This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker

by Terra Elan McVoy

Overview

In this heartwarming companion to Drive Me Crazy, twelve-year-old Fiona Coppleton is living a middle schooler’s worst nightmare: her diary was made public and her best friend is partly to blame.

Fiona and Cassie are supposed to be best friends forever. No one else listens or makes Fiona laugh like Cassie, and that meant everything when Fiona’s parents were divorcing. They love each other in spite of their (many) differences, and even though Cassie cares a little too much about being popular, Fiona can’t imagine life without her.

Until Fiona’s diary is stolen by the most popular girls at school, and her most secret thoughts are read out loud on the bus. Even worse: Cassie was there, and she didn’t do anything to stop it. Now, for some reason, she’s ignoring Fiona. Suddenly the whole world has shifted.

Life without a best friend is confusing, scary, maybe impossible. But as Fiona navigates a summer of big changes, she learns more about herself—and friendship—than she ever thought possible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062414496
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/10/2016
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	950L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Terra Elan McVoy has held a variety of jobs centered on reading and writing, from managing an independent bookstore to answering fan mail for Captain Underpants. She lives in the same Atlanta neighborhood where many of her acclaimed YA novels are set.

Editorial Reviews

This deeply engrossing story offers gentle lessons about the shifting sands of friendship and family and not always getting what you want. A smart, heartwarming novel. ” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From the Publisher

05/01/2016
Gr 5–8—YA novelist McVoy returns to middle school with this companion to Drive Me Crazy. Fiona is facing the summer before eighth grade without her best friend, Cassie Parker, after an incident that damaged both girls. Social climber Cassie did not intervene on diarist Fiona's behalf when her words were mockingly read aloud on a school bus. At the same time, the reading revealed Fiona's critical assessment of her friend's quest for popularity. Suffering from the loss of her confidant, Fiona is forced to examine her own part in her struggles: missing Cassie, finding new friends, pursuing a crush, and dealing with the realities of divorced parents. Readers will relate to her realization that building and maintaining relationships require effort. (And that getting to know one's crush is sometimes disappointing.) A satisfying amount of drama drives the story, but the book's best feature is Fiona's internal journey, told through narrative, journal entries, texts, plays, and a thinly veiled revenge fantasy composed at creative writing camp. Other appealing attributes include Fiona's sweet relationship with her younger sister, her sheepish love of all things Disney, and the subtle diversity of the cast. VERDICT Share this title with fans of Wendy Mass's work, Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl, and Rebecca Stead's Goodbye Stranger. This heartfelt story is authentic enough to quench middle schoolers' thirst for realistic fiction and gentle enough to recommend to middle graders—a winning combination.—Deidre Winterhalter, Niles Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2016-02-02
When Fiona's diary is stolen by the most popular girl in seventh grade, she braces herself for the worst summer ever. Fiona and Cassie obsess over their secret crushes and tell each other everything. Well, almost everything. Fiona confides her occasional frustrations with Cassie to her diary, along with details about the boys they like. But when Kendra, the ringleader of a clique of mean girls, takes Fiona's diary and reads it aloud on the bus, Cassie does nothing to stop her. Worse, Cassie stops speaking to Fiona and begins to hang out with the mean girls, leaving Fiona to face her classmates' teasing about the diary entries alone. The end of the school year brings some relief, but how will Fiona survive the long summer break without her best friend? To top it all off, Fiona is annoyed by the growing presence of her dad's girlfriend, Jennifer, in their lives. Told in the endearing voice of a wise-beyond-her-years 12-year-old with a knack for self-reflection, this deeply engrossing story offers gentle lessons about the shifting sands of friendship and family and not always getting what you want. A strong subplot features a realistic portrayal of Fiona's affluent, African-American, co-parenting family. Readers who enjoyed McVoy's Drive Me Crazy (2015) will welcome this companion novel. A smart, heartwarming novel about the ups and downs of family and friendship. (Fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews