The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu Pages: 294
Genres: Contemporary
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Goodreads
A July 2024 LibraryReads Pick!
By the acclaimed author of Moxie, a funny, bighearted adult debut that is at once an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school
With its ensemble of warm and unforgettablecharacters, The Faculty Lounge shows readers a different side of school life. It all starts when an elderly substitute teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. After a bit of a stir, life quickly returns to normal—it’s not like it’s the worst (or even most interesting) thing that has happened within the building’s walls. But when, a week later, the spontaneous scattering of his ashes on the school grounds catches the attention of some busybody parents, it sets in motion a year that can only be described as wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful, and humorous all at once.
In the midst of the ensuing hysteria and threats of disciplinary action, the novel peeks into the lives of the implicated adults who, it turns out, actually have first names and continue to exist when the school day is done. We meet: a former punk band front man, now a middle-aged principal who must battle it out with the schoolboard to keep his job; a no-nonsense school nurse willing to break the rules, despite the close watch on their campus, when a student arrives at her office with a dilemma; and a disgruntled English instructor who finds himself embroiled in even more controversy when he misfires a snarky email. Oh, and there’s also a teacher make-out session in a supply closet during a lockdown.
As these people continue to manage the messiness of this school year, there is the looming threat of what will become of their beloved Baldwin High. Ultimately, at the heart of this unconventional workplace novel is a story of the power of human connection and of the joy of finding purpose in what it is we do every day.
The Faculty Lounge
What drew me to The Faculty Lounge was that it is set in a school and the problems, struggles, and triumphs that come with that. You have a lot of characters in the story (as you do in schools), so there is a lot going on in the story. But, the story is so much like working in a school, its scary.
The characters are the main focus of The Faculty Lounge. In a school, you only get by because you support each other. You are trauma bonded. So, I appreciated how well the book showed this to the reader. I also enjoyed the laughs because that is pretty true of working in schools as well. While the stress and worry over the future is always present, each day contains some humor. There isn’t really a trope or plot arc-the story is just about school employees trying to make it through the year-one ridiculous event at a time. You don’t have to be an educator to enjoy the story-anyone can relate for sure! Because there isn’t really a plot arc, it was a little difficult to stick with at times. It reads as more as sort of a “day in the life” type of story. For me, I think I needed more-like a problem, a romance, a villain. Just something a bit more.
Abbott Elementary (TV Show), …then you will probably like The Faculty Lounge!
Great review. I can see how relatable it would be.
Yeah, without a romance, or more of a plot ARC I would probably get bored and quit. But the realistic aspect of what it is really like to work in a school might be enough to keep me going. Although I need a break from my own real world I guess, lol. Great review!