I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. To be honest I have toyed with giving this 5 stars it is so good but there were some things i was not so sure about.

The opening of the book immediately pulls the reader in to a scene of developing catastrophe the where, the when and the how are, however a mystery.

Rose is a young, relatively newly qualified teacher of classics when she is offered a head of classics post at a prestigious private school. Her mother is in a nursing home with Multiple sclerosis and is to some extent happier with the appointment than Rose is. She encourages Rose to accept the position suggesting that it will improve both their lives.

Arriving at Caldonbrae Hall Rose finds everything confusing. There is a real creepiness to the storyline throughout, a not so thin veil of unease. Rose teaches differently and is not widely accepted.

The book is described as feminist literature and certainly Rose's teaching is about Female deities with a feminist bent but i find it difficult to say that the oppressive tenor of the school or the acceptance of its tenets (even by Rose - although it is difficult to see how she could have acted differently) espouses anything like feminist viewpoints.

It reads a bit like a modern day Stepford Wives and just like that book there is widespread acceptance of the society. The author has woven in some truly shocking incidents into the storyline and I found it difficult to put down.

For a debut offering this is an amazing book and Phoebe Wynne an author to look out for

Brilliant! What a fabulous read! I think I saw this described as a cross between The Stepford Wives and The Secret History and that’s exactly right. Set in a girls boarding school in an inhospitable are of northern Scotland, there is a sense of menace running right through this and I genuinely couldn’t guess which way this was going to go. Kept me gripped well into the night.

Rose isn't sure she's made the right choice in her new job; but once she's in the elite boarding school, there's no turning back.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the early 90's, Rose is a Latin teacher who gets the chance to work at an elite girls boarding school set in Scotland. She has her doubts about working for the Upper Class, and why they hired a 25 year old woman with only 4 years teaching experience to be the new Head of Classics; but this is outweighed by her need to cover her mother's increasing medical bills.

When she gets there, she's at a loss to all the traditions that Caldonbrae clings to so fiercely.
As the first new member of staff in a decade, and easily the youngest; Rose finds it hard to get respect from students and teachers alike.
Adding to her misery, is the mystery of why her predecessor left, and the previous Madam's favourite pupil, who is intent of being Rose's personal, spiteful ghost.

For the first half of this book, I was convinced that I wasn't going to like it, and was hovering around 2 stars.
I almost DNFed several times, but I'm glad I persevered.
The first half is slow and repetitive, showing how restricted Rose's life is. She's in a remote part of Scotland, with the school located on it's own craggy island. It's cold and it's dark, and the only way she can get out is with permission of the Headmaster, and booking the use of the school cars.
She finds little support amongst her colleagues, who mostly view her as some social experiment. And as this was before the internet and even mobiles, communication to the outside world is nearly non-existent.

All Rose has is her lessons, trying to teach girls who treat her with condescension, as they know so much more about the school than the new Madam.

The characters are all a blur of names and faces, all treating Rose the same. It was hard to keep track sometimes.
The only one who stood out in the first half was Bethany. I thought the author did a good job at making the character very unlikeable, but you could still feel pity for her.

In the second half of the book, I felt things really picked up.
The truth behind the school is slowly revealed, and Rose starts to connect with those around her. She becomes personally invested in the lives of the girls and her friends; and she finds Caldonbrae tightening it's clutches, so she wonders if she will ever be free.
I thought that the story became creepy and disturbing on many levels, and I was hooked, waiting to see how it all played out.

I really liked the classic stories. I got definite "Mona Lisa Smiles" vibes, as Rose gets her students to engage in their work, and think for themselves.
One group of students are quick to see that Rose is showing them the stories from the ancient women's point of view, and the sacrifices they made to make a difference on the world.

The ending was shocking. At the time of reading, I loved it. I thought it was powerful, decisive and believable.
Having had a few hours to think about it, the ending does make me feel somewhat queasy.

I thought the second half really showed the author's strengths, and I would be interested in reading more of her work.

This took some reading, it was a rather unique storyline which was good. But I struggled with the characters and in places the story itself. I liked the way Phoebe Wynne used the tales of mythology females in the way she did, it reignited my interest in Greek mythology.
Thank you NetGalley

This book had such a great premise. I studied Classics myself and couldn't wait to get stuck into this gothic, mysterious, boarding-school novel set in the 90s of my own childhood. Unfortunately it didn't live up to all that was promsied - The Secret History it was not. It really lacked subtlety, perhaps some greater editing would help. I could see where it was going a mile off.
I liked the inclusion of the classical heroine stories. They would be great introductions to those who haven't encountered them before.

This is portrayed as a clever and atmospheric debut novel, however I found the characters to be quite flat and the plot did drag on in some parts.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book funny, spiky, intelligent, and full of wit. Everything moved along at a great pace and I was sad when it was over.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. PLEASE DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE SPOILERS.

As soon as I saw the comparisons to The Secret History and Stepford Wives, I knew I wanted to read this book. Especially when you add in the location - an all girls' boarding school set in rural Scotland. I was imagining a dark creepy tale, full of sinister intrigue. However, the reality was nothing like what I expected, and I was left disappointed.




SPOILERS AHEAD.




FINAL WARNING.

Basically, the mystery is that the school is grooming young girls. They are trained to please, and brainwashed into thinking that this is what they want. Rose finds out, doesn't really do much, and then 3 kids save the day. Now, let me summarise the issues with this book:

1. Disturbing and needlessly salacious depictions of paedophilia. There's two scenes in particular which spring to mind, neither of which needed to be half as graphic as they were. I don't need to read a description of young girls being taught to give oral to an old man. It didn't add anything to the story, and if anything just served to highlight how awful the writing and the characters were, given that Rose's response to such a sight was to stammer and stutter and then leave the room. Did she then do anything at all about it? No, of course not. There was no benefit to adding this scene, other than to shock the reader and make the book seem 'controversial', in an attempt to make up for the complete lack of anything else interesting going on.
2. The racist way in which the author depicts her 'Asian/Japanese' characters was just gross. They alternate between being called Asian and Japanese, depending on whether the author wants to make a Geisha comparison or not at the time - yes of course they were being taught to be 'sexy geishas' for men, of course the author didn't do the bare minimum of research required to realise that this is an incredibly racist comparison to make, she just wanted to include non-white characters to tick another box on the work feminist checklist. And of course they all talk in the stereotypical broken English often used by completely misinformed and small minded authors who want to show how 'woke' they are by throwing in a minority character, without actually doing any research or putting any effort into making them a character in their own right.
3. Rose herself. She's useless. Completely one dimensional, boring, and even once she FINALLY realises what's going on, she does sod all to actually help. Yeah she calls the teachers out on it, but doesn't actually do anything. It's left up to 15 year old girls to fix the problem themselves. Plus, her reaction to the abuse was so ignorant, and completely at odds with the feminist message the author was probably reaching for. While Rose briefly considers that the girls have all been abused, she still focuses her attention on the 'good girls', the girls most similar to her, and prioritises them as victims in her mind. Whereas the others are basically glossed over, and even when considering those she 'cares about', she still doesn't really do anything to help them or even show that she can see that they are experiencing intense trauma. Instead, it's all about how it makes Rose sad.
4. The focus on classics, while interesting, felt to me like an attempt to bulk up the word count by adding in synopsis' of all of these classic feminist tales. Essentially, the author wanted the double whammy of adding to the word count and showing off how feminist she was.
5. The so-called feminism littered throughout the book was a perfect example of performative feminism, box ticking and forcing in outdated stereotypes, to the point where Rose's mum literally burned her bras. Yes, I know that that did happen in the 70s, but relying on stereotypes such as these is just bad writing.
6. The writing was just bad. The dialogue was stilted and awkward, and there was so much telling not showing it was unreal. I understand wanting to create a tone of creeping horror, but you do that through good writing, not telling me that I should be creeped out. If you're a good writer, I don't need you to signpost what I should be noticing and feeling. Plus, I may be being fussy but personally I got so sick of the word Rose I now can't look at the flowers in my garden without wincing (would it have killed the author to say she instead of Rose on occasion? There's basically no other characters of interest so it's not like we'd confuse them. The continual 'Rose did this, Rose said that, Rose frowned, Rose blinked' left me wanting to kill Rose just to end my torment).

All in all, this is honestly one of the worst book I've read in a long time. Poor writing, badly plotted, stereotypical box-ticking depictions of feminism, racist depictions of characters from a non-white background, a weak and boring main character, all other characters being completely one dimensional, no real resolution to the events of the plot, poor editing (Rose, Rose, Rose...) and just overall an awful and depressing book. Definitely one I would not recommend.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 4*
Characters: 2*
Pace:2*

This was a unique story about a distinguished, exclusive school in which Rose gets recruited to teach classics. Things aren't what they seem however and Rose finds herself in a situation she would rather not be in, for a multitude of crazy, archaic reasons.
This was a bit of a slow burner for me, taking nearly all month to get through it. But when it did get going the story was a good one, with just the right amount of mystery and thrill to keep my interested piqued. I did find the characters a bit mundane, at times I was confusing who was who as they weren't defined and evolved enough. Wynne did have a great skill in transferring me there however, the setting of the school was described brilliantly, I could really picture it and its gothic feel. This was overall a good read, I imagine many a reader really enjoying this, however for me it fell ever so slightly flat.

This clever and atmospheric book is perfect for a rainy winter's day. I love how it echoes gothic novels and thrillers (but I'm very selective about thrillers, so this one's perfect!). It's haunting and mysterious and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Thanks for the ARC!

I was really looking forward to reading this. Somehow the blurb made it sound fascinating, full of plot twists, intrigues, and excitement.
Sadly, the book doesn't live up to the publicity. It needed so much editorial input. The characters were so flat, especially the protagonist herself, Rose. Plot elements were unbelievable, too quick, or too slow. The story itself was distasteful; pretending to be feminist yet ending up salacious and toe curling. The writing isn't constant, either dwelling on details that are intended to sound gothic, yet end up sounding adolescent, or else containing no detail at all.
This was a debut novel, and I think it sad that neither her agent nor her publisher helped the writer to make a much better book of this. With luck, she'll take these criticisms in good heart, look hard at her next book, and make sure she doesn't make the same mistakes.
Not recommended in its current form!

‘Madam’ is a rich, vibrant, haunting piece of literature, unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It‘s so easy to visualise the setting, it’s as if the reader is at Caldonbrae Hall themselves.
The plot of this novel made my skin crawl, in the best way. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next, and how Rose was going to cope with each new twist that came about. The reader was always left wanting to know what the next atrocity was going to be, and they got increasingly worse, much to my delight. As a character, I couldn’t help but adore Rose. A feminist when it was taboo to be one, she stuck to her morals and was admirable throughout. I appreciated the incorporated Greek tales, adding to Rose’s characterisation.
The ending was incredibly satisfying, but also created an opening in which the reader can begin to imagine how time will pass, even once the book itself is done. This just adds to my appreciation of Wynne’s writing.
My one critique is that while each element of the book is necessary in order to drive the plot forward and demonstrate how incomprehensible Caldonbrae and its traditions are, for me personally, as few of the elements weren’t quite incorporated enough to achieve their full effect. This left me wanting a little bit more at times, but on the whole, a very well-developed novel just full of twists and turns.

#netgalley #madam

It is 1992 and young Classics teacher Rose Christie has been offered a post at elite girls’ school Caldonbrae Hall, a Victorian mansion perched on cliffs in north-east Scotland. From her arrival, Rose feels that she is in a place of secrets, lost and in the dark. I enjoyed that this is underscored by the ‘dark tumours’ and ‘abscess’ of her surroundings – the haar or mist that cloaks the labyrinthine school; Rose’s repeated need to consult the school map for direction; the hidden way.

We are well into the novel before the full horror of what is happening at Caldonbrae is made wholly explicit. For me, confirmation of what the reader has deduced is unnecessarily graphic and I think the power of the novel lies more with its hints and veiled references.

The author builds up an atmosphere of unease, isolation, frustration and helplessness well. She uses language in unusual and refreshing ways, with imagery that reminds me of Dickens – even when their imagery doesn’t entirely work it still… works. I especially relished how in the novel Rose’s lessons discuss classical women such as Dido and Medusa to illustrate women’s lives and how women have been treated and perceived from classical times to the present: this is feminism simply but cleverly presented, and I admit to seeing Medusa in a very different light! And the solution that Rose’s pupils find to the problem of Caldonbrae is like a tale from the classics: fateful, on an epic scale, all-consuming with no going back.

I had some issues with plausibility of plot elements and characters (eg Rose’s self-absorbed mother dwindled by illness and presumably her husband’s death does not seem like she could ever have been Rose’s mother the feminist activist). Yet there is a spark to Phoebe Wynne’s writing, the gothic tone is delicious, and I am keen to read more by her.

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Set amongst the looming Scottish cliffs, is Caldonbrae Hall, a boarding school for wealthy and privileged girls. This illustrious school is steeped with tradition, and promises that students will emerge 'resilient and ready to serve society'.

Rose is welcomed into its midst to teach Classics and head up a department, but finds herself disjointed by its intimidating prestige, secrecy from staff about the goings on at the school, and a haggle of vindictive students. She is the newest teacher to be recruited, and the first to be hired outside of the schools' usual realm. She teaches her students about fearless and powerful women from Greek and Roman history, igniting their curiosity and sparking an inability to question the lives and rules set out for them. In the haven of her classroom, the girls are encouraged to defy expectations and be exceptional within their own right, but Rose soon discovers Caldonbrae's true motives and the fate that lies before the young students. The school is a masterpiece of horror: an antiquated system run by rich, powerful men which she soon learns is not at all what it first seems.

This gothic feminist tales has all the elements I'd normally love - secrecy, a male-led patriarchy to defy, enough mystery to keep you intrigued, and a host of interesting women like you'd see in the work of Margaret Atwood, but it falls a little flat in its execution. The cult-like notion of the school itself, and how quickly Rose becomes entangled even against her wishes, is fascinating to learn about and you're almost sucked in by the notions of deception and appalled at just how wide Calondbrae's presence and power looms. The fault in the story lies in the lack of character development, and the passing mention of moments that seem to have no relevance to the main narrative. It was an interesting take to start with the fire, and then work back through the timeline to see how this develops, but I felt as though this made it lack suspense as you knew something terrible was due to happen.

The backdrop of a secluded and elusive boarding school is perfect for the brooding eeriness and foreshadowing, and I think with some elements changed this had the potential to be exceptional. I loved the elements of Mythology, and how the women Rose teaches about soon become figureheads and role models for the young women in her care. Interestingly there were some connections between the plot and the Greek or Roman woman introduced in that chapter, which was a clever syncopation from Phoebe Wynne. However the 1990s backdrop makes the narrative a little unrealistic, and it would be better suited to the early 1800s where menace and gothic undertones would've had more chance to thrive.

If you're a fan of Greek literature like Circe and more recent feminist dystopian titles like The Power and Vox you'll enjoy this.


*Huge thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for the review copy!

“Regarding our female monsters, then, we would do well to exercise compassion and remember the truth behind their stories”
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Rose is plucked from obscurity as a young Classics teacher from a school in Kent to join the staff of the illustrious Caldonbrae Hall, their first external recruitment in more than a decade. Responsible for her sick mother with no other dependents, Rose is moved north to the school where is sits on a Scottish peninsula, a gated community with one road in and one road out


Inside the school, the girl’s are corseted, beribboned and there seems to be a curious lack of academic ambition, something Rose with a passion for her subject, finds increasingly frustrating. On probation, her attempts to understand the school’s archaic traditions and her queries about her predecessor are neatly deflected by staff and students alike, her position undermined by a series of concerns and an investigation into her behaviour. With few tools at her disposal, Rose teaches her students about Ancient women; Dido, Antigone, Medusa and Lucretia. Women who refused to accept a fate decreed by men. Women who fought back


Take an isolated, indoctrinated community, an outsider trying to work towards the truth and a system determined to stop her. Add real malevolence and a creeping sense of dread and you have the perfect ingredients for a gothic novel. There have been comparisons with Rebecca and there is a similar sense of claustrophobic terror. I would have preferred to not have had the epilogue, but it does suggest that there might be another novel on the way
@phoebewynnewrites was an English and Classics teacher herself and her familiarity with schools and her subject really do add a depth to this novel that I loved. I cannot say too much without spoilers, but it was the grain of truth to the school’s purpose that made Madam truly startling


Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my ARC. Madam is out from the 18th February 2021

Rose is the new Head of Classics at Caldonbrae Hall, a prestigious 150 year old boarding school for girls. However as soon as she arrives all is now as it seems, education doesn’t seem to be the main focus and there is a mystery surrounding the previous Head of Classics.

I saw this described as ‘gothic Rebecca meets The Secret History’, which I don’t entirely agree with. It is set in 1992, but you would think with how some characters talk and the values of the school it was the 1890s, but it doesn’t quite have that dark, gothic vibe. I did enjoy our main character Rose, but considering how smart she was supposed to be, how she didn’t find out the “mystery” sooner is confusing as I figured it out quite quickly.

Although it did drag in some parts I did enjoy this book, it’s a good brooding and unsettling debut and I will look forward to reading more from the author.

I did not enjoy Madam. The subject matter itself which is distasteful enough was not actually the problem. I can read something which I dislike as long as it is a good story and well written; Madam was wholly unbelievable with unlikable characters. I’m not entirely sure who this would appeal to.

2,5 Stars

A young teacher gets the job of her dreams. She will teach Classics at a girl’s boarding school in Scotland. But soon it turns out the school has a special idea about the girls education.

The story sets place in 1992 but it could have been 1952 as well. It felt very old-fashioned. The premise sounded good. Rose, a young teacher thinks she won the lottery when a famous boarding school chooses her as a new teacher. But very soon Rose feels that something is off. While she does not get the hints of what it is about this school, I as a reader very soon guessed what’s going on. But this book does not make sense. Rose is a terrible teacher and absolutely naïve and I have no clue why the school hired her. They have a very knitted and connected system and I would think that they could have found a teacher who would be more complaisant with their ideas. Why bring someone from outside their circle into the school? But the story itself is highly unbelievable. I am not sure this would have been possible in 1993. Yes, there was no internet and no mobile phones but girls in their teens without any idea of the modern world?

The book somehow kept my attention for most of the time. I think it is because of the writing. It chapters went by easily and although Rose is a weak character she is not over-annoying. But the story is predictable and weird. It is a strange book.

In the early 1990s, Rose is the newly appointed Head of Classics at the prestigious Caldonbrae Hall boarding school, and struggles to settle in. She finds the traditions and rules archaic, the teachers and pupils strange, and she soon discovers that her predecessor left in somewhat shady circumstances which no one wants to talk about. New to working in a school like Caldonbrae Hall, and as an outsider brought up in a feminist household, Rose struggles to comprehend the purpose of this school in preparing the girls to enter elite society. Discipline in manners, appearance and the role of a wife are prioritised at the school, all of which frustrate Rose. She also finds that the teaching staff have very traditional views regarding gender roles. Nevertheless she aims to teach her classes putting aside her frustrations and personal views.

I was looking forward to reading this book, the blurb sounded incredible and it is likened to the Secret History, The Stepford Wives and Circe, all wonderful books which I’ve loved. The influence of these novels is clear from the outset, but sadly this book fell short of my expectations.

However, starting with the positive; the gothic inspired location of an old institution perching on craggy cliffs in Scotland along with the various secrets and mysteries at the school, such as the disappearance of the teacher and deaths of pupils, do contribute to an initial dark and brooding sense of foreboding. The 1990s era allows for the lack of communication/technology which is well utilised to support the plot. There are also some truthful and believable elements to life in a boarding school, the traditions and routines at times feel inspired and authentic.

Feminism is clearly the underlying theme of the novel, which would be fine, except this book drums home the feminist narrative in such a way that the long first half becomes a tiring critique of boarding school; satirised and full of caricatures. The cliched bra-burner mother is another convenient and blunt addition to the plot to prove that Rose is A Feminist!

At the half-way point the plot speeds up and the story suddenly rushes through all the answers to questions raised by Rose in the opening chapters, including her realisation that the school’s secret agenda is in creating pretty young wives for the elite. This was not a revelation for the reader. There is little to the plot after this; stilted conversations, nasty notes and Rose stumbling onto shady sex scenes are used to reiterate the facts we knew. The ending of the book we were already told in the prologue, and although there was scope in the story for twists and turns or supernatural elements, it became a series of anticlimaxes. There are some great plot holes to ponder over though.

Characters throughout are caricatured and stereotyped, and in the most uncomfortable cases, descriptions are also racist. Tokenism is excruciatingly blatant. Rose is a flat and uninspiring protagonist.

However, there was a real plus point for me in the excerpts from mythology and these, in my personal opinion, are the best sections of the novel. By including and embedding stories of females from Greek myths the plot is illustrated at specific points, however whilst these are a wonderful and welcome diversion, their undisguised purpose is for Rose to open up (clunky and forced) feminist dialogue in the classroom and enter some plot. Saying this, the author clearly has a real talent and passion for telling the stories, and this really comes across.. I’d love for her to publish a whole book of the stories of the heroines.

Having read the book, I appreciate that I am not the target audience. Up until the sex/abuse and swearing I would have recommended the book to a younger teenager, it’s got a definite touch of the Mallory Towers, jolly hockey sticks, boarding school life about it and could have been a dark but fun, creepy school-set novel. But I honestly do not know who I’d recommend this book to. 2 stars (4 stars for the mythology bits!) and 0.5 star for setting and boarding school elements.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Quercus and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in return for an honest review. Thoughts are my own.

Set in remote Scotland this novel starts off as a sinister Harry Potter and soon turns into an even darker Stepford Wives-esque setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the references to the females in greek mythology and how Wynne drew parallels between them and the supposedly helpless plight of the school girls. I just wish Rose wasn't such a pitiful character. We constantly roll around the same circle of despair with her. I kind of wish she would practice what she preaches with the girls and finds some strength of character. Other than this, I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting and gothic undertones throughout.

Thank you to @netgalleyuk for the opportunity to review this book. Madam is due out on 13th May 2021.