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.
I read an e-ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
