Well this book officially did it. I finally accepted the fate of a DNF list. I get that this book has an audience and it’s clear the targeted demographic can find enjoyment out of these books because they are popular enough from conversations that I have with other readers. For me, it was truly something I could not enjoy and couldn’t even find something to appreciate- and I say this as a mom who is definitely
engrained in the community and social dynamics this book portrays but it just felt so contrived and silly.

Jen Dixon, a mom of two college girls and one five year old son has been talked into being the class mom for her son’s kindergarten class. Jen, being the “done that, been there” type of laid back mom has fun using her sarcastic sense of humor in her emails to her fellow parents and this is not going over very well with some of the most serious parents in the class. I enjoyed this as a fun, light read.

LOL funny! Where were these moms when my kids were in school? I really enjoyed this book and stayed up way too late reading it. I am Jen in another life. I have the same sense of humor and snarkyness that she does so well. If you want a fun lighthearted read this is definitely a good choice! Thank you NetGalley

LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! real, personable and just a feel good book. Absolutely will read other offerings by Gelman

Being "Class Mom" is not for the faint at heart. Jen Dixon isn't entirely sure how she got the role of "Class Mom" for her youngest, Max, but here she is. She also has two kids in college and is older than all of the other parents, yet here she is in a role that she never wanted. In her role she has to support a Kindergarten teacher who is less conventional, she has to deal with a helicopter mother who coddles her child and believes that they can do no wrong, she has to beg and plead parents to help with all of the class field trips, parties, and then there is picture day. Oh, and there is also the single dad who Jen has had a crush on since high school. Flirting with him is just as fun now as it was then, even though Jen is happily married. Will Jen (and her marriage) survive being the "Class Mom?"

Class Mom was a fun and easy read. And what I really loved was the Kansas City setting. I was shocked to read that the author lives in NYC and has no apparent ties to Kansas City, yet she got so many things right. Like Minsky's, a popular pizza chain in KC. A few local names had subtle changes but were still recognizable. I really liked Jen Dixon. She is the kind of woman that I could see having as a friend. She has led an interesting, if not wild life, and settling down in the suburbs of Kansas City probably was never one of her dreams, but here she is. She is obviously older and "wiser" than the parents of her son's classmates, but she still wants to make sure that her son's Kindergarten experience is a good one. I loved the witty emails that she would send out to the other parents, even though they often times got her in trouble. I didn't really like the direction her friendship with the single dad took, but it didn't stop me from liking her. In the end, Max made it out of kindergarten and things worked out for Jen.

Bottom Line - Class Mom is one of those fun books that is never going to win awards, but it is going to be wildly successful because so many people can relate to being the "Class Mom." With a uniquely witty style, Laurie Gelman has nailed what life is like in the suburbs for the "Class Mom." This is a must read if you are looking for something to make you laugh.

Details:



Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
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Pages: 304
Publisher: Henry, Holt, and Company
Publication Date: 8/1/2017
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An overall entertaining and light read but it was a little too much snark and not enough heart for me. I struggled to connect with the main character at all and was appalled at some of the things she said and wrote.

I kept seeing this book on must read lists, and it was flying off the shelf in my library. Ultimately I thought it was a cute read. I read it in about a day and a half. At times if did feel like the diversity was forced. It's clear that this is supposed to be a fun read, but it's definitely fun for a certain demographic. All others...brace yourself, this book is trying, but it misses a few marks. I wish I'd have written this review a bit closer to when I read it. I read this book back in September, and we're past the middle of December. As much as we'd all like for diverse groups to just "lighten up"...they're "only jokes"....sometimes, they're not.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is, laugh out loud, hysterical. You probably won’t want to read it in public. Not because of embarrassment like you were when you read “Fifty Shades of Grey” on your nook to conceal the cover. But because you will attract too much attention with your laughter. I highly recommend this book to any mom wanting a good laugh and a light read.

I fell in love with this book from the first page. It is sarcasm just the way I like it. I didn’t want to put it down. It is entertaining, witty, refreshing, must-read book. I will be looking for more books by this author. And I love the cover. It almost looks like the middle finger when you look at it quick or looser sign.

So many of the things I would love to say out loud in regard to the helicopter mom expectations of today are written in this book. I am a mother of four boys ranging in age from 22 to 13. Yes, you guessed it, one out of college, two in college, and one 7th grader. We were almost empty nesters. Hello, mid-life crisis number four. So yes, I can relate Laurie. I even went to the University of Kansas and live in Kansas.

Since one short year from now I will be the mom of a kindergartner myself, I thought perhaps this would be the right kind of humor at the right time for me. I was wrong.

Jen Dixon has two almost grown daughters (supposedly fathered by various 90's rock stars), and a five year old with her husband Ron. She's finally all settled down. When she finds herself in the role of class mom for Max's kindergarten class, she takes on the task with gusto, but soon discovers that dealing with lots of different parental personalities is not as easy as it seems.

I think this is just not the right book for me. While there were some amusing scenes, overall I don't find Jen's mean, disparaging, sarcastic humor funny. It's over the top ridiculous. If I got an email even half as weird as the ones she sends her parents as class mom, I'm not sure what I would do. The "mystery" wasn't much of a mystery, and the writing wasn't much better.

This book will resound with all mothers who have been the Mom that the child's class relied on. The main character has been there , done that and is asked to do it again for her child's kindergarten class. What follows is a hilarious and fun read. How she handles being the "class mom" will have you laughing out loud and wiping tears from your face. Great writing and the story flows nicely. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishe for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I think Jen Dixon would be my BMF (Best Mom Friend) if she were a real person. Her snarky email as a ‘voluntold’ Class Mom starts off the book and to anyone who has ever been a room parent, received an email from a room parent, or has even heard of what’s it’s like to be a room parent, you will be chuckling immediately. If only I had the gall to write in my emails what Jen writes to her parents. You’ve got the mean moms, the hovermothers, the soul sisters, and some fathers. Laurie Gelman writes what every Class Mom is thinking and you are laughing and agreeing with her the whole way through. She gets herself into some tricky situations and has to navigate through because, you know, life, but oh, what a fun time this book is. She even throws a mud run in. She can’t fail like she did last year. Oh, that was embarrassing.

I read someone else’s review of Class Mom and had to request it from NetGalley immediately. I do not regret it for a minute. This book is about to be recommended to every PTA, PTO, PTG, Room Parent I know. It’s a must read if you have, or ever have had, kids in elementary school. Grab it now, grab some Starbucks and give the kids a screen. This one is fun. Thanks Henry Holt & Co!

What's fun read! I couldn't wait for free time to read because I knew I'd get some good laughs. I have kids and never really got into the class mom role so I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this type of read. I was so wrong. Not only was the main character hilarious, I could so relate to her and how I feel about class moms. I can't wait to read more by Laurie Gelman! Thank you Netgalley for the advanced ebook.

Class Mom is fun but gets a little tedious somewhere in the middle. Still a good, light read with recognizable parent moments.

Funny and smart, Class Mom touches on the peculiar dynamics of present-day parenting, schooling and small town living. The narrator is wonderfully cheeky and flawed, a nice departure from the ruling stereotype of the PTA mom. Such a great humorous read!

What an absolute delight for a debut novel! As a former PTA president, I sympathize with what Jen Dixon goes through as the class mom for her son’s Kindergarten class. I just wish I could have done it as gracefully with the degree of humor she infused into the job. But then she had some experience under her belt as she held the same role for her now-college age daughters. You’ll laugh aloud reading her emails to the class parents. You’ll most likely recognize some of the parents as there are a ton of the allergy moms and gossipers to go around. Gelman pens a breath of fresh air in this toxic environment. You should get your shot.

At forty-seven, Jen Dixon’s been around the playground, so when her bestie— and PTA president --anoints her kindergarten class president, Jen reluctantly agrees. But when Jen flirty-texts one of the class dads (a high school crush), and her snarky emails foment rebellion, can she hold on to her crown? Don’t miss this hilarious send-up of parental politics.

Jen Dixon is room mother for her son Max’s kindergarten class in Kansas City. She is the one responsible for the class newsletter but this is not your typical newsletter and she is not your typical room mother. Her newsletters are hilarious! They border on the “maybe she shouldn’t say that” line but I would definitely be laughing out loud if she were my child’s room mother. Some of the parents don’t understand the snark and some get it and enjoy it. Max is Jen’s third go-round as a mom. She has two older daughters that are from two different dads and one might or might not be Michael Hutchence from INXS. (Wild groupie days) Max’s dad is what she lovingly calls her “first” husband since she never married. They are the cutest together. Love the banter. Along with the class mom duties come all the gossip and goings on at a school. There is the mysterious child who is never there. The kid with all the allergies. The woman who wants to be class mom badly. Can she get through the year in one piece?

This book is hilarious! I cracked up through the whole thing. I loved Jen! I would want her as my class mom. I would want her as my friend. The other characters were just as fleshed out and totally likable. (Even the ones who weren’t so likable) This is the perfect end of summer kind of book. You can laugh your way into the school year and only hope your class mom is as fun as Jen is. I look forward to more from Laurie Gelman.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Hilarious!
I loved it!
Any parent, teacher, kid who has grown up ;will remember that one year with their "crazy" class mom!
This book is an all to true story of what every class mom would want to say or write.
Kudos to Laurie Gelman for this terrific book!

By the time I had a chance to pick this book up to read it, I was ready for a nice, light read. Class Mom definitely delivered and kept me laughing out loud the entire time I was reading it. Laurie Gelman’s writing is witty and spot on as she tackles the politics of being a class parent in elementary school. As I read the emails the main character Jen sends out to her kindergarten class, I was wishing that my years of room momdom were not over because I would love to have taken some tips from her notes to use in my emails to the class. Jen’s tactics to require participation included logging response times and calling out those individuals who always feel entitled to special consideration; no topic was safe from her sarcasm (however she was not mean-spirited which saved the book). Gelman creates a unique, hilarious novel with authentic characters that can be found at any elementary school you enter. I also enjoyed the fact that several issues were not wrapped up until the end with surprising resolutions (which I always love). July was the perfect time of year to read this book as summer begins to wrap up, and school looms on the horizon. I highly recommend Class Mom if you need a good laugh. Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.