Madam
Ratings9
Average rating3
15
Ratings9
Average rating3
"The simmering menace and mystery kept me absolutely gripped...a smoldering novel that I could not put down." ––Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne "Rebecca meets The Secret History: gloriously dark, gloriously Gothic." ––Sara Collins, bestselling author of The Confessions of Fannie Langton Named a Best Book of 2021 by Goodreads • Entertainment Weekly • Parade • PopSugar • Brit+Co • Romper • Frolic • Crime Reads • SheKnows.com • Women.com Discover the secrets of Caldonbrae Hall in this riveting, modern gothic debut set at an all girls' boarding school perched on a craggy Scottish peninsula. For 150 years, high above rocky Scottish cliffs, Caldonbrae Hall has sat untouched, a beacon of excellence in an old ancestral castle. A boarding school for girls, it promises that the young women lucky enough to be admitted will emerge "resilient and ready to serve society." Into its illustrious midst steps Rose Christie: a 26-year-old Classics teacher, Caldonbrae’s new head of the department, and the first hire for the school in over a decade. At first, Rose is overwhelmed to be invited into this institution, whose prestige is unrivaled. But she quickly discovers that behind the school’s elitist veneer lies an impenetrable, starkly traditional culture that she struggles to reconcile with her modernist beliefs--not to mention her commitment to educating "girls for the future." It also doesn’t take long for Rose to suspect that there’s more to the secret circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of her predecessor--a woman whose ghost lingers everywhere--than anyone is willing to let on. In her search for this mysterious former teacher, Rose instead uncovers the darkness that beats at the heart of Caldonbrae, forcing her to confront the true extent of the school’s nefarious purpose, and her own role in perpetuating it. A darkly feminist tale pitched against a haunting backdrop, and populated by an electrifying cast of heroines, Madam will keep readers engrossed until the breathtaking conclusion. They want our silence... They want our obedience... Let them see our fire burn
Reviews with the most likes.
I had high hopes for what looked like a creepy boarding school story set in remote Scotland, but this was a mess. The main character, young teacher Rose, is very underdeveloped and not especially interesting, and the school's secrets are not very difficult to guess. There's just not a full novel's worth of material here.
2.5/3 out of 5 stars. This book sounded like something I would really enjoy. However there were a few things that niggled me. The plot felt very all over the place. It would go at a snails pace for ages and then suddenly try to thrush the plot forward making for a reading experience similar to whiplash. I found the schools values and the threatening, coercive hold over Rose at the boarding school unbelievable and unrealistic for Scotland in the 1990s. I agree with a lot of reviews that say this book feels like it's set in the 1890s not the 1990s. Most characters were so wet and weedy they were infuriating and the dystopian elements felt stilted and artificial. I wasn't buying this book as a whole.
But I can't deny I loved the boarding school setting and the descriptions of rugged Scotland. I found the Greek history and myth sections really intriguing but the plot was too slow and cumbersome to get higher than a three star rating. Wynne is a very impressive writer and the author has strong potential. I certainly will be checking out anything else this author writes.
Thanks to the author Phoebe Wynne, Quercus books and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
