I was looking forward to Victorian Psycho but there were moments of this book that just felt totally disjointed and took me out of the story.

I feel like this is a book that will appeal to some people, it just wasn't for me. It didn't really feel like there was enough of a story, it was almost like the author was just listing all the crazy things she could get Winifred to do and there wasn't enough depth to Winifred or enough story connecting them.

The book was funny, but it almost felt out of place. When I first started reading it I had to check several times to see if it was a man who had written it, as it had strong "women written by men vibes." Honestly, no matter how many times I checked and confirmed it was written by a woman I still found myself questioning it.

Overall it mostly came down to the writing style for me. It want bad, just not my flavour.

If you have a very twisted sense of humor and a stomach for gore, this one is for you. I found myself cackling several times at governess Winnifred as she settles into her new role working for—and resisting maiming and killing—the Pounds family. The tension builds and ultimately erupts in a satisfyingly cacophonous finale. My only criticism is that I wish there was a bit more depth to the story, as far as larger themes to engage with; it was mostly a thrill ride.

Loved this one it is short read and the author made every word count. I will be recommending this often and bought a copy for my home library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Horror fans are eating good this year with new releases, and Victorian Psycho is no exception. This fun, weird, gruesome little book delighted me entirely and gave me something new and exciting to talk about when people ask for book recommendations at work.

Winnifred Notty has been hired as a Governess (read: nanny) in the Pound household and is tasked with the general upbringing of the two children in the house. The family has gone through several Governesses previously, so Miss Notty definitely has her work cut out for her with the two ill-mannered Pound children. But the children are really the least of the house's concerns, with Miss Notty on staff.

(I'm sorry, I know this isn't my best summary, but I feel like every single thing about this book could be a spoiler.)

The writing style of this book was so fun and charming, and the amount of times that our narrator breaks the Fourth Wall to chatter at us had me huffing out little laughs more than once. The mixing of reality and psychosis was done really well and I found myself not really caring if what was happening was true or not. What did it matter to me? If my girl wants to tell me about it, I will listen to every blessed word of insanity that comes out of her mouth.

The pacing of this book is super steady and keeps you turning the pages to see what new, absurd horror we're going to be treated to next. With it's short page count, Victorian Psycho can be easily enjoyed in one day. And you will want to. Oh boy, will you want to.

If it wasn't obvious from the above, I recommend this book 100% to my horror-loving friends out there. This is a special one.

Pure satire, brutal and hilarious.

I truly wasn't expecting this to be so *funny*. Even just from the names of the characters, this whole book hugely pokes fun at so many literary tropes and Victorian ideals. Our main character, Ms. Notty, is an absolute riot. Early on, she's established as a character so unhinged that I'd believe anything she did and it's a great setup for such a short and wild book.

This is BRUTAL, though. Gory, and holds nothing back (TW: actual baby murder) Had me maniacally giggling at parts though, especially towards the end when things just go full throttle.

So weird and weirdly delightful. A quick and unusual read for sure. Definitely keeping Virgina Feito on my radar from now on.

Thank you WW Norton & Company and NetGalley for an e-arc

This is a short read that is a twist on the Victorian gothic tales. It's unique to have the perspective of the "villain," but it was enjoyable. I think this upending of gothic stories on the moors by making such a twisted character is what makes this an interesting read.

I had a hard time trying to figure out what to rate this. I'm gonna go with 3, though I think I'm hovering between that and a 2.5

The first half of this felt very try-hard in terms of being edgy. Like when a teenager watches a bunch of splatter films and is like "wow, i'm so dark and psycho welcome to my twisted mind." At the halfway point, it takes a nose dive into satire, particularly regarding class and manners of the Victorian elite. These elements were much more successful and I found myself enjoying the satirical portions with the holiday guests. The rich baby with a tiny signet ring in particular knocked me OUT. But then it goes back into jared leto as the joker. Like, I didn't DISLIKE it but I also felt like it was a little cringe???

I'm curious to see how the film adaptation plays out.

Final Rating: 2/5 stars
I was initially intrigued by the concept of this book alongside it's title and then very surprised by the writing style when I started reading it. The state of mind that the reader is immersed in, is at times disturbing, comedic, astonishingly haunting and even disgusting. However, I believe that was the intention of the author for this specific consciousness. Some moments I've truly found beautiful and profound, while others I thought were not really necessary (but that might also be because I am not the target audience for this work). Overall, I found the story to be fast paced, the chapters short and the story overall alright. The reason for the rating is partially due to not connecting to it as another reader might have, not necessarily being satisfied with the ending, but still having multiple moments that I really appreciated. For example:
"To this day I can't help wondering what it is like, fear. Coursing through your blood like poison, eating away at your hopes, your ambitions, your self. I think it has to be the worst thing in the world" (pg. 51).
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.

This book was a blast—fun, unhinged, and full of gore! It completely pulled me in with its wild energy and unpredictable twists. I loved every moment of the experience. If you’re looking for something thrilling and a little crazy, this one’s definitely worth a read!

Such a fun romp through murder. The comedic tone adds so much to the bloodbath that keeps coming. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you Liveright and NetGalley for the copy!

Victorian Psycho is a romp. It’s funny and definitely features an unhinged main character.

The humour lies a lot within poking fun of Victorian lifestyles and the “politeness” of rich society. It’s a fun, murderous quick read but I can’t say it leaves a lasting

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Victoria Psycho takes place in a Victorian household, where Winifred Notty is named as the new governess. Arriving at the Ensor House, she is put in charge of tutoring and taking care of the Pounds’ children. However, Winifred wants to deviate from this role and step into darkness.

“I was sixteen years old when I realized I was unable to feel fear. At least, not in the way other people experience it - in the undignified, acutely desperate sort of way.”

And indeed, this novella - and its main character - were totally fearless! In Victoria Psycho, the author excelled at portraying horror. Although the writing style was reflective of its time, it was sometimes a little bit over the top. The story, while being gruesome, fast paced and slightly comedic, seemed to lack meaning and direction. I would’ve loved to know more about the characters’ background. I think this book just wasn’t for me personally, as I don’t do well with extreme violence; especially against babies and animals.

You might want to read this if you are in the mood for a fast-paced book showing women rage, horror, violence and the ugliness of the Victorian era.

I can’t really decide on how I feel.

This was an amazingly well written book. It was depraved in a way that worked for the story itself.

The first half felt compelling and I wanted to keep pushing forward and was hooked. The second half became repetitive and boring, and this is a short book.

I finished it, but it wasn’t my favorite horror in this type of story.

Victorian Pyscho by Virginia Feito was a dark campy read. The story was brimming with deranged thoughts and disgustingly gory descriptions of old English food and murder. Our main character, Winifred Notty, the oh so dutiful governess of the not so charming Andrew and Drusilla gives new meaning to giving into intrusive thoughts. The story is unhinged. It’s a darkly humorous gothic thrill ride. This is a story that will linger with you long after the last page.

Victorian Psycho is not for the faint of heart. It’s a fast-paced Gothic Horror novel with a twisty plot and twisted characters. Readers begin their journey with the arrival of Winifred Notty, the new governess, at Ensor House in Grim Wolds, England. She will be caring for the two children of the household, but she also arrives with a few other secrets and plans, as well.

And things get gruesome, fast.

Winifred is our narrator, and it soon becomes clear that she isn’t very reliable. The blurred lines between reality and imagination, combined with the memorable writing style, Gothic vibes, and darkly humorous tone made for quite a fun reading experience. I won’t forget this book any time soon, that’s for sure.

I will warn you, this book can get graphic - so if you are sensitive to certain content, I would definitely check your trusted sources for content warnings!

*Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company | Liveright for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Genres: horror, historical fiction
- dark humour, jealousy, rage, gore, dark side of human nature, visceral.
Pages: 208

This was a fast-paced short read I couldn't put down.

Although I found myself laughing at times because it had some really great dark humour, this story contains some really graphic violence (check the content warnings.)

"Little girls everywhere will know they can aspire to kill, too- 'tis not only the men that do."

"I turn my head, the darkness of the blindfold moving along with me so faithfully, I wonder if this blackness isn't in fact the real world, and the true blindfold is that other world of colour we are accustomed to."

Winifred, get it girl 💅

Many thanks to W.W. Norton & Company and Netgalley for sharing a digital copy. As always, opinions are my own. 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

Victorian Psycho contains some really beautiful prose, and a delightfully unhinged FMC. While the first half was a bit too slow of a build for me, the second half redeemed itself and took me on a wild fever dream of a ride! I loved the extreme character dynamics, and how the more I think about this book the more it burrows under my skin becoming a new favorite. I am really excited to see what this author comes up with next.

Victorian Psycho is a wild romp that follows Winifred, the new governess of two children from a dysfunctional family. Fred appears prim and proper on the outside but harbors a predisposition to violence coupled with a complete absence of emotion and accountability. While this novel is full of disturbing content, Fred is an oddly endearing anti-hero with hilarious inner dialogue and this cheeky humor lightens up the story. I really enjoyed this sharp and witty blend of historical fiction and horror and cannot wait to see the adaptation!

Oh this was fun, at least as fun as spending time in the head of a deranged psychopath can be...which is very. Honestly.

My favorite part was the baby murder (don't you love being able to say that), it was so unexpected and ruthless on an authorial level, one of those "Oh snap, okay!" moments when you're just like oh this is what we're doing, it's on. I love to see it. And how what follows it is such a perfect encapsulation of the grotesquerie and shallowness of the rich society surrounding the narrator who only stands out as more insane due to the wanton bloodletting...because damn, all of these people are fucked up.

I'm docking a star for the amount of suspension of disbelief asked of me with regard to body disposal, but only because I'm miserly. This is more of a 4.5 star read really. I had a good time!

My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright and NetGalley for the ARC.