Hard pass on this one, y'all.

Winifred Notty is hired as a governess for an insipid wealthy couple and their equally insipid children. Through the novel, both as it takes place and in Winifred's past, we learn how odd she is and her bloody trail through her life, which culminates in a mass murder at the wealthy couple's house during Christmas, after which Winifred is arrested and hanged for murder.

I'm just not sure what the author's point was here. Was she trying to have a Victorian, female retelling of American Psycho? Was she just trying to shock? I didn't get it. And though the book is fast-paced (I read it in a few days), I can't say I enjoyed it. I love horror, but well-done horror. Not this bloody drivel masquerading as horror.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy for review.

“Victorian Psycho” by Virginia Feito delivers one visceral gut punch after another. VP is grotesque, disturbing, unnerving, chilling, saturated with sardonic social commentary, and robust depictions of aptly historical meals where you can see and taste every morsel in your mouth. Until there’s such gluttony you experience sensory overload, followed by a certain unshakable queasiness.

Which I suspect is exactly the author’s intention and reflects the immensity of Feito’s talent.

The story centers on Notty, a deranged and bloodthirsty governess, who takes the reader on a psychologically deranged journey that feels almost like a fever dream in its madness. It is not a journey for the meek or faint of heart. No detail is spared for the reader. The language and vocabulary are *chef’s kiss*.

The novel is exquisitely written.

Like eating a rich meal, I could only take a few bites at a time (after a certain point) and found myself having to set the book aside for a while before I could return to it again. This grew more frequent in the last 1/3 to 1/4 of the book. That is the only reason I considered knocking off a star. However each time I returned to it, I was immediately sucked into the story again and Feito’s immaculate descriptions. I simply had saturation points, which is a testament to the impact of the book. I expect this one will develop a cult following.

I highly recommend this book to any lover of dark psychological horror, luscious language, seductive prose, fever dream-like immersion tempered by ‘unreliable reality’ and the entire “American Psycho” tribe.


Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, and Author for providing me with this ARC to honestly review.
Releases Feb 4th.

This was the first Victorian Gothic Novella that I have read in years. At times this presented to be a difficult read with Dark humor, and punchy lines. I loved this book. I was able to gobble it up in no time. My daughter's were shocked because this was a different type of read for me. When you read this novella, you will not be disappointed.
Thank you for the ARC.

This was fantastic in a disturbing way. I loved it and could not stop reading. This is not for the faint of heart, it is for someone who likes dark stories with body horror. It is atmospheric and being in the governess's head was entertaining, Great for people who enjoy horror and gothic settings. Thank you to the publisher for the EARC.
4 Stars

I honestly have no idea how to review this book,

It’s historical and gothic… it’s giving Lizzie Borden to the absolute extreme vibes.

It’s supposed to be quirky and there were a couple of one liners that made me chuckle but the tone of the book is perculiar and unusual and it just didn’t land for me.

There isn’t much plot to the book other than the main character being an Absolute terrible person for no reason other than being a terror. There is some vague revenge family plot by the end of the book but it seems more of a convenient placeholder for a plot and the real plot is to attempt to be as gory and shocking as possible.

I wasn’t personally a fan although I’m sure there’s some quirky characters out there that would enjoy this.

Thank you to Liveright and Virginia Feito for the EARC!

Publish date: February 4th 2025

I DNFed this halfway through, but skimmed the last half so I can still write a review. This was disturbing for no other reason than to be disturbing. There was no actually plot, just Winifred being mean and violent. I absolutely hated this book and would literally never wish reading this on anyone I liked.

Thank you Netgalley and Liveright for the advanced copy!

*Victorian Psycho* is a darkly humorous and twisted delight that mixes Victorian elegance with a gruesome psychological edge. Virginia Feito masterfully creates a chilling atmosphere, drawing readers into Winifred's disturbing descent with vivid descriptions and wicked wit. The novel’s macabre tension keeps you guessing, balancing horror and satire perfectly. This is a must-read for fans of gothic horror who enjoy a touch of dark humor woven into their thrillers!

i will say i could not put this book down. it was fast, quick paced, and genuinely one of the weirdest books i think i’ve ever read. although nothing ‘crazy’ happens in the first 60% of the book, it takes a wild turn for the ending. i wouldn’t say i loved victorian psycho but it was fun and i was entertained!

Thank you NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I didn’t realize when I started this book that it was a play on American Psycho (it’s a bit obvious now with the title). The story follows Winifred Notty as she is hired on as the new Governess at Ensor House. Mrs Notty acts as a Patrick Bateman character, hiding a darkness that manifests into murder.

While I found the story entertaining, I kind of don’t see a point to it. The book advertises itself as a satire on Victorian society, but I simply don’t see it. I think the author glossed over details that could’ve made the book more complex and more purposeful, but as it stands now, it is an entertaining story and nothing more.

2 stars.

This story follows the psychotic Winifred Notty, who becomes the new governess for the children in the Pounds household. Right off the bat, I struggled with the writing style, it feels all over the place, wonky. I don’t know if it’s just me, but something about it didn’t sit right.

And then there’s Winifred herself. Somehow, she gets away with everything. She’s out here committing murder after murder, but no one bats an eye? (view spoiler)The logistics of these scenes are so far-fetched that it’s hard to stay invested in the story.

In the end, none of it made sense, and I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy it. Winifred’s psychotic antics could have made for an intriguing, twisted tale, but with all these plot holes and the wonky writing style, it just fell flat for me.

This book is so fun! If you love dark comedies, you'll enjoy this one.

Virginia Feito's "Victorian Psycho" is a delightfully dark and gory tale about governess Winifred Notty. She has just started at Ensor House, but things are afoot at the dreary estate. As things come to a head on Christmas, Winifred has some little gifts to bestow upon the Pounds family and their guests.

AH! I loved reading this a lot. It was such a fun little romp. I thought Winifred was hilarious and a little crazy, but I love her for it. I honestly wanted this book to end differently but I guess there is something cyclically lovely about the way that it did end. I thought Feito did such a fun job with this. It felt like reading "Jane Eyre" but with a very well done modern twist to it.

I did dock a point mostly because although I did enjoy this, it did feel like something was missing. I don't know what though and that makes me sad because I wish I could verbalize it.

That said, I would absolutely recommend this. If you're squeamish, probably a safe idea to skip this one.

This was a very spooky and fun time and with immaculate vibes!

And apparently it's already in pre-production to become a movie?? And the book isn't even out yet? That's insane and I'm so excited for it. After having read this book, I can definitely picture it being such a creepy and atmospheric film that I will definitely be seeing!

Spooky vibes from a spooky gothic manor and a rather obnoxious family that lives inside. This book follows the new governess of this family and the weird (in a bad way) things that she gets up to. Like criminal and insane things. She is a weirdo, there's no other way to put it.

This is also a super short book (only about 200 pages), so you could probably read it in one sitting if you wanted to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Whew! My goodness, Virginia! I thought I knew what I was in for after reading (and LOVING) "Mrs. March", but this Virginia really said "Oh, you liked "Mrs. March"? That's cute.", and then immediately proceeded to put her writing skills on nightmare mode and took my ass for a RIDE. I fear that Virginia Feito may actually be the Victorian Psycho here, and I say this in the best way possible.

This book is very short (around 100 pages less than "Mrs. March"), but this tiny book packs a huge punch and it went by SO QUICKLY, not due to the short length but because Feito is a master at pacing which has you continually turning page after page after page like you're a druggie waiting for your next hit.

Miss Notty (naughty?) reminds me SO MUCH of the Jorg Ancrath from Mark Lawrence's "Prince of Thorns" book. Just an absolute fucking menace, a total psycho that had me going "Oh Fuck" several times, and rooting for her the entire time. I love COMPLEX villains, and Miss Notty is just that. She's a terrible, horrible creation that I was rooting for the entire time. The comedic relief in the book made the horrific atrocities committed in this book not feel so overwhelming, but this book is absolutely dark as all hell and Mrs. March wouldn't stand a chance against our naughty Winifred Notty.

I'm SHOCKED at how far Feito went in this book, and it makes me wonder what other messed up shit she has up her sleeve for the future. This was just so so so so good.

The book cover is great, but it is quite deceiving as it is just does not prepare the reader for the horror that is to come. I can see this being not for everyone, but this was for me. It's so for me that it feels like Feito is rewarding me for buying "Mrs. March" in every edition and format possible.

5/5 stars. Loved it. Will be recommending it and buying it the second it is available for hard copy purchase. Please never ever stop writing, Virginia! We need more unhinged characters who are way past their medication time.

Thank you so much to Virginia Feito, W. W. Norton & Company and Netgalley for allowing me to read a truly twisted read that has set the bar for 2025 book horror.

⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️

2/4/2024

Victorian Psycho
Virginia Feito
@liverightbooks
@netgalley

SOON TO BE A FEATURE FILM STARRING MARGARET QUALLEY

“Simmering with rage, propulsive and laugh out loud funny, Victorian Psycho speaks profoundly of horror both within and without us.” ―Catriona Ward

Book in Emojis:
🧒🩸👶🍼🤱🔪👸💃🩸🔨🛠🩸🐗🏰💲😨

My Mini Review:

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of this wild book! I have seen several bookstagrammers talk about this book so I had to move it to the top of my list. People have said that it is gross. That it is insensitive and grotesque. It is creepy. The book is perverted. It truly is all of those things wrapped into a nice gothic mansion story.

The author uses such creepy imagery in her story, where the gore or blood is the not the disturbing part, but how it is described. The story forces the reader to experience the story through their senses. This might mean hearing the teeth crack as the character bites down or seeing limbs hanging from trees as outsiders come to investigate. This is not necessarily a Slasher book though. I think it is truly exploring evil in its Victorian Era where the question is, who is the most evil? Is it the person who hires children to do dangerous work in factories or abuses women in their home? Or is the evil person the one who stabs people, hides bodies and keeps victim heads in their closet? The governess is showing her side of the story and wants the reader to decide, who is truly the most evil? Regardless of our thoughts, she will laugh at the head of the mansion's table.

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This was an incredibly compelling, grotesque nod to American Psycho. It was a bit TOO gruesome for me, but you may enjoy that!

Absolutely love this cover! All these trending covers always get me. The story was riveting and will keep you questioning your sanity until the end :)

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was fun! I love the time period, and it reminded me of other classic horror like turn of the screw.

God forbid a woman have a hobby! Winifred Notty is more putrid than Sweeney Todd and would find herself welcome in the most lurid and ghastly penny dreadfuls of her age. A delightful short read that should not be attempted after eating. Or before, really.

This book was weird, disgusting, grotesque in some ways. Horrific in many others. Baffling in others yet.

And I really enjoyed it.

This take on American Psycho goes Victorian was about as charming as the book it references, which is to say, sometimes very but often not? There is almost nothing likable about the Winifred (except the blackness of her heart and humor) and I imagine she wouldn't care because she is insanely compelling.

While it nods at its American counterpart, this book establishes itself as something entirely of its own (I didn't even notice the connection until it was pointed out to me). I found it compulsively readable, even though I couldn't stop asking myself why.
Ewwww. God, why.

It enters a well-loved genre of stories about unhinged women doing terrible things, but does so with such wit and ingenuity, it stands firmly on its own.

I suppose, the thing keeping it from its final star is that its lack of a point became too much of the point. There wasn't really a story here, I felt. I didn't mind that, since the writing is great and the main character was interesting, but at least to some degree I felt something lacking.

Some of grossouts just seemed to be gross for...grossness sake. They added nothing except a mild suspicion the author was scraping for shock value.

I'll definitely be checking out more from the author, even though this one will likely stick around, etched into my brain.

This is not what I expected…. In a good way. Morbid and gross and a super quick read. I couldn’t put it down and also couldn’t decide if I should keep reading. Perfect book to end the spooky season.!