Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Jennifer Mathieu for the advanced copy of The Faculty Lounge!

The Faculty Lounge was a wonderful character study of teachers and administrators in a high school setting during the course of a school year. It follows the teachers and administrators as they go through their trials and tribulations throughout their careers, what led them to working at this school, how they may have interacted with their coworkers over the years, and more. Mathieu presented each character as a unique individual with a different backstory. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Really enjoyed this read.

A slice of life story--about a year at a Texas high school. Each section features a different staff member--teachers, assistant principal, principal, custodian, nurse, and more. They are all interrelated and the staff range from brand new to almost retired to retired.

The book gives you a real sense for what it means to work in education today, and the changes that have taken place over the years. Unlike many similar books, the students play a very minor role in this story. This is about the faculty--their struggles, triumphs, frustrations, and the humor that they must employ in order to get through the days.

I grew up with both of my parents as teachers and could identify with so much of this, even so many years later. I loved the Christmas gift exchange of random items gifted to them, it made me laugh out loud. This book has so much heart and the reader can see the passion that these people have for their jobs. It's not just a career, it's a calling. The author is a teacher so she definitely has the insider knowledge and it shines through on each page.

This is a fast paced, very enjoyable read. Highly recommended for everyone, but it will be particularly meaningful and impactful to those working in education.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I felt very bored. There really was not plot in this one and I couldn't connect to the characters.

Maybe teachers would enjoy this one more than me.

After some truly excellent YA books, Jennifer Mathieu's adult debut is also absolutely wonderful. Told in vignettes by the different staff members at a Texas high school, it really captures the different characters and background that educators bring to their jobs, as well as the current state and challenges of being an educator. Sometimes the stories were more about their personal lives, reminding readers that teachers and school staff are real, full people, and some were more about the experiences in the school. This is a quick, worthy read.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I love books that take different people who are forced together and make a story out of them.

(Not detrimental) SPOILER: Teachers don’t live at school under their desks, and they actually have first names.

The book was charming, funny, and heartfelt. I loved that each chapter focused on a different character at Baldwin High, and each character was portrayed as deeply human. While a plot existed, the main heart of the story was the characters. If you go into this one expecting a large focus on plot, you’ll be disappointed.

This book was timely and relevant. It revered those on the front lines in public schools. It also poked fun at the bureaucracy of education and less than thrilling mandatory meetings.

Fans of character-driven novels, books about everyday occurrences, and books celebrating making a difference no matter how small will love this one.

Final Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars -- I will be releasing a video review on my YouTube channel, The Literary Apothecary, on day of release.

I received the eARC for this book via NetGalley and what a crazy ride this was! The Faculty Lounge is set to be released by Dutton on July 23, 2024. It is Mathieu's adult debut novel that is funny and bighearted, an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today's pressing school issues, and a tender character study - all with the backdrop of a Texas high school.

Spoiler Free Summary: (Parts of this summary are taken from Goodreads)

The Faculty Lounge shows readers a different side of school life - the faculty, staff, and administrators that help make the school run. It starts off with a bang when an elderly substitute teacher is found dead in the 3rd floor Faculty Lounge. From there, we get a moment of rememberance for the subsitute, who once was a regular and beloved faculty member at Baldwin High - the principal, who really is just trying to do his best, decides to honor the deceased's wishes and spreads his ashes on school grounds. Well, all was going well until a huge gust of wind decided to take the ashes and blow them directly in to the PTA President's face as she walked by in search for the principal himself. And this is only the start of Baldwin High's wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful and humorous school year, This book takes us on the journey of Baldwin's school year, while also dipping into poignant and honest character studies of some of the faculty and staff there. One thing that stood out to me was that not only are the faculty and administrators highlighted here, but also staff. And we get both good and bad sides to the characters, as they try to make their way through the school year and life.

CAWPILE Breakdown: (You might notice, I am trying something different with this review - each category will be rated out of 5 instead of 10, I've noticed that I rarely go below a 5 when rating, so I am trying to limit my scope to give a more precise rating. See post about adaptation for more info.)

Characters: 4 - Our characters are diverse, robost, and complex. As mentioned above, not only do we get the good and endearing side to the characters, but we also get not so great sides to some of them that make these characters feel real and relatable. The only thing that kept me from giving this book full score for characters is that we didn't really see a lot of actual development from them, it was more just sketches of who they once were and who they are now.

Atmosphere/Setting: 5 - Mathieu nails the Texas high school setting in this book. It feels like a high school, it looks like a high school, it sounds like a high school. It's a high school!

Writing Style: 3 - This is where I struggled a bit with this book. I thought the pacing was good (maybe a tad long but not too bad) and as I said I loved the characters and the atmosphere. The thing that gives me pause is that while I can see a plot line that was carried throughout, it felt the character studies were the heavier weight in this novel. I would have liked to see that plot line threaded through a little bit more cohesively, other than just these characters all work at the same school and were there on the day that of the "Ashes Incident".

Plot: 2 - The actual plot is about the day to day life of faculty, administrators, and staff at Baldwin High School, and how they manage during the year. It's simple. My main issue, as I stated above, is that it felt like the character studies took on more importance and the plot was kind of just a backdrop, almost a second thought of "Oh yeah, I need something to make this a novel and not short story sketches."

Intrigue: 3.5 - The characters were so diverse, my intrigue was held mainly by them. I wanted to know who we would get to know next and what we would learn about them.

Logic/Relationships: 3.5 - The logic and relationships in this novel were both well done. It all made sense, in its own way. Relationships developed in unlikely pairs and I loved seeing which characters connected with each other on different levels.

Enjoyment: 4 - At the end of the day, I enjoyed reading The Faculty Lounge and getting to know each one of these characters. I think I may have enjoyed it even more if it was just the character studies though and that plot line just came out in the studies and not as an actual novel - if that makes sense.

CAWPILE Total: 25/7 = 3.5 = 3.5 stars

Video Review: https://youtu.be/D35IwLY6VwU

Happy Pub Day to The Faculty Lounge! When I got an email about a story that was “an ode to educators” written by a long time teacher, as someone who has worked in schools alongside school staff for the last 7 years, I couldn’t pass it up. The Faculty Lounge is much more a character study than a plotted book, which is where it missed the mark of a 5 star read for me. It very well still could have landed as a 4 star if there was just slightly more resolution and clarity to one or two more of the chapters.

Still, I had fun with this one. As someone who has worked with a boatload of teachers, the personalities feel true to life. And while the events at Baldwin High over the course of the year of the book are wild, well… Public school teachers and principals and school counselors have seen things.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! The Faculty Lounge is on sale TODAY

I really enjoyed this book so much! There wasn't one central plot, but a collection of interconnected stories from various employees of Baldwin High School - the principal, assistant principal, multiple teachers, a janitor, counselor and more - centered around the death of an elderly substitute/retired teacher. It was poignant, funny, and sometimes sad, but always enjoyable! Fans of Abbot Elementary will love it!

Thank you NetGalley, Dutton publishing and Jennifer Mathieu for allowing me to read this book earl ly in exchange for can honest review! I have the book 4.5 stars and I rounded it down to 4 on good reads.!

An elderly substitute dies in the faculty lounge The well meaning principal wants to spread his ashes in the courtyard of the school but accidentally blows them onto a parent. During the months that follow, the book shows the lives of some of the teachers and administrators at the school as they navigate their lives and teaching. This book is a little slice of life of teachers and breaks the idea that teachers live at the school and have no outside life. This is perfect for educators and anyone that thinks teachers are real people.

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.