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raynorn's review against another edition
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Madam was a book I was excited about reading after having a glance at the description. It follows 26 year old, Rose, a Classics teacher who takes on the role of a department head at illustrious girls boarding school, Caldonbrae Hall in Scotland. She arrives and as she expects she finds it difficult to fit in but does not anticipate the reasons why.
I enjoyed the fact that it was clear the writer did not want to go down the route that many do of romanticising the type of environment that Rose finds herself in, instead using the novel to expose the ugly and darker secrets the characters and setting had to offer. I also enjoyed the scenes of Rose in the classroom while teaching. They were my favourite scenes as Rose shared more of herself with the students and we were able to get more of an idea of the student culture at the school. The inclusion of Greek myths, specifically about the roles of women in Greek myth was interesting also, and very well inputted.
My issues lie within the actual structure and plot of the novel. I found the plot itself to be incredibly interesting and well thought out, however the execution had me confused while reading. I read Madam in one sitting as I kept wanting to have a better sense of the book, hoping that would happen further down the line. It seemed to me at first that it would perhaps stray from the usual set up for these school/university set 'campus' novels yet it seemed to fall into traps at times. Important and bigger moments of action and drama seemed more downplayed than some smaller moments, something that left the tone seeming slightly off, especially whilst trying to read through Rose's perspective as a woman who opposes the system in place at Caldonbrae.
Overall, I give this novel two stars as whilst I appreciated some aspects of what the author wanted to achieve, I found myself confused and wanting more of the moments that were skipped over, with some character plot feeling cut off and forgotten about at the expense of telling the story of Caldonbrae itself as a school over the many active and interesting characters the author included.
Madam was a book I was excited about reading after having a glance at the description. It follows 26 year old, Rose, a Classics teacher who takes on the role of a department head at illustrious girls boarding school, Caldonbrae Hall in Scotland. She arrives and as she expects she finds it difficult to fit in but does not anticipate the reasons why.
I enjoyed the fact that it was clear the writer did not want to go down the route that many do of romanticising the type of environment that Rose finds herself in, instead using the novel to expose the ugly and darker secrets the characters and setting had to offer. I also enjoyed the scenes of Rose in the classroom while teaching. They were my favourite scenes as Rose shared more of herself with the students and we were able to get more of an idea of the student culture at the school. The inclusion of Greek myths, specifically about the roles of women in Greek myth was interesting also, and very well inputted.
My issues lie within the actual structure and plot of the novel. I found the plot itself to be incredibly interesting and well thought out, however the execution had me confused while reading. I read Madam in one sitting as I kept wanting to have a better sense of the book, hoping that would happen further down the line. It seemed to me at first that it would perhaps stray from the usual set up for these school/university set 'campus' novels yet it seemed to fall into traps at times. Important and bigger moments of action and drama seemed more downplayed than some smaller moments, something that left the tone seeming slightly off, especially whilst trying to read through Rose's perspective as a woman who opposes the system in place at Caldonbrae.
Overall, I give this novel two stars as whilst I appreciated some aspects of what the author wanted to achieve, I found myself confused and wanting more of the moments that were skipped over, with some character plot feeling cut off and forgotten about at the expense of telling the story of Caldonbrae itself as a school over the many active and interesting characters the author included.
vassa's review against another edition
It had its flaws, but it scared me how on point it was. Everything about women’s position in society in this book was true, and now I am deeply troubled by this fact.
felinedevil's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Ending was a little lame
cxmxrxnm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
leafy_literature's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I genuinely got so sucked in to this book. I thought each character seemed very realistic, and the writing was great; though there were definitely some words I could tell the author liked, lol. I didn't see coming what the premise of the school was, and I am so glad that was revealed in a timely enough manor where we could get some resolution - I feel like a lot if books I read lately are 300 pages of build up with 50 pages of plot/climax. I've already been recommending this book to friends. Great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Confinement
sgreenleaf's review against another edition
4.0
One of the few books I’ve read with accurate and true relationships between teachers and students. Also this sort of is what it feels like to teach at an elite school - filled with unspoken rules that bolster the ruling class.
mombythebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
apple0loving0shinigami's review against another edition
2.0
This is another example of an intriguing premise badly executed (at least in my opinion!)
If you are a fan of well-written (purple prose) Gothic novels, do yourself a favor and skip this book!
Recommend for: young adults that have never read a Gothic novel.
If you are a fan of well-written (purple prose) Gothic novels, do yourself a favor and skip this book!
Recommend for: young adults that have never read a Gothic novel.
beckyjzw's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
onestephatatime's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0