Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life
Author: Barbara Dee
Publisher: McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781416947394
Release Date: April 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Youth/YA
Publisher’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 10-14
OUAR’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 10-14
Year/Setting: Present Day
Overall rating: 4.0
Barbara's Website:
www.barbaradeebooks.com
Cassandra’s parents separated last spring turning her life upside down in more ways than one.
Let’s start with home:
Not only did they have to move into ratty unit housing, but it’s come down to her mom working looong hours in order to pay the bills on the ratty unit and keep them fed and clothed. Her little brother, Jackson, who is sooo babied as far as Cassie is concerned, is having problems in school. Problems which her older sister Miranda won’t listen to. And speaking of Miranda, she’s supposed to do the grocery shopping and watch Jackson but can’t seem to do either of those things, nor a half dozen other things. Cassie is beyond frustrated, not only with Miranda, but with her mother, as well.
Now about school:
It’s way different this year. Her supposed friends begin to look at her in a whole new way and start to edge her out of their circle. She looks at them in a whole new way. Mr.Mullaney, her English teacher does nothing as far as she can see but torture her. She pours her heart into her journal, creating a written work of art and Mr.Mullaney does nothing but write the page count in the margin. A boy in her class is confusing her, does he like her or doesn’t he? How would she feel if he did?
If Miranda isn’t going to help her, if her mom doesn’t have time for them, if Mr.Mullaney doesn’t care about her creation, well then it’s time for Cassie to take matters into her own hands. Which only makes things go from bad to worse to insane.
Cassie’s a great kid who’s going to realize that the burdens she’s taken on aren’t exactly what they appeared to be. But if she’d have only known…if her mother had let her in on some things, if Mr.Mullaney weren’t so "mind-numbing" or "evil"… It’s going to take lessons learned for Cassie to see how important and special she is just by being herself.
Between her interaction with Miranda, her old friends, potential new friend, Bess and her journal excerpts--from her story of Lady Catrain to her rantings such as Cats Rule, Dogs Drool--we’re given great insight to Cassie’s outlook on her life with humor and poignancy. You can’t help but commiserate with her and root her on all at the same time.
Connie
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