Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Winifred Notty has been selected by the Pounds family to be their new governess at Ensor House in Grim Wolds, England. No doubt the Pounds are hoping that Winifred will be the perfect guardian for their two children, Drusilla and Andrew.
A Mary Poppins, of sorts, who’ll raise her charges with joy.
Unfortunately, what they get in Winifred is much more Harley Quinn than Mary Poppins.
As the monotonous days pass, Winifred has a harder time suppressing her violent compulsions. These thoughts aren’t new to Winifred, but this vast playground of the Pounds family home is. She has so many new directions to point her murderous fantasies.
Both the adults and the children are getting under her skin. There’s only so much more she’s going to be able to swallow without acting…
As Christmas approaches, Winifred develops the perfect plan, I mean, gift, to bestow upon this lovely Victorian family. It’s sure to be a holiday not soon forgotten.
Quentin Tarantino meets Henry James in this historically-set Horror novel that delves into territory few dare to tread. The synopsis describes this as a story that plunges readers into the chilling mind of an iconic new literary psychopath, and that couldn’t be more apt.
Victorian Psycho is an oddly-gripping little book.
The writing was beautifully-dark, but I did find the overall narrative more choppy than I tend to enjoy. Otherwise, I could’ve rated it higher. The audiobook is a great option for this story though. I had a lot of fun listening to it. Half the time, I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
Having an MC with this type of recurring thoughts is always a bit of a trip, but I think having it in such a traditionally Victorian setting made it all the more jarring.
For me, the gothic vibes only helped to enhance the shocking-nature of this violent and gruesome tale. It’s hard to describe and I wish I could have connected a bit more with what was happening in the story. I think it’s length, coming in at around 200-pages, maybe didn’t do it any favors.
In a way, it is like a punch, quick and impactful, but at the same time, I’m not sure how long that impact will last, as I never truly felt connected with what was happening. With this being said though, it was still entertaining.
Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had fun and would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.