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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Grimoire Grammar School Parent-Teacher Association, by Caitlin Rozakis. Read for the Cozy SFF square of the r/fantasy Bingo challenge. Hard mode: an author you haven't read before? Check! (I previously had John Wiswell's Someone You Can Build a Nest In, Nebula winner and Hugo nominee, but Rozakis is replacing Wiswell for straight-up being better.)
An attack by a stranger on a hiking path leaves Viv and Daniel's five-year-old with life-altering injuries and forces them to put her into a very exclusive, very expensive school for children with particular educational needs. Which wouldn't sound very cosy fantasy, except that the injury was a werewolf bite, little Aria is now switching between cute rambunctious munchkin to cute rambunctious puppy and the special school is for the tots and tykes of wizards, cryptids and faeries. Abruptly dropped into this supernatural milieu, Viv struggles to help Aria fit in with her new classmates, which naturally means Viv has to fit in with the queen bees and wine moms of the PTA. Her efforts are hampered by some extremely high-stakes testing and a prophecy about an unwanted newcomer which sounds suspiciously like it might be about their kid.
There's a lot to enjoy in the quirky Hogwarts-esque magical world - and it does know it's Hogwarts-esque, there are a lot of shout-outs - and the sprawling cast of similarly quirky side characters. However, things do get grimmer than most cosy fantasy in the second act, or perhaps it's just has more of an impact for being more grounded grimness - financial pressure, kid getting bullied, marital breakdown. That's why I've labelled it as tense rather than lighthearted! As a result, though, it's more satisfying when Viv is able to pull it together. (She pulls it together. That's not a spoiler. It says cozy fantasy right there on the book.) One thing that is a spoiler, though: I do like when prophecies turn out to be cynical bullshit from manipulators, and I really haven't seen it happen enough.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Being a parent is hard, but imagine having to parent a werewolf when you are just a normal human. This book did a marvelous job of showing how hard it is to parent and deal with other parents in a very competitive school. It was done with quite a bit of humor and with characters that you will love and admire.
Vivian is the mother of a very cute kindergartener, who also happens to be a werewolf. She and her husband are thrown into a world that they never knew existed. They now not only have to navigate parenthood, but a whole new set of problems and anxieties as well. I just adored Vivian and Ben and their cute little girl Aria. It was a lot of fun watching them navigate this strange new world and meeting all of their new neighbors. I loved them all.
It took a little bit for me to get into the story, but once I did I found myself totally engrossed in the story. I could so relate to Vivian and her struggles to fit in. Figuring out what was going on with the prophecy was a lot of fun too. I loved all of the humor involved as well. This is a very different kind of magical school story, but one well worth reading, especially if you are a parent. Lots of jibes about parenting and the educational system that had me smiling.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was...not quite delightful as there are some painful emotions on exhibit, but a "magical school" novel unlike every other I have read.
It doesn't center around the child--in this case, a kindergartener age, unintentionally made, werewolf--but the troubles of the mundane parents adjusting to a new world of magic and shapeshifters mixed in with the normal drama and politics of a PTA. It could almost be a sitcom, with the stereotypical "mean girls"...as adults.
Vivian's goals are simple; gain acceptance into rhe community, audit the PTA's books, and there's a little matter of a prophecy to deal with.
I highly recommend, although it may be triggering for some people, and I suspect parts will be familiar to parents. Just to reassure you, it does have a happy ending, and is LGBT friendly.
The shade thrown at "the-magical-boy-who-must-not-be-named" is somewhat delightful.
Pair with boxed wine and....I really don't know what music. Probably contemporary Celtic instrumental, but I struggled to find some which hit the spot for me.
It doesn't center around the child--in this case, a kindergartener age, unintentionally made, werewolf--but the troubles of the mundane parents adjusting to a new world of magic and shapeshifters mixed in with the normal drama and politics of a PTA. It could almost be a sitcom, with the stereotypical "mean girls"...as adults.
Vivian's goals are simple; gain acceptance into rhe community, audit the PTA's books, and there's a little matter of a prophecy to deal with.
I highly recommend, although it may be triggering for some people, and I suspect parts will be familiar to parents. Just to reassure you, it does have a happy ending, and is LGBT friendly.
The shade thrown at "the-magical-boy-who-must-not-be-named" is somewhat delightful.
Pair with boxed wine and....I really don't know what music. Probably contemporary Celtic instrumental, but I struggled to find some which hit the spot for me.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes