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A review by clhorstmann
The Faculty Lounge: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
By the time I was a few chapters into The Faculty Lounge, I knew it would be one of my top reads of the year!
As a high school teacher, this book resonated so much with so many of my experiences. It made me laugh, made me cry, and reminded me of how important a job teaching is even on the days when it’s hard. From the first few pages, I was hooked as I imagined the odd series of events that the started the book happening in my own school. I expected this to be a funny book that chronicled the chaos of working in a high school, but as the school year progressed and we learned more about each of the staff members, I realized it was so much more than that.
Each of the chapters focused on a different member of the school community, which felt a little bit disjointed at first, but were woven together brilliantly by the end. The way we learned about all of the characters was so humanizing and really demonstrated the importance of relationships we build with the people in our lives. In her writing, Mathieu did a beautiful job of highlighting the fact that everyone in the school was an invaluable member of the community, from the custodian to the principal. It really made me reflect on the relationships I’ve built with colleagues and how much they mean to all of us.
This is a book that educators (and fans of Abbott Elementary!) will love, but so will many others. It was a heartwarming story that gave me warm, fuzzy feelings!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this title!
As a high school teacher, this book resonated so much with so many of my experiences. It made me laugh, made me cry, and reminded me of how important a job teaching is even on the days when it’s hard. From the first few pages, I was hooked as I imagined the odd series of events that the started the book happening in my own school. I expected this to be a funny book that chronicled the chaos of working in a high school, but as the school year progressed and we learned more about each of the staff members, I realized it was so much more than that.
Each of the chapters focused on a different member of the school community, which felt a little bit disjointed at first, but were woven together brilliantly by the end. The way we learned about all of the characters was so humanizing and really demonstrated the importance of relationships we build with the people in our lives. In her writing, Mathieu did a beautiful job of highlighting the fact that everyone in the school was an invaluable member of the community, from the custodian to the principal. It really made me reflect on the relationships I’ve built with colleagues and how much they mean to all of us.
This is a book that educators (and fans of Abbott Elementary!) will love, but so will many others. It was a heartwarming story that gave me warm, fuzzy feelings!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this title!