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.

My full review is coming to Cemetery Dance soon. Victorian Psycho is a wicked tale of feminine rage, and dark comedy. Fans of Tim Waggoner’s Pearl novelization of Ti West’s film of the same name, We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, and Elizabeth by Ken Greenhall NEED this book. I can’t wait for the film adaptation starring Margaret Qualley from The Substance.

3.5 stars!

Imagine if Mary Poppins was possessed by a blood thirsty demon, enter the new governess of Ensor House, Winifred Notty. Winifred is out of her mind, truly. I don’t normally lean towards horror books because I am easily spooked but this one really caught my eye. The title and cover were enough to hook me in and truly, the story was an interesting ride.

It was fast paced and belongs on one of those “Feminine Rage” book tables at Barns and Noble.

Thank you so much Netgalley, W.W. Norton & Company, and RB media for this ARC!

Victorian Psycho: Imagine if Mary Poppins and Elizabeth Báthory were one unhinged young lady.
Winifred Notty is a governess taking care of two children she doesn't like, for employers who lust after (the mister) and despise (the missus) her. The story also gives commentary on how absurd the beliefs of the Victorian times were; the roles of men, women and children and how ill-informed people were.

I can say I genuinely laughed hard enough (at certain macabre scenes) that I had to put my ereader down and compose myself before continuing. I ended up reading the audiobook just so I'd be able to experience it again. So I've read and listened to this book once each, over the last week. Loved it. Fred Notty is such a great character. Can't wait for the film adaptation.

Wonderful voice actor. Her portrayal of this (sure to be) iconic character was exactly the right tone.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, but I look forward to reading and reviewing other books by this author in the future.

Victorian Psycho was a wickedly witty and unhinged ride. A Victorian, genderbent retelling of American Psycho, starring the inimitable and unforgettable Winifred Notty. While horribly gruesome, Feito weaves enough humor to lighten the overall effect, and made this a genuinely enjoyable read.

This book was ridiculous The writing style was strange and bizarre. I pretty much skimmed the last half of it. I am shocked that this book has already been optioned for a feature film. Who knows maybe the film will be better than the novel, but I'm amazed at all the glowing reviews. This book insulted my intelligence. It was dumb, campy, and redundant. Stay far away from this novel.

When Winifred arrives as the new perfect governess, the new masters of the house seem a little… off. Maybe a little too obsessed with anatomy. Followed by meeting the servants, awkward moments, and just a curious comment of eating the children. Is it all imagination or is this the reality?

I liked the moments the author broke the third wall- letting the unreliable narrator of Winifred share her humor with the reader. Every tiny thing is written in detail but perhaps, a little too much. At times, the writer was trying to think for the reader, which isn’t always my favorite. Even though this is considered fast pace, the story felt slow but perhaps that had more to do with not a lot happening in the progress.

As a novella, this felt accomplished. I struggle with endings in some novellas, when it seems like an unfinished story but didn’t get that from this one. There’s some unexpected, if chaotic, humor at the end and I would have liked if it had been more throughout the story. It’s a fitting title.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Victorian Psycho from the author, NetGalley and W.W. Norton! 🫶

“It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in three months everyone in this house will be dead.”

Victorian Psycho had me hooked from the moment I read the first line in the story! 🖤 I immediately was intrigued and just had to find out more. It also is one of the craziest and wildest stories I have ever read! 🙀🙀 Winnifred Notty appears to be the perfect governess when she shows up to the governess for the Pound family. However, appearances are not as they seem and Winnifred is no Mary Poppins. She’s been through so much trauma in her life from when she was a child and she has a major dark side to her that’s clawing its way to make its appearance as she slowly descends into madness. Definitely be sure to check out the trigger warnings for this story before reading because this story is not for the faint-of-heart! ⚠️ If you love gothic horror, an antiheroine FMC, Coraline and Tim Burton vibes, and American Psycho vibes then be sure to check out this book!

"They won't like me, I think. They must like me. They will remember me."

Delightfully dark and deliciously upsetting - this book points out the absurdity of inviting someone into your life to rear and care for your children, sleep under your roof with unlocked doors and unconscious souls, to dine at your table and live under your watchful gaze. Do you really know who you bring into your house?

Winnifred is the new governess invited into the Pounds house. She is to watch after 2 children - the younger male heir, and the older teen daughter. She is excited and awed to be here.

But this story is dark quick. I devoured it, shaking my head in surprise as Fred's darkness unfurls and we see who she really is. There is a definite shift in the last 10%, as we rush to the final shocking conclusion. I am sad that I missed this author's previous work - I will definitely be reading more!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Victorian Psycho is what happens when gothic fiction and psychological thrillers have a slightly unhinged, overly dramatic love child. The premise is fantastic—Victorian-era intrigue, psychological unraveling, and plenty of eerie atmosphere. Virginia Fieto clearly knows how to set a scene.

Some plot points felt like they needed a bit more meat on their bones, and the prose, while beautifully descriptive, occasionally bordered on “Okay, we get it, the candlelight is flickering ominously.”

Overall I had a great time. If you love gothic vibes, psychological turmoil, and violent outbursts then this is for you.

An interesting riff on subversive Victorian feminist literature, if a bit too sensational for my taste.

I really loved Virginia Feito’s Mrs March, which is the same style of story but benefitted greatly from a far lighter touch. I think it’s tough to make spree killing funny, which is why I struggled a bit more with this one.

It’s not that some of the humor isn’t good (I did laugh out loud at the horrible dinner guests “There’s a chimney sweep stuck in our chimney!”), but that the gleeful murder spree at the end felt like a bit much and really could have used a bit of subtlety and discernment on the part of the killer.

To Feito’s credit, there’s no confusion about the farcical nature of this. She’s taken a picture she out of the Bret Easton Ellis playbook (if that wasn’t already obvious from the title) and gone with the sensory overload, pure sensationalism approach. Not my personal preference, as gore for gore’s sake never works for me even if it’s clearly somewhat tongue in cheek, as is the case here.

This was very short, and I think that was a good call given the material, and the writing is certainly sharp. I preferred Mrs March significantly over this one, but it’s also worth a read.

This was the longest 200 page book I have ever read in my life. I fell asleep several times reading this. I found it so hard to care about what was happening because the pacing was so slow. You’re never given much time to emotionally invest in any characters because there is no development for any of them. It takes a while to get to a lot of the gore and the really creepy content. There’s not as much of it all throughout the book as I expected there to be it’s mostly towards the end. The one thing I did like is that it’s written as if the narrator is speaking directly to the reader. Also, given that the narrator is completely unreliable you’re left to wonder a bit if what they say is happening is actually what is going on.

A brilliant novel that is diabolical, creepy, and will leave you guessing what you just read. Beware of who you hire to take care of your children. You might end up with a lot of regrets.

The Pounds family are all terrible people. Notty's observations are quite funny and also disturbing. The first strange sentence I read, I had to pause and reread. Yep, that says what I thought it said...the further I read, the more curious I became. What the heck is going on with this woman?
I couldn't help but to read sentences aloud to my husband because they were terrible, but yet so nonchalant. I couldn't help but laugh throughout...(what does that say about me I wonder?).
There were a couple of twists that threw me for a loop. Just a lot of really unexpected scenes.
This was a fun read and the novella size was perfect!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an early copy of this book!

I enjoyed #VictorianPsycho a lot. It was as funny as it was depraved. A typical novel about a governess is turned upside down into twisted revenge. Feito's keen use of imagery was as excellent as it was disgusting in parts. 4.5 stars. I rounded up.

"It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in three months everyone in this house will be dead."

Winifred Notty has just arrived at Ensor House to serve as the governess for the Pounds' family. She has searched for a long time to find the Pounds family. While passing the days tutoring the Pounds children, Drusilla and Andrew, Winifred tries to keep her violent imagination in check. She finds the children entitled and stupid, but she must continue and have patience. Christmas is coming and she has a very special gift planned for all those at Ensor House.

This book was my ideal horror - I love the gothic, Victorian vibes and the callous and dark humor of the main character. It was a quick read (208 pages) filled with devious humor and gore. The inner dialogue of Winifred is purely psychopathic and shocking but in the best way. If you don't like gore, then this one is not for you. The writing style is a little different but played to the thought process of the main character perfectly. You start to lose what is real or imagination as Winifred holds back her inner desires. This was a fun dark comedy horror following a woman seeking vengeance.

Thank you Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company, Liveright for the ARC for review!

3.75 stars

How is one to possibly resist this horrifying cover and this amazing title?

As one might expect from that aforementioned title, this book features an aptly named Victorian psycho. Winifred is a governess, but she is no Jane Eyre. This character has a lot of thoughts and feelings - and participates in specific actions - that any typical person would consider utterly disturbing. While I'm grateful I won't ever interface with her in life, I'm thrilled I got to spend some time in her absolutely warped mind. This is all made even more appealing by the fantastic setting: GREAT sense of time and place here.

This is not a read for the delicate, but if there's a little darkness in you, you, too, may enjoy getting it out in a safe, vicarious manner!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: What a wild ride. I would have never requested or picked this book up if a friend didn't encourage me too and I'm not really sure why that is. I loved this. If you have read the book Maeve Fly, you will enjoy this. If you are a fan of any of the following please consider picking this up.

*murderous women
* revenge
* dark humor and satire

Things to be aware of, there is extensive animal harm, body horror, very dark themes and gore. The author uses those moments to form characters and aspects of the story, it did not feel tasteless. The ending was like a set of fireworks, it was amazing. And the very last line is one you won't forget. I highly recommended this just make sure you've considered what I warned about above.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved Mrs March when it came out but this book felt completely different. Darker, creepy, wholly enjoyable