4.25 ⭐️

This was such a well-written read.

Vivian as a character articulates every mum's worries and stresses very well. While it takes time for her to acknowledge how trying to manage dealing with the added stress of now having a werewolf daughter on her own greatly affects her relationships with Daniel her husband and her friends, it's great to see how she grows from it by the end of the book.

The rest of the characters are written just as well and while few are there for plot points most have a lot of depth which is always nice to see.

Aria, the daughter, captivated me from the start and reading how she was growing almost brought me to tears!

I did not see the twist coming towards the end but it very much made sense for the plot and I kicked myself for not seeing it sooner.

I will say it did take a bit to get going, like the "attacks" made sense by the end but at the beginning they felt a bit out of place.

Overall this is such a great story about growth and acceptance and family I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the e-arc in exchange for a free, honest review.

This book is everything I've been wanting from a story - action and excitement, comedy, real life issues, drama, and a lighthearted atmosphere that is also full of honest anxiety, regret, and selfishness. This is a modern fantasy for all ages, and it's a firm five star read for me.

We've all read or are familiar with fantastical magic school stories, whether it be Hogwarts or Scholomance, but we've only ever gotten the students' POV. Not this time! Caitlin Rozakis has created a world centered on the parents of magical and supernatural beings, and it is WONDERFUL.

After a tragic accident, Vivian and Daniel find themselves with a newly transformed werewolf daughter, a fresh start in a magical community, and a posh private school to navigate. It's overwhelming, and the ominous town curse and strict 'moving up' trials don't make things any easier...

I loved Vivian as a character as she is so deeply flawed and believable. She's trying her best to be a good mum, but things just keep piling up. She's not confident, is trying to figure out how to make new friends and make her family's life easier, and makes a lot of mistakes - and this is so refreshing. Viv isn't perfect, and that's what makes her stand out in The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association.

I also really appreciated how everything ties together. Issues that are mentioned at the start play a role later in the story, and everything just felt so well thought out and cohesive. Nothing ever felt rushed, and I thought the pacing was pretty perfect which is hard to nail in a standalone fantasy book.

While this book is a fantastic match for adult readers, I also think it has a lot to offer a younger audience. It tackles issues of race, wealth, and power structures as well as tricky family dynamics, bullying, mental health, and toxic relationships.

I loved this book, and I can't wait to see what the author does next!

Not my usual genre, but such a fun read.

This is the story of a school and it's PTA, but with a twist - it's a magical school, full of shape shifters, mages and suchlike. The politics and pushy parents still exist however!

I really liked Vivian's story, with her difficulties settling in as a "mundane" with a werewolf daughter, and how to tackle the different school world. A really fun mix of characters, amusing digs at other magical school fiction, and plenty of spells and magic along the way.

I adored this book! It was so nice to get the perspective of the non-magical family members as opposed to the person with the powers. It's a cosy fantasy with some serious topics like bullying, anxiety and counselling.

Being a mother to a kindergarten is hard. It is even worse when your daughter is bitten by a werewolf and must attend a magical school within a hidden community.
Just because they have magic, it doesn’t mean that there is a fairy godmother to help out (even then, you have to pay and they can’t really do that much except babysit).

I liked that Rozakis leaned into the Harry Potter comparison. Of course, with a magical school, this will always be the stats quo (unfortunately). However, she never names the franchise and instead cleverly alludes to it.

<b>“Lucius isn’t from, uh,” Vivian stuttered to a halt, realizing exactly how odd it would be to name a Black mage’s kid after the racist villain in a series about child wizards.
</b>
This had a focus on adulting. On how to be a mother, a wife, a friend, an individual all at the same time. How do you balance everything?
Vivian finds she can’t and finds herself directing all her energy into Aria fitting in to this new environment.

I think parents would probably appreciate this more than other readers, however I am a single 21 year old university student and I still found many moments to laugh at and empathise with.

It is a magical world with unicorns, spells, elixirs, sirens, and much more… Yet, Vivian as a main character is very rooted in reality and her observations are bubbling on accepted hysteria - a running monologue that kept me entertained.

<b>This semester, we’re pleased to offer a new hot lunch option for families who wish to purchase lunch for their child. We can support a number of dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, raw meat only, liquid only, kosher, blood-based, gluten-free, and bottled emotions captured from living human souls.</b>

I have to shout out the Class WhatsApp’s group chat because it was funnily realistic - even if their problems tended more magical. Also, the school notices.
There is also representation of therapy and medication - yay!

I think the pacing was slightly uneven and I just kept wishing Vivian would talk to others - which I guess is kind of the point of the book.

I admit to seeing the reveal coming quite early on and I do wish we got more of the magic and the hidden town and the classes.
But I would argue this is less plot focused and more close character development.

Arc gifted by Titan.

2.5 ⭐️

After reading Dreadful, I was so excited to read more of Caitlin. The premise of this book sounded quite interesting (and I adore the cover!) but I just didn´t feel it with this one.

For one, the story didn´t really stand out for me. I kept waiting for bigger things to happen but nothing really did. The main character (Viv) is a mom and I didn´t connect with her at all. I love her werewolf daughter Aria but she was basically the only interesting character to me. And there were a bunch of charachters. I don´t know if it´s just me but maybe there were too many because I got them confused at times. The humor also didn´t feel as good as it was in Dreadful, but maybe that´s personal because of the setting.

The book does deal with some important themes like self esteem, bullying and stuff. And while I didn´t agree with everything, I do think Caitlin handled these themes quite nicely.

I´m so sad I didn´t enjoy this one as much as I hoped I would but remain hopeful for future releases by this author

From the description of this book alone, I knew I would love this.

Despite the main character having a recently-bitten werewolf daughter, the author makes this urban cosy fantasy one of the most relatable books I have read. It perfectly captures the anxieties of parenting; what a parent can get wrong and what a parent can get right.

Told from the perspective of the mother, Vivian, my heart actually broke for her. That feeling of being on the outside of friendship groups and those closest to her not understanding why fitting in is so importantly and honestly, so damn hard.

I also loved the depiction of the strain a relationship can go through when parenting gets hard. No two parents agree 100% of the time and this book shows just how vital it is to listen to one another and above all, COMPROMISE.

Despite the fantastical nature of the story, the raw topics explored give this a realistic feel. This book gave me all the emotions. I only wish I could have read it in one or two sittings rather than having my real life responsibilities get in the way. But if anybody can understand responsibility, it’s the characters in this book.

This is such a beautifully simple book that packs an emotive punch and will fill your heart with such joy and hope - a must read to remedy the troubles of today's world.

Real life problems against a funnily supernatural backdrop. I loved Viv and her down to earth approach to her struggles. I was able to empathise and feel for her throughout the story. It was refreshing to see such real issues in a fantasy, which helped make this story unique but relatable.

With perfectly cosy aspects, this story is great for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and other fan favourites.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc! My views are my own.

This book is my new recommendation for people wanting to get into fantasy from contemporary books, it's the perfect crossover! Sure, the main character's daughter is a werewolf, but honestly that pales in comparison to the PTA and relationship drama that goes on! It's almost a side-note to the whole plot, but it's still managed so lovingly.

Every time the little 5 year old turned into a wolf pup it was freaking adorable. Imagining this tiny puppy with too big ears and paws in a skirt with her little tail tucked under her was just too much!

This book does revolve around a potential prophecy that may or may not be about her daughter, yes, but REALLY it's about Vivian as a mother finding herself and figuring out how to create a life for herself alongside her guilt about her kid getting attacked and not being able to prevent it. It's a really heart-warming insight into how tough parenting is and the friendships that you need to survive being limited to 'the other parents' but also remembering your own skills outside of being a parent still exist and you're still valid for feeling overwhelmed by all of this!

Overall this is a lovely and cosy read with some great character growth and great characters in general on the page. I'd say I'll be recommending it to everyone I know, but I'd already started doing that before I even finished the book!

This story took me back to my elementary school days, which is probably why I cried so much throughout the latter half. My family, namely my wonderful mother, immigrated to America believing that I would have a better life. She didn't speak a lick of english but made sure to attend every PTA meeting, volunteer to chaperone trips, and build relationships with my teachers so that I wouldn't ever feel alienated. Was it easy for her? Absolutely not. Did she still clamp down on her fears and do everything anyway? Yes.

Reading Vivian's struggle with shame and insecurity really hit close to home, especially as she tried her best to integrate into a society that othered her. She was far from perfect, but her love for her daughter was unmistakable; it was more than enough to help her persevere. Her inner dialogue felt extremely raw that sometimes, it even made me a little bit uncomfortable.

My only gripe was with the conflict she had with Daniel, as I personally believed he had more faults that contributed to later arguments. But at the end of the day, they were two parents just trying their best to hold their family together, making the most of Aria's unexpected werewolf transition and assimilating to a magical world—not to mention juggling a possible apocalypse that put her in the center of an ominous prophecy.

Overall, wonderful book with a fun, unique plot. I'd be hesitant to call this a cozy fantasy only because of the intense emotions and circumstances that didn't feel low-stakes, but I know the definition of the genre is broad!

As a teacher myself, I knew I wanted to read this one and it was so fun!
This was an easy little magical read with some mom humor mixed in and I had a great time. Viv's best friends were sorry as heck and PMO to be honest lol but there were other fantastic supporting characters. The fact that my daughter is going into kindergarten this fall made this a more enjoyable read overall as well. This was honestly unlike anything I have ever read and I loved the combination of adult struggles, mom life, and trying to navigate the magical community as a human.

Very, very funny, and surprisingly very touching too! I absolutely loved the concept of this from the blurb, and it's a pitch-perfect skewering of the cliques of parenthood while also being a really nicely built paranormal-but-not-farfetched world. Vivian is a very believable mother, with all the flaws and issues that comes with, and while she isn't always likeable you always end up rooting for her. I so enjoyed the way the world was crafted to be just a couple of degrees off from ours, and the characters are all so wonderfully written, even the smallest ones. I would have liked a warning for the relived trauma of Aria's change (I totally get WHY it was there, but "recently-bitten" does not cover the depth of the attack and Vivian's first-hand experience of what is, effectively, her daughter's violent death); as a parent of a similarly aged kid, this was hard to read in a book that had, to that point, been firmly tongue-in-cheek. Apart from that one shocking chapter, this is a fantastically funny, savagely witty, and deeply kind book that deserves to become a star in paranormal circles. I'll definitely be reading more from this author - any chance of a sequel with an older Aria getting into high school??

This book deserves a solid 3.5 stars for being silly, enjoyable with a surprising number of touching parenthood moments. I thoroughly enjoyed the magical setting at a kindergarten, and appreciated that the story didn't take itself too seriously. There are moments where Vivian and Daniel frustrated me. I really think Vivian's people-pleasing wen ton far too long, and Daniel received too easy a reprieve for his absence and lack of understanding. Aria was an adorable werewolf child, and the story wrapped itself up as adorably as it began. It is not a highly intellectual read, or very deep emotionally, but if you're looking for something to get you out of a reading slump, this will do it.

Okay, The Grimoire Grammar School is EVERYTHING. Dark academia vibes? Check. Magic and secrets lurking in every corner? Double check. The atmosphere is so rich and eerie, and the characters? Absolutely compelling.

Very fun read! It touches a lot on real life problems with a fantasy touch. It feels extremely realistic and something you can personally relate to, even if you don’t have a child yet. It makes you feel like that all problems can be solved so therefore it’s a great escape from in real life problems.

I liked The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis! It's a cozy fantasy about a human mom, Vivian, trying to fit in into the magical community. They moved to a magical town after Vivian's daughter, Aria, was bitten by a werewolf and therefore turned into a werewolf.

I have never read a book about a human mom exploring the magical community, and I thought this was quite a refreshing take on the genre.

I liked reading from Vivian's perspective. Even though she made a lot of mistakes, she always tried to do what was best for her daughter. Speaking of her daughter, I loved that Aria was described as a wolf puppy when she was in her wolf form. So adorable!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read!

I really loved Caitlin Rozakis' debut, Dreadful, last year, so I've been really looking forward to THE GRIMOIRE GRAMMAR SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (say that five times fast!).

This second book (also a standalone) is very different, but equally enjoyable. Rozakis has a great sense of dry humour and a really on-the-nose why of using magical metaphors to really pierce through modern society's issues.

I loved Vivian as a character--she's beautifully messy and struggling to cope with day-to-day trials which some readers, society at large, and her husband Daniel in particular, may see as mundane, but to Viv are very much world-consuming. Rozakis does a great job of showing each side of the situation--ways Viv could or couldn't react differently--without ever making me feel like we were judging her for her slip-ups.

Perhaps it's a fitting touch that this second novel is very much about growing up. It's about the disappointments and challenges that so many of us deal with in adult life, and finding magic in the moments of joy.

Family issues are at the forefront--Viv's guilt and worry over keeping her daughter physically safe, her worry over doing and being enough (whether as a mother or a wife), while also desperately trying to cling to a sense of self instead of becoming 'only' Mrs Aria's Mommy. It also tackles issues I think we can all appreciate parent or note--being the newcomer, or the outsider, and the awkwardness and loneliness of carving out a place for yourself in a pre-existing group.

THE GRIMOIRE GRAMMAR SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION is perhaps a slower-paced, less bombastic story than Dreadful was, but one I thoroughly enjoyed and full cements Caitlin Rozakis as an auto-buy author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. There are parts I liked about this, including the cozy mum out of her depth trying to get to grips with magical society vibe, however I did find it hard going at times due to some of the subject matter. The ending / villian reveal did not quite hit home for me, I didn't really understand their motives and it just felt a bit flat. I would still recommend this for fans of cozy fantasy.

Several days after finishing, I still don't really know how to feel about this one. On the one hand I did like it and didn't DNF and on the other hand, something fell a little flat for me.

I loved the premise, a magical slice of school mum life, but I found the main characters to be quite annoying, Vivian was constantly contradicting herself, her husband was a bit of a drip and her "best friends" were just plain awful people. Having said that, some of the lesser, supporting characters were absolutely wonderful and made the book for me! In the end I began to appreciate Vivian and I realise that a lot of her contradictions and people pleasing were actually quite relatable, maybe that's why it annoyed me so much 😅

I'm still very much sitting with my feelings, but I think it was a pretty fun read