Review: The Faculty Lounge

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Rating: 4 / 5

Features:

• A humorous but realistic look into the lives of teachers

• Lighthearted but explores serious topics like death, substance abuse, trauma, and the state of public education in the U.S.

• Focuses more on the experiences of certain individuals rather than the central plot

After a retired teacher-turned-substitute is found dead in the third floor faculty lounge, most agree that it is not the craziest thing to happen at Baldwin High School. But when his memorial service runs afoul of the PTO president, everyone knows things are about to get more interesting than usual. As a teacher, I can say that The Faculty Lounge is so real in so many ways and had me laughing in solidarity. Though a few situations felt a bit exaggerated, I appreciate that the humor from this book comes from the matter-of-fact way the story is presented rather than trying to make witty comments about otherwise serious situations. These teachers do not feel like caricatures and there are a lot of sensitive topics covered in a way that is respectful but allows space for moments of levity. That being said, this is definitely a book for teachers and I could see non-teacher readers struggling to connect with it in the same way. This book also has a loose central plot and is more about the experiences this group of teachers has over the course of a school year, so those who enjoy more plot-driven books should probably steer clear. 

Did someone read my emails?

Other than finding a dead body in the lounge, most if not all of the things happening to these teachers have happened to me in some capacity. Even the way some of the emails and text messages are worded are so on point in this that they could have easily come from my own colleagues. I appreciate how it manages to capture a number of ‘teacher types’ and represents teachers of multiple generations. There are a lot of bigger issues in education that constantly hang in the background and come to play in the experiences teachers have. Though a bit direct in some places, this book manages to represent these problems without making it feel like a lecture or even the main purpose of the book. This is an unapologetic yet human look into the lives of teachers that feels extremely authentic.

A book for teachers, but not many others

As the book itself states, the experience of teaching and being a teacher is hard to explain to those who have never done it (though you nurses out there probably understand pretty well anyway). This book does not try to explain and merely gives you a glimpse into a group of teachers’ lives over the course of a school year. Teachers or those who know them well will naturally connect to the ‘teacher humor’ and understand a lot of the nuances in each experience. However, I’m not sure there is enough here for those who are unfamiliar with the teacher's life to fully connect with. Though there are some narrative through lines, there is not a particularly strong central plot to serve as a support pillar for these experiences nor did I find it a truly in-depth character study. Some of the messaging, particularly regarding standardized testing, is a bit heavy-handed but also not presented in a way I feel will impact the casual reader. Ultimately, this gives you a peak behind the teaching curtain, but not everyone will understand what they are seeing.

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Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!