What the Heck Did I Just Read?

 

TITLE: Victorian Psycho

AUTHOR: Virginia Feito

PUBLISHER: Liveright

PUBLISHING DATE: February 4, 2025

PAGES: 208   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: Every once in a while, I will find a book that calls to me and I'm not quite sure why.  I saw this categorized as horror and Gothic, which I am sure you know are some of my favorite buzzwords, and knew I wanted to give it a go.  And boy, am I glad I did!  I finished this book several days ago and it is STILL sticking with me. 

Ms. Winifred Notty is a governess by trade, even though it's pretty obvious she doesn't really like children.  As the book opens, the reader sees her arriving for a new position at Ensor Houss for the Pounds family.  Slowly Winifred falls into a routine carrying for the odd children, Andrew, who is weak but still the apple of his father's eyes and Druscilla, who is a bit peculiar with a hint of dangerousness mixed in.  Winifred slowly becomes closer to Mr. Pounds, but not without the notice of Mrs. Pounds and as the book progresses, Winifred's behavior becomes more and more odd. 

I don't want to say too much about this book.  It's not an extremely long one and honestly, I think it's best to go into it with little information.  As I was reading, I have to admit, I didn't like any of the characters and the children confirmed my life-long decision to not procreate.  But man was I sure fascinated by all of them.  At times the book reads like a fever dream and some of the sardonic thoughts in Winifred's mind did make me chuckle.  I couldn't wait to see what happened next and devoured this book in two sittings.  I also have to add, this book is not for the faint of heart and the ending... What an ending! 

If you love Gothic horror and unhinged plots and characters, this is the book for you.  There is a twist in Victorian Psycho I didn't see coming but once it had been revealed, it made so much sense.  I definitely plan on going back and reading Feito's debut novel, Mrs. March.  Even days after finishing it, I find my thoughts going back to this book.  I need more from this author and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS