Setting this book in 1992 gave the author a convenient way of controlling her protagonist. The absence of mobile phones and widespread internet would have wiped out most of Rose's problems and made the book a lot shorter. I wouldn't have minded if almost ANYTHING about that era other than the absence of communications had been present in the book,

The book starts promisingly, but despite the author's best efforts to build suspense, the secret that's eventually revealed didn't strike me as that big a deal. Swiss finishing schools did 90% of what the school in the book did - who knows, maybe even the dodgy bits, And talking of those 'dodgy bits', introducing two mildly racy scenes may well have been a mistake - either go the whole hog and increase the smut or violence factor or leave it out completely. It doesn't bother me, but a lot of reviewers (especially Americans) seem to be easily offended by the odd swear word and any naughty bits at all.

Whilst we're at it, I wasn't that impressed by the attempts to shoe-horn lots of tales of the classics into the book. Had they been more seamlessly included, I'd probably have gone for it. Instead, I found that after Dido, I pretty much skipped the short chapters about women from Greek and Latin (mostly) tragedies.

There are quite a lot of inconsistencies. Rose seemed too young to be a head of department at 26. Her mother seemed too old to have such a young daughter. Debutantes stopped being presented to the queen in the 1960s but not in the weird world of this school. I didn't 'buy' the idea that well-to-do Japanese parents would send their daughters to Scotland to be taught to do things entirely outside their class by people who probably didn't know how to do them anyway.

The biggest question I'm left with is WHY? Why would the headmaster want to recruit Rose only to change her? Why would it matter if the school had a head of classics or not? Why would he care if she stayed or went? I was expecting some 'history' between him and one of her parents to explain why he'd go to the bother of bringing her into the school.

There's lots of potential to deliver something really interesting and to build significant tension and intrigue, but this reads rather more like Mallory Towers boosted with thin dose of scandal.

This starts well, gothic style mystery with a naive young classics teacher going to work in a mysterious, isolated elite girls boarding school. However as the mystery unravelled I just found it more and more unbelievable, I know the reader always wants to shout at the heroine to flee but in this case it was more disbelief that the heroine could be so stupid. Not a bad read but not something I would rush to buy.

After a lot of advance praise for this book I was so looking forward to reading Phoebe Wynne's debut. It has been described as a feminist gothic novel and compared to the Secret History - all the things I love. After the departure of a classics teacher from Caldonbrae Hall, a Scottish girls boarding school, Rose Christie becomes the first new teacher at the school for more than a decade and feels unwelcome from the start.
I was so disappointed with this novel, unfortunately I found it unbelievable and lacking in characterisation and atmosphere. I feel that I read a different novel to the highly praised, gothic feminist suspense novel that has been reviewed by others. I would recommend others give this a try but sadly it wasn't for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC

I DEVOURED this book. Absolutely fantastic and one of the best books I’ve read. Dark, twisted and so clever. It’s as if The Handmaid’s Tale met My Dark Vanessa and it’s just brilliant. Absolutely, heart-racing, edge of your seat reading,

This book is great fun set firmly in the gothic tradition and with some clever subversive ideas that never quite comes to the cataclysmic ending I was hoping for.

The elements are all there - the sinister boarding school where an innocent young teacher arrives and finds herself at cross-purposes with the Head and the Governors, the remote Scottish setting and gloomy buildings and variously complicit members of staff, the dependent Mother held as ransom against the heroine's actions.

The book sets itself up with hat tips to Jane Eyre, Rebecca and others, and the ideas are all there to play out nicely - the young teacher brought up by a feminist mother set against the rigours of the old establishment and determined to liberate her girls.

But although the tension builds and builds, the climax is somewhat disappointing and the conclusion seemed a bit weak compared to the heightened tensions and the threatened powers of the establishment.

Overall an entertaining read and a pleasure to read, would just have loved a more impactful ending.

Set on a remote Scottish peninsula Caldonbrae Hall is a strict private school for girls where they are punished and can be downgraded. We follow lily who is their first new teacher from outside for over 10 years. I found lily very likeable as we follow her journey finding out the secrets of Caldonbrae and how she becomes trapped there by the rules and the hold they have over her through her family. My only disappointment was the ending which seemed a bit of a let down I was routing for lily to bring the school down and make its transgressions public

An intriguing mystery that captivated me from the start!

The setting of Caldonbrae Hall was well crafted and I quickly wanted to know all the school’s secrets.

Sometimes I did wish that Rose knew more about the school’s purpose earlier on in the novel as it was sometimes frustrating to almost find out secrets and then not find out! However there was lots of twists and turns throughout.

I would recommend this book to any mystery fans! Thank you to NetGalley and the Quercus for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Some interesting ideas, though derivative, but execution lacks finesse

Rigorous editing, particularly during the first part of the book would have stopped some of Wynne’s glaring basic errors.

The central character is called Rose. Rose is definitely called Rose because Wynne repeatedly tells us that Rose does this, Rose does that, even with no other person within view whom the reader might be confused into wondering about. I began to scream SHE, wondering if perhaps Wynne was afraid of those three little letters.

The central story seems influenced by some other, towering books – The Handmaid’s Tale, probably The Secret History, Jane Eyre - involves a young Classics teacher at a state school, inexplicably head hunted to teach classics at a very very elite and secretive girl’s school in the middle of nowhere-on-the-wild-coast of Scotland. WE know that there is something sinister and wrong about this, and even the oft mentioned Rose doesn’t quite understand why she – sorry – Rose – is the chosen one. Particularly as she is the first new teaching appointment for 10 years

Rose, sorry, she, I must have caught this habit – doesn’t initially at least, seem to be that good a teacher, given how her first lessons are shown. Curiously, her students, all from very very rich and influential families don’t even seem to be expected to be learning much,

What exactly the secrets are, become pretty obvious, pretty quickly. It’s fine for the reader to know more than the central character knows – as long as characters have enough depth and reality the reader can happily go along with the journey of knowledge and revelation which the innocent character must discover. The problem here, is that all is that characters are types, rather than three dimensional, believable. The best thrillers are those where tension increases slowly and incrementally, rather than a kind of unremitting full volume.

I did enjoy visiting or revisiting the stories of Ancient Greek mythology and history and some reinterpretation of tragic and raging women of myth and ancient history, such as Medea, Medusa, Boudicea, Agrippina, from a feminist viewpoint, hence 2 stars rather than 1.

2.5

In 1992 Rose Christie is employed at Calonbrae Hall, a boarding school in Scotland for girls of wealthy and influential families. She is to be the new Head of Classics, a step up the career ladder and a good promotion as she’s only in her mid twenties. She soon learns the school is not the place she thought or hoped it might be as they try to control her in various ways as they churn out girls more suited to the social ideas of the nineteenth century than the late twentieth.

I had high hopes of this book as the premise is promising but it soon begins to feel totally off kilter and not in a good way. It’s a boiling cauldron of weird, of ideas that are outmoded, of characters that are awful with little development that just feel like cardboard cutouts the girls are being trained to be. Every feminist bone in my body screams no at this book and there are a couple of instances that make me recoil in revulsion and horror though none of it has any semblance of authenticity. The book is set in the 1990’s not the 1890’s and it makes the whole thing too hard to accept. The dialogue is stilted, clunky, false and feels fake. I feel no suspense, little menace or threat as the blurb suggests and the only Gothic is the building. Th pace is slow, the plot is unbelievable, I want to scream at Rose and tell her to leave, right now and not look back. She does but way too late.

Stepford Daughters for wives? Nooooo. I suppose the fact the girls call female teachers Madam should have warned me as I once worked briefly in a school where that was the form of address. Trust me, hormonal teens can get an awful lot of meaning into the word! Shudder. I think it’s clear I did not enjoy this one at all although others may like it better than I do.

With thanks to NetGalley and apologies to Quercus and the author that I could not relate to the book. I received this as an arc in return for an honest review.

This book intrigued me based on the description as it felt that it would be right up my street. I wasn't wrong - it wasn't as good as handmaid's tale but similar. I would say it is positioned slightly younger and less political. However it explored the potential roles of women and traditional male expectations of the upper classes.

I needed to finish the book as wanted to see how it ended as I was invested in the key characters. The end felt a bit rushed though, so I was a bit disappointed. I couldn't understand how the basics like finances, identity worked etc it seemed to conflict with the rest of the story.

I was provided with an advance copy of the book by netgalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done.

A dark, gothic mystery with strong dystopian overtones. This was an atmospheric thriller with a protagonist who has a very satisfying character journey, from fairly timid to outspoken. Rose takes a job as a teacher at an elite girls’ boarding school in Scotland. In doing so she enters a different world with its own rules and punishments. This was strange and gripping, and definitely the most compelling novel in this setting I’ve read for a long time.

REVIEW - Madam by Phoebe Wynne
Madam is a debut novel and centres on Rose, a twenty-something Classics teacher who is headhunted for a position at Caldonbrae, an elite all-girl boarding school on the Scottish coast. She is the first new member of staff in many years. On arrival, it soon becomes clear that Rose is totally out of her depth and is overwhelmed by the demeanour of the girls in her classes, the mystery surrounding her predecessors departure and the intrusion of the school into her personal affairs.

The answers as to why something is amiss are always tantalisingly out of reach. I kept thinking of Sargeant Howie arriving on Summerisle in The Wicker Man. Everyone knows the terrible truth of the place but him. This is the situation Rose finds herself in. Eventually, after many uncomfortable and disorientating weeks, Rose is finally through her probation period and is finding her feet when Caldonbrae begins to give up its secrets and Rose learns what dark purpose lies behind its walls. Not wanting to spoil the plot, I think it’s safe to say that this unveiling appals Rose and culminates in a dramatic conclusion.

The narrative is interspersed with tales of women from Greek mythology and Roman history. At first I found this a bit disorientating as it took me out of the story - but I soon enjoyed reading these and felt I was learning along with the girls and being party to their feminist awakening. Their inclusion really makes sense of the conclusion of the book.

I enjoyed this book, and I’m still thinking about it days after finishing it. I initially felt somewhat conflicted about Rose and her actions. My own inclination in some of the situations she finds herself in would be very different as I’m not one for putting up with any nonsense, especially not from men. However, I’m sure we can all think we would do a certain thing but actually in the moment would be just as paralysed as Rose seems to be. I keep considering her position - she’s young, grieving and navigating a difficult relationship with her mother, and now she finds herself trapped in the disorientating and nightmarish world of Coldenbrae, more living thing than building of wood and stone, with its many tentacles reaching far into society and threatening Rose and her future if she ran away.

Gothic elements are all deliciously present here - this would be a great read for a suitably dark and gloomy weekend. Sea mists, forbidding weather, long, dark and lonely corridors... I love it all.

Madam will be published in February 2021 and gets a solid 3/5 stars from me.

Dark, gothic novel set an a cryptic all-girls boarding school - are you serious?! Gave me all the vibes.

As soon as I read the blurb, I knew it was the right book for me. Caldonbrae Hall, a creepy elite boarding school for girls, in Scotland no less, where there's more that meets the eye... And oh boy, was there more to this seemingly pristine high-class school!

This novel follows Rose Christie, a young Classics teacher who just managed to land a dream job at Caldonbrae Hall. The isolated campus is beautiful and filled with ambitious young women at the top of the society. Rose is amazed at everything around her, but very soon various creepy signs tell her that something is very wrong. These hints made for a twisty gothic mystery - especially because when Rose finds out what really takes place at this boarding school, what follows is an even creepier quest about who is behind all of this.

Madam is a very suspenseful dark academia novel which will please all fans of gothic vibes in literature. I was mesmerized by the mystery as well as the writing, which made me feel unsettled all throughout the book. Phoebe Wynne gave me the best kind of escape I needed in this moment.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve heard the hype surrounding this book, believe it!
It’s creepy, feminist, shocking, and so so intriguing!

Set in a boarding school for girls in a remote Scottish location, Rose is offered a teaching role unlike any she has had before... I don’t want to give any more of the plot away because I somehow managed to go into this one blind, avoiding all spoilers at all costs, and I think it made it all the more incredible for me!

There were elements which reminded me of Rebecca by du Maurier, The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, and possibly even St. Trinians, in some ways but it was also so unique - I’ve never read anything quite like it! I literally can’t stop thinking about it - the feminist elements, the mystery and intrigue, the excellent characterisation, and not to mention the ending (😱). This one is going to be BIG in 2021 for sure!

With a gothic feel in both setting and characters, this book offers an opportunity to reflect on women and power and the evolution of both. It’s a great story in and of itself but the messaging around women’s empowerment is an extra and important aspect.

This has been a book that I have seen all over social media. I have been desperate to lose myself in the pages of this intriguing book.
I definitely haven't been disappointed, the author has pulled me in very quickly and this has been a read that I haven't wanted to put down. 
I love how unique this book has been, I literally have never come across anything like this. The development of characters as we read allows you to feel as though you know them. 
Caldonbrae Hall is definitely not an environment in which I would want to teach. I've been quite suspicious of what we were going to uncover as we read this one. 
This has definitely been an unpredictable read, there is no way I could've predicted the events or information that we find out as we read this. 
I cannot believe that this is the author's first novel. This has definitely set a standard and converted me as a fan and I cannot wait to read more. This for me is a definite five star read which I highly recommend.

Why is it always so hard to write a review when the book is so good? It’s as if I have to wrestle with it in order to do it justice. I loved everything about this novel from start to finish. From the setting - the eerie, almost otherworldly atmosphere around Caldonbrae School, strange weather conditions and its position as an English outpost ( or invader) in Scotland. It’s appearance as a hulking beast on the coastline, something that shouldn’t be disturbed lest it swallow you up. To our main character Rose, addressed at all times as ‘Madam’ and the secret she needs to uncover at the heart of Caldonbrae.

For 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has sat as a beacon of excellence in the ancestral castle of Lord William Hope. A boarding school for girls, it promises a future where its pupils will emerge 'resilient and ready to serve society'. Rose Christie, a 26-year-old Classics teacher, is the first new hire for the school in over a decade. At first, Rose feels overwhelmed in the face of this elite establishment, but soon after her arrival she begins to understand that she may have more to fear than her own ineptitude. When Rose stumbles across the secret circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of her predecessor - a woman whose ghost lingers over everything and who no one will discuss - she realises that there is much more to this institution than she has been led to believe. As she uncovers the darkness that beats at the heart of Caldonbrae, Rose becomes embroiled in a battle that will threaten her sanity as well as her safety.

This novel was incredible from start to finish. I loved it. Straight away I noticed echoes of two of my favourite books; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. The younger girls school uniforms reminded me of the aprons of Lowood School. The constant references to the previous classics teacher, and the mystery surrounding what happened to her had definite echoes of Rochester’s wife - hidden from view in the attic for being other than the perfect, meek and gentle wife he wanted. The training at the school feels like it’s trying to shape young women, teaching them how to stay in their place and be the 19th Century ideal of the ‘Angel in the House’. The previous ‘Madam’, whose name is Jane, is like the ghostly presence of Rebecca, still holding sway over the girls - especially Bethany who seems to have developed an obsession with her teacher. Jane seems to be everywhere Rose turns, but tantalisingly just out of reach. The author creates an edgy situation where you feel she might be just ahead of Rose, her gown swishing round the corner.

This book was so deliciously dark. The purpose of the school is obscene and, as in all patriarchal cultures, they use women to achieve their ends. In the school’s previous years I suspect this was easier - particularly when choosing women from the school’s ranks and not outsiders. These women are already groomed into accepting the system, inured to it, and willing to see it as a positive thing. The governors taken a huge risk bringing Rose in and now she can’t trust any one of them. Was Anthony’s attention genuine? Were the tentative friendships real? Or was it all just as attempt to assimilate her, to make her ‘one of us’. The ending is not just a relief, it’s an absolute triumph. I can’t express just how much I loved this book and I know I’m not going to be the only person. It deserves to be huge.

I have featured this on my blog as a. ‘Most Anticipated’ for 2021 and it will appear on my blog around the publication date

Boarding school? Check. Classics themed with mythology analogies throughout? Check. Feminist dystopia? Check check check. Ticking three of my favourite themes, I was excited to read an EArc of Madam, a debut novel by Phoebe Wynne.

Rose is a Classics teacher at a school in Kent when she is headhunted to take over as Head of Classics at a prestigous girls boarding school in the north of Scotland. With her father dead and her mother needing expensive care, the offer is too good to turn down. Soon Rose finds herself in a school that's more like a fortress, one where she is by far the youngest member of staff, where there has been no new teacher for decades, where despite excellent grades academia is unimportant. The pupils dress like victorian schoolgirls, the teachers are addressed anonymously, she herself now just Madam, and her predeccessor is spoken about in whispers.

Rose finds herself struggling to fit in and to engage her pupils. Stalked by a venegeful sixthformer who seems to blame Rose for her predeccessor's mysterious disappearence, Rose tries to make sense of the school's odd traditions and oldfashioned outlook. Trapped by geography, by responsibility, by her growing need to help her pupils, she starts to uncover secrets that lie at the very heart of the school.

Dark and twisty, Madam was an enjoyable read, although Rose wasn't quite interesting enough to carry the book, and at times it veered into very close to melodrama. But if, like me, you enjoy a boarding school setting with a classical twist, then Madam is well worth a read.

I asked for this title as the description was everything I like - Dystopia, boarding school story, Handmaid etc.
I have mixed feelings about the book - I think the pacing and length are a problem. While I appreciate that Rose is living through a nightmare that unfolds, nothing happens for much of the time, then when it does, we flash by without looking at reactions or consequences. Elements read like a YA story, but a couple of the flashpoints are disturbing and not dealt with as far as I'm concerned.
A puzzling book. Not much character/realationship development. I really wanted to like it, but was very glad to have finished.

After Bridget Collins’ “The Betrayals”, this is the second “boarding school” novel in a short while and again I stumble at plot and style. Again, hint after hint after hint about what really happens at the school and again there comes a point when I am past caring. As maze-like and unintelligible as the layout of this school are the interrelationships of its inhabitants. Hint: something happened, a pupil died, a teacher was fired another pupil now has mental issues and stalks Rose, the new classics teacher. Hint: sixth-formers are raised for some specific purpose. All strewn with wimmin-centric classics tales in Latin and English, followed by overly-long interpretations. Even with the hints drip-fed to the reader, I could see the main theme a mile off, it was so achingly *shockhorror* obvious. From then on in, it’s just tossed auburn curls, bodices and hissy fits.
It’s neither “brooding” nor “gothic”, just annoying.