A fun and endearing look at the lives of high school teachers after the bell rings. When a former teacher/substitute dies in the faculty lounge of Baldwin High School at the beginning of the school year, there is a bit of a kerfluffle. However, it's not the craziest thing to ever happen at Baldwin. However, when the spreading of said teacher's ashes reaches the eyes of some busybody PTO parents, the school year becomes one of the most challenging for Baldwin's teachers and administrators.
A lovely (and often funny) look at the humanity of people we usually think of as one-dimensional.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this e-arc.*

When a substitute teacher is found dead in the faculty lounge, it creates quite a stir but life goes on for the faculty of Baldwin High. Until a memorial spirals and creates a year of drama.

While a fast read, I didn’t get much out of this one. I did enjoy meeting all the characters and how we got in-depth character studies of each of them. I liked how the plot and characters revolved around the death of the OG substitute teacher, especially how it ended with his beginning. When it was all said and done, I did not have a conclusive feeling of reading an entertaining book with a solid plot. I do think that anyone who teaches or works in a school would love this one, but I was not the target audience.

“A dead body in the lounge was not, in fact, the most fucked up thing to ever happen at Baldwin High School.”

The Faculty Lounge comes out 7/23.

Wow. As someone who works in a Texas High School. Um. Are there cameras? Do you work with me? How was this so spot on.

The accuracy.

I literally named characters as my coworkers.

But really. I hate that it is way but geez. The world is making it so HARD ago be in education. Especially secondary education. Elementary education, y’all are probably reading this book and thinking WTH? What is this. Let me tell you elementary and secondary are WORLDS apart. Worlds.

Especially in Texas. We are not education first. We are athletics first. We are football first.

And working in a library it is CRUSHING. Devastating.

But with all that well done Jennifer. Keep bringing to light issues in your stories and speaking for those who can’t always.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book. I am a bit of a "sensitive" reader and some of the content was just not for me. I did appreciate how it felt like some of an educator's experience was really reflected in this book, something I haven't seen/read in any other book. I had a hard time with some of the content though for me personally. Thank you again so much!

I think this book is quirky and fun. Compiled of a bunch of short stories, a tale unfolds about the impact of people. Teachers and those who work together in a building to mold children’s lives. Yet instead of focusing on their impact on the children this book focuses on the impact of people on each other’s lives. How they inspired each other, found friendship, made connections, etc. So many times, when looking at teachers we tend to forget they are people outside of their title. Having a degree in teaching myself, I know sometimes we even forget that. Our kids become the focus, but we are more than that. We still are humans who exist, and the work environment of a school is one where we are separate, yet still a whole. This is a lovely book that will resonate with anyone who has worked in the education field and would be great for book clubs.
Thank you so much to Penguin Group Dutton, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I had a blast reading this book! As a teacher's kid, it was refreshing to see school staff humanized. The Faculty Lounge dives into the lives of Baldwin High's educators, from teachers to the janitor and even the school nurse. It kicks off with a substitute's death in the lounge, creating a trauma bond among the staff. Each chapter offers a different staff member's perspective, showing their personal journeys and the educator they are today. Despite the numerous characters, it’s not overwhelming.

The Faculty Lounge is a book of interconnected stories about the staff at a public high school in Houston Texas.
I am not in the education field and I found this to be funny and sad at times but entertaining as well. I’m sure if you are in education it will be even more fun to read. It was well written. This is the author’s adult debut and she hit the mark.
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for the honest review.
4⭐️

3.5⭐️

This was cute but very, very niche. I think it could be an eye opening read for people who don't necessarily have regular interactions with teachers about the struggles and politics involved with being a teacher in 2024. I dind't really have a connection with any of the characters but had fun nonetheless.

This book was so fun! As the child of a teacher, it was refreshing to see school administrators and staff humanized. It reminded me that everyone has a story and there are many roads that can lead people to the same place. Humans are complex and each individual comes with their own baggage. The Faculty Lounge reiterates that and shares the stories of several educators within Baldwin High School's walls--from English teachers and math teachers to the principal, the janitor, and the school nurse! There's even an appearance from a dreaded PTA member haha. This novel kicks off with the death of a substitute in the teacher's lounge that creates a trauma bond between everyone involved and the story meanders on from there with each chapter being told from the perspective of a different staff member from the school. It tells us about the person and educator they are now and gives some insight to how each one got there. While the amount of different characters and stories included in this short book sounds a little overwhelming, I promise it's not. These are characters that you can truly believe are REAL people (did you know that teachers aren't teachers *all the time*?!) and they have their flaws, but you can also tell that they want to contribute in a positive way to their student's lives. This book was well-written and very enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC :)

“A person could color-code and list and organize, but in the end, life sometimes just happened to you.”


The Faculty Lounge is a heartfelt, humorous, endearing, and honest exploration of the teaching experience and I absolutely loved it. All of the teachers work at Baldwin High and you get perspectives, personal stories, and challenges from the Principal to the Nurse to the custodian.
There are more serious topics explored like addiction, grief, and reproductive rights as well as more light-hearted topics like gag end of the year gifts and accidental email chains. All of the teachers are united and related in some way and I really, really loved that.

This story is slower moving and largely focused on character development and if that is your thing I highly, highly recommend this read. It’s not just for teachers but anyone that has ever worked with adolescence or been an adolescent. I can’t stop thinking about it and really really wish it could be a tv series as I want to know what happens as time goes on with all of these characters.

“In this business, we can only focus on what we can do in the moment. We can only focus on the next good choice. It’s been my experience that this is true in life as well. We cannot control other people or their behavior. We can only try to do the next right thing.”

Thank you so much to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the early copy. This one comes out on the 23rd. Pre-order it now!

5 stars

What drew me to The Faculty Lounge was that it is set in a school and the problems, struggles, and triumphs that come with that. You have a lot of characters in the story (as you do in schools), so there is a lot going on in the story. But, the story is so much like working in a school, its scary.

The characters are the main focus of The Faculty Lounge. In a school, you only get by because you support each other. You are trauma bonded. So, I appreciated how well the book showed this to the reader. I also enjoyed the laughs because that is pretty true of working in schools as well. While the stress and worry over the future is always present, each day contains some humor. There isn't really a trope or plot arc-the story is just about school employees trying to make it through the year-one ridiculous event at a time. You don't have to be an educator to enjoy the story-anyone can relate for sure! Because there isn't really a plot arc, it was a little difficult to stick with at times. It reads as more as sort of a "day in the life" type of story. For me, I think I needed more-like a problem, a romance, a villain. Just something a bit more.

Thank you Dutton for this wonderful and charming read... I loved it and was reminded at times of the classic Up the Down Staircase. I am not a school teacher in the sense of this book, I am a college teaching prof, but I could relate to a lot of the feelings, themes, and experiences in here, the love for teaching, the quirky ways that teachers from different depts co-mingle and how we are all in a way our own archetypes... The story was endearing, affectionate, and funny in ways that really captured the behind the scenes experiences with teaching. I also really understood the feeling of unexpected chaos/uncertainty, that little things can become problems and that a lot of what happens in education seems to have... little do to with education and a lot to do with a range of pressures and expectations, some of which might take away from education itself.

Come for the humanity in this book, stay for the laughs and the feeling that this is an author who really understands and celebrates educators, flaws and all.

I loved how this book was written with each chapter from a different POV. This book gave incredible insight into the challenges and stresses of being an educator. I really enjoyed the plot, the characters and how everything was so real. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was so touching and funny! The book is set in a Texas high school after one of the teachers dies in the faculty lounge (of natural causes), and his ashes are spread at the school in a very memorable scene. What follows is an eye-opening and compassionate look at what teachers and school staff deal with daily, from bureaucracy to parent issues to standardized testing to on-campus shenanigans.

A poignant picture emerges through a series of character studies of the ensemble cast that reads a bit like a collection of short stories or a selection of snapshots. Each chapter delves into a school staff member's professional and personal lives and features a layered, nuanced, and vividly portrayed character who feels real. The reader sees each character's humanity and heart, and I came away with an even deeper respect for educators. Complex situations and issues are examined and handled respectfully. The depth is balanced by humor, so the tone stays light. The book is beautifully written and offers a lot of food for thought and a message about connection. I laughed and was on the brink of tears more than once. This was my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed her writing style and found this book's format fairly unique. I enjoyed this and recommend it!

Thank you to Dutton Books and Netgalley for the free book!

Oh I enjoyed this one! The starts with the unfortunate death of a beloved teacher now substitute on the couch in the faculty lounge and then arcs through the year and through the lives of the people who work at the school. I liked this because Mathieu gave us perspectives from every angle - the Principal, the assistant principal, the nurse, various teachers, the counselor, and in some ways, most insightfully from the custodian. Each person is more than they appear, each has a small relevant back story to the larger issues the school is facing. This touches on so many issues-from helicopter parenting to book banning to immigration to alcoholism to teen pregnancy-but because of the format, it never feels overstuffed. Anyone who works in a school (or indeed pretty much anywhere) might find themselves chuckling at the HR session after the ashes spreading went sideways. It's a satire to be sure but it's got a huge heart. Thanks to the publisher for the Arc. A wonderful read.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
#fiftyeighthbookof2024 #arc #thefacultylounge

CW: death, addiction, teen pregnancy, abortion, grief

From NetGalley: With its ensemble of warm and unforgettablecharacters, The Faculty Lounge shows readers a different side of school life. It all starts when an elderly substitute teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. After a bit of a stir, life quickly returns to normal—it’s not like it’s the worst (or even most interesting) thing that has happened within the building’s walls. But when, a week later, the spontaneous scattering of his ashes on the school grounds catches the attention of some busybody parents, it sets in motion a year that can only be described as wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful, and humorous all at once.

This book was a warm hug. I finished it in a couple hours. It tells the story of a year in the life of some high school teachers and administrators, through little vignettes and flashbacks to the early stages of their careers. It was lovely and very sweet and uncomplicated. It was an enjoyable palate cleanser after I DNFed something I wasn’t so keen on. This isn’t my usual fare, but it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 7/23/24).

Baldwin High. A cast of teachers who are flawed, passionate about their jobs, and not surprisingly, have lives outside of their classrooms. The catalyst for them to share their stories? The death of elderly substitute teacher Mr. Lehrer in the faculty lounge. The result? A phenomenal ensemble novel that demonstrates the power of workplace connections and the importance of educators who care.

The Faculty Lounge will easily top my 2024 reads lists. Told from a new perspective each chapter, this novel was fresh, endearing and heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed the various perspectives, from the school principle who was a former punk band musician, to the custodial staff member who was an educator before fleeing her country for a better life in the United States. While it feels lighthearted, it ultimately tackles so many important issues. The Faculty Lounge would appeal to so many different kinds of readers. It deserves to be a hit, and wins five out of five stars from this reader.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

The story starts with an older substitute teacher passing away in the faculty lounge of a high school.
“A dead body in the lounge was not, in fact, the most fucked up thing to ever happen at Baldwin High School.”
This teachers passing (and the unfortunate events that happen after) acts as a stepping stone to hear the other faculty members' stories. It dihe deeper into more personal aspects of each character's life and reminds us that teachers have lives outside of the classroom.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The little stories from each character's lives are often entertaining and sometimes humorous. It really felt like you could walk into a school and find these people working and just shows how little we know of people we might see every day.

Faculty lounge is the story of teachers/administrators at Baldwin HS in Texas (fictional) there are multiple storylines around each of the staff members but it details real challenges facing secondary campuses and teachers all around the country. While I am not in education, I did find the book interesting and relatable. A big thank you to all those that teach that have to deal with all this craziness every day.
Thank you to Penguin Dutton and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

I'm a former teacher, and I couldn't wait to read this book! The author captures teacher life in "The Faculty Lounge." I enjoy how each chapter focused on a different character/staff member, from who they are to what they teach and everything along the way. Characters are well developed and relatable. Serious topics are addressed (such as death, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, alcoholism, and grief, to name a few). I would recommend this book, particularly to teachers, though it can be enjoyable for anyone.