An original and inventive premise. The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association is brimming with quirky characters, trials, and the need to belong.

Vivian and Daniel's life is torn upside down when their 5 year old daughter Aria is bitten by a werewolf, leading them to move to a magical community in order to keep her safe and provide a life more suitable to a newly fledged wolf.
But if anything can be said about the mages and the mundane, it's that social standing is still important, and both sides will do anything for their children.

I loved the outsider angle. The 'mean moms' and the parents who never fit in. The different children and the uniqueness to the characters made this book stand out from your run of the mill book about parenting.

I loved the little school messages at the beginning of each chapter, offering some often hilarious insights into the school events and goings on.

The only real downside for me was that the middle of the book felt incredibly slow. There didn't seem to be much really going on, and just a lot of small town dynamics that seemed to drag.

All in all, I liked the book and would recommend it to all the parents who've never been a part of the playground clique.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

Objectively this book is fine. The writing is decent, it's funny in places, and I think for lovers of cosy fantasy it will hit the spot. However, for me the story of a mortal joining a catty PTA set within a magical society, was just not my cup of tea.
I wasn't interested in which children were being mean, or which wine and cheese party they were off to next. This is not a fault with the book, and I think it will very much appeal to the right audience.

Wow this book was so different to anything I have ever read! I love that magical aspects and unique quirks to the different creatures in the book!

I am such a romance reader and this book is far from that, to me it gave parenting vibes which wasn’t what I was expecting going into this.

Overall an interesting quick read which is different to many other books out there.

Dnf at 10%. Sadly I already know this book isn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley though for the chance to read this eARC!

Highlights
~no werewolves CAN’T have chocolate
~deeply suspicious accounting at the PTA
~passing kindergarten is HARD
~smart people go to therapy
~the prophecy says WHAT now???

I was wowed by the cover and delighted by the premise, but I’m still surprised that The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis (from hereon referred to as TGGSPTA!) ended up being, not just a fun read, but one that won a spot on my favourites shelf.

(If you are the kind of reader who can read multiple books at once, I STRONGLY recommend reading this alongside Emily Tesh’s Incandescent. That’s how I read them, and they make for such an incredible contrast!)

Cosy fantasy seems to be pretty hard to define, but I lean towards Alexandra Rowland’s take, which is that cosy fantasy (or cosy ANYTHING) needs high tension if it’s going to have low stakes. And on that front, TGGSPTA is a masterclass, because despite the implicit promise of that very bright and cheerful cover, this unexpectedly turned out to be an edge-of-my-seat read – Vivian’s story is immensely stressful, actually! Rozakis had my heart in my throat and my stomach in knots the whole way through – I even burst into tears at one point, just from the overwhelming, grinding misery of Vivian’s situation and headspace. It’s a really fun book, with a very whimsical, funny approach to magic school (especially magical kindergarten) but like, YIKES. I spent the whole book waiting for poor Vivan to have a breakdown, and I wouldn’t have blamed her for it one bit!

But, just as one should not bring a knife to a gunfight, one should not bring brownies to a magic school picnic.

Everything Vivian does is a misstep in the magical community she and her husband David have been forced to join, and any readers who’ve ever struggled with anxiety, or who, like Vivian, are aware of and hate their need to please others, are going to feel their hearts break for this poor woman. From the first pages, when Vivian brings brownies she baked from scratch to a school picnic, only to discover that chocolate anything is a huge faux pas in this crowd (because werewolves, like canines, can’t have any), Vivian is constantly running right into rules no one will explain because they all take them for granted – and being forced to deal with the fact that, as magical parents go, she is wildly inadequate: she can’t access the shops stocking Aria’s school supplies, can’t protect Aria when something magical goes down – she can’t even create a ‘here I am!’ sigil.

>“It’s another little cantrip almost anyone can cast. Most families have one, so you can signal your location to each other from far away. It’s a lifesaver in the school pickup line.”

“What’s ours going to be, Mommy?” Aria asked hopefully. “Can it be purple?”

“Mommy can’t make magic fireworks, sweetie,” Vivian said, trying to conceal the wince. “You’ll have to stay close to me, that’s all.”

Aria looked crestfallen. The fact that she didn’t seem disappointed in Vivian, just sad, made it worse.<

Parenting a werewolf brings a fair bit of humour to TGGSPTA; I particularly liked Vivian’s quest to make Aria wear booties when she’s indoors in her wolf form, to keep the wooden flooring from being irreparably ruined by claws. And there’s a wonderful wry streak running throughout via the Looks and commentary Vivian and her husband David share whenever something is especially weird – especially because the reader is, naturally, very much with them when it comes to magical people do WHAT?! moments. It’s one of the many ways Rozakis connects us to Vivian, because we’re absolutely sharing her wtf-ery – experiencing what she experiences, right in the moment, making us intensely sympathetic to her.

>Of course a siren would run an ad agency. It was probably restful, luring consumers to their doom instead of sailors. Less dead fish smell.<

This continues throughout, and I thought it was AMAZINGLY well done. For example: woven into the parenting-a-magical-child issues are the problems every parent faces, magical or mundane. When Vivian and David are discussing whether Aria should be given potions to help her control her shapeshifting, an editor could have replaced all mentions of ‘werewolf’ with ‘ADHD’, ‘potion’ with ‘adderall’, and the scene wouldn’t have altered a whit. Or then there’s the ongoing worry over whether Aria is making friends, and are they good friends, or is there bullying going on – the fact that two of the kids involved are mages doesn’t make it any different than if the situation were set in a normal human kindergarten. And I think this – this anchoring of the fantastical elements into the familiar-and-everyday – is part of the genius of the book; it bridges the gap between reader and fiction beautifully, brings us into the world alongside Vivian, because we know exactly how all of this feels, even if what we’ve gone through didn’t involve fireballs and demon-summoning (hopefully!)

It also creates a really fascinating effect that I’m not sure I’ve seen elsewhere: because the magic is channelled through these very familiar-to-us life experiences, the magic feels less wondrous, but doesn’t become banal. A fair bit of the book could have remained the same if Aria had gone to a school for the super wealthy, for example: the magic of TGGSPTA is in a lot of ways functionally identical to how the wealth/status/prestige would have worked in that scenario. Vivian would still have been an outsider, still blundering over rules no one would explain, still struggling to be accepted in this new community if the issue was money rather than magic.

This could have reduced the magic to set-dressing, nothing but an aesthetic, but I actually found that it made Vivian’s story feel much more real and immediate. I could believe in this community, that the parents around a school like Grimoire Grammar would be like this – sure, they can enchant a spilled drink back into the glass, or talk to ghosts, or turn clouds into vehicles, but they also gossip, worry themselves sick over how to get their kids into a good high school, and start drama in the groupchat. Their cavalier approach to magic helped make them all feel human (even the ones who aren’t!)

And that Vivan throws herself into mastering this new world she finds herself in – that she does so without going all starry-eyed to have found herself in a fantasy novel – that she sees it only in terms of how her comfort with magic will reflect well on Aria and help Aria’s uncertain position here – it’s so convincing! Because yes: would any (good) parent allow themselves to lose themselves in how strange/cool/epic this all is, when their kid’s welfare is at stake? No! No they wouldn’t! I could absolutely believe that Vivian would forget to feel wonder when she’s terrified any misstep will get Aria expelled or socially excluded! She has no TIME for that; she has to Get It Right, for Aria.

Which is extremely stressful. I just – I cannot overstate how sympathetic and believable Vivian is as a character. Even when she messes up big time – I thought she was very much in the wrong, but I could absolutely see how it happened. There’s a moment when Vivian is furious because two girls have done something pretty terrible to Aria, but the parents brush it off – and Vivian freezes. On the one hand, she should absolutely blow up at these awful people, protect her daughter; on the other hand, if she does so, what if these people completely cut her off and she loses the fragile inroads she’s made here? What if no one lets their kids play with Aria any more because her mom is rude/scary/a freak with a temper?

Folx, this is the first time in my LIFE I understood a parent not immediately blowing up in defense of their kid. I have the strictest parenting standards, you have no idea, and I’ve always been very unforgiving of parents who bow to social pressure when their kid needs them. But Rozakis made me get it. Please give her MANY points for being the first to manage to get this through my skull!

There’s something painfully ironic in the fact that Rozrkis made me understand it perfectly – but Vivian can’t explain it to David in a way that makes sense. Honestly, the way all of these stresses affect her and David’s relationship was also immensely believable, and I both loved their dynamic, and loved how carefully Rozakis handled what this situation could do to a marriage – even a strong and healthy one.

I also really appreciated the frank, undramatic approach to Vivian’s anxiety and guilt and trauma – turns out it’s actually pretty traumatic to see your daughter attacked by a werewolf, who would have guessed. Vivian is undergoing therapy! I am extremely impressed! I can’t remember the last time I saw an adult character attending therapy, and I love how it was normalised here.

That did make it extra jarring to see ‘schizophrenic’ used to describe a chaotic room – in all other respects, TGGSPTA is very inclusive and considerate; there’s a great amount of diversity among the secondary cast, especially. My fingers are crossed that the line is fixed in the final version of the book (I read an advanced reader copy, after all, changes can be made between that and the version published on release day).

But that is literally the only critique I have for this book! And you must admit that is a very small thing to critique! Everything else (so, virtually everything!) is PERFECT. Even the whole prophecy thing – I despise prophecy plotlines, but I was so happy with how this one played out in TGGSPTA! Just like I fell head over heels for Vivian, despite her being a person/character I would have thought would annoy me. But no: as I said at the start, I felt for her so much, and I fully credit that to Rozakis’ excellent character work, and whatever magic is in her writing that turned my empathy up to 11. And in-between playing my heart like a yo-yo, there was so much laughter here – the announcements from the school notification system at the start of every chapter had me in freaking STITCHES.

Giggles, all the Feels, delightful magic, fantastic characters – TGGSPTA has everything, and I loved it. I LOVED it.

You can be sure I’ll be grabbing a copy of Rozakis’ previous book next, and any others she writes in the future!

I was intrigued by the blurb of this novel and was delighted to have access to an eARC on NetGalley. It sounded like a fun and relatable context – as a mum myself, I have had my experiences with PTAs and parent cliques, and the synopsis promised this type of drama with a supernatural spin.
While I liked the storyline overall, I felt that some plot points were drawn out over too long a period of time, and there were at times gaps in the timeline where we were at a point several weeks later, yet what was happening felt like it wouldn’t have waited that long naturally.

Also, in a world divided into the magical and the mundane, there would naturally be some similarities to that wizarding series I will not name, but the book made direct comparisons (without ever explicitly naming the series or its main character), which I found unnecessary and of which anyone avoiding that particular series due to its author’s problematic views should be aware.

I absolutely had a hoot when I read Dreadful and so when I saw that this book was coming out, I had to read it too. And I must say I found it just as fun, cozy, lighthearted, and entertaining! It would be really tough to move to a new town, with very different traditions and views (not to mention species, and magic!) after the horrible incident when a rogue werewolf attacks your child and turns them. But I admire Vivian and Daniel for doing so, especially when the new school ends up with some crazy testing, a ancient prophecy might be coming to pass involving Aria, and yet there is still the clique of parents to try to get to know, and lots of cattiness, as well as the odd rock thrown through windows and the stress of getting some very interesting school supplies for kindergarteners. It was a wonderful story where good wins, Vivian, Daniel, and Aria learn a new way of life, and make the right kinds of friends, plus learn a bit of magic themselves. I loved the school announcements at the beginning of the chapters and how sometimes you don't need magic to save the day (or at least the financial accounts!)

Lots of laughs, touching moments, important learning moments (like not everything is your fault!) and a wonderfully fun story to read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to get lost in this charming tale and I will definitely be looking out for more books that this author writes!

Was this bad? Probably not, but it differed quite a lot from my expectations, and ultimately was not for me. I genuinely empathize with parents' struggles to raise their kids and navigate school politics, but it doesn't typically interest me to read about. I hoped the focus would be more on the fantasy element, which did intrigue me and I thought the world building was fun. I also hoped this book would be funnier, as I found it pretty tense for the most part. Maybe the humour just didn't really land for me.

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis is a funny, raw and incredibly heartfelt read.

Vivian Tanaka, our main protagonist, is dealing with a lot. Having recently moved house she’s not only coping with trying to fit into an entirely new town but also a magical one. You see Vivian’s daughter, Aria, is no ordinary five year old, she’s also a werewolf. We see Vivian struggle to make friends with other parents from Aria’s school, to understand her daughter’s werewolf abilities and needs, and we see her struggle to openly communicate with her husband, Daniel. Then there’s a prophecy that Vivian must uncover before it destroys her family.

Although this book is cosy and believe me there’s plenty of werewolf fun too, fundamentally this is also about Viv’s journey. This was an aspect I wasn’t expecting, to see the emotional turmoil of a mother just trying to do her best but having no idea what that was, well it was so poignant. Viv is essentially lonely, she can’t see that she deserves happiness and that she’s pushing people away. How many times have we ourselves been blinded to our own flaws or wrapped up in doubt? Rozakis shows that yes, even adults struggle to find their place, but with a little help, we can get there. 

If you put a prophecy in a book then I’m one happy reader because I love them. Rozakis uses the Reckoning prophecy here as the main narrative arc and as a way to show the history surrounding Veilport, the magical town where they live. Viv’s research into the prophecy uncovers a lot and it was so much fun discovering which parts of the prophecy was being played out and then trying to predict which part would happen next.

Grimoire Grammar School is a book I’m sure parents, carers and teachers will easily relate to and feel seen. Yet it’s also a tale about werewolves, sorcerers, cloud boats, grumbling ghosts and a prophecy of doom. Rozakis’ juxtaposition here of a very raw representation of a contemporary new mother and the array of bizarre magical elements was just fantastic!

I was actually really looking forward to reading my digital arc that I got through Netgalley. The cover sounds pretty, the story sounded funny and I loved the setting. However, it's quite clear that I'm not the target audience of this book. I'm single, my friends are single and the world of kindergarten is completely foreign to me. Since this book is mainly character driven you really need to feel a connection with these characters to be able to enjoy this book the fullest. I didn't have that connection and was quite sure I was not gonna get it. And maybe it's a good thing I'm not a parent. I'm only 22% in and yet there was so much that actually annoyed me. The lack of communication, the lack of agenda, the entitlement, the snobisme and then there's the supernatural chaos. I love universes where every storybook myth is somehow true, but I can imagine that for these parents things are insanely overwhelming. They also were for me.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people are gonna enjoy this book. I think, despite the supernatural elements, it's very relatable and realistic. There are a lot of funny elements and a lot of experiences straight out of real life. But, not out of my real life. So, I will move on to books fitting me as a person a little better.

3.5 STARS

I have mixed feelings toward this book. It’s not that I think that this is bad, because it is not. It is brilliant, it is fascinating, and it is also relatable. But still, while reading it, I wasn’t always so happy with it. I never thought about DNFing it, and I was always invested in the story and the characters, but I wasn’t really enjoying myself. (And I know that this is not making a ton of sense, but still… it is what it is).

The idea is brilliant, and the mix of magical and mundane is wonderfully done. I loved to see the email at the beginning of each chapter, and I enjoyed the messages that we read here and there. I love this mix of styles, and they nail the magic/mundane mix perfectly.
And I find that Viv’s struggles are so relatable, even if I am not a mother. But following her around felt so exhausting. And I think that the author did a great job, because the portrait she made is quite accurate. The struggle to be a good parent, to choose what is best for your children, the loneliness, and the sense of isolation, the problems between Viv and Daniel, all felt real, and it was just so easy to relate.
But at the same time, we get to explore a fascinating world, full of magical creatures, and it was nice. This is a world I would love to visit, that’s for sure!

We also have a good balance between a plot that moves along nicely, relatable characters, and some really cool magic. And to be honest, I can’t really say what didn’t work so well for me. Sure, some things didn’t make a lot of sense to me like the fact that they are so against the idea of letting Aria spend time with the pack. I mean, I get why they fear it and why they are not happy, but it is the most logical solution, and since they are really trying everything they can to make things easier for Aria, this refusal puzzled me a lot. . And sometimes I wasn’t Daniel’s biggest fan, but I think that this has more to do with the fact that we follow Viv’s POV than anything else, so this wasn’t really a big thing. And yet, even if I think that the book has a brilliant idea and even if I was invested in the story and the characters, still, something didn’t work perfectly well.
I don’t think this book will stay with me for a long time, and even if all the characters are relatable and real, I was invested in them and all that, I didn’t love them. Not one of them has taken a piece of my heart, if I can say so.

But if you are curious about this one, I still recommend it, because even if I didn’t fall in love with it, I think that is a solid book, and the idea is brilliant!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC for review, this was my first by this author, but I will be looking up her first one. This is billed as cosy fantasy but it’s so much more. If you ever wondered if magic schools had anything in common with ‘mundane’ ones, well now you know. All the parent politics, cliques, trauma and tantrums of kindergarten are here, with the added bonus of an ‘end of the world’ prophecy to boot. Great relatable characters and wonderful storytelling. Hope there’s more to come…

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis is a sharp, heartfelt, and often hilarious twist on the magic school genre, told from the rare but refreshing perspective of the parents. When Vivian and Daniel’s young daughter Aria is bitten by a werewolf and must enroll in a magical school, the entire family is thrust into a hidden world they never expected and must learn to navigate its complexities together.

Rozakis excels at blending cozy fantasy elements with grounded, real-world struggles. The book sensitively explores themes of parenting, marriage strain, identity, and community, all while building a richly detailed magical setting filled with unicorns, elixirs, and absurdly funny school announcements (the PTA is truly its own kind of chaos). The epigraphs and magical parent group chats are highlights, adding depth and levity in equal measure.

While there are heavier themes, including bullying and the trauma of sudden life changes, we never lose that overall warmth! Vivian’s inner monologue is both sharply observant and deeply relatable, offering laugh-out-loud moments even in the midst of magical mayhem. Fans of fantasy who appreciate character-driven stories and subtle social commentary will find much to enjoy here.

This is a story not just about magic, but about adjusting, growing, and learning to ask for help. Highly recommended for readers looking for a cozy fantasy with a bit of bite, witty writing, and a fresh lens on what it means to raise a child, especially when the world suddenly turns upside down.

Clever and full of heart, this book is a riot. Mother to a newly turned werewolf, Vivian is just trying to fit in to her new supernatural community.

I was completely enthralled by this story of mundane meets magical, and finished it desperate to throw myself in front of any passing wolves in the hope that I took could join the supernatural world.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A truly fantastic read! I loved dreadful and I didn’t think anything could top it but this might just have! The family dynamics, the marriage dynamics, the unreliable narrator and the warring emotions, the presence of things the characters would rather forget- it was all handled so well! The humour was brilliant and the absurd truly thrived in this one- hell hounds getting distracted by chocolate squares? Lovecraft?? I had to laugh! I truly enjoyed every moment of this story and I’m already itching for the next one from Rozakis! I loved how all the different kinds of relationships were explored, the resentment and parallel affection, the universal struggles of motherhood. I loved that she didn’t shy away from ugly, uncomfortable conversations and wasn’t shy about making Viv unlikeable at moments where she is kind of being a cow because she was frustrated etc. and allowing space for that without completely tearing her character down or making it inconsistently jarring was fab!!! There’s something so comforting about Rozakis’s writing and I will come back every single time for more. I adored every second of this! The chapters are super long, though 😭

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.