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Victorian Psycho
Win a free print copy of this book!
2 days and 23:22:32
100 copies available
U.S. only
From the devious author of Mrs. March comes a gruesome and gleeful new novel that probes the psyche of a bloodthirsty governess.
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect Victorian governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But the longer Winifred spends within the estate’s dreary confines, and the more she learns of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, the more trouble she has sticking to her plan. Whether creeping across the moonlit lawns in her undergarments or gently tormenting the house staff, Winifred struggles at every turn to stifle the horrid compulsions of her past. When her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning, Winifred is finally ready to deliver on her generous gifts. Wielding her signature sardonic wit and a penchant for the gorgeously macabre, Virginia Feito returns with a vengeance in Victorian Psycho.
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect Victorian governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But the longer Winifred spends within the estate’s dreary confines, and the more she learns of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, the more trouble she has sticking to her plan. Whether creeping across the moonlit lawns in her undergarments or gently tormenting the house staff, Winifred struggles at every turn to stifle the horrid compulsions of her past. When her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning, Winifred is finally ready to deliver on her generous gifts. Wielding her signature sardonic wit and a penchant for the gorgeously macabre, Virginia Feito returns with a vengeance in Victorian Psycho.
208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 4, 2025
About the author
Virginia Feito
2 books371 followersA native of Spain, Virginia Feito was raised in Madrid and Paris, and studied English and drama at Queen Mary University of London. She worked as a copywriter until she quit to write her debut novel. She lives in Madrid.
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September 13, 2024
This book provides a variety of adjectives such as gothic, eerie, blunt, bleak, dark comedy, and grotesque! The antiheroine of the book, Winifred Notty, is a time-travelled, gender-reversed version of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman, with one big difference: she's made a monster instead of being born a villainess. The situations she's gone through since childhood, her psychologically damaged mother's attempts to take her life, and the way she's leaving the world may affect her deteriorated perspective.
She finally gets acceptance for her new governess job, teaching the Pounds family's two children: eight-year-old Andrew and his elder sister Drusilla. She's planned to instruct them in English, French, writing, music, dancing, drawing, and arithmetic, which will help Andrew prepare for his boarding school next year and Drusilla (who will focus on ornamental needlework) find a better suitor for herself instead of filling her head with extra knowledge.
Winifred gets introduced to the Pounds family: Mr. Pounds seems more excited about her arrival, taking her on long walks and requesting her attendance at the dinner table each night, while his wife reluctantly accepts her existence, more suspicious about her motives and acting hostile around her.
Winifred is not like a regular, obedient Victorian governess they hired, telling the worst kind of nightmarish dark stories (more brutal than the Grimm Brothers) at nighttime to the children, telling the people she's coming from a place where they eat children - and she's probably not joking. As we learn more about her past and her previous jobs at other houses that she took a little too far, we realize she's a really dangerous woman with a distorted and uniquely vicious mind. But interestingly, none of the people, including the servants of Ensor house, are like angels; they're even worse than her. When Winifred starts conducting her jaw-droppingly shocking destruction plan that leads her to give an unforgettable show at Christmas as a big gift to this family, the only thing you can do is stop reading this book when things get extremely gory or wear your big girl pants and read it until reaching the climax that will probably make you gasp or scream a little louder.
Overall: The unique, bold, extremely dark but sarcastic tone of the author makes your reading experience so special. The drawings inside the book, the heart-throbbing conclusion, unexpected twist, the vicious-sociopathic but interestingly engaging antiheroine, and eerie cover of the book made me clap harder for the entire execution! If you're open to reading something original, unexpected, gripping, and if historical gothic themes are your genre, this book will suit all your needs.
Many thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company / Liveright for sharing this unique historical book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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She finally gets acceptance for her new governess job, teaching the Pounds family's two children: eight-year-old Andrew and his elder sister Drusilla. She's planned to instruct them in English, French, writing, music, dancing, drawing, and arithmetic, which will help Andrew prepare for his boarding school next year and Drusilla (who will focus on ornamental needlework) find a better suitor for herself instead of filling her head with extra knowledge.
Winifred gets introduced to the Pounds family: Mr. Pounds seems more excited about her arrival, taking her on long walks and requesting her attendance at the dinner table each night, while his wife reluctantly accepts her existence, more suspicious about her motives and acting hostile around her.
Winifred is not like a regular, obedient Victorian governess they hired, telling the worst kind of nightmarish dark stories (more brutal than the Grimm Brothers) at nighttime to the children, telling the people she's coming from a place where they eat children - and she's probably not joking. As we learn more about her past and her previous jobs at other houses that she took a little too far, we realize she's a really dangerous woman with a distorted and uniquely vicious mind. But interestingly, none of the people, including the servants of Ensor house, are like angels; they're even worse than her. When Winifred starts conducting her jaw-droppingly shocking destruction plan that leads her to give an unforgettable show at Christmas as a big gift to this family, the only thing you can do is stop reading this book when things get extremely gory or wear your big girl pants and read it until reaching the climax that will probably make you gasp or scream a little louder.
Overall: The unique, bold, extremely dark but sarcastic tone of the author makes your reading experience so special. The drawings inside the book, the heart-throbbing conclusion, unexpected twist, the vicious-sociopathic but interestingly engaging antiheroine, and eerie cover of the book made me clap harder for the entire execution! If you're open to reading something original, unexpected, gripping, and if historical gothic themes are your genre, this book will suit all your needs.
Many thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company / Liveright for sharing this unique historical book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog
September 13, 2024
It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters that contain reflections on the sexual abuse of children, the extreme physical abuse of children, promiscuity, graphic physical violence, violent crime, & others.
Mangled in the Reeds is a whimsical mystery, one that reels the reader through tepid water & oozing sands; Horror must be crafted with care. I have written ad nauseam about the intention that is required of authors when setting out to write a Horror story. Every genre requires a particular set of skills; a good story, remains a good story, no matter who it is for, or under which umbrella of literature it is written.
Yet repeatedly—exhaustively—I find myself met with stories that boast of terror & gruesome horror but deliver none of what was promised. I am left wondering why that is & which reader is lying to the author who pens slop for swine.
In essence, this is a book about a governess who arrives at a wonderful English estate & mass murders all the residents & their guests over the twelve days of Christmas. The plot revolves around Winifred, who goes by Fred, claiming it is the name her inner demon prefers. The main character is a possible Psychopath who might also have Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhidrosis (CIPA). The plot follows her as she arrives at the house, blabbing needlessly to the reader about her need to sexually harass (abuse) others; her intention to violently murder; & finally her silly goose dreams of being hanged.
At first glance, as you read this review you may note that the subject matter is rampant with the need for sensitivity—you would be correct. Indeed, what makes these subject matters so intensive is their cruel participation in the real, non-fictional world. Yet, the simple truth of their existence in the reader’s world does not render any book in which they are included one worthy of reading, or writing.
My main qualm with the Horror genre is that people forget the art of storytelling. This is certainly not specific to the genre, but I find myself curiously disappointed that I am faced with the redundant need to reiterate the obvious when paired with books in a genre I deeply adore. Good writing, good plot-pacing & crafting, good character development, & good structure make for a good story, objectively.
Listing horrible things does not a story make. One need only watch the news to see the horrible things in their interwoven natural states. Though every reader will find different subjects & possibilities frightening & though their tolerance for the cruel, violent, truths may vary, a story is not a list of things; a story is a tapestry.
There is no such tapestry in this book in fact, there is no story here at all. The main character is a person who lived during the late nineteenth century, as per the mention of Queen Victoria & the common use of the bell system in graves—which was designed in 1829.
The timeline is very important, yet it is essentially disregarded by the author. Winifred speaks like a modern American woman & her inner monologue mirrors this. The vernacular that Feito uses in this book does not reflect the time during which the story is meant to take place, nor does it nestle itself in the geographic area where the characters live.
The English high society seldom changed in behaviour & values throughout the centuries leading up to the First World War when the economic standing of the entire United Kingdom suffered enormous loss inducing society to transform into something different & new. However, throughout this entire book, characters who were meant to be of aristocratic stature behaved like grocery store clerks in Appalachia; they didn’t care about dress, behaviour, hierarchy, or stature, they showed up, said some lines & went about their business of reading pornographic books & getting drunk on local liquor. No offence meant towards the Appalachians.
It is strange to have to pinpoint a canvas that lacks direction & flow, in its entirety. Whereas the story could have been saved had the author included characters with gumption, diversity, authenticity, intelligence, & personality, she chose instead to create a mass of hysterical individuals who read like a single glob of flesh fighting against the ostentatious scientist himself.
The over-sexualization of every aspect of the story did not help either. Truly, if one is in the market for a book that simply highlights redundant childhood sexual abuse, one has found the blood-red apple with this book.
Again, I highlight that the reality of these experiences is horrible, but it is not enough to simply name the villain. Humanity knows this reality exists & in some cases, has experienced the venom of vile firsthand. The story needs to introduce these aspects in a format that allows the reader to forget themselves, their comfort, & their safety; making the binds of the book invisible to the touch so that the reader suffocates alongside the characters until the final page turn of reprieve that draws them back to themselves. This is not too much to ask.
Over a few days, perhaps weeks, Fred reminisces about her childhood experiences & attempts to fondle the malleable mind of the reader that her author has declared brain dead. It is interesting for the reader to peer into the truths that the unreliable narrator holds close to their heart like a trump card waiting to be played. Fred is too dull for this to work.
We return to my main point & one which you will see written bulbously & repeatedly throughout this review. It is not enough for Fred to have had a difficult childhood. In fact, it makes no sense that her mother tried to kill her because the alleged Devil lived inside of her. Why did her mother believe this? Is the reader meant to assume that because Fred is a product of an illicit affair her mother developed a psychosis, believing her bastard child the product of the Devil & not, the horny longings of two sexually consenting adults?
Rather than highlight facts in the fiction, Fred narrates her early days as bizarrely silly movements, leaving the reader in the dark, where they remain throughout the entire story. What is the purpose of doing this when the reader is meant to feel disgusted that Fred has an insatiable & somewhat unfounded need to murder at random?
It would have been to the benefit of the plot as a whole to have Fred act somewhat reliably as a narrator. Her recollections of childhood & of a mother who was mentally tormented by the social requirements of her time & class, allow for very intriguing reflections on psychosis, violence, sexual proclivities, & the nature of English society that kept everything, allegedly, in check.
As the times rolled onward, the learned mind explored the negative effects of an overly strict upbringing. Individuals often rebel or reject their experiences entirely, opting to be the polar opposite of what was familiar to them. This is not the case with Fred therefore, what is the situation at hand & what is the reader meant to deduce from this narrator?
What I found most foul in this entire experience is that there appears to have been no effort to write a good story. There are certainly readers who will appreciate the slicing of throats, the murder of babies, the physical despair of children, & the pornographically spiteful behaviours of the characters yet, the author does not attempt to give them any space at the table.
Rather than keep a reader in mind, the author appears to have wanted to write about the floundering extremism that existed in Victorian society without taking the time to research what this meant, in actuality.
Fred is not an anomaly. Indeed, her testimony of sexual encounters, the banal realization that her grandfather was a Pedophile; the morose meandering of her intention to stick her tongue into other people’s orifices, all read as abysmally boring—a word I am loathe to use yet, I find it perfectly reflects the entirety of this book.
This book was boring. Particularly as the author wished to regale the reader with the horrible haunts of humankind, one would have desired a glimmer of perspective regarding the delightful effort that should—& could—have been put forth in the early stages.
Why was Fred speaking in an American dialect? Why was the family so casual concerning her obvious disregard for their children? How was Fred able to murder every single able-bodied adult in the house? Why did Fred spare Drusilla? Why was Fred allowed to stay for Christmas when no one wanted her around—save the patriarch who was interested in engaging in sexual exchanges but, I digress. There are so many questions that can be asked about the events that took place within this book & yet none of them are addressed. Why is that?
A reader might forgive a story that leaves them reeling when they have been taken on a ride. Alternatively, I am left feeling as though my time has been devastatingly wasted by someone whose box of chocolates presented me with sewing needles when what I hoped to find was milky sweets.
There is no excuse for this & you may feel that my review has taken an extreme position of anger over such a small tale of intellectually stunted, wishfully adventurous, & catatonically dreadful characters; I would not contradict you.
I find myself infused with a need to make clear that subject matter of this calibre deserves to be well-written. Each of the characters in this book experienced abuse & although the time in which they lived & breathed was not one of overt kindness or empathy for their experiences, or for anything outside of the status quo; readers will recognize the lessons they have learned in their century & feel flummoxed, too.
When all is said & done I am disappointed that this book turned out to be a Wikipedia article-style wet dream with barbarically derogatory writing, scrapping the barrel of a baboon-brained bot without the heart to write claustrophobia into tenors. There is no reason to invest time in a story that goes nowhere, one that would do well at the bottom of the gutter where Fred’s body will tumble. I would like to be more forgiving; everyone starts somewhere.
Yet, the author & I have a search tool in common & the casual sense to use it. Aspects of this story that did not make sense left me fact-checking a rather obscene number of occurrences in this book such as the: invention of Safety Coffins by German, Dr. Johann Gottfried Taberger—which lent credence to the time when the story occurs & the nature of the fear of physical proximity; the familiarity of the word “Bitch” as a derogatory term for women—which was used by Fred’s father but did not come into common use, in the way it is known now & in the way it was used in the book, until the late twentieth Century; & the wax moulding of Winifred’s head after her hanging—which was a more common practice in France with Marie Tussaud & would not have been legal in England due to the Obscene Publications Act of 1857 which dictates the illegal display of human bodies, according to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, to mean, “the display of anatomical specimens as potentially obscene.” (Bates AW. Dr. Kahn's Museum: obscene anatomy in Victorian London. J R Soc Med. 2006 Dec;99(12):618-24. doi: 10.1177/014107680609901209. PMID: 17139064; PMCID: PMC1676337)
Ultimately, with patience, effort, & talent, a worthy story can come from the moulding pile of rotten Long Pig that undulates the ravenous blunt teeth of the mouth that feeds on fireside stories & sultry serpent tongues.
I would encourage the author to spend time with their local librarians, peer-reviewed research papers, worthy editors, & collections of macabre marvels; a story worthy of writing & reading is perhaps yet to come to from their pen, even though the bodice’s ink currently runs dry.
Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, & Virginia Feito for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Mangled in the Reeds is a whimsical mystery, one that reels the reader through tepid water & oozing sands; Horror must be crafted with care. I have written ad nauseam about the intention that is required of authors when setting out to write a Horror story. Every genre requires a particular set of skills; a good story, remains a good story, no matter who it is for, or under which umbrella of literature it is written.
Yet repeatedly—exhaustively—I find myself met with stories that boast of terror & gruesome horror but deliver none of what was promised. I am left wondering why that is & which reader is lying to the author who pens slop for swine.
In essence, this is a book about a governess who arrives at a wonderful English estate & mass murders all the residents & their guests over the twelve days of Christmas. The plot revolves around Winifred, who goes by Fred, claiming it is the name her inner demon prefers. The main character is a possible Psychopath who might also have Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhidrosis (CIPA). The plot follows her as she arrives at the house, blabbing needlessly to the reader about her need to sexually harass (abuse) others; her intention to violently murder; & finally her silly goose dreams of being hanged.
At first glance, as you read this review you may note that the subject matter is rampant with the need for sensitivity—you would be correct. Indeed, what makes these subject matters so intensive is their cruel participation in the real, non-fictional world. Yet, the simple truth of their existence in the reader’s world does not render any book in which they are included one worthy of reading, or writing.
My main qualm with the Horror genre is that people forget the art of storytelling. This is certainly not specific to the genre, but I find myself curiously disappointed that I am faced with the redundant need to reiterate the obvious when paired with books in a genre I deeply adore. Good writing, good plot-pacing & crafting, good character development, & good structure make for a good story, objectively.
Listing horrible things does not a story make. One need only watch the news to see the horrible things in their interwoven natural states. Though every reader will find different subjects & possibilities frightening & though their tolerance for the cruel, violent, truths may vary, a story is not a list of things; a story is a tapestry.
There is no such tapestry in this book in fact, there is no story here at all. The main character is a person who lived during the late nineteenth century, as per the mention of Queen Victoria & the common use of the bell system in graves—which was designed in 1829.
The timeline is very important, yet it is essentially disregarded by the author. Winifred speaks like a modern American woman & her inner monologue mirrors this. The vernacular that Feito uses in this book does not reflect the time during which the story is meant to take place, nor does it nestle itself in the geographic area where the characters live.
The English high society seldom changed in behaviour & values throughout the centuries leading up to the First World War when the economic standing of the entire United Kingdom suffered enormous loss inducing society to transform into something different & new. However, throughout this entire book, characters who were meant to be of aristocratic stature behaved like grocery store clerks in Appalachia; they didn’t care about dress, behaviour, hierarchy, or stature, they showed up, said some lines & went about their business of reading pornographic books & getting drunk on local liquor. No offence meant towards the Appalachians.
It is strange to have to pinpoint a canvas that lacks direction & flow, in its entirety. Whereas the story could have been saved had the author included characters with gumption, diversity, authenticity, intelligence, & personality, she chose instead to create a mass of hysterical individuals who read like a single glob of flesh fighting against the ostentatious scientist himself.
The over-sexualization of every aspect of the story did not help either. Truly, if one is in the market for a book that simply highlights redundant childhood sexual abuse, one has found the blood-red apple with this book.
Again, I highlight that the reality of these experiences is horrible, but it is not enough to simply name the villain. Humanity knows this reality exists & in some cases, has experienced the venom of vile firsthand. The story needs to introduce these aspects in a format that allows the reader to forget themselves, their comfort, & their safety; making the binds of the book invisible to the touch so that the reader suffocates alongside the characters until the final page turn of reprieve that draws them back to themselves. This is not too much to ask.
Over a few days, perhaps weeks, Fred reminisces about her childhood experiences & attempts to fondle the malleable mind of the reader that her author has declared brain dead. It is interesting for the reader to peer into the truths that the unreliable narrator holds close to their heart like a trump card waiting to be played. Fred is too dull for this to work.
We return to my main point & one which you will see written bulbously & repeatedly throughout this review. It is not enough for Fred to have had a difficult childhood. In fact, it makes no sense that her mother tried to kill her because the alleged Devil lived inside of her. Why did her mother believe this? Is the reader meant to assume that because Fred is a product of an illicit affair her mother developed a psychosis, believing her bastard child the product of the Devil & not, the horny longings of two sexually consenting adults?
Rather than highlight facts in the fiction, Fred narrates her early days as bizarrely silly movements, leaving the reader in the dark, where they remain throughout the entire story. What is the purpose of doing this when the reader is meant to feel disgusted that Fred has an insatiable & somewhat unfounded need to murder at random?
It would have been to the benefit of the plot as a whole to have Fred act somewhat reliably as a narrator. Her recollections of childhood & of a mother who was mentally tormented by the social requirements of her time & class, allow for very intriguing reflections on psychosis, violence, sexual proclivities, & the nature of English society that kept everything, allegedly, in check.
As the times rolled onward, the learned mind explored the negative effects of an overly strict upbringing. Individuals often rebel or reject their experiences entirely, opting to be the polar opposite of what was familiar to them. This is not the case with Fred therefore, what is the situation at hand & what is the reader meant to deduce from this narrator?
What I found most foul in this entire experience is that there appears to have been no effort to write a good story. There are certainly readers who will appreciate the slicing of throats, the murder of babies, the physical despair of children, & the pornographically spiteful behaviours of the characters yet, the author does not attempt to give them any space at the table.
Rather than keep a reader in mind, the author appears to have wanted to write about the floundering extremism that existed in Victorian society without taking the time to research what this meant, in actuality.
Fred is not an anomaly. Indeed, her testimony of sexual encounters, the banal realization that her grandfather was a Pedophile; the morose meandering of her intention to stick her tongue into other people’s orifices, all read as abysmally boring—a word I am loathe to use yet, I find it perfectly reflects the entirety of this book.
This book was boring. Particularly as the author wished to regale the reader with the horrible haunts of humankind, one would have desired a glimmer of perspective regarding the delightful effort that should—& could—have been put forth in the early stages.
Why was Fred speaking in an American dialect? Why was the family so casual concerning her obvious disregard for their children? How was Fred able to murder every single able-bodied adult in the house? Why did Fred spare Drusilla? Why was Fred allowed to stay for Christmas when no one wanted her around—save the patriarch who was interested in engaging in sexual exchanges but, I digress. There are so many questions that can be asked about the events that took place within this book & yet none of them are addressed. Why is that?
A reader might forgive a story that leaves them reeling when they have been taken on a ride. Alternatively, I am left feeling as though my time has been devastatingly wasted by someone whose box of chocolates presented me with sewing needles when what I hoped to find was milky sweets.
There is no excuse for this & you may feel that my review has taken an extreme position of anger over such a small tale of intellectually stunted, wishfully adventurous, & catatonically dreadful characters; I would not contradict you.
I find myself infused with a need to make clear that subject matter of this calibre deserves to be well-written. Each of the characters in this book experienced abuse & although the time in which they lived & breathed was not one of overt kindness or empathy for their experiences, or for anything outside of the status quo; readers will recognize the lessons they have learned in their century & feel flummoxed, too.
When all is said & done I am disappointed that this book turned out to be a Wikipedia article-style wet dream with barbarically derogatory writing, scrapping the barrel of a baboon-brained bot without the heart to write claustrophobia into tenors. There is no reason to invest time in a story that goes nowhere, one that would do well at the bottom of the gutter where Fred’s body will tumble. I would like to be more forgiving; everyone starts somewhere.
Yet, the author & I have a search tool in common & the casual sense to use it. Aspects of this story that did not make sense left me fact-checking a rather obscene number of occurrences in this book such as the: invention of Safety Coffins by German, Dr. Johann Gottfried Taberger—which lent credence to the time when the story occurs & the nature of the fear of physical proximity; the familiarity of the word “Bitch” as a derogatory term for women—which was used by Fred’s father but did not come into common use, in the way it is known now & in the way it was used in the book, until the late twentieth Century; & the wax moulding of Winifred’s head after her hanging—which was a more common practice in France with Marie Tussaud & would not have been legal in England due to the Obscene Publications Act of 1857 which dictates the illegal display of human bodies, according to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, to mean, “the display of anatomical specimens as potentially obscene.” (Bates AW. Dr. Kahn's Museum: obscene anatomy in Victorian London. J R Soc Med. 2006 Dec;99(12):618-24. doi: 10.1177/014107680609901209. PMID: 17139064; PMCID: PMC1676337)
Ultimately, with patience, effort, & talent, a worthy story can come from the moulding pile of rotten Long Pig that undulates the ravenous blunt teeth of the mouth that feeds on fireside stories & sultry serpent tongues.
I would encourage the author to spend time with their local librarians, peer-reviewed research papers, worthy editors, & collections of macabre marvels; a story worthy of writing & reading is perhaps yet to come to from their pen, even though the bodice’s ink currently runs dry.
Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, & Virginia Feito for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2024
ARC for review. To be published February 4, 2025.
Oh, what a delightfully fun and dark….yep, psycho!
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House on a blustery day to take up her position as the new nanny to Drusilla and Andrew. We learn that within three months, everyone in the house will be dead. It’s quite an opener.
Winifred is irreverent, a bit bawdy and everything is “gorgeously macabre.” The tale is told in a standard Victorian style complete with old-time illustrations and chapter headings like “Chapter II. In Which I Meet My Employers and Am Not Terribly Impressed.” Delicious!
The short tale where everyone is wicked is bloody fun. Too bad it’s not out for Halloween or Christmas but it will do equally well when all the world is snowed in.
Oh, what a delightfully fun and dark….yep, psycho!
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House on a blustery day to take up her position as the new nanny to Drusilla and Andrew. We learn that within three months, everyone in the house will be dead. It’s quite an opener.
Winifred is irreverent, a bit bawdy and everything is “gorgeously macabre.” The tale is told in a standard Victorian style complete with old-time illustrations and chapter headings like “Chapter II. In Which I Meet My Employers and Am Not Terribly Impressed.” Delicious!
The short tale where everyone is wicked is bloody fun. Too bad it’s not out for Halloween or Christmas but it will do equally well when all the world is snowed in.
September 19, 2024
“It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in three months everyone in this house will be dead.”
“Victorian Psycho” is an apt title for this bizarre and manic tale.
A governess holds darkness within her and it spews forth in sickening and bloody actions. As she begins working at a new employer’s medieval estate, it’s hard to know if the two children in her care will survive. As Christmas approaches and her behaviours escalate, the story becomes a visceral fever dream.
“Observing my clean, respectable image in the glass I open my mouth wide in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Darkness within me, to spy it peeking out of me, slick and muscular and toothed, like a lamprey swallowed whole.”
The descriptions and prose were witty and deeply disturbing. “Fred” the main narrator gives us a deranged and somewhat unreliable accounting of the events that unfold at the Pounds’ home. She’s sharp, yet so unstable, and I couldn’t help but feel pity for a woman who so desperately needs help but is ostracized by society when her true nature presents itself. I felt for the side characters as well, some of them were just victims of the times (abusive to servants, married to a cheater with syphilis who has given them syphilis, poor treatment of working children).
“‘There’s a chimney sweep stuck in our dining-room chimney,’ Mrs Fancey explains moodily. ‘Mr Fancey tried to pull him out, but it seems he’s stuck there.’ ‘We lit a fire underneath him to coax him out,’ Mr Fancey adds.”
The author has creating a thought provoking narrative that will keep readers shocked and perpetually guessing motives and next steps for Fred and the Pounds family members.
“Sometimes evil is born in one of the Lord’s creatures and there’s nowt to do about it, nowt at all.”
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and W.W. Norton & Co/ Liveright for a copy.
“Victorian Psycho” is an apt title for this bizarre and manic tale.
A governess holds darkness within her and it spews forth in sickening and bloody actions. As she begins working at a new employer’s medieval estate, it’s hard to know if the two children in her care will survive. As Christmas approaches and her behaviours escalate, the story becomes a visceral fever dream.
“Observing my clean, respectable image in the glass I open my mouth wide in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Darkness within me, to spy it peeking out of me, slick and muscular and toothed, like a lamprey swallowed whole.”
The descriptions and prose were witty and deeply disturbing. “Fred” the main narrator gives us a deranged and somewhat unreliable accounting of the events that unfold at the Pounds’ home. She’s sharp, yet so unstable, and I couldn’t help but feel pity for a woman who so desperately needs help but is ostracized by society when her true nature presents itself. I felt for the side characters as well, some of them were just victims of the times (abusive to servants, married to a cheater with syphilis who has given them syphilis, poor treatment of working children).
“‘There’s a chimney sweep stuck in our dining-room chimney,’ Mrs Fancey explains moodily. ‘Mr Fancey tried to pull him out, but it seems he’s stuck there.’ ‘We lit a fire underneath him to coax him out,’ Mr Fancey adds.”
The author has creating a thought provoking narrative that will keep readers shocked and perpetually guessing motives and next steps for Fred and the Pounds family members.
“Sometimes evil is born in one of the Lord’s creatures and there’s nowt to do about it, nowt at all.”
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and W.W. Norton & Co/ Liveright for a copy.
September 26, 2024
I should probably have my head examined for enjoying this book so much, but I lol’d multiple times in nearly every chapter and devoured it over three nights. Our MC is Miss Notty, and she’s as deadpan funny as she is deadly.
I liked being dropped right into the action, and getting Miss Notty’s back story in real time, but would have loved another 100 or so pages for our Victorian Psycho to run amok amongst the townspeople.
There are a few bummers, like Feito has clearly never met a simile she doesn’t want to use, but thankfully they start to drop off the further we get into the story.
There’s lots of mayhem, vulgarity and murder, this book is definitely not for the pearl clutchers. Victorian Psycho would be the perfect read for that time between the holidays and the new year, but for some reason is coming out in time for Valentine’s Day, which after reading, is also kind of hilarious.
A big thanks to Norton and NetGalley for an early look.
I liked being dropped right into the action, and getting Miss Notty’s back story in real time, but would have loved another 100 or so pages for our Victorian Psycho to run amok amongst the townspeople.
There are a few bummers, like Feito has clearly never met a simile she doesn’t want to use, but thankfully they start to drop off the further we get into the story.
There’s lots of mayhem, vulgarity and murder, this book is definitely not for the pearl clutchers. Victorian Psycho would be the perfect read for that time between the holidays and the new year, but for some reason is coming out in time for Valentine’s Day, which after reading, is also kind of hilarious.
A big thanks to Norton and NetGalley for an early look.
September 8, 2024
This is a creepy and darkly humorous novella set in the Victorian age and it's a fun, morbid, and fascinating read.
Our narrator is a governess who accepts a job to take care of two children of a wealthy family. But almost right away we can tell that this woman is different. Yes, she is a psychopath and little flashbacks about her past are crawling with dread and blood.
She has a secret and that will be revealed later in the book but the humor mixed with the terrifying thoughts swarming her mind makes for one hell of a great read.
You'll definitely want to pre-order this one. It's bloody, quirky, and will give you the creeps. I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Our narrator is a governess who accepts a job to take care of two children of a wealthy family. But almost right away we can tell that this woman is different. Yes, she is a psychopath and little flashbacks about her past are crawling with dread and blood.
She has a secret and that will be revealed later in the book but the humor mixed with the terrifying thoughts swarming her mind makes for one hell of a great read.
You'll definitely want to pre-order this one. It's bloody, quirky, and will give you the creeps. I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Read
September 25, 2024I blurbed this one! My blurb: “Delightfully devious and gleefully gory, Victorian Psycho is the perfect kind of unhinged. I gobbled it up in a single sitting and still crave more.”
Read
September 5, 2024This book is so important to me.
Grotesque, wildly funny, and utterly weird, this novel will have you hooked from the very beginning as the new governess enters the dysfunctional halls of Ensor's House. What's her secret? Does she even know? Sometimes campy, mostly terrifying and gory, Feito takes the gothic horror genre and tames it like a misbehaving charge.
Grotesque, wildly funny, and utterly weird, this novel will have you hooked from the very beginning as the new governess enters the dysfunctional halls of Ensor's House. What's her secret? Does she even know? Sometimes campy, mostly terrifying and gory, Feito takes the gothic horror genre and tames it like a misbehaving charge.
September 20, 2024
boy.... oh... boy...
this book was a miss for me.
I was SO lost most of the time and when things did get crazy I was so lost it didn't even matter.
This simply was not a book for me.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!
2⭐️
this book was a miss for me.
I was SO lost most of the time and when things did get crazy I was so lost it didn't even matter.
This simply was not a book for me.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!
2⭐️
September 16, 2024
Victorian Psycho is a darkly funny, gothic version of American Psycho.
The story’s unreliable narrator, Winifred, gets hired as a governess for the Pounds family shortly before Christmas. On the surface everything seems to be going well, but as you read more of Winifred’s internal dialogue, you quickly learn that’s not the case.
The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous; it’s cold, bleak, and creepy. Everything is captured perfectly that it almost felt like Ensor House was real.
I was completely engrossed in the story just because Winifred is such an interesting character. I wanted to see what she would do next. I loved how she would keep you in the dark for a bit, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to her childhood.
Victorian Psycho comes out in February and if you love Jane Eyre as much as I do, you’re going to love this! A big thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy!
The story’s unreliable narrator, Winifred, gets hired as a governess for the Pounds family shortly before Christmas. On the surface everything seems to be going well, but as you read more of Winifred’s internal dialogue, you quickly learn that’s not the case.
The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous; it’s cold, bleak, and creepy. Everything is captured perfectly that it almost felt like Ensor House was real.
I was completely engrossed in the story just because Winifred is such an interesting character. I wanted to see what she would do next. I loved how she would keep you in the dark for a bit, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to her childhood.
Victorian Psycho comes out in February and if you love Jane Eyre as much as I do, you’re going to love this! A big thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy!
September 13, 2024
Virginia Feito's Victorian Psycho is a captivating and macabre tale that plunges readers into the unsettling world of a governess with a penchant for the sinister. The novel, set in a dreary Victorian mansion, offers a chilling blend of gothic horror and dark humor.
Winifred Notty, the protagonist, is a complex character whose facade of propriety masks a dangerous and twisted mind. Feito expertly delves into Notty's psyche, revealing her disturbing thoughts and impulses. The narrative is told from her perspective, allowing readers to experience the world through her distorted lens.
The novel's setting, a decaying Victorian mansion, adds to the atmosphere of dread and suspense. Feito paints vivid descriptions of the gloomy house and its inhabitants, creating a sense of isolation and claustrophobia. The author's prose is both elegant and disturbing, capturing the nuances of Notty's dark thoughts and the macabre events that unfold.
While the novel's subject matter is undoubtedly dark, Feito manages to inject moments of humor that lighten the tone. Notty's sardonic wit and her cynical observations of the world around her provide a stark contrast to the horror.
Victorian Psycho is a thrilling and unsettling read that will leave a lasting impression. Feito's skillful storytelling and her creation of a compelling and morally ambiguous protagonist make this novel a must-read for fans of gothic horror and psychological thrillers.
Winifred Notty, the protagonist, is a complex character whose facade of propriety masks a dangerous and twisted mind. Feito expertly delves into Notty's psyche, revealing her disturbing thoughts and impulses. The narrative is told from her perspective, allowing readers to experience the world through her distorted lens.
The novel's setting, a decaying Victorian mansion, adds to the atmosphere of dread and suspense. Feito paints vivid descriptions of the gloomy house and its inhabitants, creating a sense of isolation and claustrophobia. The author's prose is both elegant and disturbing, capturing the nuances of Notty's dark thoughts and the macabre events that unfold.
While the novel's subject matter is undoubtedly dark, Feito manages to inject moments of humor that lighten the tone. Notty's sardonic wit and her cynical observations of the world around her provide a stark contrast to the horror.
Victorian Psycho is a thrilling and unsettling read that will leave a lasting impression. Feito's skillful storytelling and her creation of a compelling and morally ambiguous protagonist make this novel a must-read for fans of gothic horror and psychological thrillers.
September 27, 2024
This is a creepy, crazy look at Victorian England as Miss Notty. the new governess arrives at Ensor House to take care of 13-year-old Drucilla and e-year-old Andrew. Of course the parents aren't aware of the Darkness that resides in Winifred as it slithers around inside her, preventing her from feeling fear or crying. But when the Pounds discover paw prints from the family dog on Andrew's bed, she's reduced to sleeping in the dog house and the Darkness swells! Earlier in life, she'd been through an exorcism but it didn't take and now her thoughts run rampant as she must punish all those in her wake. It's bloody and gruesome but at the same time so much fun! Read at your own risk but enjoy!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
September 30, 2024
collecting all my lil murderous women 🥰🥰🥰
September 17, 2024
This book is great for all the girls who like weird lit and also prefer their main character to be totally unhinged.
September 7, 2024
delicious
September 12, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Liveright for sending me an e-ARC of this book.
Unfortunately, I DNF'ed this book about 40% of the way through.
Victorian Psycho is a book about a governess who gleefully commits acts of violence. The title immediately makes me think of American Psycho. I was excited to read this, because I really enjoyed American Psycho.
Unfortunately, Victorian Psycho really didn't do it for me. To start, the main character Winifred seems to have no defining personality traits besides being violent and mean. She talks about how she's always been like this, even from when she was a young child. Aside from this, there is very little dimension to Winifred. She's flat and boring. For a book like this, it is not enough to have the main character be a murderer; they need to have a personality beyond that.
Let's return to the American Psycho comparison. Patrick Bateman is also a brutal murderer. However, from the first moment we are impressed with his obsession with appearances. He spends a whole chapter listing his intense skincare routine, and describes every single thing every other person is wearing, down to the specific brand. We get a sense of the rage, bigotry, and jealousy that motivate him to commit atrocities. I did not get even an inkling of any of this from Winifred. Her mother hates her and believes she's the product of the Devil; why? This isn't getting into the side characters, who all felt so underdeveloped that they were more caricature than character.
Then, there was the fact that this book was incredibly heavy-handed with the satirical tone and references to touchstones Victorian times. The references I spotted to Dickens and Brontë felt less like something Winifred would naturally be referencing as part of her contemporary culture and more of a wink from the author to say, "Look how clever I am to be making this reference." The description of the setting was also lacking in my opinion. I was relying more on sets I'd seen from Jane Eyre than anything the book was saying when it came to imagining the setting.
Ultimately, I gave up on this book because by the time I'd reached the 40% mark, I had no decent feeling for any of the characters or the setting. I got the feeling this was meant to be a fun, bloody romp through Victorian times, but the execution fell incredibly flat for me.
Unfortunately, I DNF'ed this book about 40% of the way through.
Victorian Psycho is a book about a governess who gleefully commits acts of violence. The title immediately makes me think of American Psycho. I was excited to read this, because I really enjoyed American Psycho.
Unfortunately, Victorian Psycho really didn't do it for me. To start, the main character Winifred seems to have no defining personality traits besides being violent and mean. She talks about how she's always been like this, even from when she was a young child. Aside from this, there is very little dimension to Winifred. She's flat and boring. For a book like this, it is not enough to have the main character be a murderer; they need to have a personality beyond that.
Let's return to the American Psycho comparison. Patrick Bateman is also a brutal murderer. However, from the first moment we are impressed with his obsession with appearances. He spends a whole chapter listing his intense skincare routine, and describes every single thing every other person is wearing, down to the specific brand. We get a sense of the rage, bigotry, and jealousy that motivate him to commit atrocities. I did not get even an inkling of any of this from Winifred. Her mother hates her and believes she's the product of the Devil; why? This isn't getting into the side characters, who all felt so underdeveloped that they were more caricature than character.
Then, there was the fact that this book was incredibly heavy-handed with the satirical tone and references to touchstones Victorian times. The references I spotted to Dickens and Brontë felt less like something Winifred would naturally be referencing as part of her contemporary culture and more of a wink from the author to say, "Look how clever I am to be making this reference." The description of the setting was also lacking in my opinion. I was relying more on sets I'd seen from Jane Eyre than anything the book was saying when it came to imagining the setting.
Ultimately, I gave up on this book because by the time I'd reached the 40% mark, I had no decent feeling for any of the characters or the setting. I got the feeling this was meant to be a fun, bloody romp through Victorian times, but the execution fell incredibly flat for me.
September 18, 2024
Virginia Feito’s ‘Victorian Psycho’ is a deliciously dark and twisted tale that explores the depths of a bloodthirsty governess’s psyche. Winifred Notty’s arrival at Ensor House sets the stage for a seemingly routine Victorian scenario, but Feito’s sharp, sardonic wit quickly transforms the story into something far more sinister and gripping.
Winifred is a fascinating character, both grotesque and oddly charming as she navigates her role within the morally bankrupt Pounds family. Feito’s writing balances horror and humor with ease, creating a surreal world that is as disturbing as it is entertaining. The novel is filled with unexpected moments, some so delightfully macabre that they’ll leave readers both horrified and amused.
The only reason this doesn’t get a full 5 stars is that some parts feel deliberately vague, leaving readers wanting just a bit more clarity on Winifred’s true motivations and past. But overall, ‘Victorian Psycho’ is a captivating and devilish read, perfect for those who enjoy their historical fiction with a side of gruesome wit.
I received an advance copy of this book and am sharing my honest review voluntarily.
Winifred is a fascinating character, both grotesque and oddly charming as she navigates her role within the morally bankrupt Pounds family. Feito’s writing balances horror and humor with ease, creating a surreal world that is as disturbing as it is entertaining. The novel is filled with unexpected moments, some so delightfully macabre that they’ll leave readers both horrified and amused.
The only reason this doesn’t get a full 5 stars is that some parts feel deliberately vague, leaving readers wanting just a bit more clarity on Winifred’s true motivations and past. But overall, ‘Victorian Psycho’ is a captivating and devilish read, perfect for those who enjoy their historical fiction with a side of gruesome wit.
I received an advance copy of this book and am sharing my honest review voluntarily.
September 8, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
This is for those of us who love stories about unhinged women snapping as violently as possible!! With a Victoriana setting, we follow a governess who doesn't particularly like the family she works for... or children in general. To be fair though, Winifred Notty finds most things unsatisfactory, as evident from her first appearance on the page. She's intentionally misanthropic and odd, intended to be so unlikable that she's almost endearing.
This story has no issue poking fun at the grotesque and paradoxical facets of high society life and the depravities of the wealthy. Easily bored and with a mind prone to fits of violent fancy, Winifred finds her own ways to occupy herself. Madness is less a crux or fear than an old friend, biding it's time waiting for a moment to encourage embracing her inner darkness.
Tonally this story fits somewhere between American Psycho and an adult version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I had a positively delightful time develing into the marrow of Winifred Notty's psyche. Wry and matter-of-fact, Winifred has no issue detailing the specifics of her eccentricities and distaste for others. The occassional breaking of the fourth wall didn't feel disjointed, but rather like a friend winking and offering a humorous aside.
This is a grisly tale full of violence, bloodshed, inequality and cruelty. A wild ride from start to end!!
This is for those of us who love stories about unhinged women snapping as violently as possible!! With a Victoriana setting, we follow a governess who doesn't particularly like the family she works for... or children in general. To be fair though, Winifred Notty finds most things unsatisfactory, as evident from her first appearance on the page. She's intentionally misanthropic and odd, intended to be so unlikable that she's almost endearing.
This story has no issue poking fun at the grotesque and paradoxical facets of high society life and the depravities of the wealthy. Easily bored and with a mind prone to fits of violent fancy, Winifred finds her own ways to occupy herself. Madness is less a crux or fear than an old friend, biding it's time waiting for a moment to encourage embracing her inner darkness.
Tonally this story fits somewhere between American Psycho and an adult version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I had a positively delightful time develing into the marrow of Winifred Notty's psyche. Wry and matter-of-fact, Winifred has no issue detailing the specifics of her eccentricities and distaste for others. The occassional breaking of the fourth wall didn't feel disjointed, but rather like a friend winking and offering a humorous aside.
This is a grisly tale full of violence, bloodshed, inequality and cruelty. A wild ride from start to end!!
September 22, 2024
This is my first review ever and what a way to start!
A little background: I was fascinated by the movie American Psycho when I first saw it years ago and that was the attitude I went into this book with. For sure there are a lot of differences - - time period, main character and setting, to name just a few - but the similarities are pretty obvious. Our first-person narrator, Winifred Notty, is a psychopath who commits progressively gratuitous violence that manages to be so absurd it’s almost comical. This was the same feeling I had with American Psycho. This book is very gruesome though, so if you don’t like excessive blood and gore it is probably not for you.
I liked it. It was a quick, easy read and Virginia Feito is an excellent writer. She managed to make the voice of Winifred feel correct for the time period and the writing was so well done. I don’t think I’ll read Victorian Psycho again - the shock was a big part of my enjoyment, but I already put her other book on my to-read list.
Many thanks to NetGalley, W.W. Norton and Virginia Feito for this read. I received my digital reviewer for my honest review.
A little background: I was fascinated by the movie American Psycho when I first saw it years ago and that was the attitude I went into this book with. For sure there are a lot of differences - - time period, main character and setting, to name just a few - but the similarities are pretty obvious. Our first-person narrator, Winifred Notty, is a psychopath who commits progressively gratuitous violence that manages to be so absurd it’s almost comical. This was the same feeling I had with American Psycho. This book is very gruesome though, so if you don’t like excessive blood and gore it is probably not for you.
I liked it. It was a quick, easy read and Virginia Feito is an excellent writer. She managed to make the voice of Winifred feel correct for the time period and the writing was so well done. I don’t think I’ll read Victorian Psycho again - the shock was a big part of my enjoyment, but I already put her other book on my to-read list.
Many thanks to NetGalley, W.W. Norton and Virginia Feito for this read. I received my digital reviewer for my honest review.
September 23, 2024
4 stars for the writing itself, fewer stars for other aspects of the book. Needing to know what the follow-up to Mrs. March would be was my primary motivation in giving this a go. There's little actual plot - which is fine - and the atmosphere and period details are often vividly rendered. But it's also kind of an unpleasant reading experience overall. If you thought her debut was dark, this is shades darker. Still, she's an author to follow even if it's only to see what happens next.
September 20, 2024
Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho is an exquisitely dark and twisted narrative that delves deep into the mind of a bloodthirsty governess. When Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House, what starts as a typical Victorian setting quickly morphs into a chilling and gripping tale, thanks to Feito’s sharp, sardonic wit.
Winifred is a captivating character—grotesque yet oddly charming—as she maneuvers through the morally corrupt Pounds family. Feito masterfully balances horror and humor, crafting a surreal atmosphere that’s both disturbing and utterly entertaining.
The book is packed with unexpected twists, featuring moments so deliciously macabre that they’ll leave readers both horrified and chuckling. If you’re a fan of darkly whimsical tales, this one is a must-read! 💀
This book is a book that I will pre-order!!
Winifred is a captivating character—grotesque yet oddly charming—as she maneuvers through the morally corrupt Pounds family. Feito masterfully balances horror and humor, crafting a surreal atmosphere that’s both disturbing and utterly entertaining.
The book is packed with unexpected twists, featuring moments so deliciously macabre that they’ll leave readers both horrified and chuckling. If you’re a fan of darkly whimsical tales, this one is a must-read! 💀
This book is a book that I will pre-order!!
September 11, 2024
This was unsettling, upsetting, and undeniably fun. From the outset, I was fascinated by Winifred Notty, in the way one is fascinated by a car crash, or perhaps a dead animal on the side of the road. I couldn't look away, but I was a little disgusted by myself for it. I enjoyed the experience immensely.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
September 9, 2024
Horrific yet wildly entertaining, Victorian Psycho is a novel that held me in thrall from the moment I sat down with it. It is grim, bleak, gruesome, surprisingly funny, and propelled by the beating of the blackest of hearts (but heart nonetheless!). The prose is gorgeous, the characters riveting, and the story one I’ll likely never forget. All the stars, all the recommendations, all the love.
Want to read
September 21, 2024A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Want to read
September 4, 2024Thanks to Liveright and NetGalley for this ARC! Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito comes out on February 4, 2025.
September 20, 2024
Did I mention she’s psycho? Because Victorian Psycho is not your ordinary governess tale! Virginia Feito whisks readers into the delightfully twisted world of Winifred Notty, who arrives at Ensor House with the best of intentions—or at least, she tries. A little dark humor here, a joke about eating children there—standard governess stuff, right? But oh, Winifred is much more than meets the eye.
She’s equal parts charming and deranged, a walking paradox who alternates between tutoring the unsuspecting Drusilla and Andrew and creeping across the moonlit grounds in her undergarments, indulging her more "eccentric" urges. The Pounds family? Let’s just say their moral compass is as broken as the fine china they sip tea from, which only encourages Winifred’s more... ahem... psycho tendencies.
Feito paints Winifred in such gloriously macabre colors that you’ll be laughing one moment and gasping the next, wondering just how far our beloved governess will go. The suspense builds until Christmas morning, when Winifred finally gives the most "generous" gifts imaginable. Spoiler: they’re not wrapped in pretty paper, but they will leave a mark.
With a perfect blend of horror, humor, and psychotic charm, Feito crafts a darkly whimsical tale that’ll leave you both horrified and delighted. If you're a fan of twisted, eerie fun, Victorian Psycho is your next obsession. And yes, she’s definitely psycho.
She’s equal parts charming and deranged, a walking paradox who alternates between tutoring the unsuspecting Drusilla and Andrew and creeping across the moonlit grounds in her undergarments, indulging her more "eccentric" urges. The Pounds family? Let’s just say their moral compass is as broken as the fine china they sip tea from, which only encourages Winifred’s more... ahem... psycho tendencies.
Feito paints Winifred in such gloriously macabre colors that you’ll be laughing one moment and gasping the next, wondering just how far our beloved governess will go. The suspense builds until Christmas morning, when Winifred finally gives the most "generous" gifts imaginable. Spoiler: they’re not wrapped in pretty paper, but they will leave a mark.
With a perfect blend of horror, humor, and psychotic charm, Feito crafts a darkly whimsical tale that’ll leave you both horrified and delighted. If you're a fan of twisted, eerie fun, Victorian Psycho is your next obsession. And yes, she’s definitely psycho.
September 28, 2024
Winifred, the newly appointed governess at the Ensor house for the Pounds family, is a woman haunted by a disturbing past that begins to bleed into her present. Her increasingly macabre actions suggest the mind of a true psychopath, one whose twisted thoughts unfurl like a dark, creeping shadow across the narrative.
The eerie, dark humor of Winifred—both unsettling and deranged—immediately captivated me. Each chapter left me itching to discover what grotesque and outlandish action she might take next. Her instability is palpable, like the fragile seeds of a dandelion drifting away on the wind, her mental state slipped further with every page. Winifred's character bears a striking resemblance to the deranged figure in "100% Match," as if they are kindred spirits lost in a labyrinth of madness.
The author masterfully conjures an eerie Victorian atmosphere, where the cold seems to seep into your very bones. The setting becomes more than just a backdrop; it feels like a character in itself, mirroring Winifred's unraveling psyche.
Though disturbing, I found myself unable to put the story down, unable to look away from the chaos Winifred left in her wake. It’s impossible not to wish for more, as I was quickly entrapped by the dark allure of her twisted, unstable mind.
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I eagerly look forward to more works from this author.
The eerie, dark humor of Winifred—both unsettling and deranged—immediately captivated me. Each chapter left me itching to discover what grotesque and outlandish action she might take next. Her instability is palpable, like the fragile seeds of a dandelion drifting away on the wind, her mental state slipped further with every page. Winifred's character bears a striking resemblance to the deranged figure in "100% Match," as if they are kindred spirits lost in a labyrinth of madness.
The author masterfully conjures an eerie Victorian atmosphere, where the cold seems to seep into your very bones. The setting becomes more than just a backdrop; it feels like a character in itself, mirroring Winifred's unraveling psyche.
Though disturbing, I found myself unable to put the story down, unable to look away from the chaos Winifred left in her wake. It’s impossible not to wish for more, as I was quickly entrapped by the dark allure of her twisted, unstable mind.
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I eagerly look forward to more works from this author.
September 14, 2024
If Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Shirley Jackson had a baby it would be Victorian Psycho. Except that child is an utter disappointment and you're embarrassed to even call it your child.
I love weird girl horror. That's my bread and butter. But there has to be some substance to my female main character. Winnie was just weird for the sake of being weird. Like we get it, she's insane and a killer. She was bland besides that.
The ending felt so rushed and as if it was just decided how it was going to end last minute. Throwing things in. It was silly and none of it came as some big surprise or shock. The twists?? Stupid. I wish this had been longer so Winifred could have been expanded on. Maybe even a few chapters of her childhood.
The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because the writing WAS good. The story is there but it just didn't work. This could have been fun but it fell flat. Honestly, it would make a great mini series or tv show, so i will give it that.
If you're looking for a short and easy read then I would recommend it for that and that alone.
I love weird girl horror. That's my bread and butter. But there has to be some substance to my female main character. Winnie was just weird for the sake of being weird. Like we get it, she's insane and a killer. She was bland besides that.
The ending felt so rushed and as if it was just decided how it was going to end last minute. Throwing things in. It was silly and none of it came as some big surprise or shock. The twists?? Stupid. I wish this had been longer so Winifred could have been expanded on. Maybe even a few chapters of her childhood.
The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because the writing WAS good. The story is there but it just didn't work. This could have been fun but it fell flat. Honestly, it would make a great mini series or tv show, so i will give it that.
If you're looking for a short and easy read then I would recommend it for that and that alone.
September 25, 2024
I knew what I was in for from the moment I read that gorgeously macabre preface, and I savoured every minute! Dark, twisted, and wicked, this novel grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The characters are vivid, the atmosphere oozes gothic charm, and the pacing is perfect. Winifred Notty is a kooky governess like no other—she teaches, tells off-putting bedtime stories, and has a dark sense of humour that might just involve cannibalism. As she navigates the strange and perverse Pounds family, her own macabre urges bubble to the surface.
Sometimes, a book is so good you wish it went on just a little bit longer—this is one of them. It’s the kind of book you finish too fast because it’s just that good. It’s short, sharp, and oh so satisfying!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Liveright for the opportunity to read and review Victorian Psycho prior to publication.
Sometimes, a book is so good you wish it went on just a little bit longer—this is one of them. It’s the kind of book you finish too fast because it’s just that good. It’s short, sharp, and oh so satisfying!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Liveright for the opportunity to read and review Victorian Psycho prior to publication.
September 20, 2024
Girl gets a job at a medieval creepy estate and she is a killer and crazy, the book was crazy and really quick i went through the chapters it felt a bit rushed. Some of the chapters the first sentences looked weird maybe it was meant this way the letters were big and small.
This was a horror book and the two kids she kept in her care I couldn’t tell if they would die even though in the beginning of the book she said everyone in this manor would be dead. knowing she was going to do that to them. I liked when she found these creepy doors in the estate. I love books with creepy estates and a person getting a job there. This was really good story but fast written. Quick chapters and creepy weird main character.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the arc to read. 100% opinion of my own.
This was a horror book and the two kids she kept in her care I couldn’t tell if they would die even though in the beginning of the book she said everyone in this manor would be dead. knowing she was going to do that to them. I liked when she found these creepy doors in the estate. I love books with creepy estates and a person getting a job there. This was really good story but fast written. Quick chapters and creepy weird main character.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the arc to read. 100% opinion of my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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