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sophiareads_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings: homophobia, cheating/adultery, violence, alcohol and drug use
A young Australian woman takes on the role of matron at an all girls boarding school, where her fascination with Mrs. S, the headmaster's wife, becomes a passionate affair.
This was SO my kinda book, I loved it. The writing style is very unique and stylistic - I can totally see this not being for everyone, especially with the lack of speech marks for dialogue - but it just really worked for me. It made everything feel very atmospheric and enticing. I totally had the feeling of being in the protagonist's head, experiencing the story with her. I don't know how to elaborate on this, but it reminded me of watching Fleabag, so that's something.
I feel like butch representation is very lacking, and I loved reading about a butch protagonist. I thought the explorations of sexuality and gender here were really fascinating and felt very genuine. I just really enjoyed this reading experience!
Thanks to NetGalley, K Patrick, and 4th Estate for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A young Australian woman takes on the role of matron at an all girls boarding school, where her fascination with Mrs. S, the headmaster's wife, becomes a passionate affair.
This was SO my kinda book, I loved it. The writing style is very unique and stylistic - I can totally see this not being for everyone, especially with the lack of speech marks for dialogue - but it just really worked for me. It made everything feel very atmospheric and enticing. I totally had the feeling of being in the protagonist's head, experiencing the story with her. I don't know how to elaborate on this, but it reminded me of watching Fleabag, so that's something.
I feel like butch representation is very lacking, and I loved reading about a butch protagonist. I thought the explorations of sexuality and gender here were really fascinating and felt very genuine. I just really enjoyed this reading experience!
Thanks to NetGalley, K Patrick, and 4th Estate for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Infidelity
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
Minor: Violence
introvertsbookclub's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
One of the most interesting things about this novel is the setting: a historic girl’s boarding school in England, the atmosphere was Gothic and imbued with the intensity of girlhood. This same intensity permeated the entire novel and leaked into the protagonist’s crush on the Headmaster’s wife, Mrs. S (although ‘crush’ feels like too juvenile a word).
In her early twenties, and working as a matron at the school, the protagonist is still grappling with her own adolescence and coming out, she is adrift in the space between the students and the staff, often aligning herself with ‘The Girls’. In her feelings towards Mrs S. she is caught between who she thinks Mrs S. wants her to be and who she actually is, while her friendship with another queer member of staff offers a way to properly see herself.
The men who feature in the novel are all portrayed as clueless and immature, grappling with power which they feel entitled to rather than having earned. There is something ridiculous about the men, excluded from the depth and weight of girlhood and womanhood, but they also present a dangerous threat in their attempts to exert control.
Although the novel is not without plot, the vibes definitely take centre stage. The refusal to give any of the characters proper names, and to instead refer to them by their role, only emphasises the way in which this is a transient time and a liminal space, one in which the same stories and emotions have been repeating within the boundaries of the school across the centuries. It managed to convey the drama of adolescence, but also the mundanity and the way in which it fails to live up to its own idea. The story felt timeless and haunting, and I know I will want to pick it up again soon.
In her early twenties, and working as a matron at the school, the protagonist is still grappling with her own adolescence and coming out, she is adrift in the space between the students and the staff, often aligning herself with ‘The Girls’. In her feelings towards Mrs S. she is caught between who she thinks Mrs S. wants her to be and who she actually is, while her friendship with another queer member of staff offers a way to properly see herself.
The men who feature in the novel are all portrayed as clueless and immature, grappling with power which they feel entitled to rather than having earned. There is something ridiculous about the men, excluded from the depth and weight of girlhood and womanhood, but they also present a dangerous threat in their attempts to exert control.
Although the novel is not without plot, the vibes definitely take centre stage. The refusal to give any of the characters proper names, and to instead refer to them by their role, only emphasises the way in which this is a transient time and a liminal space, one in which the same stories and emotions have been repeating within the boundaries of the school across the centuries. It managed to convey the drama of adolescence, but also the mundanity and the way in which it fails to live up to its own idea. The story felt timeless and haunting, and I know I will want to pick it up again soon.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment and Homophobia
abbie_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free eARC!
A sultry and sensuous debut told from the POV of a butch lesbian working as a matron at a prestigious girls boarding school - this is one to add to your summer reading list if you want to read more stories about queer desire (though with a melancholic edge) and aren’t afraid of a little stylistic experimentation.
A sultry and sensuous debut told from the POV of a butch lesbian working as a matron at a prestigious girls boarding school - this is one to add to your summer reading list if you want to read more stories about queer desire (though with a melancholic edge) and aren’t afraid of a little stylistic experimentation.
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Set in an undisclosed location in England, in an undisclosed time period (I was picturing the 90s though), our protagonist arrives at an elite girls boarding school to work as a matron. Presenting as a butch lesbian with an Australian accent, she causes a stir among ‘The Girls’, and eventually catches the eye of the headmaster’s wife, Mrs S., an older, femme woman, and the tension escalates over the course of a summer heatwave.
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The author does a great job with the atmosphere of this one, and that coupled with the anonymity of it all (no one is named properly) gives way to a heady read, as the reader you feel in the grips of the protagonists desire and infatuation with Mrs. S. I did go back and forth between loving the writing and finding it tiring. K Patrick omits a lot of articles and verbs, with mostly short sentences, and so sometimes I found it quite stilted. However, this did also fit well with the feeling of long, sticky, breezeless summer days where time seems to slow to a crawl. I can see this one dividing readers, for sure!
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I loved how the author explored the different power dynamics between all the characters, particularly The Girls and the protagonist. Teenage girls can be so cruel, and Patrick perfectly captures their seemingly casual cruelties aimed at our butch protagonist with merciless precision. Stifled giggles, snide remarks, a look between two girls - it’s excruciating at times but an accurate portrayal of being different in an environment so rigidly controlled by antiquated feminine values and tradition.
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Erotic, brimming with tension, definitely a debut to keep your eye on!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
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