I was extremely excited to be able to have the opportunity to read this book but I’m sad that it just did not connect with me. I absolutely loved the darker version of the 1800’s governess gone wrong & insane. There was witty dialogue and grotesque imagery sprinkled here and there. I felt the female rage could have been more and especially towards the end when the book climaxed. It felt really rushed when you got to the last bit of the book and I felt that things could have been explained more to help with some plot holes. I did enjoy this book as a quick read, I just wish there was more to it. Thank you NetGalley and Liveright for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was super strange but definitely entertaining. It reads like an A24 horror, which makes sense because as I understand it, it’s being made into a movie.

Book Review
Title: Victorian Psycho
Author: Virginia Feito
Genre: Suspense Thriller/Dark Humor/Horror
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you so much to @liveright and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Overview:
Grim Wolds, England: Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate’s dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family—Mr. Pounds can’t keep his eyes off Winifred’s chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband’s wandering gaze. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pounds children, Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. When her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning, Winifred is finally ready to deliver on her generous gifts.

My thoughts:
I LOVED this book so much! It’s been awhile since I enjoyed such a deliciously twisted story! Winifred Notty is my new favorite anti-hero! Her inner dialogue had me laughing so much! She’s the most polite and proper psychopath I have ever read about. A mix of Dexter and American Psycho with a smidge of Harley Quinn fitted into a corset. Winifred’s proclivity for bloodshed was fascinating and terrifying. She was so compelling and despite the fact that she was devoid of any real emotion, I still felt for her and even championed her ultimate goal. I look forward to more from Virginia Feito!

*Trigger Warning: This story gets increasingly gory and bloody towards the end. It also includes body horror and violent acts against all ages/genders/some animals. For me I feel it was skillfully written in and necessary to showcase Winifred’s state of mind.

This is not for the faint of heart. Dark, brutal, and deranged, this is the female version of American Psycho. The protagonist was sick and twisted but highly compelling. The gruesome scenes are detailed, and we are thrown into the mind of a woman slowly unraveling. While this was a short read, it was the perfect length for the story that was told and succeeded in leaving its impact in the reader's mind. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and W.W. Norton and Company for this ARC.

I wasn't really expecting anything in particular, but woah, what a ride that was! Highly entertaining from start to finish, but just a tad too gruesome for me. Just a tad mind you. I still enjoyed the hell out of this story. Will definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I believe this story is what would happen if American Psycho had the vibes of Turn of the Screw. It was hilarious, shocking, and delightful despite (or perhaps due to) Winnifred being utterly horrible. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you like a good spiral in your horror, you will, too!

I could not stop reading this. Unhinged. Unexpected. So atmospheric. “Fred” arrives with so many secrets and a vendetta she is determined to see to fruition. When the book broke the 4th wall, I was in love. Brilliantly written to the point that even the smallest scenes oozed off the page. I am already ready to reread.

I coupled the digital copy with the audiobook narrated by Anna Burnett. Her voice was perfect for the main character. Soothing. Calm. Poised. She is not understood at my normal speeds, but still faster than normal.

Thank you NetGalley, RBMedia, W.W. Norton & Company, and author Virginia Feito for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh man, I love an unhinged story. I was cringing and grimacing because of how gross this got. I really hope Virginia Feito writes more stories like this because I will definitely be picking them up.

My only complaint was no trigger warnings/content warnings.

That was wild (albeit thankfully short) ride. This author has an amazingly creepy way with words. I lost count of the number of times I cringed.
That being said If you’re looking for a ridiculously atmospheric creepy book with loads of disgusting imagery then this is the book for you. I did honestly enjoy it even as I cringed in horror.
This does not come with trigger warnings….i’ll just say if you’re squeamish at all….don't even think about it.
I received an ARC of this title, opinions are my own.

Despite hearing early ravings about this book, Victorian Psycho remained a delicious surprise. The story follows unhinged governess Winifred Notty as she arrives at Ensor House and the murderous chaos she leaves in her wake. This equal parts macabre and hilarious novel could easily be read in an afternoon, but I found myself enjoying it so much I stretched out my reading, not wanting it to end. The MC is gloriously disturbed and as she wavers between reality and her crazed delusions, it made the book read like a fever dream. There were shocking scenes I expected to be figments of her imagination that were not. Fieto perfectly balanced the grotesque and the humor and in the end this dark, Victorian take on American Psycho felt like an absolute romp.

I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Virginia Feito, W.W. Norton & Company, and Liverlight for granting me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

VICTORIAN PSYCHO by Virginia Feito

IDK what it says about me, but I *love* an unhinged antihero. It’s so satisfying to read about someone giving in to their (terrible, horrible, not a good idea to pursue IRL) intrusive thoughts.

Winifred “Fred” Notty is a governess to the Pounds children, Andrew and Drusilla. Mr. Pounds is a perv, Mrs. Pounds is uptight, and their friends are just as unlikable. So, can you really blame Fred for exacting revenge against them?

That said, there are disturbing scenes and subject matter throughout so check trigger warnings. Then again, if you’re not into horror/murder you wouldn’t be reading this book anyway so…

Overall, this was quick, dark and gory. It was also a fun and entertaining read. Highly recommend!

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 02.04.25

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & W.W.Norton

This review was posted on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Fable and Tome.

4.25/5⭐️

I must say it is delightful reading about a monstrous damsel.

Winifred Notty is a governess who has just started with the Pounds. She’s in charge of a boy, Andrew, and girl, Drusilla. But as the pages go by, you start realizing that Ms. Notty is quite disturbed.

She is a monster created by her own mother, abandoned by her father and denied by her siblings. We see her darkness unfold and take over … culminating in a symphony of gore.

If you enjoyed American Psycho, you’ll enjoy this novel.

Thank you netgalley, w w Norton and company and Virginia Fritz for the opportunity to read this novel.

Short. Sadistic. Scrumptious.

This book delivered exactly what I went into it expecting! Take it at face value and just enjoy the gruesome ride. Winifred Notty is unequivocally deranged and I love her all the more for it. I went into this already knowing that Margaret Qualley is to play Winifred in the upcoming adaptation and it definitely enhanced my experience! I can see the vision and I think she fits this character perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This was such a wild, funny, gory ride from start to finish. I absolutely loved the writing- especially the dry and sarcastic humor. The title says it all!

Enjoyed this one a lot, not for the faint of heart as it is often very gory but a well written historical horror novel.

This book is hard to rate was this an enjoyable read not really, but did it leave me unsettled it sure did. This book follows Miss Notty a governess who has got some issues and how she interacts with this rich family she just started working for. This book is gruesome and brutal and tough to read at times, there were some witty bits in here to relieve some tension but it is unsettling to say the least. This book also gave great atmospheric vibes and the writing was entertaining this is my first book by this author but hope to read more in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest opinion.

With what can only be described as gleeful depravity, Winifred Notty assumes her duties at Ensor House as its new governess. She's been employed by Mr. and Mrs. Pounds, her charges are preteen Drusilla and young Andrew, who has hopes of attending boarding school. The Pounds are awful, all four of them. Don't worry, Winifred is awful too.

With chapter headings like "In Which I Meet My Employers And Am Not Terribly Impressed" and "In Which I Meet My Charges And Am Not Terribly Impressed", we get an idea of tone. Winifred also tells us, in practically the first sentence, "In three months everyone in this house will be dead".

Besides telling us what's going to happen, she also alludes to events from the past: "It consists of more dark oak and heavy drapes and appears overall harder to set on fire than my previous lodgings". Victorian Psycho is full of Winifred's pithy observations, memories, musings. "At eight thirty sharp breakfast is removed, as is my will to live".

An over-the-top Christmas party dinner from hell (during which each dish is both lavishly and grotesquely described) might be the most disturbing dinner scene I've ever read. A very creepy house with hidden corridors and old portraits (of course the eyes have been cut out). Secrets. Twists. I devoured this book and will be seeking more from author Virginia Feito. What a wild ride.

My thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the digital ARC. (Pub date 02/04/25)

Fan-flipping-tastic. Absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more. Give me fifty million books just like this and I’ll be the happiest bookworm that ever existed. Absolutely no notes.

Have you ever had one of your most-anticipated novels of the year not only live up to every expectation you had but surpass them? Yeah, that’s Victorian Psycho for me. This book is every gleefully macabre, disturbing, violent, and bloody fever dream I’ve ever had shaking hands with sardonic narrative, razor-sharp wit and tight, smart writing.

Virginia Feito has made a grisly and hilarious masquerade of Winifred Notty, our protagonist, ostensibly a governess by trade but really just a criminally insane serial killer. Behind her staid grey dress and white wool stockings, Miss Notty not only knows she’s full of darkness that will one day lead her to the gallows, she relishes the idea. She revels in violence, darkness, death, and gore. She’s quite simply one of the most memorable main characters I’ve read in years and I love her all the more dearly for lacking anything one would consider humanity.

This book is more than evocative or atmospheric; it’s immersive. No sense is spared, for good or for ill. Your sensitivities will not be considered and I’m the type of reader who loves the blunt force trauma of experiencing every event in all of its glory with the darkest main characters literature has to offer. So this Victorian horror comedy was good to the last chop (sorry, couldn’t resist).

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Dark Comedy/Historical Horror/Horror/Horror Comedy/Serial Killer

Gory, gristly, odd, and unhinged. What did I just read?

Okay, let’s just start with this line:

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

With that, I knew I was in for something twisted but I didn’t expect anything like this. I’m still trying to figure out how I felt about it. I think this review is where I’ll untangle my feelings, but one thing is certain: this book was a lot.

Mrs. March Losing Her Mind—Winifred Lost All Restraint

I loved Virginia Feito Mrs. March. It was all about paranoia, repression, and a woman unraveling under the weight of her own insecurities.

But in Victorian Psycho, Feito has forgotten slow-burn psychological horror and hurled us headfirst into pure, grotesque excess.

Winifred and Mrs. March couldn’t be more different. Where Mrs. March is anxious, fragile, and suffocated by societal expectations, Winifred is bold, wickedly sharp, and utterly untethered. This isn’t the fun, messy kind of unhinged. Winifred is cruel, broken by the world, and rather than crumbling, she’s decided to set it all on fire.

Monster or Feminist Force

Winifred isn’t your typical governess–meek and at the mercy of her employers. She’s rebellious, sharp, and maybe even a feminist force forging her own twisted cruel path. Her perception is grotesque as if she chooses to filter the world through the lens of brutality. But why? Is she evil? The product trauma? A woman reclaiming power in the only way she knows

And yet… her razor-edged humor is entertaining. Her snide remarks and biting observations were darkly entertaining.

Gory, Grisly, and Completely Unhinged

There are unhinged characters, and then there are unhinged plots—and this one takes the cake. At first, the horror creeps with little crumbs of gore, unsettling enough to make me pause, tilt my head, and wonder, Did that really just happen? And then thrown headfirst into unrelenting, gore that my mind started filtering out.

Reading or Listening?

Honestly, I think you need to do both. I had both an eGalley and audiobook—and I had to constantly switch between them just to give myself a moment to breathe. I enjoyed the narrator and listening to but it did require me to stay focused and I times I was not sure I wanted to.

This isn’t quiet horror. This isn’t a slow unraveling. This is full-throttle chaos

Great writing and equally stellar narration! A fun addition to Christmas time horror. Straight forward "from the mind of a killer" stories are hit and miss for me but I thought this was a fun one. I appreciated that no one was really safe and the kills went there! Winifred is darkly humorous and absolutely unhinged, which made her very entertaining to read from. Also, the victorian setting suited the story and vibe perfectly! Overall it was a quick and entertaining read that I think many horror fans will enjoy. If you are into slashers and enjoy stories told from the perspective of the killer, and like a historical moment, this is definitely worth picking up.

Thanks to Netgalley, Recorded Books, and Liveright for the advance reading copies!