REVIEW: Finding Cassie Crazy by Jaclyn Moriarty

Review by Sasha.

Emily, Lydia and Cassie are all best friends at private school Ashbury High and have been since they were tiny. They all enjoy cutting class to go to the movies, especially when they have double maths. They never thought they'd mix with the Brookfield or 'Brooker' kids but Mr Botherit's (their English teacher) 'Joy of the Envelope' project is about to change that. Everyone is against the idea of writing to these psychopathic trouble makers. Against the odds, they all find themselves exchanging letters with three male Brooker kids and are more than surprised when they receive half-decent replies, except for one. Cassie's pen pal keeps threatening to harm her if she writes to him again but her therapist tells her to talk to this boy and tell him all about herself. It's not long before they are befriending these boys and arranging to meet up with them for dating advice and games of pool.

On the night Cassie arranges to meet up with her pen pal, things take an unexpected turn and will it be long before Cassie turns crazy?

This is an amazing book from a writer who is new to me. I really wasn't sure what to expect, as I bought this book on a whim. The minute I opened the page I was surprised at the layout of the book because it is either written in letter or diary form as well as a few other different typefaces which also gives the book more variety. The book was also full of humour especially from Lydia's point of view and introduced you to the characters straight away. I couldn't pick a favourite character out of the three of them because you love them all at the end of the book; you really get underneath their skin and find out what their emotions are. The characters from the other books also appear in this book which I think is a really good, original idea and it is also set in the same school. I just really loved reading this book and I would definitely recommend it to older readers (it does have some adult content).

Review by Sasha, aged 12

Luisa's Note: This book is called The Year of Secret Assignments in the US. (And in Australia too? I can't remember!)

Comments

[Jenny]

Ooh I really want to read this! I keep looking at it at work. Thanks for the review Sasha - I think you may have convinced me to buy it!

[Luisa Plaja]

Jenny, I can really recommend it too. I know I keep saying this, but it's one of my all-time favourite novels EVER! (Look, I have a lot of all-time favourites, OK? Hee hee.) And Jaclyn Moriarty is one of my absolute favourite authors.

[Judith Ridge]

It was called Finding Cassie Crazy in Australia. Love Ms Moriarty's books.

[Luisa]

Thank you very much for that! I was really hoping someone would come along and tell me. :)

[Katie Pinn]

This sounds like a realy entertaining read. I want to know the twist. Must not google spoilers. Great review =D

[H]

I LOVE this book! It's so much fun :)

[Merrick]

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