What do you think?
Rate this book
Class Mom #1
Class Mom
Jen Dixon is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom - or mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different (probably) musicians, and it's her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max - this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA president sees her as the "wisest" candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree.
From recording parents' response times to her emails about helping in the classroom to requesting contributions of "special" brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen's methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen's past, a hypersensitive "allergy mom", a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife wannabe causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.
From recording parents' response times to her emails about helping in the classroom to requesting contributions of "special" brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen's methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen's past, a hypersensitive "allergy mom", a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife wannabe causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.
Audiobook
First published August 1, 2017
1819 people are currently reading
26192 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Gelman
5 books1,384 followersLaurie Gelman was born and raised in the Great White North. She spent twenty-five years as a broadcaster in both Canada and the United States before trying her hand at writing novels. Laurie lives in New York City with her husband, Michael Gelman, and two teenage daughters. Class Mom is her first book.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,048 reviews
September 1, 2017
I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars, so I'll round up.
Jen Dixon is on her second go-round as class mother. After finishing her "wild" phase in the 1990s, where two musicians (probably) fathered her two daughters, she returned home to raise them in her Kansas hometown with help from her parents.
She was class mom during that time for seven years in a row, and while working to make ends meet, she met Ron, who would become her husband, and the father of her young son, Max. (Or as Jen puts it, "I met the man who would become Baby Daddy #3 and Husband #1, Ron Dixon. By the way, I still have had only one husband.")
With Max in kindergarten, Jen agrees to serve as his class mom as a favor to her best friend Nina, who is president of the PTA. But she's determined to do things her way this time, and call things as she sees them. No kind, gentle, sweet communication from Jen—she's the kind of person who goes through life saying and doing what she wants, and if you can't take a joke, that's your problem, not hers.
Beyond the occasional racial slur (she didn't mean it) or the request for bribes for prime parent-teacher conference time slots, Jen wants her fellow parents (most of whom are significantly younger than she is) to understand that she doesn't take her responsibilities or herself too seriously. But some parents apparently get agitated with emails like:
"September 27th (aka curriculum night) is fast upon us. It's my favorite night of the year, because it answers burning questions such as, 'Who has the hottest husband?' and 'Who spent a little too much money at the ice cream truck this summer?' Plus, I want everyone to think that Miss Ward's class is the place where people PAR-TAY!"
Jen had thought that being class mom would allow her to coast through the school year, but there's a lot more to it than assuaging the fears of the mother whose child has a significant nut allergy, or dealing with the jealousy of those who wanted her job. Not only can't she figure out the sexier-than-she-should be teacher, who refuses to let the children celebrate "Hallmark holidays," but she is in the middle of a harmless flirtation with her high school crush, who is the dad of one of Max's classmates, and she has to endure the requests of a rich-girl mom and her wannabe best friend.
And if that's not all, Jen is in the middle of training for a mud run (something she never would have imagined herself saying, let alone doing), trying to help both of her daughters negotiate romantic relationships, and is coaxed into trying to figure out what the deal is with the one mother who no one has ever seen. Why did she agree to doing this again, anyway?
I'll admit, I'm always a little dubious when I hear about books which are supposed to be "hysterically funny." My sense of humor tends to hew more to the sarcastic than the slapstick, and quite often I find myself chuckling when so many other people said they were laughing out loud. But I really enjoyed Class Mom . It was funny, and it was a fast, fun read.
I tend to be one of those people who has trouble remembering to make sure my filter is working before I speak, so Jen really appealed to me as a character. Sure, there were times where I thought maybe she was a little bit much, and it was a wonder anyone in her life wanted to talk to her, but I'm a fan of the tell-it-like-it-is type of people. I don't have kids so I don't know if the things she said and did would actually fly in a real school, but that's the thing about fiction—it isn't reality, so you can't get hung up on what might really happen.
The book doesn't break new literary ground, but it doesn't try to. Laurie Gelman did a great job hooking me from the start and really getting me invested in what was going on, even if I had a feeling about most of what would happen. Sometimes it's great to have a book that's just designed to make you chuckle (at the very least) and wonder if you'd say the things Jen did if you had the chance. If that sounds like the book for you, pick up Class Mom .
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Jen Dixon is on her second go-round as class mother. After finishing her "wild" phase in the 1990s, where two musicians (probably) fathered her two daughters, she returned home to raise them in her Kansas hometown with help from her parents.
She was class mom during that time for seven years in a row, and while working to make ends meet, she met Ron, who would become her husband, and the father of her young son, Max. (Or as Jen puts it, "I met the man who would become Baby Daddy #3 and Husband #1, Ron Dixon. By the way, I still have had only one husband.")
With Max in kindergarten, Jen agrees to serve as his class mom as a favor to her best friend Nina, who is president of the PTA. But she's determined to do things her way this time, and call things as she sees them. No kind, gentle, sweet communication from Jen—she's the kind of person who goes through life saying and doing what she wants, and if you can't take a joke, that's your problem, not hers.
Beyond the occasional racial slur (she didn't mean it) or the request for bribes for prime parent-teacher conference time slots, Jen wants her fellow parents (most of whom are significantly younger than she is) to understand that she doesn't take her responsibilities or herself too seriously. But some parents apparently get agitated with emails like:
"September 27th (aka curriculum night) is fast upon us. It's my favorite night of the year, because it answers burning questions such as, 'Who has the hottest husband?' and 'Who spent a little too much money at the ice cream truck this summer?' Plus, I want everyone to think that Miss Ward's class is the place where people PAR-TAY!"
Jen had thought that being class mom would allow her to coast through the school year, but there's a lot more to it than assuaging the fears of the mother whose child has a significant nut allergy, or dealing with the jealousy of those who wanted her job. Not only can't she figure out the sexier-than-she-should be teacher, who refuses to let the children celebrate "Hallmark holidays," but she is in the middle of a harmless flirtation with her high school crush, who is the dad of one of Max's classmates, and she has to endure the requests of a rich-girl mom and her wannabe best friend.
And if that's not all, Jen is in the middle of training for a mud run (something she never would have imagined herself saying, let alone doing), trying to help both of her daughters negotiate romantic relationships, and is coaxed into trying to figure out what the deal is with the one mother who no one has ever seen. Why did she agree to doing this again, anyway?
I'll admit, I'm always a little dubious when I hear about books which are supposed to be "hysterically funny." My sense of humor tends to hew more to the sarcastic than the slapstick, and quite often I find myself chuckling when so many other people said they were laughing out loud. But I really enjoyed Class Mom . It was funny, and it was a fast, fun read.
I tend to be one of those people who has trouble remembering to make sure my filter is working before I speak, so Jen really appealed to me as a character. Sure, there were times where I thought maybe she was a little bit much, and it was a wonder anyone in her life wanted to talk to her, but I'm a fan of the tell-it-like-it-is type of people. I don't have kids so I don't know if the things she said and did would actually fly in a real school, but that's the thing about fiction—it isn't reality, so you can't get hung up on what might really happen.
The book doesn't break new literary ground, but it doesn't try to. Laurie Gelman did a great job hooking me from the start and really getting me invested in what was going on, even if I had a feeling about most of what would happen. Sometimes it's great to have a book that's just designed to make you chuckle (at the very least) and wonder if you'd say the things Jen did if you had the chance. If that sounds like the book for you, pick up Class Mom .
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
August 3, 2017
This is an absolutely hilarious, snarky take on school politics and the responsibilities of becoming class mom - and I enjoyed every moment!
Jen is an older, "wiser" mom who's already been there and done that with her two older daughters. But when her best friend, who happens to be the PTA president, asks her to become the class mom for her youngest child's kindergarten class, she reluctantly agrees. And her take on how to handle the job is laugh out loud funny.
I think the number one reason the snark worked so well in this book is because it wasn't mean spirited - it was just over the top funny (for those characters who had a sense of humor). I love the fresh, modern approach this book uses, and I appreciated the diversity the author included as well.
As a mom to two small children, I enjoyed this one immensely as I'm currently in the same stage of life as our main character, Jen. I recommend this laugh out loud book to those who have experienced/are experiencing being a parents of a school age child, and are looking for a fun read!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and he publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jen is an older, "wiser" mom who's already been there and done that with her two older daughters. But when her best friend, who happens to be the PTA president, asks her to become the class mom for her youngest child's kindergarten class, she reluctantly agrees. And her take on how to handle the job is laugh out loud funny.
I think the number one reason the snark worked so well in this book is because it wasn't mean spirited - it was just over the top funny (for those characters who had a sense of humor). I love the fresh, modern approach this book uses, and I appreciated the diversity the author included as well.
As a mom to two small children, I enjoyed this one immensely as I'm currently in the same stage of life as our main character, Jen. I recommend this laugh out loud book to those who have experienced/are experiencing being a parents of a school age child, and are looking for a fun read!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and he publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2017
Laugh Out Loud Funny!!!
Class Mom by Laurie Gelman is a hilarious, entertaining, and refreshing read! I didn't want to put this book down - I was laughing from beginning to end!
Jen Dixon has 2 daughters in college, fathered by rock stars from her wild and crazy days, and a son who is starting kindergarten, who she had with her husband, Ron. Jen has been asked to be "Class Mom" for her son Max's kindergarten class, this isn't her first time having this coveted title, but she sure would rather be doing something else. Does Jen take the duties of "Class Mom" seriously? I'm not too sure about that - you decide! She knows most of the moms with kids in the class are new to the school system, to break the ice and lighten everyone up, she decides to make all her emails witty, sarcastic, and full of humor. After all, it's not high school. BUT, some parents just can't take a joke! Really!? Can Jen win over all the young moms by the end of the school year? Jen definitely says what we are all thinking - she doesn't hold back with these drama-filled moms.
Class Mom shows us the struggles of being a mom, growing older, class mom duties, forgotten crushes, and friendship. I found the moms in this book to be very accurate to the moms I've encountered in the school pickup lines. If you are looking for a fun, hilarious, and entertaining read then this is the book for you! Highly Recommend.
*I want to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC.
Class Mom by Laurie Gelman is a hilarious, entertaining, and refreshing read! I didn't want to put this book down - I was laughing from beginning to end!
Jen Dixon has 2 daughters in college, fathered by rock stars from her wild and crazy days, and a son who is starting kindergarten, who she had with her husband, Ron. Jen has been asked to be "Class Mom" for her son Max's kindergarten class, this isn't her first time having this coveted title, but she sure would rather be doing something else. Does Jen take the duties of "Class Mom" seriously? I'm not too sure about that - you decide! She knows most of the moms with kids in the class are new to the school system, to break the ice and lighten everyone up, she decides to make all her emails witty, sarcastic, and full of humor. After all, it's not high school. BUT, some parents just can't take a joke! Really!? Can Jen win over all the young moms by the end of the school year? Jen definitely says what we are all thinking - she doesn't hold back with these drama-filled moms.
Class Mom shows us the struggles of being a mom, growing older, class mom duties, forgotten crushes, and friendship. I found the moms in this book to be very accurate to the moms I've encountered in the school pickup lines. If you are looking for a fun, hilarious, and entertaining read then this is the book for you! Highly Recommend.
*I want to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC.
January 4, 2018
This book fell into my lap when my friend texted me a picture of it at our library. The bright green “staff pick” sticker was placed at the top, so the title appeared to be ASS MOM. She texted me the picture and I asked her to grab it for me. Yay! Class Mom! The very next day the audio hold came up on Overdrive. Seemed meant to be, right? Ugh! Not so much.
This was too much. Way too much dialog, too many silly nicknames, too many cheesy jokes, too many outdated references, stereotypes and cliches. I didn’t care for the writing style and felt it was trying too hard to be funny. I grew tired of phrases like “punched in the boob” and “getting a box lunch” or referring to Karen Carpenter as “the famous anorexic.” Seriously?! I could go on and on. I also found the characterization of the allergy mom particularly insensitive.
This one didn’t work for me. Adding the audio may have upped the annoyance factor significantly.
1.5 stars
This was too much. Way too much dialog, too many silly nicknames, too many cheesy jokes, too many outdated references, stereotypes and cliches. I didn’t care for the writing style and felt it was trying too hard to be funny. I grew tired of phrases like “punched in the boob” and “getting a box lunch” or referring to Karen Carpenter as “the famous anorexic.” Seriously?! I could go on and on. I also found the characterization of the allergy mom particularly insensitive.
This one didn’t work for me. Adding the audio may have upped the annoyance factor significantly.
1.5 stars
July 11, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“When did peanut butter become the grade-school equivalent of anthrax?”
Meet Jen . . . .
“At the ripe old age of forty-six, I have two girls in college and one boy starting kindergarten. And I’m the oldest mom in the grade. Oh sorry, the wisest.”
This is her second round of class mom duties, but the first time having a husband in the equation. You see, back in the day Jen spent her time uhhhhh traveling . . . .
Her oldest’s father may or may not have been Michael Hutchence of INXS fame (God rest his soul) and her second daughter’s father was definitely a roadie. But Jen is older and (as referenced above) wiser now, she’s a stay-at-home mom to little Max and is married to the love of her life Ron. Class Mom follows Jen’s antics during Max’s first year of school and her (hopefully) final year of being the class mom.
Let me first put a warning out there that this book is DEFINITELY not for everyone – because the main character????
The weirdest thing is this Jen is what I wanted People I Want To Punch In The Throat’s Jen to be like and what a strange little coinky-dink that this book takes place in my (well really Kemper’s) neck of the woods (but I have to associate with people from that side of the ‘burbs constantly due to kids’ baseball and they are JUST LIKE THESE WOMEN). Lululemon (or LaRoe, depending on budget) mommies who think that their Little Billy is the Best Little Billy Who Ever Billied and make you question your decision to ever let someone rent out your uterus since you’re now forced to interact with awfulness for 18 years. Jen says everything I wish I would say and, for the most part, I found her to be the most delightful kind of asshole. Spoilerish opinions ahead: The only things I really couldn’t get on board with was the flirty-text relationship with her former high school crush turned current fellow parent. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t approve of that behavior. I also could have lived without the big “life goal” being to complete a mudder because seriously????
But other than those minor quips, this thing is worthy of 4 Stars while you discover along with Jen that . . . .
“The grass is always greener over the septic tank.” - Erma Bombeck
Not only did this have me literally LOLing, but from what I can see of the author’s profile, she’s not from here but boy oh boy did she nail this portion of flyover country. And all the references to local places!!! I was fully prepared to chew my own arm off if she mentioned Garozzo’s one more time because . . . . .
*insert Homer Simpson drool noises*
But luckily I remembered the grocery store has the hook-up so I won’t even have to put on my Thanksgiving Pants in order to pig out . . . . .
The only thing she got wrong? Minsky’s pizza is pretty much the equivalent of Pizza Hut to me at this point since there’s one on every corner. She could have least given a shout out to Da Bronx or better yet, my personal fave Tim’s Pizza! Home of the Ballpark Pizza – polish sausage and sauerkraut. Don’t knock it ‘til you tried it : )
“When did peanut butter become the grade-school equivalent of anthrax?”
Meet Jen . . . .
“At the ripe old age of forty-six, I have two girls in college and one boy starting kindergarten. And I’m the oldest mom in the grade. Oh sorry, the wisest.”
This is her second round of class mom duties, but the first time having a husband in the equation. You see, back in the day Jen spent her time uhhhhh traveling . . . .
Her oldest’s father may or may not have been Michael Hutchence of INXS fame (God rest his soul) and her second daughter’s father was definitely a roadie. But Jen is older and (as referenced above) wiser now, she’s a stay-at-home mom to little Max and is married to the love of her life Ron. Class Mom follows Jen’s antics during Max’s first year of school and her (hopefully) final year of being the class mom.
Let me first put a warning out there that this book is DEFINITELY not for everyone – because the main character????
The weirdest thing is this Jen is what I wanted People I Want To Punch In The Throat’s Jen to be like and what a strange little coinky-dink that this book takes place in my (well really Kemper’s) neck of the woods (but I have to associate with people from that side of the ‘burbs constantly due to kids’ baseball and they are JUST LIKE THESE WOMEN). Lululemon (or LaRoe, depending on budget) mommies who think that their Little Billy is the Best Little Billy Who Ever Billied and make you question your decision to ever let someone rent out your uterus since you’re now forced to interact with awfulness for 18 years. Jen says everything I wish I would say and, for the most part, I found her to be the most delightful kind of asshole. Spoilerish opinions ahead: The only things I really couldn’t get on board with was the flirty-text relationship with her former high school crush turned current fellow parent. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t approve of that behavior. I also could have lived without the big “life goal” being to complete a mudder because seriously????
But other than those minor quips, this thing is worthy of 4 Stars while you discover along with Jen that . . . .
“The grass is always greener over the septic tank.” - Erma Bombeck
Not only did this have me literally LOLing, but from what I can see of the author’s profile, she’s not from here but boy oh boy did she nail this portion of flyover country. And all the references to local places!!! I was fully prepared to chew my own arm off if she mentioned Garozzo’s one more time because . . . . .
*insert Homer Simpson drool noises*
But luckily I remembered the grocery store has the hook-up so I won’t even have to put on my Thanksgiving Pants in order to pig out . . . . .
The only thing she got wrong? Minsky’s pizza is pretty much the equivalent of Pizza Hut to me at this point since there’s one on every corner. She could have least given a shout out to Da Bronx or better yet, my personal fave Tim’s Pizza! Home of the Ballpark Pizza – polish sausage and sauerkraut. Don’t knock it ‘til you tried it : )
August 1, 2017
By the time I had a chance to pick this book up to read it, I was ready for a nice, light read. Class Mom definitely delivered and kept me laughing out loud the entire time I was reading it. Laurie Gelman’s writing is witty and spot on as she tackles the politics of being a class parent in elementary school. As I read the emails the main character Jen sends out to her kindergarten class, I was wishing that my years of room momdom were not over because I would love to have taken some tips from her notes to use in my emails to the class. Jen’s tactics to require participation included logging response times and calling out those individuals who always feel entitled to special consideration; no topic was safe from her sarcasm (however she was not mean-spirited which saved the book). Gelman creates a unique, hilarious novel with authentic characters that can be found at any elementary school you enter. I also enjoyed the fact that several issues were not wrapped up until the end with surprising resolutions (which I always love). July was the perfect time of year to read this book as summer begins to wrap up, and school looms on the horizon. I highly recommend Class Mom if you need a good laugh. Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2019
Blah, blah, blah not funny. Class mom trying to be cool by making fun of everyone. Book definitely not for me.
July 12, 2017
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I love hearing stories about snarky moms, especially ones that have to deal with classroom settings because I am the mother of a kindergartner-going-into-first-grader and I do not have the mental wherewithal to deal with the politics and such that go along with the PTA and its members. Jennifer sounded like she was going to be a blast because her humor sounded like it would be my cup of tea, especially when going up against the other moms such as those described in the summary.
One of the main reasons I'm rating this 3 stars is that I thought there was a problem with balance in Jennifer and her personality. I definitely appreciated and laughed at her emails in the beginning, emails to the other parents in her son Max's class that called them out on response times, volunteer excursions, etc., but the amount of snark and sass felt like it was crammed into the first half of the novel with a severe drop in the second half. This isn't to say that there was none, but I definitely felt the difference and being inundated at the beginning with something of a drought at the end made the book suffer for me.
Another of the reasons is something of the racist comments that Jennifer makes. Very early on in the book she makes a comment in an email to the class parents about one of the parents' people's "need for power". This instance gets called out later on, thankfully, but both the parent in question and is in fact one of the reasons that Jennifer temporarily loses her job as class mom. While she does apologize to Asami, I'm not sure how sincere it was because when she was confronted by the principal she was very vehement about it being a joke.
There are also other occasions when Jennifer makes a comment about "going native": once in regard to her friend Nina, who I think was African-American, saying she was going to take her afro "native" and another time when Jennifer herself was talking about her personal female grooming and how it had "gone native" down there. In opposition to the comment she made regarding Asami, these are never addressed on the page and made it feel like they were being condoned, since Jennifer was never caught using them.
Jennifer's character become a bit more problematic for me when she was making horrible comments (again, never confronted because she "luckily" never said them aloud) about a couple of the parents: the wife she viewed as not attractive while the husband was a "total hunk". This coupling didn't fit in with her view and she made snide internal comments about how "hot goes with hot, average goes with average", how the wife must have money for it to be possible, and how she is determined to find proof that the husband married her for a green card. These moments gave me serious WTF vibes.
If it weren't for these moments, I think I would've liked the book a bit more. Unbalanced humor aside, the characters were tabloid types that you might expect to see in chick lit. I liked Jennifer's husband, Ron, and his bonding with his son. While I could see him trying really hard to get Max into sports and things that he liked, he never got super strict and demanded that his son like these things. He tried a lot and found things they could enjoy together, rather than forcing him into something Max would resent him for later on.
Now that the school year is over for Jennifer and Max is going on to the first grade, I have to wonder what next year's batch of emails to going to be like.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love hearing stories about snarky moms, especially ones that have to deal with classroom settings because I am the mother of a kindergartner-going-into-first-grader and I do not have the mental wherewithal to deal with the politics and such that go along with the PTA and its members. Jennifer sounded like she was going to be a blast because her humor sounded like it would be my cup of tea, especially when going up against the other moms such as those described in the summary.
One of the main reasons I'm rating this 3 stars is that I thought there was a problem with balance in Jennifer and her personality. I definitely appreciated and laughed at her emails in the beginning, emails to the other parents in her son Max's class that called them out on response times, volunteer excursions, etc., but the amount of snark and sass felt like it was crammed into the first half of the novel with a severe drop in the second half. This isn't to say that there was none, but I definitely felt the difference and being inundated at the beginning with something of a drought at the end made the book suffer for me.
Another of the reasons is something of the racist comments that Jennifer makes. Very early on in the book she makes a comment in an email to the class parents about one of the parents' people's "need for power". This instance gets called out later on, thankfully, but both the parent in question and is in fact one of the reasons that Jennifer temporarily loses her job as class mom. While she does apologize to Asami, I'm not sure how sincere it was because when she was confronted by the principal she was very vehement about it being a joke.
There are also other occasions when Jennifer makes a comment about "going native": once in regard to her friend Nina, who I think was African-American, saying she was going to take her afro "native" and another time when Jennifer herself was talking about her personal female grooming and how it had "gone native" down there. In opposition to the comment she made regarding Asami, these are never addressed on the page and made it feel like they were being condoned, since Jennifer was never caught using them.
Jennifer's character become a bit more problematic for me when she was making horrible comments (again, never confronted because she "luckily" never said them aloud) about a couple of the parents: the wife she viewed as not attractive while the husband was a "total hunk". This coupling didn't fit in with her view and she made snide internal comments about how "hot goes with hot, average goes with average", how the wife must have money for it to be possible, and how she is determined to find proof that the husband married her for a green card. These moments gave me serious WTF vibes.
If it weren't for these moments, I think I would've liked the book a bit more. Unbalanced humor aside, the characters were tabloid types that you might expect to see in chick lit. I liked Jennifer's husband, Ron, and his bonding with his son. While I could see him trying really hard to get Max into sports and things that he liked, he never got super strict and demanded that his son like these things. He tried a lot and found things they could enjoy together, rather than forcing him into something Max would resent him for later on.
Now that the school year is over for Jennifer and Max is going on to the first grade, I have to wonder what next year's batch of emails to going to be like.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2017
Class Mom
Laurie Gelman
CLASS MOM is going to have you giggling out loud and if you are like me, you will be snorting quite a few times as well. School politics was not this funny to me while I was dealing with it, but CLASS MOM really put a hysterical spin on how crazy some parents are and how much of a problem they can be when class mothers need them to volunteer.
Jen Dixon has two college aged daughters and now a kindergartener named Max. Jen is asked by her friend to be the class mother for Max's class and she reluctantly says yes. Some parents have a hard time with her jokes, which really makes her snarky sense of humor all that more funny. Jen is an older mom compared to the others and I could totally relate to that. I get so sick of telling people that my eleven year old is my daughter not my granddaughter! Anyway, Jen tries her hardest to win over the younger moms when all I really wanted to do was smack some of them.
If you are looking for a fun read then you have to pick up CLASS MOM by Laurie Gelman. The things that some parents say will have you snickering through out the book. I still can't believe this is a debut novel. It is really well written and you instantly become involved in all of the characters lives. I love when that happens. Jen being the older mom, thinks she knows exactly how the younger moms are going to react to her emails and most of the times she is spot on. She actually tries to encourage the parents to respond to her emails right away by offering them rewards and I couldn't help but cringe while laughing, reading them. The mom who always responds first is funny too but all she ever says is that she is out of the office. Every single time! I hope Laurie Gelman continues to write and keeps me laughing just like she did with CLASS MOM.
Laurie Gelman
CLASS MOM is going to have you giggling out loud and if you are like me, you will be snorting quite a few times as well. School politics was not this funny to me while I was dealing with it, but CLASS MOM really put a hysterical spin on how crazy some parents are and how much of a problem they can be when class mothers need them to volunteer.
Jen Dixon has two college aged daughters and now a kindergartener named Max. Jen is asked by her friend to be the class mother for Max's class and she reluctantly says yes. Some parents have a hard time with her jokes, which really makes her snarky sense of humor all that more funny. Jen is an older mom compared to the others and I could totally relate to that. I get so sick of telling people that my eleven year old is my daughter not my granddaughter! Anyway, Jen tries her hardest to win over the younger moms when all I really wanted to do was smack some of them.
If you are looking for a fun read then you have to pick up CLASS MOM by Laurie Gelman. The things that some parents say will have you snickering through out the book. I still can't believe this is a debut novel. It is really well written and you instantly become involved in all of the characters lives. I love when that happens. Jen being the older mom, thinks she knows exactly how the younger moms are going to react to her emails and most of the times she is spot on. She actually tries to encourage the parents to respond to her emails right away by offering them rewards and I couldn't help but cringe while laughing, reading them. The mom who always responds first is funny too but all she ever says is that she is out of the office. Every single time! I hope Laurie Gelman continues to write and keeps me laughing just like she did with CLASS MOM.
November 17, 2020
When my kids were in school I noticed a very important thing about the parents. Out of thirty kids there were only five parents who participated in everything, there were five more that would participate if forced and the other twenty avoided attending anything they weren't forced to attend.
Since I am, unfortunately, a joiner, I was very involved. So I saw the same four moms throughout the years, (even when it embarrassed my kids). We became great friends and still keep in communication. Our kids may not know each other anymore, but we still do.
In this book our heroine has finally decided to settle down. She married a great guy, and has a little boy. She also has two awesome daughters from her wilder days, but I digress. Since she kinda wants to become involved in her sons school she is instantly roped into the dreaded Class Mom. Now I like to become involved but I know to let others take the realms of power. Life is much less stressful for the peons. But this lesson was hard learned.
Our heroine tries to get others involved (she wants more than the other four moms) and uses her humor to grab interest.
This is a truly funny book that any mom who has been roped into class functions can identify with. (How many allergies can one small group of kids have anyway?)
Since I am, unfortunately, a joiner, I was very involved. So I saw the same four moms throughout the years, (even when it embarrassed my kids). We became great friends and still keep in communication. Our kids may not know each other anymore, but we still do.
In this book our heroine has finally decided to settle down. She married a great guy, and has a little boy. She also has two awesome daughters from her wilder days, but I digress. Since she kinda wants to become involved in her sons school she is instantly roped into the dreaded Class Mom. Now I like to become involved but I know to let others take the realms of power. Life is much less stressful for the peons. But this lesson was hard learned.
Our heroine tries to get others involved (she wants more than the other four moms) and uses her humor to grab interest.
This is a truly funny book that any mom who has been roped into class functions can identify with. (How many allergies can one small group of kids have anyway?)
June 14, 2019
This book was good, but it just felt like not much happened. There wasn't really any plot to speak of, the characters were mostly meh, and I've already forgotten most of this *checks watch* 16 hours after I finished it. There was so much potential for these characters to stand out, especially due to the lack of plot, but they just didn't. Apparently, there's a sequel, but I honestly don't know what could happen in that one, unless it's more of the same but her kid is older.
November 6, 2017
This character is like the bad comedian who berates the audience for being too pc and humorless to appreciate "edgy" jokes. Sorry dude, I laugh at everything, I just don't find your internalized misogyny hilarious. But it was super cool to give your character a black friend so you could complain about how unfair it is that white ladies can't make racist jokes about Asians.
February 28, 2018
“Threats and bribes are the only two ways I know how to parent.” 😆🙋🏼♀️
This is what I was hoping for - an easy, fun little palate cleanser. It took a minute to warm to Jen, but once I did, I realized we have similar personalities (not the promiscuous 20s, but the momming and general attitude). You can’t take much of what she says seriously, but you know she means well.
This is what I was hoping for - an easy, fun little palate cleanser. It took a minute to warm to Jen, but once I did, I realized we have similar personalities (not the promiscuous 20s, but the momming and general attitude). You can’t take much of what she says seriously, but you know she means well.
September 15, 2017
After like the third or fourth racist bit in the book in under 60 pages, I deleted it from my Kindle. Basic white woman trash writing. Did not finish.
July 15, 2017
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Women's Fiction. Chick Lit. Humor.
Oh my gooooosssshhhhh!!!!! This book is wacky, over the top, and funny as hell! I have been crying/laughing for the past few hours reading this book and I couldn't get enough of it! Laurie Gelman better be writing a follow up to this one because if she doesn't I will cry forever! Like, the ugliest of all ugly cries. You know, total snottage, weirdly shaped face kind of cry. It's just to freakin perfect to stand on it's own. I mean this will all sincerity too.
The heroine/mom who is the main focus of this story reminds me of Katy Mixon (aka Katie Otto) from American Housewife (that hilarious tv show on NBC). She has the most insane sense of humor- the kind that will make grown women go cry in the corner- and is so endearing that I want to be her.
In a nutshell, this story is about a class mom named Jen who would really rather be doing anything BUT her duties to the classroom. But she slaves away to the minions anyway because her son Max and her BFF Nina want her to do it. But does she take these duties seriously? Awwweeee hell no! She writes the most idiotic and hilarious emails to the other mothers in the class (although in her defense, even if they can be asinine and slightly offensive she gets the job done) that would make anyone cringe.
On top of this, she is a happily married momma, even when she is going through her midlife crisis, is training for a mud run, and secretly flirting with a man from her past... Don't worry, there is no cheating but the way everything turns out if so funny I almost peed!
With that, Class Mom is a story that will take readers through the journey with Jen as she struggles with motherhood, class duties, and aging. There are other great characters besides Jen (I loved her husband and Max) but the story is mainly focused on her.
If your looking for a book that will make you laugh, I highly recommend giving Class Mom a try. I am telling you, this book is ahhhmaaazzzinnnnggg. It's so much fun to read, have some of the best characters around, and is written to perfection!
Genre: Women's Fiction. Chick Lit. Humor.
Oh my gooooosssshhhhh!!!!! This book is wacky, over the top, and funny as hell! I have been crying/laughing for the past few hours reading this book and I couldn't get enough of it! Laurie Gelman better be writing a follow up to this one because if she doesn't I will cry forever! Like, the ugliest of all ugly cries. You know, total snottage, weirdly shaped face kind of cry. It's just to freakin perfect to stand on it's own. I mean this will all sincerity too.
The heroine/mom who is the main focus of this story reminds me of Katy Mixon (aka Katie Otto) from American Housewife (that hilarious tv show on NBC). She has the most insane sense of humor- the kind that will make grown women go cry in the corner- and is so endearing that I want to be her.
In a nutshell, this story is about a class mom named Jen who would really rather be doing anything BUT her duties to the classroom. But she slaves away to the minions anyway because her son Max and her BFF Nina want her to do it. But does she take these duties seriously? Awwweeee hell no! She writes the most idiotic and hilarious emails to the other mothers in the class (although in her defense, even if they can be asinine and slightly offensive she gets the job done) that would make anyone cringe.
On top of this, she is a happily married momma, even when she is going through her midlife crisis, is training for a mud run, and secretly flirting with a man from her past... Don't worry, there is no cheating but the way everything turns out if so funny I almost peed!
With that, Class Mom is a story that will take readers through the journey with Jen as she struggles with motherhood, class duties, and aging. There are other great characters besides Jen (I loved her husband and Max) but the story is mainly focused on her.
If your looking for a book that will make you laugh, I highly recommend giving Class Mom a try. I am telling you, this book is ahhhmaaazzzinnnnggg. It's so much fun to read, have some of the best characters around, and is written to perfection!
February 14, 2018
“Just because they think you’re crazy it doesn’t mean you’re nuts. Put that on my gravestone.”
Lots of books claim to be funny and they are not. This book is funny. It is so funny. I was never bored and only vaguely annoyed at a few things but it mostly made me happy to be listening to it. This won’t be much of a review because I just enjoyed it. I didn’t take any notes and there isn’t much here to dissect.
In all honesty, this book could’ve gone either way for me. What most people find “hilarious” or “rip-roaring” (what’s that mean, anyway?), I find annoying or boring. My humor, I guess, runs more to the snarky and the sarcastic but it has to be done just right. There really isn’t any pleasing me which is why I usually read horror. It rarely tries to make me laugh (with the exception of Jeff Strand who is full of excellent snark). This book is also loaded with excellent snark. You might hate it. Don’t blame me. My tastes are weird. I’ll own that.
My kids are no longer in grade school but when they were the whole PTA/class mom thing was something I avoided at all costs. Nothing against those who volunteer their time but it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t up for volunteering unless I was forced to and I also wasn’t up to dealing with the cliques and back-biting that comes with that sort of thing. Don’t even ask me about being a dance mom . . . Ugh, so glad those days are behind me. Anyway, so why did I pick up a book called “Class Mom” which is so obviously about all of those things?
I haven’t a clue but I’m glad I did.
Jen is an ex-groupie who gave birth to two daughters who are now in college. She’s unsure who their dad(s) are but she doesn’t really care. Might be that lead singer from INXS. Might not be. It matters not now that she’s settled down and married to a lovely man who loves her snark and all. They had a boy named Max and he’s now in kindergarten and even though she’s the “most marinated” of the group of young parents, she volunteers to do the whole class mom routine all over again. She starts off the year by sending off a hilariously snarky and inappropriate email to the parents telling them what she expects of them throughout the year. She pisses off several of them but who cares? She’s been through this before and she doesn’t seem to care too much about making friends with all of them.
I love her attitude even if she sometimes goes too far for a laugh. The book continues in this vein, insulting the parents and learning their weaknesses and it was amusing. I’ll admit that this humor isn’t for everyone. You kind of have to take a Joe Lansdale approach to the humor and know that everyone and everything is a target and there are moments that aren’t at all politically correct. She is offensive and clueless about it and she does put off people because of it. Be warned.
The one thing that I did not enjoy was a plot bit that goes on for eons where she starts texting one of the dads who is also an old high school crush she dubs “Such A Fox”. She was a foolish woman, no doubt, but this made her come across as pretty dumb, if you ask me.
There isn’t really a plot here. She makes friends, she makes enemies, she pisses many people off, has that stupid flirt-mance and tries to figure out why Max’s sexy young teacher keeps disappearing. It’s light and fluffy and worth a listen if you can shrug off the insulting humor moments.
I listened to the audio which was narrated by the author who stumbles a bit here and there but mostly does a fantastic job.
Lots of books claim to be funny and they are not. This book is funny. It is so funny. I was never bored and only vaguely annoyed at a few things but it mostly made me happy to be listening to it. This won’t be much of a review because I just enjoyed it. I didn’t take any notes and there isn’t much here to dissect.
In all honesty, this book could’ve gone either way for me. What most people find “hilarious” or “rip-roaring” (what’s that mean, anyway?), I find annoying or boring. My humor, I guess, runs more to the snarky and the sarcastic but it has to be done just right. There really isn’t any pleasing me which is why I usually read horror. It rarely tries to make me laugh (with the exception of Jeff Strand who is full of excellent snark). This book is also loaded with excellent snark. You might hate it. Don’t blame me. My tastes are weird. I’ll own that.
My kids are no longer in grade school but when they were the whole PTA/class mom thing was something I avoided at all costs. Nothing against those who volunteer their time but it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t up for volunteering unless I was forced to and I also wasn’t up to dealing with the cliques and back-biting that comes with that sort of thing. Don’t even ask me about being a dance mom . . . Ugh, so glad those days are behind me. Anyway, so why did I pick up a book called “Class Mom” which is so obviously about all of those things?
I haven’t a clue but I’m glad I did.
Jen is an ex-groupie who gave birth to two daughters who are now in college. She’s unsure who their dad(s) are but she doesn’t really care. Might be that lead singer from INXS. Might not be. It matters not now that she’s settled down and married to a lovely man who loves her snark and all. They had a boy named Max and he’s now in kindergarten and even though she’s the “most marinated” of the group of young parents, she volunteers to do the whole class mom routine all over again. She starts off the year by sending off a hilariously snarky and inappropriate email to the parents telling them what she expects of them throughout the year. She pisses off several of them but who cares? She’s been through this before and she doesn’t seem to care too much about making friends with all of them.
I love her attitude even if she sometimes goes too far for a laugh. The book continues in this vein, insulting the parents and learning their weaknesses and it was amusing. I’ll admit that this humor isn’t for everyone. You kind of have to take a Joe Lansdale approach to the humor and know that everyone and everything is a target and there are moments that aren’t at all politically correct. She is offensive and clueless about it and she does put off people because of it. Be warned.
The one thing that I did not enjoy was a plot bit that goes on for eons where she starts texting one of the dads who is also an old high school crush she dubs “Such A Fox”. She was a foolish woman, no doubt, but this made her come across as pretty dumb, if you ask me.
There isn’t really a plot here. She makes friends, she makes enemies, she pisses many people off, has that stupid flirt-mance and tries to figure out why Max’s sexy young teacher keeps disappearing. It’s light and fluffy and worth a listen if you can shrug off the insulting humor moments.
I listened to the audio which was narrated by the author who stumbles a bit here and there but mostly does a fantastic job.
January 16, 2024
The emails are the highlight of the book. If this was just a book of emails to the parents and their responses, it would probably be a solid 5-star read! Luckily, there were a lot of them.
Outside of the emails, there is a bit of a mystery which I guess maybe was supposed to be a bit funny or add a bit of depth, but instead, it felt more like the entire thing of trying to figure out the identity could have been completely cut from the book as it only detracted and did not add anything other than weirdness.
The realistic friendships were good in the beginning but quickly fell off.
Jen's marriage was pretty good and realistically written about.
Solid 4 Stars!
Outside of the emails, there is a bit of a mystery which I guess maybe was supposed to be a bit funny or add a bit of depth, but instead, it felt more like the entire thing of trying to figure out the identity could have been completely cut from the book as it only detracted and did not add anything other than weirdness.
The realistic friendships were good in the beginning but quickly fell off.
Jen's marriage was pretty good and realistically written about.
Solid 4 Stars!
September 16, 2017
Jen Dixon is back in kindergarten. She thought her days as "Class Mom" were behind her: Jen's two daughters are in college after all. But Jen, at age forty-six, is back on the Mom circuit, with her first husband, Ron, and five-year-old son, Max. This is Jen's chance to do things over again, with a husband and the security she lacked the first time around. So when her best friend Nina (also PTA President) asks Jen to be Class Mom, she agrees. The duties of Class Mom seem fairly simple--coordinate field trips, set up class parties, and send out emails to the other parents. Jen does this with aplomb and a fairly decent level of sarcasm, which isn't always appreciated by all the parents. At the same time, she's training for a mud run and attempting to keep the flame going in her marriage with Ron. It doesn't help when she discovers that her high school crush is another parent in Max's class. Jen has a lot going on--can she juggle it all?
This book appealed to me on LibraryThing as I have two daughters in kindergarten and am suddenly in the midst of the whole school dynamic. Luckily, things aren't quite as dramatic as the school portrayed in Gelman's novel! The book came along at a pretty good time, as I've read a string of fairly serious thrillers recent. It's certainly a funny and fast read.
I couldn't help but like Jen. She's an engaging protagonist. Her struggles as a parent, wife, and friend are realistic and yet humorous. Her surrounding cast of characters, while not quite as fleshed out, are also funny, though not perhaps always as realistic (more on that later). I enjoyed that her husband, best friend, and kids weren't the typical stereotypes or cardboard cutouts you often see in novels, but real people, with issues of their own.
Also enjoyable was the way the novel interspersed Jen's emails to the class at the beginnings of many chapters (along with a variety of replies). They were usually funny and lightened up the book and surprisingly moved the plot along fairly well. They also made me grateful for some of the lack of politics at my kids' school--so far. It's still early though, sigh!
The only problem for me was that a lot of the good in this book--great characters, humor--was marred a bit by just a lot going on--not all of it completely believable. There are some silly plotlines thrown in that almost don't seem necessary and once resolved, are a bit disappointing. There's one last "shocker" tossed in at the very end of the novel that did surprise me somewhat, but I'm not really sure it was needed.
Still, this is a very engaging and fun novel for a first-time novelist. It's not a pretentious literary piece, but it's not aiming to be. Instead, it's certainly a witty and fascinating look at the craziness that happens in your children's classrooms. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and LibraryThing (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 08/01/2017.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram
This book appealed to me on LibraryThing as I have two daughters in kindergarten and am suddenly in the midst of the whole school dynamic. Luckily, things aren't quite as dramatic as the school portrayed in Gelman's novel! The book came along at a pretty good time, as I've read a string of fairly serious thrillers recent. It's certainly a funny and fast read.
I couldn't help but like Jen. She's an engaging protagonist. Her struggles as a parent, wife, and friend are realistic and yet humorous. Her surrounding cast of characters, while not quite as fleshed out, are also funny, though not perhaps always as realistic (more on that later). I enjoyed that her husband, best friend, and kids weren't the typical stereotypes or cardboard cutouts you often see in novels, but real people, with issues of their own.
Also enjoyable was the way the novel interspersed Jen's emails to the class at the beginnings of many chapters (along with a variety of replies). They were usually funny and lightened up the book and surprisingly moved the plot along fairly well. They also made me grateful for some of the lack of politics at my kids' school--so far. It's still early though, sigh!
The only problem for me was that a lot of the good in this book--great characters, humor--was marred a bit by just a lot going on--not all of it completely believable. There are some silly plotlines thrown in that almost don't seem necessary and once resolved, are a bit disappointing. There's one last "shocker" tossed in at the very end of the novel that did surprise me somewhat, but I'm not really sure it was needed.
Still, this is a very engaging and fun novel for a first-time novelist. It's not a pretentious literary piece, but it's not aiming to be. Instead, it's certainly a witty and fascinating look at the craziness that happens in your children's classrooms. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and LibraryThing (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 08/01/2017.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram
September 4, 2017
If you are currently in the trenches, with young children in school, navigating the PTA and classroom volunteering minefield, this is your book.
Written by someone who has clearly been there, this is a book for every suburban mom who thought she was cooler than this. Who loves her kids, and wouldn't wish harm on anyone else's, but at the is more than a little bit impatient with moms who think that everyone in the entire school should be catering to THEIR child's allergy restrictions. This book is for everyone who has ever sat at the back of a meeting, gossiping to a new friend about the hot dad and the teacher. For everyone who has ever wondered if the class mom's email is just a teensy bit passive aggressive, or if the remark about the incident at the last party is aimed at them.
This book is for you, moms. It's probably best read in the bathroom with the door locked while you take a bubble bath. Just don't doze off, leap out of the cold water, and fall on your face. "The bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house," after all.
Written by someone who has clearly been there, this is a book for every suburban mom who thought she was cooler than this. Who loves her kids, and wouldn't wish harm on anyone else's, but at the is more than a little bit impatient with moms who think that everyone in the entire school should be catering to THEIR child's allergy restrictions. This book is for everyone who has ever sat at the back of a meeting, gossiping to a new friend about the hot dad and the teacher. For everyone who has ever wondered if the class mom's email is just a teensy bit passive aggressive, or if the remark about the incident at the last party is aimed at them.
This book is for you, moms. It's probably best read in the bathroom with the door locked while you take a bubble bath. Just don't doze off, leap out of the cold water, and fall on your face. "The bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house," after all.
September 18, 2017
No. Just no.
I am an older mom of a child who just entered middle school. I am familiar with elementary school class moms, and in fact was a class mom for one year (something I regretted almost immediately). I couldn't stand the shallow, mean-spirited moms at my daughter's school.
That said, the author has created a protagonist who is completely unbelievable. No class mom, even the meanest, dumbest ones out there would write or act as Jen has in this book. I despised Jen from the first few pages. Jen is not admirable. She tries, and fails, to be witty. She is not smart. I could go on, but you get the idea.
When a writer attempts to create a likable protagonist, but fails so completely at the task, I begin to wonder about the writer. Maybe she is as passive aggressively nasty, dumb, and unlikeable as her main character.
Verdict: Ms. Gelman lacks talent and may be a real b*tch. Glad that she's not my neighbor. Hope that she has a day job. (And Ms. Gelman, if you ever read this ... You can dish it out, now let's see you take it.)
I am an older mom of a child who just entered middle school. I am familiar with elementary school class moms, and in fact was a class mom for one year (something I regretted almost immediately). I couldn't stand the shallow, mean-spirited moms at my daughter's school.
That said, the author has created a protagonist who is completely unbelievable. No class mom, even the meanest, dumbest ones out there would write or act as Jen has in this book. I despised Jen from the first few pages. Jen is not admirable. She tries, and fails, to be witty. She is not smart. I could go on, but you get the idea.
When a writer attempts to create a likable protagonist, but fails so completely at the task, I begin to wonder about the writer. Maybe she is as passive aggressively nasty, dumb, and unlikeable as her main character.
Verdict: Ms. Gelman lacks talent and may be a real b*tch. Glad that she's not my neighbor. Hope that she has a day job. (And Ms. Gelman, if you ever read this ... You can dish it out, now let's see you take it.)
October 5, 2017
This book was trying SO hard to be hilarious and just wasn’t. I almost started to feel sorry for it after awhile. It was trying and trying and trying and I was just not interested in picking up what it was laying down.
I was halfway through when a friend asked me how I liked the story and I realized - What was the story? Was there one? Had I missed it in the onslaught of “quirky” and yet acidic emails peppered throughout? No. No I hadn’t. There really is no story. It’s like reading a mean-girl version of Aurora Teagarden (Charlaine Harris) but instead of spending all the book going grocery shopping and cleaning her kitchen, Jen Dixon sees her personal trainer and swaps texts about coffee (or is it COFFEE?) with her old high school crush. The “story” really unfolds in the last bit of the book and resulted in a ...?...huh...from me.
I was halfway through when a friend asked me how I liked the story and I realized - What was the story? Was there one? Had I missed it in the onslaught of “quirky” and yet acidic emails peppered throughout? No. No I hadn’t. There really is no story. It’s like reading a mean-girl version of Aurora Teagarden (Charlaine Harris) but instead of spending all the book going grocery shopping and cleaning her kitchen, Jen Dixon sees her personal trainer and swaps texts about coffee (or is it COFFEE?) with her old high school crush. The “story” really unfolds in the last bit of the book and resulted in a ...?...huh...from me.
October 28, 2017
DNF. I refuse to read a book that makes fun of parents of kids with food allergies. I wasn’t sure I wanted to waste my time with this book as it wasn’t that good to begin with but once I got to the allergy comments I knew I had to be done. Not to mention that it is so unoriginal. Food allergies are life threatening and as a parent of 2 kids with food allergies I refuse to read a book that makes light of it. Truly disheartening to realize that people still don’t take my kids life threatening condition seriously. Very upsetting.
September 26, 2022
Hilarious and witty. I especially enjoyed Jen’s snarky emails as class mom. I’m looking forward to the sequel!
I highly recommend the audiobook, which is read by the author herself.
I highly recommend the audiobook, which is read by the author herself.
Read
August 11, 2017I listened to this on audio until 15%. I hope it gets some notice and goes on a roll! I DNF'ed because it's not my style, but I could tell that it would be very funny and very entertaining for the chick lit crowd!! I'm glad I tried it! 12 years ago I probably would have been entertained by this story! But now after having lived through those years and loathed some of those parents (yikes, sorry) - I just couldn't go on.......
The author narrated the audio version which I thought was great for the portion I read. Definitely all the funny, snarky moments of the classroom moms and dealing with the teacher and the other parents. You know all those funny moments of what to bring for the bake sale, Kindergarten class party what not and the mom vs mom craziness!!
The author narrated the audio version which I thought was great for the portion I read. Definitely all the funny, snarky moments of the classroom moms and dealing with the teacher and the other parents. You know all those funny moments of what to bring for the bake sale, Kindergarten class party what not and the mom vs mom craziness!!
April 17, 2018
So "Class Mom" isn't my usual read but after seeing one of my favorite bloggers review it, I grabbed it from my library. So a few weeks ago when I was severely under the weather, I picked it up anticipating and easy and light read and it was the PERFECT thing to keep me company while I
"died" on the couch.
Jen Dixon is married and has two daughters in college and a 5 year old son. She gets roped into being class mom for his Kindergarten class and that's when the fun ensues. Jen is not really ready to dive back into school activities. She raised her daughter as a single mother following her young adult years filled with being a groupie for INXS and only settling down when children dictated she do so. In fact, she isn't entirely convinced that the lead singer isn't her daughter's father. But now Jen is a "respectable" housewife. Her husband owns a sporting goods store and she is trying to get in shape after being embarrassed by last year's mud run.
What makes this book so great is Jen's snarky and sarcastic attitude. Part of the book is told in emails sent to the class parents and to say Jen is a smart ass is an understatement. Gelman also does a wonderful job of portraying the various parents one might expect to encounter in today's school environment. Even the parent whose kid is allergic to EVERYTHING!
"Class Mom" might seem an odd read for someone who doesn't have small children at home but truth be told, you don't really need that element to find this book hilarious. However, the humor in this book is not for everyone and I could see some people being offended at some of the things in it. However, if you are in the mood for sarcasm, friendship, unique characters, lots of drama and a small amount of intrigue, "Class Mom" just might be the book you're looking for.
"died" on the couch.
Jen Dixon is married and has two daughters in college and a 5 year old son. She gets roped into being class mom for his Kindergarten class and that's when the fun ensues. Jen is not really ready to dive back into school activities. She raised her daughter as a single mother following her young adult years filled with being a groupie for INXS and only settling down when children dictated she do so. In fact, she isn't entirely convinced that the lead singer isn't her daughter's father. But now Jen is a "respectable" housewife. Her husband owns a sporting goods store and she is trying to get in shape after being embarrassed by last year's mud run.
What makes this book so great is Jen's snarky and sarcastic attitude. Part of the book is told in emails sent to the class parents and to say Jen is a smart ass is an understatement. Gelman also does a wonderful job of portraying the various parents one might expect to encounter in today's school environment. Even the parent whose kid is allergic to EVERYTHING!
"Class Mom" might seem an odd read for someone who doesn't have small children at home but truth be told, you don't really need that element to find this book hilarious. However, the humor in this book is not for everyone and I could see some people being offended at some of the things in it. However, if you are in the mood for sarcasm, friendship, unique characters, lots of drama and a small amount of intrigue, "Class Mom" just might be the book you're looking for.
November 22, 2017
No where near as hilarious as author thinks it is or claims it to be on all the talk shows. Started pretty funny, then meh...
April 2, 2020
I'm going to try to read this again once my physical copy arrives but the audiobook definitely made my head hurt. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it and kept pace with our characters.
August 25, 2019
I went into this thinking, ehhhh I'm not so sure this one's for me. I'm not a mom. I'm a dog mom. Dog mom's don't do PTA. We don't need to make snacks for a class, or organize field trips. We just get snuggles and drooled on and go about our business. I'm not so sure I would EVER be cut out to be a Class Mom, let alone a mom of a kindergartner and 2 college aged girls!
But Jen Dixon handles this role with just the right amount of snark (or maybe a bit TOO much?!) that I would need as well to cope with other parents - some borderline bonkers - as well as some wildly eccentric teachers and a slew of troublesome classmates. But she's got a rock and roll foundation, a funny and charming attitude and just the right amount of 'kick ass and take names' temperament to weed her way through acres of parent politics.
Although some might not agree with her cheeky class emails, Jen manages to traverse a host of laughable incidents, secret crushes from days past, snooty moms, difficult kids, and the pressure to jump start her aging body - all while gloriously goofing her way through her role as Class Mom.
At first I was like ummmm.... this chicks got some serious chutzpah! 3.5 seconds flat and she's offended an entire kindergarten class of parents! But slowly, she grew on me, and I came to adore Jen. Even though I don't have kids or live in this world - I loved her shenanigans and laughed along with her - devouring pages and laughing the whole way through. Jen Dixon is definitely the snarky mom I think I would be - or at least one that I would definitely want to hang out with!
But Jen Dixon handles this role with just the right amount of snark (or maybe a bit TOO much?!) that I would need as well to cope with other parents - some borderline bonkers - as well as some wildly eccentric teachers and a slew of troublesome classmates. But she's got a rock and roll foundation, a funny and charming attitude and just the right amount of 'kick ass and take names' temperament to weed her way through acres of parent politics.
Although some might not agree with her cheeky class emails, Jen manages to traverse a host of laughable incidents, secret crushes from days past, snooty moms, difficult kids, and the pressure to jump start her aging body - all while gloriously goofing her way through her role as Class Mom.
At first I was like ummmm.... this chicks got some serious chutzpah! 3.5 seconds flat and she's offended an entire kindergarten class of parents! But slowly, she grew on me, and I came to adore Jen. Even though I don't have kids or live in this world - I loved her shenanigans and laughed along with her - devouring pages and laughing the whole way through. Jen Dixon is definitely the snarky mom I think I would be - or at least one that I would definitely want to hang out with!
December 26, 2017
Class Mom
ended up being a great way to end my reading year thanks to its quick wit and humor. When Jen Dixon is recruited to be the kindergarten class mom, she takes the bull by the horns with hilarity as she corresponds with the parents about what is needed each week. This isn’t her first rodeo, with two college-aged children, and she doesn’t mind being blunt and to the point about what people need to be volunteering for.
Anyone who has volunteered at school and dealt with the pettiness of the helicopter parents is sure to appreciate this hilarious book. Big Little Lies fans will appreciate the classroom parent drama and are sure to laugh out loud at the correspondence between these parents!
Anyone who has volunteered at school and dealt with the pettiness of the helicopter parents is sure to appreciate this hilarious book. Big Little Lies fans will appreciate the classroom parent drama and are sure to laugh out loud at the correspondence between these parents!
April 18, 2019
One more time for the people in the back...... FOOD ALLERGIES ARE NOT A JOKE.
I get it. This was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek, silly read. For the most part it was. But I find joking about life threatening food allergies to be incredibly distasteful. It's my hope that one day our society will find this kind of humor as offensive as making fun of people with disabilities.
I get it. This was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek, silly read. For the most part it was. But I find joking about life threatening food allergies to be incredibly distasteful. It's my hope that one day our society will find this kind of humor as offensive as making fun of people with disabilities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,048 reviews