This was a great read. I love historical fiction and horror, so this was a perfect combo. It was pretty gruesome, but not too much for me. The humor in this was nice too - a weird, fun, gross read!

I’ve never read a story quite like this before so for that reason alone I would recommend this to people that I know could handle it! Not for the faint of heart or those squeamish when it comes to children. And trust me, don’t make the mistake that I made with reading while eating :)

The story is told from the perspective of Miss Winifred Notty as she arrives at Ensor House to take on the role of the new governess. It’s very obvious from early on (first page) that our MC is unhinged and you’re left wondering if what she’s describing is real or imagined throughout the story. Though, honestly, all of the characters are pretty weird or fucked up. It’s a bit of a mystery as to why she applied for the position at this estate but she definitely came with the intent to ruffle some petticoats. Miss Notty is detached, cold-blooded and vulgar but there’s no denying her wit and dark sense of humor.

This was super easy to read quickly and gory/descriptive so I let out a good amount of “what the fuckkk”s and “right in front of my salad?”s. The prose is very fitting for the time and I enjoyed the handful of pictures throughout the book but I really wish it was longer. Imo, similar to American Psycho (obviously) and would work as an A24 movie reminiscent of Pearl. Overall this is a perfect October - December read, and I’ll be adding a physical copy when it releases in February 2025!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC!

This book was much more grimly comedic than I expected. There was a dark, sharp humor that sometimes broke the fourth wall in a way that felt like a well-done nod to Jane Eyre. The horror of the story came less from the atmosphere than it did from the narrative, which I thought was really unique and made the horror aspects all the more unnerving. There was a sense of unease from the beginning that ramped up as the story went on, making it immediately grabbing and hard to put down.

In this chilling Victorian thriller, Virginia Feito introduces us to Winifred Notty, a governess whose appointment at Ensor House masks a disturbing reality. As she assumes her role caring for the Pound children under their father John's supervision, readers are drawn into the fractured psyche of a woman teetering between sanity and bloodlust.

What makes this gothic horror distinctive is Feito's masterful blurring of imagination and reality. Through Winifred's increasingly unstable perspective, everyday domestic scenes transform into potential theaters of violence, leaving readers constantly questioning which of her brutal impulses remain safely confined to fantasy and which have spilled over into the real world.

A quick and fun read that is easily finished in a day.

Victorian Psycho (4 star rating) Winifred Motty a governness brought in to care for the Pounds family. This book is so eery and gothic. I loved the gender reversal of Psycho and how this story unfolded.

Winifred's background is eery and mysterious from a place of missing children. Her ways of caring for the children are definitely different and not one I would want. Spooky stores and hushed whispers that would leave a little with nightmares.

This was a very atmospheric read and I loved the setting. I devoured this book in one day and I could not put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright for the ARC copy for my honest review.

"Victorian Psycho" is gruesome, funny, and decidedly *not* for sensitive readers. Our narrator gives us the awkward and absurd charm of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag, combined with the deeply cynical and invulnerable characterization of Chelsea Summers' Dorothy (A Certain Hunger).

The story begins when our protagonist arrives at an eerie estate, prepared to take on her role as governess. From the get-go, it is made clear to the reader that Miss Winifred Notty may not embody the doting governess she was advertised as on her resume. Through witty asides and morbid contemplations, it becomes increasingly obvious that harm will soon befall her employers. The certainty of this happening is unquestionable—the reader is left only to wonder how.

This tickled me! The narrative critiques and engages with the societal values of the victorian era. At times, it felt like poignant commentary on the whims of the upper class, and at others it felt like cruel prodding at those who were not given the same advantages. This was, no doubt, intentional—the only winners in this cruel metaphor are those who disregard it's power.

The only critique I can think to give is that I wanted more. I would have happily devour hundreds of additional pages. The atmospheric halls and grounds of the estate, the portraits of ancestors whose eyes follow you as you pass—the ambiguity that rears its head when the reader is forced to reckon with what is real, what is imagined, and what is maybe a little bit of both. "Victorian Psycho" had me reeling. I found myself completely unable to resist turning the page, even when I knew its contents would render me nauseous.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Don’t read this one while eating. Just don’t. And maybe wait a while after you’ve eaten to read.

The story meanders along, relying on violence to bind it together. The brazen savagery is viscous and goopy, the gallows humor, intact.

Steeped in gore, Victorian Psycho is bound to keep your attention - I thought about it while I wasn’t reading (despite it’s shorter length, I had to read it in a few sittings - it was a little too gross out) and it kept me turning the pages.



Thank you to Liveright and NetGalley for the DRC

Not for me, unfortunately. It felt rushed and a little too much gore without enough motive or reason. The concept is a good idea and I liked the pairing of Drusilla and Ms Notty but it could use some reason.

"It fascinates me, the fact that humans have the capacity to mortally wound one another at will, but, for the most part, choose not to."

Victorian Psycho is a wicked satire of Victorian society told through the implacable gaze of a monster of its own making. Winifred Notty, hired by Mr. and Mrs. Pounds to be the new governess for their two spoiled children, informs the reader upon her arrival at Ensor House at the start of the book that within three month everyone in the house will be dead, and then she proceeds to wreak havoc.  

This is a short novella, so I don't want to say much more about the plot, but the story that unfolds is gruesome, shocking (even by today's standards), and scathingly hilarious as told through the sardonic wit, cold-blooded detachment, and mad quirks of Miss Notty.  The first real shocker for me came around the 50% mark, and after that I put aside all of my expectations. 

This isn't extreme horror, there's no protracted scenes of torture, but be forewarned that the innocent (including children and animals) and guilty alike suffer gruesome ends and that may be too much for some readers.  Ultimately, I enjoyed Victorian Psycho even more for the mercilessness of its narrator.  I was carried along completely by the story, the writing was excellent, and I couldn't help but find Miss Notty fascinating and strangely endearing.  Viriginia Feito's previous novel, Mrs. March, wasn't even on my radar but it's now at the top of my TBR, and I'll be purchasing and rereading Victorian Psycho when it comes out next year.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.  <i>Victorian Psycho</i> will be released February 4, 2025.

I am blown away by this authors prose. I haven’t read anything like it. This is not a book a reader can skim. Every single sentence is laced with a hint of darkness, crescendoing into pure madness by the end of the story. I hope to see this story become a horror classic. It deserves a place among the greatest.

A Tim Burton + Edward Gorey horror fest goodness, Victorian Psycho delivers exactly what's advertised by its title, a visceral, darkly humorous 'nanny gone mad' gothic narrative that is unshackled with its morality and violence. Would caution readers who are sensitive towards who the violence is inflicted upon (such as children), but overall I thoroughly enjoyed its unapologetic vulgar, hallucinatory writing, and the blo0d-soaked rampage. Not much in term of depth, but as a novella it is a perfect sensory indulgence!

This ended up being a fun little October jaunt featuring a truly rancid wealthy family, the slightly twisted governess they hire, lots of murder, and girl bonding only for class to interfere at the last second. Worth your time!

What a weird, little book.

Definitely something different for readers. It’s not super long so you can finish it quickly. Winifred is a very unique main character.

If you are looking for a unique read, check out Victorian Psycho. Thank you to NetGalley, Virginia Feito and W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright. I have written this review voluntarily.

Victorian Psycho is the perfect title of this book. Grotesque, gory, and delightfully horrific. I had a need for a good horror read and I was absolutely not disappointed!

Victorian Psycho is a delightfully fucked up little romp that will leave you nervously laughing as you furrow your brow in consternation. You’ll find yourself doing double-takes as Winifred Notty’s antics grow increasingly absurd. I loved the juxtaposition of her blase attitude and nonchalant violence. It was all quite shocking and it was truly impossible to tear your eyes away.

It is quite likely that Victorian Psycho is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s rare that a book can make me emote, can make me laugh, and can shock me. It managed to do all of these things while also remaining snappy and thoroughly entertaining. Victorian Psycho is a grotesque little monster and I love her so dearly.

Umm, what did I just read? I went in to this knowing it would be dark and horrifying but I honestly had no idea. Having not read Feito's debut novel Mrs. March I read the reviews and figured, how bad could it get? Pretty grisly, actually.

Victorian Psycho is the tale of Winnifred Notty, or Fred as the demon inside her prefers to be called. We meet her as she is arrives at the home of her new employers where she will be governess to their two children. We learn that she has a dark past where she has done "wicked" things, but until those things are spelled out later we are left blissfully in the dark. It's obvious that Fred is nuts and most of the people surrounding her, employers and other servants, are morally grey and pretty weird. Not wanting to spoil the book I won't go into too much detail, but the horror is less psychological and more of the Freddy Krueger variety. This is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, for Feito goes into it with stomach-churning detail.

With all that said, I have to tell you that I read it in a day. I was obsessed. Feito has a talent to turn a phrase, that's for sure. And the entire macabre tale is told in such a way that I laughed out loud several times. Is it great literature? No, although I really enjoyed her writing sty.e. It is gross? Yup. Is it entertaining as hell? Yes! If you think you can handle it, read it. I found it original and hilarious.

I don't like trigger warning on books, but this one really needs one. Beware if you're sensitive to animal abuse, murder of infants, sexual abuse, and mental illness.

What if Patrick Bateman was a Victorian governess? “Mother, she’s the cuckoo!” Wow this book is a treat for fans of dark gothic slashers. Truly a horror FEAST. I was reading THAT killing spree scene while listening to Claire de lune and it honestly felt like watching everything happen in slow motion. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I can’t wait to purchase my copy.

If you're a fan of: American Psycho, gruesome/gory horror, historical fiction, "bad seeds" books like Baby Teeth, read Victorian Psycho!

Virginia Feito's "Victorian Psycho" is well written and sometimes humorous and clever. However, it didn't stick with me.

It was truly graphic at times (deaths of all ages), and there wasn't enough character depth to Miss Notty to build anticipation. However, I will say-- I am not a fan of American Psycho. So, maybe that makes a difference?

If you like a good gory horror book and are not easily offended, check it out! Victorian Psycho will be released in February of 2025. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read a copy!

This was a fun read! I enjoyed going inside our Victorian Psycho, Winifred’s, mind. There were several twists and turns I didn’t see coming, which always makes a book so much more engaging.

Winnifred Notty achieves getting hired to governess for two children. The Pounds children intend to be taught by Miss Notty, where she will only "joke" about eating children around them. I genuinely struggle figuring out how to explain how delightfully weird and intriguing this novel is- I read it so quickly. It was like Grimm's Fairy Tales but told in a more modern twist? Miss Notty was so sardonically clever and petty, even amidst her murderous ways. Obviously she jokes about and refers to in the past doing horribly dreadful things, but the way she is written makes it hard NOT to root for her to win somehow. My biggest complaint was the cohesiveness of the plot- it wasn't very formed, to me, and I had a hard time following it. It could have been longer, too. I loved the main character and the vibes of the voice so much I rate this one a four and highly recommend it.