temeade's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.0
A Year of Secret Assignments was a fantastic book! This book is about three girls from a prep school who are best friends. They are all in the same English class and are required to participate in an assignment where they become pen pals with students from a nearby school. Overall, this book was interesting and kept my attention the entire time. I enjoyed the format of the book as it was written like a collection of letters, writings, and diary entries. I would recommend this book to young adults and adults who enjoy a lighthearted read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Bullying
Minor: Gaslighting
chalkletters's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I love Finding Cassie Crazy for a lot of the same reasons I love Saving Francesca — the friendship between the main female characters, and the love stories that unfold. Jaclyn Moriarty does a really great job of balancing these two elements so that neither one overshadows the other. There’s always something to keep me turning the pages, and while I don’t find the humour as side-splitting as I did the first few times, the letters/diaries are still charming and easy to read.
Previously, I think I would have identified the romances as my favourite part, but this time around, it was Cassie. I identify with her so strongly, especially her urge to invite someone to keep hurting her over and over. When I was a teenager, I had an anonymous troll who’d belittle me and my life in cyberspace, but I never wanted to ban anonymous comments. It sounds ‘crazy’, but, though Cassie’s reasons are different than mine, I find them totally believable.
For me, this is definitely a step up from Feeling Sorry for Celia: there’s more going on, more interwoven stories, but the same warmth and heart to keep the reader engaged. I can’t remember enough about Becoming Bindy Mackenzie right now to state a preference between the second two books in the series. I suppose I’ll have to read it again to find out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol and Cancer
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