First I want to thank NetGalley & Penguin Drop for this advanced reader's copy of The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu. This book is for teachers and educators for sure! I enjoyed all the perspectives from the characters as well as a deep look into what it is like to be a teacher. There were definitely surprising moments in the book that caught me off guard (old man kiss) that was more funny to me than anything. Baldwin High alone is it's own character and she is a mess! This was my first read from this author and I would read her again.

When I picked up Faculty Lounge, I expected a quirky workplace comedy. What I got was so much more. Told in interconnected short stories, this book gives us comedy, tragedy, romance, social scrutiny, friendship, camaraderie, and heartfelt celebration of the people who work so tirelessly for our children every single day.

I loved this book for its insight, its warmth, and its truth. It makes you want to thank every teacher you've ever had (and the rest of the school staff).

This is a collection of stories that brings to life the teachers, administrators, and other staff who work at a high school in Texas. It's very much an ode to teachers and the honorable, great work that they do. It's heartwarming to read, and I connected with the characters that each chapter centers around. It also reminded me how hard teaching can be and why we need to show more appreciation to our teachers.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED. What a great read and I want to preorder this book asap.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this novel captures the true difficulties that exist in education today. The struggles of classroom teachers are depicted painfully and realistically.

Reading this novel I thought of so many teachers, aides, school counselors, nurses and staff that I would recommend this book to, but they will have to wait till .summer 2024!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author Jennifer Matthieu and publisher for chance to read The Faculty Lounge.
I enjoyed reading the perspectives, memories and current situations the different staff member ps experienced during this interesting school year.
As another reviewer said it feels like short stories that tie together and that was different and exemplifies how the staff at the school operate in their own orbits

The Faculty Lounge is like therapy for anyone who has worked- even tangentially- in education. Jennifer Mathieu develops a cast of characters with both heart and humor. It is refreshing to read a book about educators that doesn’t turn the characters into self sacrificing martyrs or center on a narrative about the transformative power of education! Instead, the characters are normal people, many who are deeply flawed and questioning the choices that led them to work in education.

After a former teacher turned long term substitute dies in the faculty lounge, the teachers and staff find themselves participating in a long held practice of education: compartmentalizing trauma and completing the many mundane and urgent tasks required to survive the day. Teaching is very human work, and humans are unpredictable and messy. It’s really
the perfect setting for a comedic novel. If you are curious, the writing is actually funny. The courtyard incident that sets the novel in motion is the first time I have laughed out loud while reading a book in a long time.

While I enjoyed this novel, the first few chapters are a bit heavy handed in the minutia of school operations. But the story hits its stride pretty quickly. The author is very intentional about telling diverse stories in a sensitive way. While the custodian’s story read a bit overworked, the rest of the stories were very successful.

Readers who enjoy shifting perspectives will love this book. Each chapter is presented from a new point of view, and over time, the stories overlap so it never feels like a character is lost. There is a good balance between perspectives that will make you laugh and stories that hit a bit deeper.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for review.

A wonderful, immersive read! As a former teacher, this one struck home with me. The characters are vivid and clearly drawn, distinct enough that despite the large cast the story never felt confusing or overly complicated. A book I'll be recommending to anyone who's ever worked in education.

As an avid lover of Moxie, I was so excited for the opportunity to read this one! This story reminded me a lot of Abbot Elementary with its dry humor and accurate depiction of the craziness that is being a teacher! As a middle school teacher myself, I felt a lot of this story to be incredibly relatable for both the good and the bad. I think it's an important read, especially for non-teachers, so that people can understand what we face on a daily basis. Some parts felt a little slow and there were a LOT of characters to follow, but other than that I really enjoyed this story and plan on passing it onto some of my colleagues upon release! Thanks so much for the ARC!

Thanks for sharing the book with me!

The novel feels like The Office meets Abbott Elementary. You have these quirky characters who are tossed into what generally seems like a toxic work environment that is somehow made desirable to the reader because of the strong community and the witty banter that is formed between the teachers. I love the dynamics at play! I left the book feeling like "Shit! I should be a teacher" which is crazy that the author could make me feel that way since there is a literal dead man in the faculty lounge at the start!! SO major props for that.

I wish though that this story played out as a TV series though instead of a book because as much as I love the office (which I do!), I don't know if I would read the book version of The office because what makes the Office great is that there is very little character arc for these quirky characters and you just get to watch these quirky characters do every day things in an interesting way. I guess I would want to see that with these characters.

When I was reading, I had a hard time keeping track of all the different teachers and even after 25% of the book was questioning, "Okay so what'a the main point here?"

I know Jennifer's last book Moxie was made into a movie on Netflix and I am really looking forward to this book being adapted into a TV series! sign me up!

As a teacher, oh my word is this book spot on!!!!! I found myself laughing, rolling my eyes, getting annoyed and getting excited for every character in this book. From the teachers to the principal, to the school nurse and everyone in between. The struggle is real for us teachers! The characters were so well written and I was able to see bits of myself in each one. I was sad when the book ended as I wanted to join the teachers and school staff on their journey through the next year. If you are a teacher READ THIS BOOK. And if you are not a teacher, thank one and then READ THIS BOOK!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book and kept thinking the author must have worked in a school, she has... No spoiler since it is in the 1st paragraph- the book is about the relationship or lack of one different character in the school with Mr. Lehrer. Mr. Lehrer worked at the school for decades, retired, and returned to substitute when he was in his 80's. He dies on the couch in the faculty lounge. The chapters are like short stories linked by a common setting and character- Baldwin High School and Mr. Lehrer. The book is current- references to COVID, lockdowns, CRT, and T-SOAR a Texas standardized test. The book is believable and relatable. As a former educator, my favorite quote was wanting to die during professional development because it would be a seamless transition. The teachers at the school were likable and recognizable if you have ever worked in a school. The darkest yet most realistic scene was when a central office person was sent to do grief support, making it "value added" to school test performance.

I thought this was great! The Faculty Lounge follows a group of teachers over the course of a single school year. The principal is being investigated by the central office after admin gets wind of him "releasing" a retired teacher turned long-term substitute's ashes post death in the faculty lounge. A mix of present day, flash backs, emails, text messages - it was great!

What a delightful book this was! More a series of vignettes set around a communal workplace than a traditional novel, this book opens on the dead body of 82 year old substitute teacher Bob Leher on the couch in the faculty lounge. Each chapter is told from the POV of a teacher who used that faculty lounge and was present both to see the body and later to attend the ceremony to spread Mr. Leher's ashes on school property that goes terribly wrong.

Some characters and their chapters are better than others, but they have in common a deep respect for the individuals that populate a high school. There's humor here (although it's quite dry and off-hand, not a broad comedy by any stretch) and there's emotion as well. The book covers new love, grief, alcoholism, sexual assault, and teen pregnancy, among others, but all with a kindness that shines through.

This is a wonderful adult debut for the author. A solid 4 stars for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is a must for any educator! Working in the classroom is such an interesting experience, and this book does a wonderful job handling the odd topics from workplace romance to administration holding unnecessary PD.

This one touched my soul, and I imagine it will do the same to others. A beloved teacher-turned-substitute passes away on school property - what comes next is the stories of all the teachers and staff he's impacted and touched through his years at this particular school.

What a wonderful novel. Perfect teacher gift, read for a current or former educator...or truly anyone!

Adored this book!

I would say it is like Parks and Rec (the show) meets education.

This book, while humorous, really showed the humanity behind the people that make education possible. It took the "educator" mask off of them to show the real struggles and victories that educators face.

It also, in a humorous way, really highlighted the way the system itself expects so much from its employees and blames them when they cannot reach the top of the pedestal.

As a former educator, I am going to be screaming all of 2024 for people to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I had such a great time reading this book! I loved how the author weaved together the stories of various people who work at schools- from the veteran curmudgeon, to the beloved favorite, to the jaded burnt out teacher just trying to survive each day... and many more. This book is so relatable to anyone who works in a public school. It was filled with heart and had me both laughing out loud and crying numerous times... no surprise that the author is a teacher herself! Thank you to NetGalley for the eGalley- will be published July 2024!

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu is a witty, multi-perspective story about the behind-the-scenes of a school. I'm not a teacher, but I'm a professor, and I loved hearing all of the different stories about the teachers and staff at this school. I especially liked how the book went through multiple timelines so that you got to understand every person's perspective.

By the time I was a few chapters into The Faculty Lounge, I knew it would be one of my top reads of the year!

As a high school teacher, this book resonated so much with so many of my experiences. It made me laugh, made me cry, and reminded me of how important a job teaching is even on the days when it’s hard. From the first few pages, I was hooked as I imagined the odd series of events that the started the book happening in my own school. I expected this to be a funny book that chronicled the chaos of working in a high school, but as the school year progressed and we learned more about each of the staff members, I realized it was so much more than that.

Each of the chapters focused on a different member of the school community, which felt a little bit disjointed at first, but were woven together brilliantly by the end. The way we learned about all of the characters was so humanizing and really demonstrated the importance of relationships we build with the people in our lives. In her writing, Mathieu did a beautiful job of highlighting the fact that everyone in the school was an invaluable member of the community, from the custodian to the principal. It really made me reflect on the relationships I’ve built with colleagues and how much they mean to all of us.

This is a book that educators (and fans of Abbott Elementary!) will love, but so will many others. It was a heartwarming story that gave me warm, fuzzy feelings!

I’m not normally the kind of reader that reads this kind of prose, but I must say…this book was excellent. It gave me the warm fuzzies of contentment multiple times, and it felt like staying under the covers on a cold winter morning. I immediately felt an emotional connection to each of the characters in the book, which was only heightened by chapters on each of the major players. Getting insight into what my old teachers must have been thinking was so special and I enjoyed this book thoroughly. My only complaint is that the book was not longer!!