This book starts out with a bang when a substitute teacher at Baldwin High, one of the largest public schools in Texas, is found dead in the faculty lounge. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a different faculty member at the school as we get a behind the scenes look at the crazy, funny, and frustrating issues they face. This was witty, poignant, and on the nose and touches on book banning, standardized testing, lack of funding, etc. I loved the voice and thought this was chuckle funny at times. As the novel went on, it started to feel more like a series of interconnected short stories. I think teachers and those in the eduction system will especially enjoy this even more. This would make a great beach read too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin House Dutton group for an advanced reader copy.

As I former teacher, I requested this book based on the title and cover alone. I'm so glad I did- it was amazing. It made me miss the community of a school setting and the reward of connecting with students and other educators. It also reminded me of the bureaucracy, testing, and pressure from parents and the district that I do not miss. This is entertaining for sure but also an important reminder of the value of passionate and effective teachers and leaders.

In a novel that feels like connected short stories, we meet a varied and diverse group of teachers, administrators, counselors, and other school staff. The initial and most common setting is of course the public high school where they all work. But then we see them in other contexts, settings and time periods. It was very compelling to meet each character in terms of their role at the school and then dig deeper into their inner dialogue, their personal lives, their history at the school and with one another.

Simply put, Mathieu did a brilliant job.

4/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC of The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu.

This was a very unique novel and fast-paced story. My husband is a teacher and it was a huge plus that my husband could confirm some of these situations that happen on school grounds. It was very enjoyable and just...a good book. No good guys or bad guys and felt realistic.

"The Faculty Lounge" is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that addresses important social issues with honesty and integrity. Jennifer Mathieu's powerful storytelling and nuanced exploration of privilege and accountability make this book a poignant and necessary read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of justice and advocacy in educational settings.

Irreverent, important, and, at times, emotionally evocative. This one is for the teachers, principals, and other school staff. If you don’t work in a school, you might think each of the vignettes in this book are over the top, but let me, as a teacher with family and friends from many different schools, assure you that with different names, disciplines, or situations, they all resonate with reality and, where they do stray into the “hasn’t happened in my world yet,” reflect the fears we face as teachers. (I mean, don’t we all have at least one teacher in our building, perhaps our own self, everyone thinks will probably leave the building the last time via the medical examiner's trolley?) I cringed, laughed out loud, and even held my breath at times hoping that a teacher’s story didn’t turn into “that” story (I won’t give those away!). Mathieu ties up some ends too neatly (that never seems to happen in real schools), but you’ll be happy to learn that the stories we share in public education - both joyful and painful - are not found just in our own little corners of high school (or even k-12) academia.

Thank you to Penguin Group, Dutton, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this much needed story.

This one is for all the teachers and school staff!! You will feel seen.
Mathieu captures all the absurdity and bureaucracy and mixed-feelings about the vocation of education in a modern American high school. I'm not even sure if anyone outside of the field will care as much about this book as we will, or understand the satire and humor entirely! From angry parent emails, faculty meetings, crying in hidden spaces, teacher evaluations, and the obsession over data to saving our students' lives on a regular basis, putting our entire souls into our work, the connections to our coworkers, and the meaning of what we do every day.
Thank you to Jennifer Mathieu for this one--we all know a coworker (or an entire faculty) who will appreciate this big-hearted tale.

I loved Moxie so I had high hopes for this book. I finished it feeling unsatisfied. That being said, it was very realistic with how the faculty members were depicted and their experiences. As a teacher there were moments that made me laugh out loud because o could think of a similar colleague or situation.

Pretty good but I couldn't enjoy it much
Maybe it wasn't my cup of tea

The plot was lost, and the book didn’t actually go anywhere for me.

This quick and enjoyable read was a delightful escape, populated with well-written characters that felt fun and engaging throughout the story. The author's engaging prose and witty dialogue made for a captivating experience that left me wanting more.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Mathieu’s adult debut. As a teacher myself, her observations and insight into the profession are spot on. I have read books about teachers and schools before that don’t work because the author isn’t a teacher, but you can tell that Mathieu has spent years walking the walk. I appreciate this book and will be recommending it, especially to teacher friends.

The ripple effect of the death of an elderly substitute teacher (who was a retired teacher) in the faculty lounge is felt among various staff and faculty members at Baldwin High School, and they struggle with both the fallout from his service and the difficulties that arise during a school year.

The book follows along the course of a school year, and although it is on the shorter side, it never feels rushed in its pace. As it winds along, it tackles all sorts of relevant issues, and explores how such topics are now more fraught with changing political climates, like abortion and school reading material. The setting of Texas makes it even more difficult for the teachers to do their jobs, and, if you’re like me, you’ll grit your teeth in empathy over how frustrating it is.

I think anyone who loves slice of life type stories will enjoy this. I’m not sure if that’s the right term I’m looking for, but each chapter takes up with a character and we get to delve down into their lives, their inner workings, and the connections they’ve formed with their colleagues. Then the next chapter will move on both in time and with regards to the character in question, but little references will be made to previous happenstances (like the relationship between Rayfield and Sanderson). Somehow they all feel like real people, and I appreciated that they have different styles and approaches to teaching, and some don’t even want to be there at all.

I especially loved two things about the novel. The first thing was that no one really comes off as a bad guy in this but rather they’re just trying to do the best they can in the circumstances they each face. The second was that the book opens with Mr. Lehrer’s death in the lounge and closes with him starting out as a teacher, just before his first day. It’s a poignant, cyclical arc.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the premise of this book, but all the little vignettes felt too disjointed for me and I had trouble sticking with it. The writing itself was thoughtful and witty, though, bumping up the rating.

3.5 stars
This one started out so great for me. An elderly former teacher and current substitute teacher dies in the faculty lounge, and outrageous shenanigans follow. I was having so much, and then the book diverted into character studies and lost me if I’m being honest. The plot was lost, and the book didn’t actually go anywhere for me.

With that said, I enjoyed the characters and was entertained. Three and a half stars is still a good read for me.

I think teachers, particularly those in a large school district, will really enjoy and relate to this one.

Please give it a try and see what you think if it grabs your interest.

An elderly substitute and former teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. It obviously affects everyone on campus in different ways. Throughout the course of the book, each chapter is dedicated to a staff member at Baldwin High. We learn about the lives of the counselor, principal, new teachers, veteran teachers, nurse, and custodian. Each staff member has stories about their time at Baldwin High in Houston, Texas. Through each chapter, you get a glimpse of what it means to be in education.

This was my first book by Jennifer Mathieu, and it definitely won’t be my last! She captures what it is like to work in a school and work together while working with parents and students. I really liked how each chapter was dedicated to a character and how the characters individual stories weaved together. I am a teacher and could picture some of these characters as educators I know in real life. I highly recommend this book to other teachers and people wanting to know more about the education field! I give it 4/5 stars.

A very realistic, heartfelt and humorous novel that revolves around the teachers and administration of Baldwin High. The story begins when a retired teacher returns as a substitute and dies in the faculty lounge. A new teacher discovers the body and the scene is set for the remainder of the school year. The book explores the relationships between the staff and also provides background on the characters and how they ultimately end up at Baldwin. This is a wonderful read and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the Arc.

A quick read about the lives of the faculty staff of a High School after the discovery of their Substitute teacher dead in the break room.

Each chapter more or less focuses on 1 of the faculty members lives.

I did find myself skimming a head.

It was an interesting quick read, not my usual read, and I feel that since it don't work in a school setting, this read wasn't 100% for me.

I have just finished my 32nd year of teaching. And I love it. Things have changed, but kids are still kids and they still need us. So when I saw this book on NetGalley I just had to read it. It spans one school year in a high school setting, each chapter from a different persons point of view. And it made me laugh, cry, and get really pissed off. It is so very relatable. If you are someone who doesn’t see public school employees as “the enemy” then please read this book. If you’re not a fan of school personnel, well… maybe pick something else up. 😂 4 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! The death of an elderly teacher in the Baldwin High School faculty lounge sets of a chain of events that impacts the whole school. Throughout the course of the next year, we check in with a variety of wonderful characters, from the beleaguered principal to an undocumented custodial worker. The book has a lot of points to make about teaching and broader issues but does so in an incredibly subtle way--through fully-realized characters who we come to care and root for. The author has built a rich community and given readers a window into the challenges faced by teachers today.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! Unlike anything I’ve read before, The Faculty Lounge is a character study into a group of public high school faculty and staff in Texas, highlighting what we often forget: that teachers and staff are real people who have complete lives outside of the classroom. These characters had so much life and depth, and I loved getting a glimpse into bureaucratic nonsense that public educators in oppressive states deal with, the tumultuous events that characterize a school year and how deeply these events differ from the daily stressors of students, and the humanity and compassion that the best teachers possess.

Teachers and college professors have made an indelible mark on my life and this book was such a lovely way to honor them and their impact. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC!

I really liked this book! It was a light read — great for the summer. Each chapter was a vignette of a different member of the faculty and staff at a school, and reviewed how their lives intertwined and found meaning (or not) from their experiences with the school. I was impressed by the breadth of topics covered.