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.

The first half of this book is really quite sinister,a boarding school that clearly has secrets.
Pupils that dont want to learn,and pretty much tell you so.
Secrets that everyone knows apart from the new teacher.
As Rose struggles to settle into her new job,the school takes over her life in every way.
Once the secret was revealed,it was pretty much what I'd been expecting,and there were few surprises through to the end.
For me,definitely a better first half,but all of it was enjoyable.

I tore through Madam! What a clever book this is. Rose is a young classics teacher who gets recruited to join the staff of a prestigious and yet secretive all girls boarding school in Scotland. Once there however she’s confused by the strangeness of the girls and the other teachers; and the more she learns the more horrified and yet also the more enmeshed she seems to be in her new position. The school was a masterpiece of horror: an antiquated system run by the rich and powerful and not is all as it first seems by a long way- Caldonbrae is in fact hiding a dark secret which threatens to trap Rose once she learns it. As a character Rose is passionate for her subject and caring for the girls under her instruction, which made her a great protagonist. I loved how she fought back against the brainwashing of the girls with her ‘ancient women’ - the story brings the tales of women from Greek mythology or classic history to show how women are powerful and fought back against their circumstances. To me this was similar to A Thousand Ships by introducing a cast of classical women such as Daphne and Medusa, but was ultimately much more successful.

My thanks to #NetGalley, @QuercusBooks and @phoebewynnewrites for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what to say about this book. Frustrating, annoying, badly written? Yes those words will do. I really wanted to love it but found as I dragged my way through it that all hope was lost. Time I won’t get back sadly.

Rose is unsure when she gets a job offer, but takes it because her mother is ill, and she finds it difficult to afford the care she needs on her current salary. There are other reasons, but this is possibly the main one. When she arrives at the Hall, she finds it very different to what she had imagined, and the revelations keep coming out, secrets that do not need to be kept beyond her probationary period, and they are shocking. I will say no more, for fear of spoiling the ending, but I recommend this book. I particularly like the way the author uses her experience as a teacher, in the sense that she is influencing some of the girls without knowing it, at first.

DNF 25%

When netgalley approved my requested for Madam I was low-key ecstatic. However, my giddiness was short lived.
This was not the Gothic story I was hoping it would be...the 'boarding school' setting leaves a lot to be desired and although on GR this novel falls under the LGBTQ+ genre this is not a queer novel (even if I haven't finished it I have a feeling that there may be one side character who is queer). I probably could have been fine with Madam not being a very Gothic or sapphic read but I just could not look past the way the story is presented. I don't think the author is to 'blame' for this but their editor.
disclaimer: I did not finish this book so this may prove to be a fantastic read. If you are thinking of reading this book I recommend you read reviews from other readers.

Here are a few of the 'issues' I had with this book (feel free to disagree):
-the prologue, which takes place in summer 1993, strikes me as a wee bit overwritten. We have "soft silk dresses", "slim girlish arms", "the cool sweet air of the night swirled high above them as if in mockery". Still, I did like the following line, "the school building felt none of this urgency, standing firm despite its burning injury, holding fast as it was eaten from the inside out", which reminded me of Shirley Jackson.
-the prologue is followed by a letter from the headmaster to former head of Classics which doesn't add a lot to the narrative. I guess it hints at some mystery, but it was kind of too on the nose (her employment "must be terminated" and it promises "severe repercussions" if she were to discuss "the school anywhere outside its grounds").
-we then are introduced to our supposed protagonist, Rose. There is clunky scene in which she speaking to her mother on the phone, followed by her rather detailed journey to Caldonbrae Hall. Although Rose is "young" (twenty-six) she will be the new head of Classics at Caldonbrae. Her mother, who lives in Kent, is sick (cue dramatic "cough" to signal she is not well) and Rose feels kind of guilty at the prospect of going off to Scotland. Anyhow, we read of her journey. She stops at a cafe bar where a man with strong There Be Strangers™ vibes makes some cheesily ominous comments. Her train is late (oh no!) and Rose flushes "with alarm". Next thing you now Rose is Caldonbrae Hall and her driver is a bit brusque.
Do we get a detailed description of the place? No. Do we read of Rose making into her new home? No.
The scene cuts from her leaving the car to "the following morning". Talk about anticlimactic. What was the point of that drawn-out journey? Once we get to the interesting place the story just skips ahead only to skip back with a quick "the night before" in which we just read of Rose being informed that the headmaster was too busy to come meet her and she is taken to her flat (in a building near the hall? How big is it? How many flats? Do all members of staff live there? Who knows. It may be a grey building).
-When the narrative skips ahead again Rose is walking about the place, and we get a very supreficial overview of Caldonbrae, which is described as "hauntingly empty" (insert eye roll here). She spots a creepy girl who, of course, has "dark hair" and "staring eyes". Ffs. Then we get this classic line, "when she looked back at the school again—was it minutes, hours later?"
-There is no sense of place and the passage of time is not clearly rendered. I have no idea how many members of staff Rose meets, how many staff members there are....she's given a timetable that isn't correct or something and that's kind of it. The one or two colleagues she talks too are creepy and allegedly older than she is.
-Rose's first lessons are not great, the girls are disrespectful and seem to claim that they had a hand in her predecessor's departure. Rose is unnerved by the creepy girl. Every member of staff she talks to sounds as if they belong to a cult. Rose keeps forgetting the strict rules (she has to wear a smart blazer at all times, she can only address her colleagues as 'Madam' or 'Sir'—surely this would get confusing? If she asking after someone wouldn't it be easier to use their surname than to refer to the position they are in or the subject they teach?—and she asks too many questions). Although Rose seems to know that this school is more traditional and old-fashioned than her previous one, and that she is in fact closer in age to the older students than to youngest members of staff, she seems surprised that her colleagues would not select movies such as Batman Returns or Alien 3 on Movie Nights (a real ingénue).
-the writing. Not only do we have "squinting smiles" but apparently characters cannot simply "say" things (a girl "piped up", another one "chimed in", they "snap", "bark", "garble", and Rose "splutters" a total of 7 times in the course of the whole book). The author goes to great efforts in order not to use "said"....and it shows (not in a good way). A great book that discusses this (the under-usage of "said") is Stephen King's On Writing.
-not only is Rose a boring and nondescript main character but she is far too credulous. She seems more fitting to a book set in the early 19th century and not the 1990s.

Given that I dislike everything about this book I am doing myself a favour and calling it quits. The best thing about Madam is its cover design.