I love a good teacher novel and this one was a lot of fun! The book starts out with a teacher being found dead in the school, and each remaining chapter follows a different teacher at the school in the aftermath of this, and mixes in the other things teachers tend to deal with throughout the school year. despite the dark premise it’s actually a pretty fun and lighthearted drama and i always find it interesting to follow characters who work for a school.

Maybe it’s just because I’ve been watching a lot of Abbot Elementary lately, but this book feels like a sitcom in the best way. Ensemble cast, recurring characters, overarching story beats… teachers do so much for us and it was nice to see an exploration of that.

I absolutely adored this book. As a daughter of a long-line of teachers, I grew up in a faculty lounge and honestly felt like this hit on a lot of the accurate points of a teacher's life. There were points where I was laughing out loud, feeling deep and sorrowful emotions, and smiling; Jennifer Mathieu really tackled it all. I fell in love with a lot of the characters and really enjoyed Mathieu's style of writing. This was not my usual type of novel, but I am so glad I picked it out because I truly loved it. I am so excited to see what Mathieu comes up with next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC opportunity!

This book warmed my heart as someone who works in education. It allows the readers a peek behind the curtain into the ups and downs of being an educator, and the quirky, heartwarming, and sometimes odd relationships and incidents that take place within the boundaries of a school.

I appreciated that the author chose to show vignettes of different characters with various backgrounds, although I do wish we had maybe gotten longer sections on fewer characters, because I was left wanting to return to a few of the characters from the early part of the book as the story went on, but we only see them through the lens of the other characters. Each of the characters felt incredibly distinct, with different motivations, desires, and backstories, and I found myself deeply moved by some of the chapters, particularly that of Ms. Baker, one of the assistant principals. There were also a few moments that felt a bit outlandish, including the precipitating incident that kicked off the entire novel, but in general, I enjoyed the novel. I give it a warm and lighthearted 3.25⭐, rounded to 3 on Goodreads.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I really enjoyed this book. It gives a lot of insight into things that can be going on in the teachers personal life’s in and out of school. This was a great palate cleanser as it is an easy read and keeps you wanting to know more.

This book follows the lives of several teachers, administrators and other school personnel over the course of a school year. Each section follows different people; we see a story about an administrator dealing with alcoholism, a few veteran teachers who are becoming over their jobs, fresh new teachers who aren’t sure they are cut out for their profession, etc. The book starts with a bang with the death of a substitute teacher. My favorite story was involving the cleaning woman who has recently immigrated to Texas.

As the daughter of two teachers who both became administrators, I really found this book fascinating. I really liked how each chapter was about a new person. If you are in teaching or like character driven novels, this is for you.

Thank you @duttonbooks for my gifted ebook.

I really enjoyed The Faculty Lounge. As a previous brick and mortar speech pathologist, the characters were extremely relatable. I also loved how it started out with the death of a beloved retired teacher who decided to come back at a very old age and substitute teach. He loved Baldwin High and he wanted to go back and feel the joy of teaching. Many of the teachers were long time fixtures at this school and he missed the camaraderie. But on one fateful day, he quietly passes while sitting in the faculty lounge. The rest of the book focuses on a small group of staff and tells their background stories and the now story. The book ends with Mr Lehrer story and his eventual death at a school he adored. It seemed fitting that he finds his final resting place at the school, which stirs up a lot of dissonance between the district officials and Baldwin staff. The characters were likable, even the unlikable ones when you know their back stories. The novel is well written and has a nice flow to it. I will be recommending this book and hope the author has more in store for her readers.

This was a solid 3 .5 stars for me. A funny book about faculty in the school. I especially liked it as a high school teacher myself. It will definitely resonate with fellow teachers.

Ugh! I almost didn’t finish this book and I honestly wish I would have quit when I wanted to, but I kept thinking something was going to happen.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and some parts, but once the book took a political turn, I was over the book. It felt like a certain political view was being jammed down my throat and that was upsetting. When the book is listed at humorous and lighthearted, I would have assumed politics wouldn’t be included. I found a few moments kind of funny, but not really. This book has a one sided view and it literally talked about all political hot topics (critical race theory, white savior complex, contraception/abortion, racism, adultery and more).

This book doesn’t really have a plot. It is just a bunch of short stories on different teachers’ lives and they are all tied together at the school. I think I chose this book on false pretenses and if I would have known what this book was exactly about, I probably wouldn’t have chosen it.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

(Actual: 4.5⭐, rounded up) As always, I'm upset I didn't get to this one sooner! As someone who went to school for education and has held many education-adjacent jobs/careers over the last 10 years, I found this book to be so endearing and a wonderful love letter/representation of all the ups-and-downs found in our [admittedly flawed] education system here in the US. I felt all the bitingly humor and sarcasm deep within my bones LOL, and I loved how the mystery aspect of this novel flowed near-seamlessly with the interconnected stories/POVs also featured here. Definitely a fun read that I think will provoke a genuine & thought-provoking reaction from readers, regardless of whether or not they work in this particular profession or simply remember their own days as a student!

Laugh out loud and relatable. Mathieu's writing is sharp and witty and I recommend this to all my teacher/educator friends.

A dozen vignettes weave together to show workplace dynamics and personalities covering one tumultuous school year. I had a hard time keeping track of names and details, but overall a beautiful love letter to teachers and the incredibly important roles they play
In our lives.

If you work in the education system or still think about certain teachers who shaped your life, then you’ll like this. If not… you likely want to skip.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy!

There was a lot to love about Jennifer Mathieu's The Faculty Lounge, and as a teacher, I found myself often laughing out loud at many of the relatable moments the author was able to capture and portray. The book followed a huge cast of characters whose stories could mostly stand alone, and while I loved many of these stories, I also think the overall narrative could have been stronger if the individual chapters tied together in a more meaningful way. I will also admit there were a few moments in the book that made me truly cringe, and while I think that *was* the point, I was also just hoping for a story that left me with more warm and fuzzy feelings. Still, Mathieu is a talented writer, and I would absolutely read more of her work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

Would recommend for fans of…
🍎 Abbott Elementary
🍎 English Teacher
🍎 Moxie

I need everyone to read this book. That’s the review.

When I picked it up, I was expecting something very similar to Abbott Elementary. I figured there would be elements of romance, maybe some heartwarming moments with students, and inspiring scenes of educators advocating for their kids. The Faculty Lounge has all that and more.

The story starts when an elderly substitute passes away in the faculty lounge at the start of the school year. From there, the staff of Baldwin High School is tasked with honoring his final wishes, which sets off an interesting cascade of events that last throughout the school year. While that premise may sound sad, I promise that this story is actually very funny with a sweet and incredibly moving ending.

The way Jennifer Mathieu has structured the story is very unique. The whole book takes place over the course of a school year and each chapter is focused on a specific member of the staff, which makes the book feel almost like a collection of interconnected short stories. With a true ensemble of characters, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough time spent on each, but I feel like this book had the most well-developed set of characters I’ve ever seen. I felt like each of these teachers could have been some of mine in high school. And the humor! I can’t underscore enough how funny this book is. Like truly laugh out loud.

I know a lot of people are compiling their ‘10 Before the End’ lists right now and I’m begging you to include The Faculty Lounge. I promise you won’t regret it! And I’m sure all teachers will enjoy this one.

The Faculty Lounge is out now. Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a former teacher, this was a fun book! All centered around a teacher found dead in the faculty lounge, The Faculty Lounge focuses on each teacher and their relationship to the dead teacher. It's humorous, and so relatable!

This was a good book. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it at first, but then I really enjoyed it. This is a great book for teachers and ex-teachers.
It had a lot of funny moments, but also sad, poignant ones. In all, it was a good read.

I am not a teacher, but I have worked in and around the sphere of education for most of my career. And I have emphasize, teachers and educators are the backbone of our society.

I so enjoyed getting to know the faculty and staff at the fictional Baldwin High School in Houston. I appreciated how their stories were interwoven but not so much that we didn't get to know each person separately. I was moved by so many of the stories and by how many of them were somehow connected to Mr. Lehrer. His passion for teaching and love for the school was so admirable. I think many of us remember those teachers that made such a positive impression on us and the community.

I also appreciated the overall hopeful energy that each of the characters had by the end of their chapters or the end of the book. Many of them were going through difficult personal situations as well as facing frustrations and restrictions that we know are all too common in public schools. But their love for the work and their students ultimately kept them going. It's relatable!

I'd say The Faculty Lounge is required reading not just for teachers, but for parents, taxpayers, or anyone who has ever gone to public school.

This book is a comedic love letter to the people who make a school more than a building. I loved my time with each character, getting to see their view of the situation and learn their secrets. The comedy was spot on, and if you've ever worked in a school you will recognize the humor and scenarios from your time teaching. Some things are universal in public education, and Mathieu has captured the heart and soul of why we laugh so we don't cry. And why it's beautiful even in the dumpster fire.

At Baldwin High School, in the Houston suburbs, substitute teacher Mr. Lehrer has died. In the faculty lounge. His colleagues are saddened - some more than others - as he worked at the school in some full-time and then as a substitute for over forty years. His son lets the principal know that he wished to have his ashes spread at the school - which results in one of the first of many scandals that happen throughout the school year. We’r given glimpses into the lives of the faculty and staff at Baldwin High and the ordeals they go through during the remainder of the school year. Often the stories are tied back to Mr. Lehrer, but not always. In one case, we enter the world of a student. In each case, we’re given a wonderful story.

I was totally caught off guard by how much I absolutely loved this book. I am not a teacher and have never worked in a school, but I went through the public school system as a kid and now have a child in it. This felt like a timely read with the school year beginning. I am always astounded by what my daughter’s teachers make happen on a daily basis. This book expanded on that, and made me think of not just the faculty but the staff as well. There were so many heartwarming little stories mixed in throughout this book. There’s no main plot line - it’s very much character driven and I absolutely love that. This was well-written - funny in all the right places, and compassionate in all the others. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and absolutely recommend it.

I finished this book last weekend at the pool, and it felt like the perfect way to start Back to School SZN!

This is the story of the folks who make Baldwin High in Texas function. The teachers, the administration and the support staff. We meet them during a surreal moment - a longtime Baldwin teacher turned substitute is found dead in the Faculty Lounge. At his request, his ashes are scattered on the school lawn. though an ill-timed gust of wind lands some of them on some of the most over-involved (and not in a good way...) parents. This leads to all eyes being put on Baldwin High - for better and for worse...

This is a quirky, heart-warming and deeply enjoyable look at the folks who work their hardest to make the lives our youth as good as possible. It is a reminder that these folks are real people too - in addition to their stressful jobs they are trying to balance all the other hardships of life.Author Jennifer Mathieu does a masterful job of also weaving in timely topics that these folks have to deal with on a daily basis - book bans! abortion bans! We see how these aren't just public policy debates - but how their impacts trickle down to our schools.

The character development here was excellent - and I found myself becoming deeply invested in the staff of Baldwin High. They aren't perfect - none of us are!! But they are doing their damnest every day. A very timely reminder that teachers are heroes who we do not appreciate or celebrate nearly enough.

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Mathieu but will certainly not be the last! Big thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for this ARC.