even though I know a lot of information about their lives I don't feel like I know the characters or have any connection to them. Also it alternates between referring to them as Mrs, Ms, or Mr whoever and referring to them by their first names, leaving me unclear which first name goes with which last name.
The plot is buried deep under long winded introspectives and flash backs into the different characters lives, leaving the story moving at a glacial pace. A quarter of the way into the book I should feel like I have a handle on the plot, but I'm still waiting for it to start.
The writing is clearly also trying to be both didactic with its statements about the problems in the school system, and literary in the way it talks about the characters and their lives. But it just left me feeling annoyed and slightly horrified by what Mathieu thinks life is like for people over 30.
I didn't feel any heart in this book, only disappointment and the characters are too lost to be driving the story anywhere but over a cliff.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton for gifting me a digital ARC of the adult debut by Jennifer Mathieu. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

An elderly substitute teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. That sets off a series of events that cause ripples through the staff at the school.

I loved this book so much! I worked as a public school secretary for many years, and so much of this book rang absolutely true. And it is true because the author is a public school teacher! It covers everything from the teachers to the custodians, school nurses to counselors, to central office, to standardized tests, to parents. I could go on and on, but the best part is getting to meet different staff members and learn the back stories that influence their behavior. This is a must read for anyone involved in education, but also for parents. It's laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, full of heart and hope for our educational system. Highly recommended!