Thank you to Penguin Group- Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I was sent this book as a recommendation from the publisher and thought the synopsis sounded interesting and fun. I am SO glad that I did as I ADORED this book. I picked it up one evening when I felt like I was in a slump and was immediately drawn in by the writing style, the wit and the warmth of the characters. As someone who loved school for the most part and highly valued relationships with teachers who became mentors, this book encapsulates so much of the importance of good, caring teachers. I laughed, I cried, and I rooted these teachers on. Each chapter was a glimpse into another teacher's life and as I read through the book and began to get to know each of them, it made each chapter better and better. I was sad to finish this book simply because I would no longer get to spend time with them. An excellent read! I would give this 10 stars if I could and currently am putting this in my top 5 reads of the year so far. Highly recommend anyone looking for a fun, heartfelt read to pick this up.

a substitute teacher is found dead in the teachers' lounge, he wants his ashes spread in the school parking lot. told from several points of view., it is a good book, especially if you're a teacher.

"The Faculty Lounge" is a fun, satiric novel set at a school called Baldwin. The tone is satirical and dark, as when a retired teacher dies on the teacher's lounge couch while subbing. Gifting this to my teacher friends once it's released, I know they will love it! Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
#TheFacultyLounge
#NetGalley

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 When a retired teacher turned substitute dies on the couch in the lounge at Baldwin School, the hysterically ironic and satirical novel that unravels is an unapologetically delightful read. In a volatile time for teachers, this book is a uniquely refreshing honest read that resonates the importance of teaching and public education. A strangely beautiful and heartwarming read that reminds us of those famous Jimmy Buffet lyrics that “if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane.”

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be on instagram ahead of the publication date!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“The Faculty Lounge” by Jennifer Mathieu is a novel that captures the essence of high school life from an angle rarely explored—the teachers’ perspective. Set in a Texas high school, the story begins with a seemingly mundane event: the death of an elderly substitute teacher in the faculty lounge. However, the incident sets off a chain of events that reveal the complexities, absurdities, and heart of school life.

Mathieu, known for her young adult novels, makes a triumphant foray into adult fiction with a narrative that is as humorous as it is poignant. The novel is a character study that delves into the lives of the teachers, administrators, and staff at Baldwin High School. Through an ensemble cast of characters, Mathieu offers readers a glimpse into the personal lives of those who are often seen only through the lens of their profession.

The characters are richly drawn, from a former punk band frontman turned middle-aged principal fighting to keep his job, to a no-nonsense school nurse who bends the rules for a student in need, to a disgruntled English instructor caught in controversy. Their stories intertwine in a year marked by wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful, and humorous moments.

“The Faculty Lounge” is more than just a workplace comedy and a celebration of the human spirit. It’s about the connections we make and the purpose we find in our daily lives. Mathieu’s writing is insightful and empathetic, offering a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues while honoring the educators who navigate them.

In essence, this novel is a tribute to the dedicated, though imperfect, people who educate our children. It’s a story that resonates with anyone who has ever been part of a school community, reminding us that behind every teacher’s desk is a person with a first name and a life full of stories worth telling.

What a warm fuzzy of a book! Loved how it was set up following the death of a beloved teacher using a variety of different POVs from the staff of at the school. If you work in education you need to read this! A lovely depiction of education and the people who work in the system. Overall a lovely read.

If you are a teacher you need to read this book! So many of the stories ring so true to life. I was laughing and outraged along with the characters in the book.

Anyone who has worked in education can relate to this straight talking story that manages to be realistic, funny, and touching. If you haven’t worked in education, this book can give you plenty of insight.

We move through the school year following various staff members. Sometimes this format can wear thin on certain characters, but everyone is very three dimensional. I especially liked the character with a very unexpected musical interest.

I immediately recommended it to a school librarian friend who does a teacher book club.

Thanks for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review, NetGalley!

This is the true definition of working in a school. I could relate to many of the characters and knew plenty in my own life. I truly enjoyed this story and it is a must read for anyone in education.

I adored this novel, told in a cohesive collection of short stories for each teacher. It begins with an elderly substitute passing away in a teacher’s lounge, with his last wish being to have his ashes scattered in the school parking lot.

Preorder this for all teachers in your life, or any fans of Abbott Elementary!

A teacher found dead in the school lounge?That definitely caught my attention and made me want to read this book. The Faculty Lounge is a funny look into public schools and the life of the teachers. I enjoyed the different stories of the teachers' lives and ended up loving the dead substitute teacher!
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Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes at school? Over a school year and with flashbacks, this novel shows the "real" lives of teachers. Each character interacts with the other school staff throughout the year, and has a chapter or two explaining how they got to this point in their careers. The story about a parent wanting to ban a book from the classroom rang true, and made me want to get the opinion of a high school teacher to see how well the other complications mirrored reality.

Working in a high school is weird. You never know what is going to happen from one day to the next, and no two days are ever the same. This unpredictability is part of what makes the job so fascinating and, at times, challenging. This book provides an engaging and entertaining glimpse into the myriad of unusual and unexpected events that occur in a school setting, offering a peek into the lives of teachers who are, after all, human beings dealing with their own personal struggles both inside and outside of work.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book is that each chapter is told from the perspective of a different staff member. I love books written in this style because it allows for varied experience. The stories shared by these educators are a mix of the hilarious and the heartbreaking. Some tales had me laughing out loud, while others tugged at my heartstrings. Whether the anecdotes resonated with my own experiences or not, each one provided valuable insights into the unique world of high school education.

I am going to be reading more of this author's YA work. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The Faculty Lounge stars with a substitute teacher dying on a couch in the Teacher's lounge. The deceased was a former teacher at Baldwin High, and returned when he was in his eighties to sub. Teaching was a vocation for him, and his only son asked that his ashes be scattered on the grounds of Baldwin High. When the principal complies with this request, ashes blow into the President of the PTA and some chaos ensues. Each chapter features a different faculty member and how they are coping with the death of the substitute, as well as the changes in the educational system in Texas. Parts are the book are funny, and many are touching. I really enjoyed this! Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

3.75/5

Thank you net galley for the ARC of this book! This was such a sweetie book - while the plot itself was light, the depth and stories of each character and their journeys with teaching and Baldwin High in general were such a pleasure to read. It gave me slight Abbott Elementary vibes which I loved. While this book wasn't ~exactly~ what I was expecting, I really enjoyed my time with it. Loved how it was written as well.

As a middle school educator, this book was very relatable. It’s like The Office meets Abbott Elementary. Would definitely recommend to my teacher friends!

This book follows the faculty at a private school after an elderly substitute teacher is found dead in the faculty lounge. It was interesting how the story unfolds while learning how each person found their way to Baldwin High School. There were many touching moments and funny too. Having worked for a private school for the past 7 years, I relate to this book so much. The author captured the essence of working in a school with all the personalities having to work together while also dealing with parents and students. I liked that each chapter was dedicated to a character and how their individual stories weaved together. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something unique. This is a great summer read!

The Faculty Lounge was an interesting and mostly spot-on look into a year at a public school. While I enjoyed the plot and storyline, the flow wasn’t always there for me, but overall, I enjoyed this book. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

4.5 stars! This was such a beautiful love letter to teachers. I absolutely adored the writing and storytelling throughout the novel. It’s hard to make your readers care about and have strong feelings toward your characters from just a single chapter - yet Jennifer Mathieu managed to make me hook onto every character in the book. I love the reminder that teachers do have a life outside of school and that they’re also flawed humans who are still learning and growing, and I also loved that Bob Lehrer’s life WAS school. The dedication to his students brought me to tears, and what seemed like a mortifying death in the first chapter seemed like the most fitting and respectful way for him to go by the end. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book and devour it again.

4.5 stars

As a high school teacher in Florida, I waffled between laughing at the absurdity of the situations and crying at the reality of them! Jennifer Mathieu hit the nail on the head, I can't really recommend this to my students, but you can be sure I'll recommend it to fellow educators!

The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is that there really wasn't a plot - it was more a series of vignettes - each one more ridiculous (and sadly realistic) than the next!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for ths digital ARC in return for an honest review.