Feito writes a bizarre, blood-thirsty narrator with a freaky mind. The first half of this novel falls flat for me, but the climax and twist at the end makes up for it a little. The story was not as engaging and I don’t think every reader could be this kind of story up. However, for those who enjoy wacky, questionable, and bloody narratives about feminine rage where nothing goes as you’d expect, then this is definitely for you!

I am unsure how to write this review because this was such a unique reading experience. I would give this book a 3.75/5 but rounded up because it was just unhinged and was such a quick read.

This story follows Winifred Notty, a legitimately unhinged, mentally unwell, psychotic governess and the children and family she is responsible for. As I said before, this story moves fast. You quickly learn that something isn't right with Winifred. We get her inner thoughts about the family and the violence that is constantly on her mind. We also get flashbacks to previous times in her life and things that happened. She lost her mother, but even when her mother was alive, she accused Winifred of having an inner darkness. This darkness continues to grow as she goes through life and we see it on display in this novel.

This story is very graphic. The prose does an excellent job of helping you feel as if you're in the room watching the madness occur. You have to pay attention though, because sometimes you think something has happened but then find it out that maybe it did, but in the past, or maybe it was just a thought, a hallucination? There is much violence on the page and again, Winifred has a darkness within her, and that is clear in the story.

I don't know who to recommend this to. It is very much a horror novel. There is a loose plot, although it takes a while to figure out what that is, but that's also a positive, once you know what's going on. The story is wild, murderous, gory, and fast-paced. Very unique, but again, I still have such mixed feelings. But I enjoyed (?) my reading for the most part, so for now I'll stick with my rating.

thank you so much to w.w. Norton and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💚

This novella is possibly the best Christmas read I've ever encountered.
Gothic, eerie, dark, disturbing, gory, bloody and darkly funny this story is just so well crafted.

if you enjoy these adjectives and are not afraid of the TW, this if definitely worth the read 💚

Victorian Psycho (February 2025) Book Review
👻👻👻👻👻/5

What a tasty little nugget Victorian Psycho is! It had me hooked from the first page and as it hurtled to its outrageous, ghastly climax.

If letting the intrusive thoughts win was a person, it’d be the titular character Ms. Winifred Notty! Winifred is tasked to be governess to the insufferable Pounds family and things aren’t what they seem, unraveling from there. I loved this glimpse into Winifred’s world and psychopathic mind.

With its deliciously dark humor, I found myself laughing out loud many times (and wondering what that says about me haha).

Virginia Feito gives us wickedly gorgeous prose and the Victorian vibes are immaculate. Set against the backdrops of patriarchy and propriety, this story delves into themes of revenge and the darkness within us all.

Consider your warnings as there are some gruesome acts depicted.

If you like your books sardonically witty with dark humor and unhinged female protagonists pushed too far, Victorian Psycho is one you can’t miss. I can’t recommend it enough and I just know it’ll be in my top favorites of the year!

Thanks to @netgalley #virginiafeito and @liveright for the advance copy.

#horrorlit #victorianpsycho #virginiafeito #netgalley #livebright #horror #darkhumor

This was a gothic novel to its very core: dark, atmospheric, and dripping with eerie Victorian-era horror. It was bloody, gruesome, and weird in a way that should have been right up my alley. And in some ways, it was.

Miss Notty (Winifred) was what childhood trauma looks like when it fully manifests into a person. She was brutal, unrelenting, and terrifying in a way that made her the perfect gothic horror figure. A true psychopath in every sense of the word, she carried the novel with her erratic and gruesome behavior.

But here’s the thing… while she was an unforgettable character, the actual plot didn’t hold up as well. I tend to like books that others might call “weird,” but this one didn’t land the way I expected. The story felt watered down, almost lost in its own chaos. While I can appreciate a strong character study, I also need a solid, engaging plot to fully enjoy a book. Unfortunately, “Victorian Psycho” leaned more into shock value and unsettling moments than a cohesive narrative, leaving me wanting more in the end.

Thank you, #NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company, for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I was in for something strange when I picked up Victorian Psycho, but I didn’t realize just how much fun I was about to have. Virginia Feito delivers a wild, darkly hilarious, and deeply unsettling gothic story that I absolutely tore through.

At the center of this bizarre story is Winifred Notty, a governess who possesses this eerie composure that makes your hackles raise. From the moment she arrives at Ensor House, you can tell something is lurking beneath the surface—both in the house and in Winifred herself. What makes her such a fascinating character isn’t just her unraveling mind, but the way Feito makes you almost understand her twisted logic. She’s the kind of protagonist who feels like she’s leading you by the hand down a dark hallway, reassuring you there’s nothing to be afraid of—even as you start to see the shadows moving.

This book had me laughing more times than I can count. The contrast between comedy and horror is executed so well—it’s one of those books that makes you feel both entertained and vaguely complicit, like you’re in on some deeply messed-up joke.

It’s also a ridiculously fast read. I flew through it, completely hooked on Winifred’s bizarre internal monologue and the increasingly unhinged events unfolding at Ensor House. Every chapter pulls you deeper into its eerie, claustrophobic world, and by the time you realize how far you’ve gone, you’re too deep to stop. So maybe clear your schedule before picking this one up.

Winifred Notty is one of those characters who will stick with me for a long time. She’s unsettling, hilarious, and completely deranged in a way that makes her impossible to forget.

Wowwww, what a savage and unhinged ride! This gothic horror story is wildly funny and grotesque, extraordinary from start to finish. Virginia Feito’s writing is immaculate, this book is binge-worthy as hell, and the denouement is chef’s kiss. This was an easy five star read for me and I highly recommend! Feito’s debut novel, Mrs. March, is also worth your time.

This was a very odd but vibrant book. It's short. It's blunt. It is strange. It's the inner narrative of Winifred, governess to the Pound children, who could not be any less like Mary Poppins. I am not surprised it is already being turned into an A24 movie.

4 stars.

My overall feeling about this book is that I feel like I've missed what the book was trying to say or achieve, but I enjoyed the absolutely wild ride.

In this book we're following Winifred Notty, a young woman who takes up a position as the governess for the Pounds family. As the story progresses, the family's secrets unravel, as does Winifred's reason for taking this particular post.

This book is very dark and very gory, so I feel you should be warned about that going it. That said, I loved it, and I particularly loved following Winifred as a protagonist. She's dark and weird and unrepentant, and in a way I think she's the best possible character to expose the others' flaws. Almost like it takes a monster to expose a monster.

While reading, I kept trying to think of a way to describe this book, and I've settled on this: Victorian Psycho is what happens if you take a novel of manners, take all of the characters to their natural extremes, and then drop a being of chaotic malevolence in their midst. The result is a weird, almost dreamlike atmosphere where bizarre and disturbing things are said or happen, and everyone present either misses them or treats them as though they're completely mundane. This leaves the reader as the one person present who's reacting with shock and horror, and I think that really heightened the horror, making every event that much more unsettling.

I think that effect is particularly interesting in combination with the book's voice; the story is narrated by Winifred, who often breaks the fourth wall. She's very sarcastic and has no adherence to social mores or conventions, so she's very blunt about everything in a way that clashes with the expectations of the Victorian setting. I really liked this element of the book as it made me feel at turns amused and horrified.

The plot of the story is kind of meandering, and it's much more an exploration of Winifred's strange interactions with the characters. That said, there are some strong twists near the end that I think really pulled everything together. My only criticism is that I think the vagueness of the latter half and the reliance on the bending of reality muddled what the book was trying to achieve (unless, of course, the lack of a point _is_ the point, in which case I've just missed it).

The closest comparison I can think of for the feeling of this book is, oddly enough, Silent Hill 2. I've recently finished playing the remake, and it also has a dreamlike feeling where no one reacts the way you would expect them to given the situation. I think if you liked that game, you'll find this book interesting. I also think you'll like this one if you happen to like both novels of manners and slashers.

I hope to revisit this book someday soon and try to peel back the layers to see what I've missed.

I finished this book in one evening. It was bloody and strange and so much fun! If you like historical horror, this is right up your alley. There is lots of interesting aspects of this book. I will add a warning, if you're sensitive about children and death, this won't be for you.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Ha! What a twisted, fun send-up of the Victorian Gothic! I will echo the other positive reviews here: funny, disturbing, gross--definitely not for the faint of heart or for readers who must remain rooted in reality. I think Victorian Psycho is best read as feminist satire. I loved Mrs. March as well, so Feito is a welcome and permanent addition to my must-read authors list.

***Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book!***
Wow, what a nasty but fun little book this was! Well written, twisted and soaked with gore, I had a hell of a time reading this. Thanks to my love of horror fiction, a lot of the more violent scenes in the book weren't too overwhelming but some people may want to prepare themselves if they are only casual horror fans. There are brutally graphic descriptions of murder (including violence inflicted on very young children), so reader be warned.

That being said, the story focuses on a young woman who is hired at a mansion to take care of the owners' children....Mary Poppins Ms. Notty is not. As the book moves along, you are taken deeper into Winifred's past and her ultimate (and kind of surprising) motivation for singling out this family and house are revealed.

It was sick, it was twisted and I loved it! Give it a read when it comes out!

I love reading about ghastly women doing nasty things for no good reason. Winifred Notty is a governess who puts on the façade of Victorian respectability while harboring some heinous, violent thoughts that sometimes bleed into impulses she can't always restrain. This novel is in the same vein as its namesake, American Psycho, but the lower page count and historic time period it takes place in make it a unique and captivating experience. Pick this up if you support women's rights and women's wrongs along with a sprinkling of dark humor.

Victorian Psycho is such a disgusting, fun time. Our girl Fred is deranged, demonic, funny, and oddly makes some good points. It is perpetually gaggy—in every sense of the word. Is it the most realistic of stories? No! Ask me if I care! I don't! It's meant to be sensational and satirical and does both very well. If you have the stomach for it, I'd definitely give this relatively short little book a read.

Beautifully written, darkly humorous and-at times-utterly gruesome, Victorian Psycho is an enthralling journey through the mind of Winifred Notty, the new governess to the pampered Pounds children, following her arrival at the Ensor House.

Winifred is both a captivating and appalling protagonist, as her dark past experiences and current behaviors depict an unhinged mind, a lack of empathy and offer biting social commentary regarding the prevailing-and often ludicrous-ideals of Victorian society.

She’s also very funny, which given the subject matter of this novella-I would recommend looking up trigger warnings-definitely helped to place it beyond shocking merely to shock. I was not anticipating a particular incident, but once it was done, I realized that this was going to be quite the journey.

This is my first experience with Virginia Feito’s writing and I appreciated how it held a dreamy and eerie quality as the months passed and more incidents seemed to occur, while also starkly presenting the gluttonous devourings of the rich and the happenings on and following Christmas.

Victorian Psycho is an explicit exploration of female rage and a gothic horror that may make you question the people you work with.

Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company and Liveright Books for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Winifred Notty is prepared to be a dutiful governess at Ensor House. She will tutor her pupils, tell them bedtime stories, and only make jokes about eating them. But as the deadly dull days pile up and Fred learns more about the Pounds family, it becomes harder and harder to overcome her violent past.

Winifred is a bitingly sarcastic narrator, her unhinged nature simmering just below the surface of her governess' mask. As the novel progresses, the hints we get about her past snowball into an absolute avalanche of depravity. Be sure to check the trigger warnings on this one, because no one is spared from the violence.

Feito's lush descriptions made me ill to my stomach, especially during any scenes where characters are eating. I have never read a book and had such a visceral reaction to something as simple as a family having dinner. The way people eat... ugh. Never mind the violence, the meals were upsetting.

This one was an easy, quick read, and I found that I couldn't look away. Winifred is abhorrent, but still awfully compelling. I needed to know what she was going to do next in an almost frantic way. Was I rooting for her? I genuinely don't know, and I don't know what that says about me.

I gave this book 3.75/5 stars.

I found this a little hard to get into but ultimately I ended up really enjoying Victorian Psycho.

I absolutely loved the unreliable narrator and when our FMC gave little nods to the reader.

Winifred Notty is wild and twisted and her lack of emotion and empathy made her an interesting and entertaining main character.

Full review will be posted on TikTok tomorrow @batty_books

A Jane Eyre retelling crossed with a twist on American Psycho? I am ALL IN. This was juicy, shocking, eerie, hilarious. The satirical elements were spot on and our psychotic protagonist was weirdly likable, which is always a fun dynamic for the reader. This is a book that’s meant to be devoured at a breakneck pace followed by a period of feeling like “what did I just read??” Virginia Feito is an excellent writer who achieved exactly what she set out to here!

Victorian Psycho Took My Breath Away (and My Sanity)!

Victorian Psycho follows a disturbing and devious path. Told from the perspective of perhaps the strangest governess I've ever encountered (think The Sound of Music, but horribly evil), this story chronicles Winifred as she begins a new position caring for the Pound children. The narrative starts at a slow pace, but this deliberate build-up masterfully cultivates suspense and dread that permeates the entire story. It lulls the reader into a false sense of security, and by the time Feito springs her trap, it’s far too late to escape.

This is a deeply disturbing and horrific book. Initially, I wasn’t sure how far Feito would push the boundaries of horror. However, it quickly became apparent that Feito possesses one of the most creative and volatile writing styles I’ve encountered in a long time (think Eric LaRocca-esque but with a Victorian twist). The writing seamlessly shifts from "normal" to strange to terrifying, then back to an eerie calm as if nothing had happened. This fluidity speaks volumes about Virginia Feito's talent. She crafted a story that defied my expectations, solidifying her as an author to watch.

Check out Victorian Psycho, but be sure to review the trigger warnings before diving in completely!

I really really enjoyed this. I read the vast majority of it in one sitting. I feel like if you like Maeve Fly, you'll probably like this. Victorian Psycho is obviously a Victorian governess, but it has a similar vibe. This is definitely more on the humorous side though.

This book is gruesome, clever, a little whimsical, and very funny. I will be recommending it to everyone for the foreseeable future.