Jennifer Mathieu has written a book that makes educators, staff, and administrators of a high school feel seen, and should be mandatory reading for anyone else. Consider this your reading assignment.

Each of the chapters share the perspective of an employee of the school: a custodian, the principal, guidance counselor, new and veteran teachers during one tumultuous year at Baldwin HS in Texas.
The book shows the humanity - the strengths and weaknesses - of each of them.

It was truly wonderful.

This book is a slice-of-life story of a large high school in Houston. The main plot point is the death of an elderly substitute teacher in the faculty lounge, which starts a ripple of other events and prompts the rest of the teachers and staff to reflect on their professional lives.
It is an easy read that can be considered an ode to teachers and administrators and an encouragement for those considering a career in education (the book also gives a fair assessment of the difficulties the teachers face.)

Thank you, NetGalley, Jennifer Mathieu, and the publisher, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 - This was genuinely so good!! Anyone that knows a teacher or is a teacher would probably love this, it was so heartwarming and funny. Honestly all you need to know is the book opens up with one of the oldest teachers dying at school in the faculty lounge. His dying wish? For his ashes to be spread by the school staff and teachers, in front of the school. The result? The poor principal spreads the ashes and it hits the head of the PTA. I immediately was cracking up, because as someone who grew up listening to my mom's stories from school, it is definitely something that would happen.

The Faculty Lounge is a bunch of stories, following different teachers and staff members, students at a high school. Each person has a different background and story, a unique attachment to the school, a different role, and different struggles. I thought it was such a great way to piece together the school as a whole, by letting each character have their moment to shine and share what teaching/working at the school meant to them, and why they had stayed for so long despite the many ups and downs. I fell in love with each character, their flaws, how much they loved teaching and each other, and the little family they built up in the school.

As someone whose mom has been a 5th grade teacher for 30 years at the same school, I loved this book because so many of the stories and characters I could connect to the stories she has brought home to my family over the years. The constant fights with administration, with the parents, trying to handle a changing world and different worldviews, but at the end of the day reflecting how much so many teachers care about their students and their profession. I found myself laughing constantly throughout the book, really rooting for each character, and ready to tell every teacher I know (and everyone else) that they need to read this book!! I'm so happy I picked it up.

Thank you to Dutton for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!!

I absolutely loved The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu which centers around the teachers at a Texas high school as they go through a rather chaotic academic year.

An elderly substitute teacher decides to take a quick nap on the sofa in the faculty lounge at Baldwin High School, then passes away. Thus begins the school year for the dozen or so faculty and staff members that we meet in this story. Mr. Lehrer’s unfortunate end is the underlying plot of the entire book, but it’s the character vignettes and behind-the-scenes look at the state of our education system that really made this book stand out for me.

This book had it all starting with a plot line that just has to be read to be believed. Then we begin to meet all of the characters in individual chapters and learn so much more about who they are outside of the hallways of Baldwin High. Each story was incredibly unique and I was rooting for every single one the whole way through.

Jennifer Mathieu also expertly weaves in the myriad of issues that educators deal with every day. I know a few teachers and have heard some stories but to see everything presented on the pages was incredibly insightful.

This was one of my favorite reads of the year! Thank you to Penguin Group - Dutton for the advanced digital copy via NetGalley!

The Faculty Lounge is about what happens to the staff of a Texas high school after a substitute teacher passes away on the couch in the break room.

When a former teacher and substitute is found dead in the faculty lounge, the aftermath affects everyone from the principal to the custodian. Using different points of view, the author shows us the private lives of the adults responsible for ushering in the next generation of citizens. These inner lives are touching, relatable, and often humorous. I think readers will identify with this diverse group of people, especially if they have any connection to a school or education.

I highly recommend this entertaining and heartfelt read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Jennifer Mathieu for the advanced copy of The Faculty Lounge!

The Faculty Lounge was a wonderful character study of teachers and administrators in a high school setting during the course of a school year. It follows the teachers and administrators as they go through their trials and tribulations throughout their careers, what led them to working at this school, how they may have interacted with their coworkers over the years, and more. Mathieu presented each character as a unique individual with a different backstory. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Really enjoyed this read.

A slice of life story--about a year at a Texas high school. Each section features a different staff member--teachers, assistant principal, principal, custodian, nurse, and more. They are all interrelated and the staff range from brand new to almost retired to retired.

The book gives you a real sense for what it means to work in education today, and the changes that have taken place over the years. Unlike many similar books, the students play a very minor role in this story. This is about the faculty--their struggles, triumphs, frustrations, and the humor that they must employ in order to get through the days.

I grew up with both of my parents as teachers and could identify with so much of this, even so many years later. I loved the Christmas gift exchange of random items gifted to them, it made me laugh out loud. This book has so much heart and the reader can see the passion that these people have for their jobs. It's not just a career, it's a calling. The author is a teacher so she definitely has the insider knowledge and it shines through on each page.

This is a fast paced, very enjoyable read. Highly recommended for everyone, but it will be particularly meaningful and impactful to those working in education.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I felt very bored. There really was not plot in this one and I couldn't connect to the characters.

Maybe teachers would enjoy this one more than me.

After some truly excellent YA books, Jennifer Mathieu's adult debut is also absolutely wonderful. Told in vignettes by the different staff members at a Texas high school, it really captures the different characters and background that educators bring to their jobs, as well as the current state and challenges of being an educator. Sometimes the stories were more about their personal lives, reminding readers that teachers and school staff are real, full people, and some were more about the experiences in the school. This is a quick, worthy read.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I love books that take different people who are forced together and make a story out of them.

(Not detrimental) SPOILER: Teachers don’t live at school under their desks, and they actually have first names.

The book was charming, funny, and heartfelt. I loved that each chapter focused on a different character at Baldwin High, and each character was portrayed as deeply human. While a plot existed, the main heart of the story was the characters. If you go into this one expecting a large focus on plot, you’ll be disappointed.

This book was timely and relevant. It revered those on the front lines in public schools. It also poked fun at the bureaucracy of education and less than thrilling mandatory meetings.

Fans of character-driven novels, books about everyday occurrences, and books celebrating making a difference no matter how small will love this one.

Final Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars -- I will be releasing a video review on my YouTube channel, The Literary Apothecary, on day of release.

I received the eARC for this book via NetGalley and what a crazy ride this was! The Faculty Lounge is set to be released by Dutton on July 23, 2024. It is Mathieu's adult debut novel that is funny and bighearted, an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today's pressing school issues, and a tender character study - all with the backdrop of a Texas high school.

Spoiler Free Summary: (Parts of this summary are taken from Goodreads)

The Faculty Lounge shows readers a different side of school life - the faculty, staff, and administrators that help make the school run. It starts off with a bang when an elderly substitute teacher is found dead in the 3rd floor Faculty Lounge. From there, we get a moment of rememberance for the subsitute, who once was a regular and beloved faculty member at Baldwin High - the principal, who really is just trying to do his best, decides to honor the deceased's wishes and spreads his ashes on school grounds. Well, all was going well until a huge gust of wind decided to take the ashes and blow them directly in to the PTA President's face as she walked by in search for the principal himself. And this is only the start of Baldwin High's wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful and humorous school year, This book takes us on the journey of Baldwin's school year, while also dipping into poignant and honest character studies of some of the faculty and staff there. One thing that stood out to me was that not only are the faculty and administrators highlighted here, but also staff. And we get both good and bad sides to the characters, as they try to make their way through the school year and life.

CAWPILE Breakdown: (You might notice, I am trying something different with this review - each category will be rated out of 5 instead of 10, I've noticed that I rarely go below a 5 when rating, so I am trying to limit my scope to give a more precise rating. See post about adaptation for more info.)

Characters: 4 - Our characters are diverse, robost, and complex. As mentioned above, not only do we get the good and endearing side to the characters, but we also get not so great sides to some of them that make these characters feel real and relatable. The only thing that kept me from giving this book full score for characters is that we didn't really see a lot of actual development from them, it was more just sketches of who they once were and who they are now.

Atmosphere/Setting: 5 - Mathieu nails the Texas high school setting in this book. It feels like a high school, it looks like a high school, it sounds like a high school. It's a high school!

Writing Style: 3 - This is where I struggled a bit with this book. I thought the pacing was good (maybe a tad long but not too bad) and as I said I loved the characters and the atmosphere. The thing that gives me pause is that while I can see a plot line that was carried throughout, it felt the character studies were the heavier weight in this novel. I would have liked to see that plot line threaded through a little bit more cohesively, other than just these characters all work at the same school and were there on the day that of the "Ashes Incident".

Plot: 2 - The actual plot is about the day to day life of faculty, administrators, and staff at Baldwin High School, and how they manage during the year. It's simple. My main issue, as I stated above, is that it felt like the character studies took on more importance and the plot was kind of just a backdrop, almost a second thought of "Oh yeah, I need something to make this a novel and not short story sketches."

Intrigue: 3.5 - The characters were so diverse, my intrigue was held mainly by them. I wanted to know who we would get to know next and what we would learn about them.

Logic/Relationships: 3.5 - The logic and relationships in this novel were both well done. It all made sense, in its own way. Relationships developed in unlikely pairs and I loved seeing which characters connected with each other on different levels.

Enjoyment: 4 - At the end of the day, I enjoyed reading The Faculty Lounge and getting to know each one of these characters. I think I may have enjoyed it even more if it was just the character studies though and that plot line just came out in the studies and not as an actual novel - if that makes sense.

CAWPILE Total: 25/7 = 3.5 = 3.5 stars

Video Review: https://youtu.be/D35IwLY6VwU

Happy Pub Day to The Faculty Lounge! When I got an email about a story that was “an ode to educators” written by a long time teacher, as someone who has worked in schools alongside school staff for the last 7 years, I couldn’t pass it up. The Faculty Lounge is much more a character study than a plotted book, which is where it missed the mark of a 5 star read for me. It very well still could have landed as a 4 star if there was just slightly more resolution and clarity to one or two more of the chapters.

Still, I had fun with this one. As someone who has worked with a boatload of teachers, the personalities feel true to life. And while the events at Baldwin High over the course of the year of the book are wild, well… Public school teachers and principals and school counselors have seen things.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! The Faculty Lounge is on sale TODAY

I really enjoyed this book so much! There wasn't one central plot, but a collection of interconnected stories from various employees of Baldwin High School - the principal, assistant principal, multiple teachers, a janitor, counselor and more - centered around the death of an elderly substitute/retired teacher. It was poignant, funny, and sometimes sad, but always enjoyable! Fans of Abbot Elementary will love it!

Thank you NetGalley, Dutton publishing and Jennifer Mathieu for allowing me to read this book earl ly in exchange for can honest review! I have the book 4.5 stars and I rounded it down to 4 on good reads.!

An elderly substitute dies in the faculty lounge The well meaning principal wants to spread his ashes in the courtyard of the school but accidentally blows them onto a parent. During the months that follow, the book shows the lives of some of the teachers and administrators at the school as they navigate their lives and teaching. This book is a little slice of life of teachers and breaks the idea that teachers live at the school and have no outside life. This is perfect for educators and anyone that thinks teachers are real people.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu tells the story of several teachers after Mr Leher, a substitute teacher who once was a full time teacher at Baldwin High School, has died on the faculty lounge. The story focus on each teacher at the school and sometimes we get a peak at the teachers past "life" and now the day to day on either how Mr Leher impacted the other teachers or just their own day to day life post "Ash Gate".

The faculty lounge is very sarcastic and delves into the life of each teacher and some of their inner struggles. I thought the author did a great job portraying characters battling with grief and addiction, while maintaining a lighter tone throughout the book. Even if most of the book was lighter there were some parts that did bring a tear to my eyes.

Overall, my rating is 3.5 but rounded it to 4 stars as there is no half stars here.

I think any former teacher or anyone who has worked in a school before should definitely check out The Faculty Lounge.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin House Dutton for this ARC the above review is of my own thoughts.

What teacher wouldn't feel drawn to this book? I've heard a few wild things in my teachers' room over the years, and our old one did have an ancient old couch in it. To the best of my knowledge, no one ever died on that one, which is where my experience diverges from The Faculty Lounge, the new book by teacher Jennifer Mathieu. The story begins with that death, of a retired teacher who came back to substitute until he was called to the big classroom in the sky. Both new and veteran teachers react to his death, and the book moves on to tel their stories, both in and out of the classroom. As a teacher who has taught for over two decades, a lot of their experiences in the building rang really true (especially the parts about what goes through a teacher's head during a faculty meeting...). I'd DEFINITELY recommend to teachers, but other readers would also identify with the faculty, and former high school students will find themselves wondering about the private lives of their old teachers...

THE FACULTY LOUNGE by Jennifer Mathieu is a humorous, heartwarming and timely story that is a tribute to teachers and school staff dealing with a myriad of issues facing today’s schools. Set in present-day Texas, we meet a diverse cast of characters who work at the fictional Baldwin High School. The story begins with the untimely death, in the faculty lounge, of an elderly substitute teacher, who had been a teacher there for decades. What follows is a narrative through the eyes of many of his colleagues as their own backstories and personal challenges are revealed. The author’s portrayal of these characters is heartfelt and insightful, capturing their lives with both humor and empathy. There are both light-hearted and serious moments and while I am not an educator myself, several of my friends are, and I could easily envision the scenarios presented. I enjoyed this well-written and thought-provoking book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I kept picturing the characters as the people that play in abbott elementary, so for me this was an enjoyable read with some heavier topics. I think this is a great book for educators and people that like dry humor.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu was such a fun read!
The characters are richly drawn and the storytelling was is beyond humorous.
A truly unique and different story. Which is what sucked me in.
There literally wasn’t a slow or disappointing moment in this novel.
This is what great contemporary adult fiction should be!!
So pitch perfect that I can’t find a single fault with it.

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!