Last year I read Caitlin Rozakis' debut novel, Dreadful, a fun, subversive, fantasy romp, and I knew then that she had a real talent for crafting character, and writing against tropes, without ever crossing the line into 'I'm not like other books' territory. The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association has the same heart of subversive anti-trope fantasy, unexpected, vibrant, detailed, and emotive. With bitchy magical PTA mums, and the looming spectre of a prophecy, GGSPTA is everything you want in a humorous urban fantasy, but with added Rozakis emotional flair that makes her characters, and stories, so compelling.

Vivian and Daniel are coping pretty well with the Kindergarten stage. Or they were, until their beloved daughter Aria was bitten by a werewolf. Suddenly, temper tantrums come with claws, and their family has no choice but to move out of the city, and into the small, hidden, magical community of Veilport, Connecticut. Overnight Viv and Daniel go from being fish out of water, to being two very small, very human, fish in the big pond of the supernatural world. To make matters worse, Aria's new school isn't just any magical Kindergarten, it's Grimoire Grammar, where the wealthy, privileged, and powerful battle it out for the best futures: sometimes literally. Turns out Veilport is an exclusive community in more ways than one, and Viv has never felt more left out. As she desperately tries to find her way into their new world, for the good of her daughter, Viv must contend with bitchy mothers, unexpectedly serious school events, the werewolf pack, a looming prophecy, her own husband, and, perhaps worse of all, the little voice in her head.

I largely enjoyed this read, my overwhelming impression, by the end, was positive, that being said in places this felt almost too busy, crowded with events and tangents which I sometimes found hard to place within the wider narrative. Viv was also afflicted with lack of agency, in lots of places it seemed that things were happening to her, and she was making no real attempt to deal with those things proactively. This was frustrating to read, but did fit within the characterisation - I think ultimately it's just something that I, personally, don't enjoy reading. 3.5 stars out of 5, would make a great beach read.

Um, this book was so cool and hilarious? I love Vivian and Aria and gosh there is so much going on but in the best way possible. The WhatsApp group chat scenes were KILLING ME. Like I was literally cackling while reading magical parents arguing about bake sale contributions and throwing shade at each other.

The magical world is so well thought out too. Not just cool magic systems (which there definitely are), but the social hierarchies and the way the "old magic" families look down on newcomers felt really realistic about private school life irl and made me so much more invested in seeing our main characters win over the jerks. I was also very pleasantly surprised at actually not knowing the plot twist before it happened, the mystery was woven so well and engaging and tight that I read this all in one setting.

Overall, I loved the character growth of (almost) everyone involved and that Vivian and her family had such a strong bond. You will definitely cry when reading this, so be warned. I highly encourage picking this up and I'm looking forward to more stuff from the author!

"Vivian just had to make a good impression. In a town where she was by definition an outsider, in a culture she couldn’t hope to join, with nothing less than her daughter’s entire future riding on her success. She swallowed, her mouth gone dry."

Vivian and Daniel have to move to a new town with their kindergarten daughter Aria for school when she gets bitten by a werewolf and join The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association, which seems to have as many pitfalls for mundane reasons as for ignorance of magic culture. They all scramble with additional responsibilities, each dealing with the move in their own way, to try and fit in here as they don't think they'll get a chance like this in any other place.

Caitlin Rozakis writes a biting satire (sometimes too sharply), of the pressures the education system places on students and their parents, with a clarity that probably arose from some degree of familiarity but also a lot of wit to help them tide over their growing pains. And the characters do grow a lot, even the parents, as they realise they weren't as alone in this fight as they had originally thought - they just have to look for true friends.

Though primarily meant to be a cozy fantasy, the novel also takes a long look at how difficult it is to adjust to a new community with new rules, and how anxiety inducing it can be. While magical prophecies and doomsday proclamations can overset any event, the parents learn that sometimes it is the more mundane things like greed, ambition and fiduciary deception that can really hurt a community. The plot and narration tries to achieve a good balance of the fantastic new magics and cute kindergartener antics with the darker aspects of being the new-comers in over their heads, and sometimes the difficulties overweigh the fantastic but it was good to see therapy sessions having a positive effect through the book.

On the whole, recommended for anyone looking for cozy school fantasy with witty writing and a dash of reality mirrored in it.

"She’d read her share of fantasy novels. Like most kids, she’d pictured herself in the role of the Chosen One plenty of times. She hadn’t given much thought to what it might be like to realize your kid wasn’t the Chosen One. Worse, was the Unchosen One, the bad guy in the prophecy."

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan publishers for the advanced reader copy, all opinions are honest. Quotes from the book may be different in the final published version.

🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the story and themes; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/2 stars in total.]

I’m literally so sad I didn’t love this.

Kid gets magical powers and goes to a magical school? Yes please! Always. But what about the parents of said kid? I mean, I never did think about them just being off-screen but it is a lot to come to terms with if you’re a regular Joe -
Mundane.

So, we get to see what it’s like through the eyes of Aria’s parents Vivian and Daniel. Well, Vivian mostly because Daniel has to work. Vivian is left to be Aria’s guide through her new found magical abilities, friendships, starting a new school, and EXAMS!

The struggles of managing your children’s social lives and emotional growth as well as their educational milestones are captured so well in this book, that I needed a break. Too relatable for my comfort.

And that is why I struggled, because I read fantasy for comfort and there was very little of it here for my taste.

I liked the world building. I liked the ethnic diversity and the recognition of colonialism.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

After Viv’s daughter is bitten by a werewolf, the non-magical family must face their new lives dealing with magic, cryptids, prophecy, and magic school - including the schools PTA.

I read, and loved, Dreadful by Rozakis, so I was really excited to read more from the author. I expected more dry humour, and turning tropes upside down. Instead, I got The Grimoire Grammar School. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it fell short of my expectations. Both can be considered cozy fantasy, but Grimoire leans into the cozy harder than Dreadful, and feels more like a slice of life than anything else. It lacked the excess of dry humour that I was hoping for, and it leaned into tropes rather than turning them upside down.

Viv wasn’t a character I could relate much to. Maybe because I am not a parent. I thought I would relate to her anxiety and imposter syndrome, but because so much of that revolved around her daughter, I didn’t relate as much as expected. I still enjoyed watching her navigate her anxiety and grow as a character, but she felt a little bland overall for me. The other side characters in the story felt much more interesting and engaging, and I wish we spent more time with the friends Viv makes later in the book.

There is a lot that happens throughout the book. From summoning demons, to hellhounds chasing people, and prophecies that might be about Viv’s family that will bring about the end of the world, but all of these things happen so quickly. The book is spread over the course of a full school year, so these feel like snippets in Viv’s daily life. We spend more time with her therapist than each of these things individually. I did really enjoy the exciting snippets we get, but they ending up feeling few and far between for me.

My biggest nit pick with the book though was the comparisons to “the book about the chosen boy in a magical school that shall not be mentioned”. That’s not an exact quote, but it’s a close enough reference. I get the comparison. Harry Potter is well known. A magic school is definitely going to draw comparisons to one of the biggest magic school books that people know. But it didn’t need to be. If she had made the school a school for cryptids only, or just shapeshifters like werewolves, instead of combining in with regular magic users, it wouldn’t have had to be mentioned. And even if we stuck with the school for all types of magic and magical beasts, it didn’t need to be referenced. Instead of making Grimoire Grammar feel like its own thing, by consistently drawing attention to Harry Potter, it instead felt like a cozy rip off. And by avoiding mention of the book by title, because the author doesn’t deserve to be mentioned (in my own personal opinion), it just felt like it drew more attention to it. I wish Rozakis had of just let her book be a strong story on its own, without the need to make those mentions and comparisons.

All in all though, this was still a fun, cute story, I just had a few little issues with it. I think others who are searching for a fun cozy fantasy will get a lot out of this all the same. Even better if they’re parents because I bet they relate to Viv more than I did. If they’ve read Dreadful before, they need to expect something very different, but it’s still worth checking out.

You may recognize Caitlin Rozakis as the author of Dreadful, which I had such a good time with last year. While this upcoming new release isn’t as overtly funny, it does still bring the humor and is relatively lighthearted, while being more emotionally resonant and grounded in reality. It’s told from the third person POV of Vivian, who moves with her husband Daniel and 5-year-old daughter Aria to a hidden magical town after Aria is turned by a werewolf. Prior to this, the family was “mundane” with no knowledge that a magical world existed, but they are now sending their daughter to an elite primary school to learn magic.

This move is a big adjustment. Vivian wants Aria to fit in and be liked, and Vivian wants that for herself, too. These aspects are some of the most affecting parts of the novel. As the anxiety-prone parent of a child who is only about a year away from starting kindergarten, this really resonated with me. Vivian’s fears are so real, and the various dynamics between all of the parents felt so authentic that it was easy to empathize with Vivian. While this did bring up some anxiety in me, I also loved how much I could emotionally connect with her as a character.

The stress of dealing with a newly-turned werewolf child while adapting to a new world and some “mean girl” parent dynamics also starts to take a toll on Vivian and Daniel’s marriage. This was handled realistically, as was the therapy that Vivian receives for current and past issues. As a therapist, I’m sensitive to how therapy is presented in all forms of media, and this was really well done. It’s important for readers to see therapy (and medication, which also comes up in the book) treated positively.

I knew after reading Dreadful that Rozakis is a good writer, but I was really impressed with this. The author portrays Vivian realistically but tenderly, never with any judgment or stigma even as readers may disagree with her behavior. Having read and enjoyed both of the books that she has penned under this name, I suspect she may become an auto-read author for me.

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis is a fun cosy fantasy with a great premise. When a young five year old girl is accidentally bitten by a rogue werewolf and turned, her parents find themselves thrust into a world of magic that they never even knew existed. Navigating a new school with new rules is never easy but when you are the only non magical parents among the mages, shifters, vampires and Fae it is even more challenging. Desperate to help Ariana deal with her new challenges, her parents Vivian and Daniel throw themselves into their new world and even make a few magical friends of their own along the way but when it seems that Ariana might be the subject of a prophecy of doom that will destroy the school many of those friends show their true colours and the stress and tension causes cracks to appear in Vivian and Daniel's marriage.
This is a mostly light hearted read that pokes fun at private schools and the desperate lengths that parents are often willing to go to in order to help their children succeed. The author does a wonderful job of portraying the confusion and challenges faced by Vivian and Daniel as they come to terms with their new life and their daughter's changed future. I really enjoyed the magical town that the author created and populated with a wonderful cast of characters and creatures and although it felt like the story got a little bogged down towards the middle it was still a fun read. That being said it did have some darker moments and the author is definitely tackling some bigger issues with a whole plot thread devoted to the issues in Vivian and Daniel's marriage and the challenges that parenting brings.
Overall this was an enjoyable read with plenty of humor and charm and I look forward to more from this author.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book asks the question: What would the Parent Teacher Association be like at a school for magical beings and creatures? Well it turns out that it would probably resemble a lot of other PTAs out there with a healthy dose of chaos thrown in.

I was able to read this book over the course of a day and found that I did not want to put it down. I found it overall to be charming and a relatively easy read. You end up cheering for the main characters and want them to get a happy ending. My only quip about this book is that I found some of the decision-making by the main character Vivian to be slightly frustrating.

If you are looking for a cozy fantasy novel or a book that has all kinds of magical creatures, check this book out!

2 stars

I almost dnf this one a couple of times mostly because of the husband and the way he gaslighted everything single feeling Vivian had, and how awful he was generally... I just can't deal with that.
I expected cute and fun, but I didn't get that. Maybe I'm just not in the mood, I don't know. I just know it didn't work for me.

thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun and unusual take on magical schools. I absolutely love this author's ability to create something truly original, this was so clever and funny.
Imagine the guilt if your 5 year old got bitten by a werewolf and turned, then imagine the stress of having to enrol them into a magical school and then the additional stress of discovering that people believe that your child is bad due to an ancient prophecy.
Vivian is such a relatable character and I felt so sorry for her at times, but this isn't a sad book. It's a fast paced, action filled story about strength, found family and friendship. Oh and some well placed digs at another magical school that we do not speak of.

Vivian's daughter Aria was bitten by a werewolf, and now nothing is quite right. Vivian has left her job to support Aria's special needs and their family has moved to a new school district so Aria can, with a scholarship courtesy of the local werewolf pack, attend Grimoire Grammar School, alongside mages, other shifters, and assorted fantastical beings. In hopes of integrating with the other parents and bettering community ties, Vivian joins the Parent Advisor Council (because PTA is simply too common for president Cecily). But the problems just keep piling up, and with a looming prophecy threatening their safety and Aria's place at the only school that will take a shifter child with mundane parents, Vivian is struggling to keep the life they're building from collapsing around her.
Vivian's struggle to adapt is paired with constant stress that she is not doing this right. Her own fear of not doing enough continually butts against husband's Daniel's that she's doing too much. The positive inclusion of therapy following the bite (moderate violence described) pairs with the persepctive of a mother trying her best and continually certain it isn't enough. Discussion of mental health and the importance of support structures added another layer to the blending of mundane and magic. (Not a parent or US-based, so certain elements of childrearing and school politics will have been missed.)
Rozakis' worldblending in this urban fantasy channels the practicalities of modern living (where to park when going to shop for school supplies) against the mystical setting of Grimoire Grammar (how exactly do you wave the dagger to enter the secret street stocking those school supplies?). The juxtaposition of what is assumed knowledge, both in the narrative and of the reader, against what is explained as the plot continues toes the line, while continuing the theme of a protagonist blundering in without the background other characters have. Though sharing similarities with other popular magic school series (including a couple of allusions in the book), the distinct protagonist and fresh angle adds a perspective for those too old to attend but still able to be dragged into a new world, with all the associated complications.

What do you do when your kindergartner gets turned into a werewolf? Well, if you're Vivian and Daniel, you move to a hidden magical town in Connecticut and send your kid to a grammar school for preternatural beings. Which, I mean, sounds awesome, right? Ha. Turns out that mages can be kind of stuck up, and apparently not flunking out of magical kindergarten is harder than you'd think. Also, there's a centuries-old doomsday prophecy hanging over the town, which is especially vexing when your new neighbors think you and your child are responsible for setting said prophecy into motion.

This book is basically Harry Potter meets Pink Glass Houses meets a cozy novel, and it's a whole lot of fun. There are mages and werewolves and selkies and sirens and vampires and chthonic nymphs and all sorts of other extraordinary creatures, and apparently they can manufacture just as much drama as “mundane” folk when it comes to serving on the PTA and getting their kids into the best schools. It gets a little repetitive in the middle – there's so much bickering and mean-girling amongst the parents, you guys – but Rozakis's worldbuilding is top-notch and I really enjoyed learning about the town of Veilport and its magical inhabitants. And there are hellhounds and chupacabras. Chupacabras!

I have to admit that I didn't adore this book quite as much as Dreadful, Rozakis's previous novel, however. It has the same lighthearted, cozy, heartwarming feel to it, but the plotline for this one is much more … mundane. Sure, the characters are (mostly) all magical and otherworldly, but at its core, it's basically a story about a bunch of wealthy private school parents doing wealthy private school parent things. It's still an entertaining, humorous story in its own right, though, and it'll likely resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they don't quite fit in with the other perfectly-perfect moms at the school PTA meetings. But definitely go read Dreadful too, if you haven't already. There are no chupacabras in it, unfortunately, but it's otherwise delightful.

My overall rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 27, 2025.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis is a third person-POV contemporary fantasy putting a new spin on the magic school trope. When Vivian and Daniel’s daughter, Aria, is bitten by a werewolf, they now have to send her to a school for magical folk, opening them up to an entirely new world they didn’t know existed. Things do not go smoothly as all three have to adjust to this new school and the new dynamics as well as a prophecy that points to Aria.

I really appreciated how Daniel and Vivian are having struggles in their marriage throughout the book. As the plot is something of an allegory for a child being diagnosed with a chronic illness, it makes perfect sense that one of the parents would need to quit their job to be a full time parent and that it could create resentment. It also makes sense that Vivian would try to immerse herself as much as possible while Daniel is resistant as he still has his job and has his own experiences when it comes to being an outsider. Vivian starts hiding things from him, which creates even more friction. I fully bought the escalation of the issues they were having because I’ve seen it play out many times in real life.

I’ve seen a few people call this cozy and I’m very on the fence about whether or not it could be a cozy fantasy. I think that there are parts of it that are on the cozier side, such as the academic fair and the lower stakes when it comes to trying to fit in. On the other hand, we are delving into bullying and there is a somewhat graphic scene of a five-year-old being attacked by a werewolf. I think whether or not this is cozy is really going to depend on the individual and it won’t fit super neatly within the subgenre for a lot of readers.

I loved the worldbuilding bits that came from the school announcement epigraphs that opened each chapter. It acknowledges the modern aspects of our world and how they fit within a magical community that shares the world instead of existing in a separate dimension a la portal fantasy. There’s mentions of what Halloween costumes are not OK to wear and what kind of projects are not allowed. It’s these little details that make a world feel lived-in and throughout.

Content warning for harm down to a child and bullying

I would recommend this to fans of magic school fantasy looking for a book from the POV of a parent and readers of fantasy who want something with cozier stakes but a bit more bite

I found the first half of this book a bit slow going but it really picked up in the second half.

Cosy fantasy but with some deeper themes running through it, this was an enjoyable read that had some fun twists and turns.

super cute and cozy fantasy with great ideas/writing style and fun themes. the ideas focused on some things that I wouldn't expect in a cozy but they worked great here! 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Mar 7 3:31 PM Show and tell next week! Remember to write your child's name clearly on any objects brought in. No cursed or culturally insensitive objects, please.

Mar 7 3:33 PM Living creatures do not count as objects.

Mar 7 3:36 PM Unliving creatures also do not count as objects.

This was such delightful, adorable read. This book has a little something for everyone - the school parent drama of Big Little Lies, the cozy feeling of Legends and Lattes, and the "happy spooky" setting of Disney's Halloweentown.

Following an accident that turns her child into a werewolf, kindergarten parent Vivian moves her family - husband Daniel and five year old daughter Aria - to Veilport so her daughter can attend specialized school Grimoire Grammar. But while Veilport isn't exactly your normal town - werewolves, vampires, selkies, and wizards are a common occurrence- Grimoire Grammar is definitely a normal private school. Sure the teacher is a vampire and they need ritual daggers on the first day, but it's a cutthroat environment with testing, competitive sports, fundraising galas, and the general pressures that make everyday parents feel like they aren't doing enough. Soon Vivian is caught up in keeping up with their new normal, and that was before she heard a town prophecy that may involve her daughter....

"People were supposed to be more understanding here. Only it turned out that people here were still people, and people were shit."


Despite falling into the cosy fantasy category, this book tackled a lot of tougher themes: bullying, anxiety, whether or not to medicate, academic pressure, extended and found families, and the general toll parenting can take on a marriage. Even if you aren't a parent, Vivian, Daniel, and Aria's struggles are beyond relatable, especially in today's environment where people are obsessed with success.

Also the cover is GORGEOUS and even though I've read it now I may need to purchase the book just for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This took a little while to get going for me, so while I enjoyed the first half, I wasn’t really convinced. I felt a lot like Vivian - confused and trying to keep up. But the second half definitely picked up and intrigued me a lot more.

Basically when she gets better friends everything is better and starts to make sense, plus communication actually happens!

There is a lot of good stuff here, about here the politics and snobbiness of small towns and fancy schools, just I’m possibly not the market for that 😂

3.25 stars

Mundane parents, supernatural child, sounds familiar? But our wonderful author addresses that head on, and I love that.
Every parent can relate to the clicky PTA and mean mums groups, that new school terror.
Little Aria is a werewolf, and the story navigates how she and her family try to balance a normal childhood while starting a new school and learning about her new powers.
Funny at times, the pacing was a little slow in parts, overall a cosy magical read. I look forward to reading more about the town and their talents and Aria's journey growing up.



Thank you NetGalley and Titan books for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

"From the NYT-bestselling author of Dreadful, Big Little Lies goes to magic school, cozy fantasy perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Olivia Atwater, and Heather Fawcett. Featuring orange sprayed and stenciled edges, with magic symbols, unicorns and baked goods from the book.

Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them - ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

When Vivian's kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society - shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents' WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it's about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door..."

Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Practical Magic with more than a dash of Hocus Pocus.

This was a very cosy and warm fantasy book! I would say this for the parents who sometimes find it hard to fit in with their parents in schools. We don’t have parent WhatsApp group chats in my school, I do think that’s more of an American thing.

A family whose life suddenly changes when their daughter is bitten by a werewolf; now they must adapt to this new lifestyle. It's hard for them, especially the mother who constantly blames herself for the attack. There’s a lot to deal with in the new school and always trying to prove themselves. You can see it’s difficult for Aria as well as she’s trying to fit into the school and make new friends.

If you are into YA and cosy Fantasy you will love this one! Thank you to Titan for my ARC.