This is a story about sanity.

The good: the depiction of how women were treated, and pathologized if they didn’t fit in a particular mold. The descriptions of the settings, and the exploration of systemic injustice in patient care during the time period were also interesting.

I struggled to connect to the characters here, and I think it’s a case of it being me, not the book- historical fiction rarely feels like something I connect to & because I find the subject matter so interesting I thought this might be an exception…. But unfortunately not! I was also confused about the end… where are we supposed to believe the character in question went?!

Thank you so much NetGalley & Abrams for the eARC!

This novel seemed very promising. I like the gothic elements in this story. However, I could not connect with the characters and the story was slow paced. Nevertheless, I recommend this fans of gothic novels.

A wealth of characters fill this story. It makes me think of how often we suppress our true selves so not to be judged or ridiculed. Any slight abnormality can be harshly judged. And so happens Eugénie’s journey. The characters of Louise, Thérèse and Madame Geneviève bring the sanity back to a late 19th century Paris. The medical aristocrats and bourgeoisie do the ‘mad women’ no favours in a time where it was desperately needed.

#The Mad Women's Ball by # Victoria Mas the prize winning French bestseller is soon to be a major film from Amazon. It's a dark, Gothic page Turner. Taking place in 1885 in Paris. The Salpetriere Asylum .......
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Victoria Mas, and #ABRAMS💜🐾🐾

This book may be short but it packs a punch! It delivered so much more than I expected!

The Pros: What Worked For Me

- This novel chronicles a very important and tenuous time in history for women. It was horrible to see how any woman who didn’t fit into society’s “mold” was thrown into a mental asylum. Unfortunately, this truly happened in history, and I think the way the author talked about this subject matter was terrific.
- It was very interesting to see the interplay between religion, science, and the supernatural – definitely my favourite part of the story!
- Every character was so well-developed and nuanced. Each of their experiences was heartbreaking – and yet, I found it easy to relate to these women. I felt their pain on a very deep level.
- The ending wrecked me completely but I wouldn’t want it any other way!

The Cons: What I Didn’t Like

- Although this novel enticed me with its supernatural elements, there actually weren’t too many of those moments in the actual story.
- The writing style was hard to follow at times, with it not always being clear which character’s perspective we are reading. I’m not sure how much of this is because of the author and how much is because this is a translated work.
- There is a book mentioned in this novel that is about experiencing ghosts and I would have loved it if the author had given excerpts from there for the reader to also read so that we could connect even more with the characters.

This is such an amazing underrated novel. It is strongly feminist, and explores important themes of trauma, female vulnerabilities, but also sisterhood and feminine strength. I strongly urge you to give this a go because it really is an important and pivotal read.

Haunting and fascinating. Women institutionalized for nothing more than being headstrong and defiant. I found the additiona element of the story interesting. At first, I wasn't sure the two stories would meld well but it did! A short, quick read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Unfortunately, I could not push myself to finish this. The detail just drove me crazy. I was not interested in pushing through. I didn't have a lot to grab my attention. Just details, that although I could see what the author was doing with imagery they wanted to convey... I couldn't bring myself to continue.

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas
In Victoria Mas' debut novel, The Mad Women's Ball, we're taken into the 1880's in Paris, France at the Salpetriere Asylum. The Saletriere Asylum houses women of all ages and social class. “The Salpetriere is a dumping ground for women who have disturbed the peace. An asylum for those whose sensitivities do not tally with what is expected of them. A prison for women guilty of possessing an opinion.” That's right. If you were a women and had an opinion or disagreed with your family, off to the asylum you'd go for sometimes, dehumanizing and tortuous "cures". I find this act sad yet truly fascinating. I won't give too much away but if this type of thing peeks your interest, definitely grab a copy of The Mad Women's Ball. I heard that this has been adapted into a film on Amazon Prime so I'll be checking that out soon.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

This book had me hooked from page one. I consumed it in about one day, and it was so fun to read. Have already recommended to friends!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

The first half of this book had me so enthralled I could not put it down. The writing was incredibly moving and vivid and the characters pull you in. Something changed about halfway through, however, and the story seemed to lose its momentum. Thank to the author, publisher and NetGalley

This book is a delight for those drawn to macabre and gothic storylines and aesthetics. Underneath the prose and atmosphere detailed in this story lies a significant message about sexism and hysteria.

The Mad Women's Ball is a searing look into the psychiatric hospitals in 1800s France. It shows how women find power in the face of oppression and misogyny and gives readers a real connection to each of the main characters.

It should bother each and every one of us that places like this existed; dumping grounds, basically, for inconvenient women. History does repeat itself more than we would care to admit.

*Many thanks to Victoria Mas, The Overlook Press, and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A book which explains the position, or rather the lack of it, a woman held in the second half of the 19th century if she wanted to be independent and live the life she longed for. The background of the story is the real premise, a hospital in Paris that treated women who allegedly had mental problems but who in most cases were hospitalised there against their will and often kept there for life.
The plot is interesting, however, the writing style did not appoeal to me. Still, a story that needed to be told.

I did get into reading the first few chapters and was not sure how I felt about continuing. I saw reviews praising the book and some disabled persons that was not a fan of this book. The story didn't pull me back into read and the writing is a bit dry.

A deliciously dark, unputdownable book. The writing was descriptive and atmospheric, and the scenes were memorable. I really appreciated the opportunity to review this!

In 19th century France, a psychiatric nurse starts questioning the doctors she works for and once admired, and helps a sane woman escape the asylum she works at the night of The Madwomen's Ball.

It was an interesting story. I'm partial to stories about asylums, the women who were sent to those places for not conforming to societal norms imposed on them, and the history of female mental health. I felt like the plot was going so fast that I didn’t have time to identify with the characters. I was rooting for them though. But I felt that there was a "je ne sais quoi" missing. Maybe it got lost in translation? I also thought that the setting was so detailedly described that, at least for me, it took away from the plot a bit. Now it’s time to see the movie.

THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL by Victoria Mas

NUTSHELL: A madhouse of women in 1880s Paris and its inhabitants and nurses is altered when a girl enters who claims she can converse with dead people.


REMINDS ME OF: Girl, Interrupted meets The Sixth Sense


PLUS SIDE:
+ Very quick read, and interesting enough that the pace seems to move quickly over all.
+ I really liked all the women patients characters and the main nurse.

NEGATIVE SIDE:
- It really annoyed me that it ended the way it did with absolutely no sense of justice on anyone's account, just some finding peace within resignation. I was obviously not expecting some grand rebellion because of the time period, but... something.

FAVORITE WORDS:
[It's easier if you are not brought here at all. ]

[ Have I told you how calm I feel since I began to doubt.]

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!