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Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life
Mustard. A charity orange. Five apples. A half-gone pint of charity cream cheese. A half-gone gallon of milk. An open can of Friskies. And a half-gone liter of Diet Coke. That's all the food in the house when Cassie's sister, Miranda, forgets to do the shopping. It's just the latest crisis in Cassie's life since her father moved out and her mother went back to work, and Cassie feels totally responsible for keeping things together for her little brother. And things aren't any better at school. Cassie's grades are plummeting, her best friends have turned nasty, she's getting mixed signals from a cute boy, and then there's Mr. Mullaney -- the weirdest, hardest English teacher in the seventh grade -- who hates everything she does. Cassie's sassy humor has seen her through in the past, but it doesn't seem to be helping her now. What's a girl to do when life gets totally insane?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2006
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628 people want to read
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March 20, 2008
"Just Another Day In My Insanely Real Life" is Barbara Dee's first novel (previous careers for Dee include lawyer, high school English teacher, and book reviewer). The story revolves around Cassie and her family, specifically her mother and siblings.
Cassie's family used to be a lot like the other family's in her upscale neighborhood. They had a nice, sufficiently large house. They took vacations. Eleven-year-old Cassie used to be on the swim team at their sports club. Her older sister, Miranda, didn't have to worry about doing the shopping after school. Six-year-old Jackson never used to spend so much time alone in his room.
That was all before Cassie's father "left the picture" and the remaining family had to move into a "unit" house in the poorer part of town. Shunned by her old friends, hated by her English teacher, and utterly unnoticed at home--Cassie tries to deal with all of her mounting problems on her own. This novel is the story of why and how those efforts fail. And how Cassie picks herself up again afterwards.
Cassie is definitely a strong character. Thanks to her neglectful sister and overworked mother, Cassie is largely the only one paying attention to family concerns. And she works really hard to try and handle all of that. Unfortunately, that doesn't make her a particularly real or likable character.
My first issue is that Cassie is really shallow. After the first few pages of the novel it's clear that her old friends (the ones who ignore her now) were jerks and that she is better off without them. But Cassie doesn't see that right away, fine she's only eleven. The thing is, even after she does realize as much Cassie continues to try to be friendly with them and ignore Bess, the girl who is obviously going to be a way better friend in the long run.
As the novel progresses, Dee tries to show Cassie growing as a character. I can see that happening. But it's two steps forward and then two steps back so that even at the end of the novel Cassie is still making disparaging remarks that she was supposed to have moved past by now. The recurring point being cracks about Bess' weight. Bess is overweight and Cassie continues to wonder how Bess can possibly weigh so much when she never eats at school posturing that she might, scarily, binge at home. Later, after the girls become friendlier, Cassie finds herself surprised to learn that Bess lives in a really swank neighborhood. I found this entire subplot really infuriating. Cassie might as well meet an African American kid at school and be surprised that they live in a mansion. It's just completely ridiculous and, the truth is, Dee does not have Cassie evolve enough on this point to make such observations even relevant.
I was also less than impressed by Dee's writing style. The premise was interesting, as were the inclusions of Cassie's fantasy novel (mirroring what's going on in her real life), and even excerpts from her English class quizzes. But Dee never really takes the grammar thing to a high enough level that it should be in the book. I would have liked to see some kind of appendix explaining some of the English rules mentioned (who/whom for instance) since Dee spent so much of the novel mentioning them.
Throughout the narrative Dee was at pains to make Cassie seem real, one might even venture "insanely" so. But she never quites get there. Cassie uses quotes a lot when she's narrating to discuss Dad being "out of the picture" and the "unit" the family lives in. That gets old after the second chapter. And, in terms of narration, it becomes inadequate. Points where Cassie knows nothing about what's going on (Why is Dad "out of the picture?" Where does Miranda go after school when she's supposed to be at home?) are never fully developed, making the novel seem more half baked than insanely real.
Cassie's family used to be a lot like the other family's in her upscale neighborhood. They had a nice, sufficiently large house. They took vacations. Eleven-year-old Cassie used to be on the swim team at their sports club. Her older sister, Miranda, didn't have to worry about doing the shopping after school. Six-year-old Jackson never used to spend so much time alone in his room.
That was all before Cassie's father "left the picture" and the remaining family had to move into a "unit" house in the poorer part of town. Shunned by her old friends, hated by her English teacher, and utterly unnoticed at home--Cassie tries to deal with all of her mounting problems on her own. This novel is the story of why and how those efforts fail. And how Cassie picks herself up again afterwards.
Cassie is definitely a strong character. Thanks to her neglectful sister and overworked mother, Cassie is largely the only one paying attention to family concerns. And she works really hard to try and handle all of that. Unfortunately, that doesn't make her a particularly real or likable character.
My first issue is that Cassie is really shallow. After the first few pages of the novel it's clear that her old friends (the ones who ignore her now) were jerks and that she is better off without them. But Cassie doesn't see that right away, fine she's only eleven. The thing is, even after she does realize as much Cassie continues to try to be friendly with them and ignore Bess, the girl who is obviously going to be a way better friend in the long run.
As the novel progresses, Dee tries to show Cassie growing as a character. I can see that happening. But it's two steps forward and then two steps back so that even at the end of the novel Cassie is still making disparaging remarks that she was supposed to have moved past by now. The recurring point being cracks about Bess' weight. Bess is overweight and Cassie continues to wonder how Bess can possibly weigh so much when she never eats at school posturing that she might, scarily, binge at home. Later, after the girls become friendlier, Cassie finds herself surprised to learn that Bess lives in a really swank neighborhood. I found this entire subplot really infuriating. Cassie might as well meet an African American kid at school and be surprised that they live in a mansion. It's just completely ridiculous and, the truth is, Dee does not have Cassie evolve enough on this point to make such observations even relevant.
I was also less than impressed by Dee's writing style. The premise was interesting, as were the inclusions of Cassie's fantasy novel (mirroring what's going on in her real life), and even excerpts from her English class quizzes. But Dee never really takes the grammar thing to a high enough level that it should be in the book. I would have liked to see some kind of appendix explaining some of the English rules mentioned (who/whom for instance) since Dee spent so much of the novel mentioning them.
Throughout the narrative Dee was at pains to make Cassie seem real, one might even venture "insanely" so. But she never quites get there. Cassie uses quotes a lot when she's narrating to discuss Dad being "out of the picture" and the "unit" the family lives in. That gets old after the second chapter. And, in terms of narration, it becomes inadequate. Points where Cassie knows nothing about what's going on (Why is Dad "out of the picture?" Where does Miranda go after school when she's supposed to be at home?) are never fully developed, making the novel seem more half baked than insanely real.
November 15, 2012
In the beggining of this book, Cassie is upset at her sister Miranda because she forgot to go grocery shopping after school so Cassie and her little 4 year old brother named Jackson had to eat cherrios and Miranda ate a chipwitch because the only food in the kitchen was cherrios, the chipwitch, and all different kinds of mustard. Since no shopping had been done then Cassie had to run to the store and she ran into her neighbor who sent them a care package the next day which Cassie claimed it to be charity because she couldn't afford milk at the store. In the middle of this book, Cassie is covering up for her sister for some stupid reason. Cassie also has to help Jackson with his book report on Farmer Joe instead of doing her own homework for school. she did this because Jackson wouldn't stop crying about how he needed help with his book report that was due to his teacher named Mrs.Rivera. In the end of this book, Cassie finds a way to tell her mom all of the things that have gone on around their "ratty little unit" as Cassie has claimed to be their home. Cassie told her mom all of the things that Miranda had promised that she would do and she "forgot" to do it. This had been bottled up inside of her for the last 2 months and then she finally felt good about getting it all out of her system so that she wouldn't have to keep that a secret frrom her mom any more. If you want to see if Miranda, Cassie, or Jackson gets in trouble next then you will just have to read the book yourself!
My favorite character in the book, Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life, would have to be Cassie's 4 year old brother named Jackson. He is my favorite character in this book because he always gets what he wants from Cassie, his mom, Miranda, Mrs.Rivera, and everyone else because he is just too adorable to everyone around him. He also doesn't argue with Cassie and Miranda even though they don't do what he wants them to do or what he wants to do. This kid could rule the world with his cuteness if he set his mind to it.
I would recomend this book to everyone out there that loves to read books that include mystery, siblings that don't get along, and just some nice, and good old comedy. Those are the type of people that I would recomend this book to because everyone loves comedy and siblings that don't get along. I also recomend this book to those people because I think that this was a very excitng book and I hope that you get a chance to read this book because I loved it!
September 10, 2020
This little YA book was fast-paced and hooked me in with all the emotions going on in twelve-year-old Cassie's life. I liked her as a character and how she and her family dealt with the upheaval of their lives, but all in all it was a lot of misunderstandings that didn't totally get resolved, and while that's realistic, it was kind of frustrating too. It was a fun young adult read but not life- changing.
July 20, 2021
I know this is her first novel, and I've enjoyed other books she's written, but I didn't find this one entrancing. I didn't really like any of the characters including the mother. Why is this family struggling so much financially, Mom's a lawyer and Dad apparently doesn't pay support, just left. The weak letter he sends at the end is just useless.
I'm not going to get into the plot, there wasn't much of one, just the usual angst of 11 and the ins and outs of youthful friendships along with an overdose of not knowing much yet about relationships - and how would she? You acquire that knowledge through life experience, which she is getting, but she's startling immature even for her age. Just couldn't hook me, all I wanted was to finish it. Which I did.
I'm not going to get into the plot, there wasn't much of one, just the usual angst of 11 and the ins and outs of youthful friendships along with an overdose of not knowing much yet about relationships - and how would she? You acquire that knowledge through life experience, which she is getting, but she's startling immature even for her age. Just couldn't hook me, all I wanted was to finish it. Which I did.
February 1, 2011
BTW wrote this for a book-cover LAR assignment.
When Cassie’s dad is “out of the picture”, she has many new life challenges. Those challenges and her “real” life have a large appeal to pre-teens. Just another Day in My Insanely Real Life by Barbara Dee is a great book that anyone is encouraged to read. Sadly, the original cover of this book does not appeal to its girly-tween audience. This new and updated book cover adds suspense and many questions to the novel, such as: Why is there an F on a paper? Where is the dad and why is their apartment so small? The improved cover shows Cassie’s life, after her father moves out, and trying to keep up her Language Arts grade. Her sister, Miranda is no help, and she feels as if her life is falling apart. This improved book cover will capture the essence of these important details and pull the reader into the story. To conclude, the conflict, characters, and setting shown on this book cover definitely will become a read-first book to all based on her new problems caused by her father’s departure.
One main literary element of the story is conflict, which must be illustrated on the cover to attract readers. A major conflict is Cassie’s Language Arts grade. With all of the helping out and work she has to do at home, it is hard for her to maintain completed homework and high grades. “I am not a housewife; I am a hardworking student trying to get the best possible grade” (15). Also, Cassie does not understand her teacher, Mr. Mullaney’s grading process. She tries hard on a journal assignment and received a miserable grade, while as people she knew do much better, when all they care about is getting the writing done. Cassie says, “It may be the best thing I’ve ever written, and he didn’t even look at it!” Her friend Bessie had replied, “All I did were write some top ten lists” (102). Therefore, this conflict takes up a great deal of the book. It must be on the cover, because it adds more frustration and more unfairness to Cassie’s life. Kids will absolutely love this book if the problems appear on the cover, which sucks them into the story.
Another main literary element is characters, which should definitely be introduced on the cover. Characterization is an extremely important topic in the story, because one of the main characters, Cassie’s father, is actually absent because of problems at work. He and Cassie’s mother have a fight, then he leaves the family with almost nothing. The family then lost money, time, cleanliness, and happiness. Besides the fact that on the updated cover, the protagonist, (Cassie) is colored in, her father’s face is crossed out. He is the cause of everything that happens in the book. He is strongly brought up amongst Cassie’s family. “It’s Dad’s fault for leaving us, “(15). Thus, the characters are what make the story happen. Without the most important character, Cassie’s father, many conflicts arise, and it is his fault. The characters in the story have a strong effect on the most of the plot, and they should be portrayed on the cover.
Cassie’s tiny “unit” apartment adds to the conflict of the story, and must be shown on the cover. The setting of Just another Day in my Insanely Real Life is crucial, because after Cassie Baldwin moves from her nice house to a tiny one-room for her family, she starts to agitated. “I was starting to lose it being stuck in this ratty little ‘unit’,” (20). With her mother never home, Cassie and her sister have to take full responsibility on regular mother jobs. This includes watching their brother, microwaving meals, and grocery shopping. Clues are revealed in the story that there is not enough space in their “unit” for the four of them. “Miranda was snoring, which was like a cross between a snoring warthog and a leaf blower.” (34) Therefore, living in a non-spacious apartment with many new responsibilities is a lot on a 12-year-old girl’s plate.
To conclude, the new and improved book cover shows the correct literary elements. These literary elements help to pull the reader into the story. First, the conflict portrayed on the new cover is eye-catching and is a general problem of every-day life. The holder can relate to the F paper. Also, the antagonist of the story, Cassie’s dad was only explained and spoken about. Having his face crossed out on the front adds suspense to the reader from the time that they pick up the book. Third, the setting of the small and grimy “unit” apartment adds a touch of sadness. This also shows how much worse Cassie’s life must be. Finally, the improved book cover will seemingly jump off the shelves and into the teen holder’s hands.
When Cassie’s dad is “out of the picture”, she has many new life challenges. Those challenges and her “real” life have a large appeal to pre-teens. Just another Day in My Insanely Real Life by Barbara Dee is a great book that anyone is encouraged to read. Sadly, the original cover of this book does not appeal to its girly-tween audience. This new and updated book cover adds suspense and many questions to the novel, such as: Why is there an F on a paper? Where is the dad and why is their apartment so small? The improved cover shows Cassie’s life, after her father moves out, and trying to keep up her Language Arts grade. Her sister, Miranda is no help, and she feels as if her life is falling apart. This improved book cover will capture the essence of these important details and pull the reader into the story. To conclude, the conflict, characters, and setting shown on this book cover definitely will become a read-first book to all based on her new problems caused by her father’s departure.
One main literary element of the story is conflict, which must be illustrated on the cover to attract readers. A major conflict is Cassie’s Language Arts grade. With all of the helping out and work she has to do at home, it is hard for her to maintain completed homework and high grades. “I am not a housewife; I am a hardworking student trying to get the best possible grade” (15). Also, Cassie does not understand her teacher, Mr. Mullaney’s grading process. She tries hard on a journal assignment and received a miserable grade, while as people she knew do much better, when all they care about is getting the writing done. Cassie says, “It may be the best thing I’ve ever written, and he didn’t even look at it!” Her friend Bessie had replied, “All I did were write some top ten lists” (102). Therefore, this conflict takes up a great deal of the book. It must be on the cover, because it adds more frustration and more unfairness to Cassie’s life. Kids will absolutely love this book if the problems appear on the cover, which sucks them into the story.
Another main literary element is characters, which should definitely be introduced on the cover. Characterization is an extremely important topic in the story, because one of the main characters, Cassie’s father, is actually absent because of problems at work. He and Cassie’s mother have a fight, then he leaves the family with almost nothing. The family then lost money, time, cleanliness, and happiness. Besides the fact that on the updated cover, the protagonist, (Cassie) is colored in, her father’s face is crossed out. He is the cause of everything that happens in the book. He is strongly brought up amongst Cassie’s family. “It’s Dad’s fault for leaving us, “(15). Thus, the characters are what make the story happen. Without the most important character, Cassie’s father, many conflicts arise, and it is his fault. The characters in the story have a strong effect on the most of the plot, and they should be portrayed on the cover.
Cassie’s tiny “unit” apartment adds to the conflict of the story, and must be shown on the cover. The setting of Just another Day in my Insanely Real Life is crucial, because after Cassie Baldwin moves from her nice house to a tiny one-room for her family, she starts to agitated. “I was starting to lose it being stuck in this ratty little ‘unit’,” (20). With her mother never home, Cassie and her sister have to take full responsibility on regular mother jobs. This includes watching their brother, microwaving meals, and grocery shopping. Clues are revealed in the story that there is not enough space in their “unit” for the four of them. “Miranda was snoring, which was like a cross between a snoring warthog and a leaf blower.” (34) Therefore, living in a non-spacious apartment with many new responsibilities is a lot on a 12-year-old girl’s plate.
To conclude, the new and improved book cover shows the correct literary elements. These literary elements help to pull the reader into the story. First, the conflict portrayed on the new cover is eye-catching and is a general problem of every-day life. The holder can relate to the F paper. Also, the antagonist of the story, Cassie’s dad was only explained and spoken about. Having his face crossed out on the front adds suspense to the reader from the time that they pick up the book. Third, the setting of the small and grimy “unit” apartment adds a touch of sadness. This also shows how much worse Cassie’s life must be. Finally, the improved book cover will seemingly jump off the shelves and into the teen holder’s hands.
November 8, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
We all feel like our own life is the most hectic, the busiest, and more demanding than anyone else's. That sometimes we are too busy with school and work that we hardly have time for ourselves. Unfortunately for Cassie, not only is her life hectic, but it is totally insane.
At the age of eleven, Cassie's parents decided to get a divorce and her father up and left. Usually, one of the parents gets to keep the lavish house that they all once lived in as a happy family, but no one ended up keeping the house. Instead, Cassie and her mom and two siblings all move into a run-down apartment, selling the car and the house. Now Cassie has to manage everything, especially since her mother is always working late, her older sister is forgetting to get the groceries or is always on the phone, and her little brother is just crying out for some attention..
It's not only home that's changing for Cassie. The two people she thought were her best friends seem to be turning on her, and at school her favorite subject is turning out to be a pain, all because of her teacher, Mr. Mullaney. Fortunately one good thing that comes out of that class is getting to write in a journal about anything she wants. That's where her imagination gets to thrive and Cassie finds peace. Let's just hope that Cassie can find a way to manage her new insane life.
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE is insanely hilarious. Cassie is that one character that every person is able to connect with, especially since most of us do have obnoxious siblings. The perfect read for anyone down in the dumps, Barbara Dee creates a cast of characters, along with the many excerpts from Cassie's journal, that will put a smile on everyone's face.
We all feel like our own life is the most hectic, the busiest, and more demanding than anyone else's. That sometimes we are too busy with school and work that we hardly have time for ourselves. Unfortunately for Cassie, not only is her life hectic, but it is totally insane.
At the age of eleven, Cassie's parents decided to get a divorce and her father up and left. Usually, one of the parents gets to keep the lavish house that they all once lived in as a happy family, but no one ended up keeping the house. Instead, Cassie and her mom and two siblings all move into a run-down apartment, selling the car and the house. Now Cassie has to manage everything, especially since her mother is always working late, her older sister is forgetting to get the groceries or is always on the phone, and her little brother is just crying out for some attention..
It's not only home that's changing for Cassie. The two people she thought were her best friends seem to be turning on her, and at school her favorite subject is turning out to be a pain, all because of her teacher, Mr. Mullaney. Fortunately one good thing that comes out of that class is getting to write in a journal about anything she wants. That's where her imagination gets to thrive and Cassie finds peace. Let's just hope that Cassie can find a way to manage her new insane life.
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE is insanely hilarious. Cassie is that one character that every person is able to connect with, especially since most of us do have obnoxious siblings. The perfect read for anyone down in the dumps, Barbara Dee creates a cast of characters, along with the many excerpts from Cassie's journal, that will put a smile on everyone's face.
June 22, 2014
Just Another Day in my Insanely Real Life By:Barbara Dee-
Well, this book is very entertaining and keeps you reading! It is very realistic and Cassie, the main character, seems a lot like someone I know which makes the character way more believable! When authors are good enough at including lots of character traits that make it mean something to a wide variety of their readers and bring their character to life, that proves their talent in writing! I'm not giving too many spoiler alerts but the main summary of this story is about a young girl named Cassie with an irresponsible older sister and a (sometimes) annoying little brother! Her mom is trying to make a living for her family since the harsh time I'm their life that their father is no longer in the picture. While her mom is often gone, at work (not open for answering her phone 24/7), her neighbor sometimes has to come over and help out. It shows the affects on her and how she handles life at school with her teacher, Mr. Mullaney! She is a very creative and imaginative person who writes stories in her notebook! She is a big part in helping out her family since her older sister doesn't know what she's doing! Cassie learns to be responsible! This is a great book! I highly recommend it!
But... I don't want to be rude, the ending didn't really bring a great conclusion like I expected and wanted it to! The conclusion was just nice and simple, not as I was expecting but still very nicely ended! But I'm not the author and I still respect how Barbara Dee ended HER story! It was still a very wondrous, amazing book and you should still read it! I highly recommend it to people who enjoy realistic fiction!
Well, this book is very entertaining and keeps you reading! It is very realistic and Cassie, the main character, seems a lot like someone I know which makes the character way more believable! When authors are good enough at including lots of character traits that make it mean something to a wide variety of their readers and bring their character to life, that proves their talent in writing! I'm not giving too many spoiler alerts but the main summary of this story is about a young girl named Cassie with an irresponsible older sister and a (sometimes) annoying little brother! Her mom is trying to make a living for her family since the harsh time I'm their life that their father is no longer in the picture. While her mom is often gone, at work (not open for answering her phone 24/7), her neighbor sometimes has to come over and help out. It shows the affects on her and how she handles life at school with her teacher, Mr. Mullaney! She is a very creative and imaginative person who writes stories in her notebook! She is a big part in helping out her family since her older sister doesn't know what she's doing! Cassie learns to be responsible! This is a great book! I highly recommend it!
But... I don't want to be rude, the ending didn't really bring a great conclusion like I expected and wanted it to! The conclusion was just nice and simple, not as I was expecting but still very nicely ended! But I'm not the author and I still respect how Barbara Dee ended HER story! It was still a very wondrous, amazing book and you should still read it! I highly recommend it to people who enjoy realistic fiction!
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June 7, 2008To be honest, i picked up this book because i saw it on my shelf and my younger sister had read it. But what captivated me even more is the fact that it was a book like no other i have read. This book focused on the life of a middle school girl who felt she had to juggle her own life with the lives of her siblings and mother. The part that i found most interesting was the beginning. Barbara Dee chose to begin the book by introducing the problem in a harsh way. She described the home where Cassie (the main character) was living in, and in particular how it lacked food. In this, Dee was able to show Cassie's character which the reader saw evovle throughout the book.
I feel like my life is no where need that crazy that i don't have enough money to purchase food, and my siblings are careless about what happens. My younger sister always looks to me if she is hungry all becuase she cannot cook herself, just like Cassie's little brother. And my older sister just doesn't care that much because she doesn't eat much in the house and her money always has to go somewhere else, like Cassie's older sister. I always try to cook something when my father does not want to cook and my mother arrives home late, like Cassie's mother. I also feel that the same way Cassie was able to express herself successfully through writing, i am able to do the same. I love to write poetry or sometimes just write something down because it is like a therapy for me.
I feel like my life is no where need that crazy that i don't have enough money to purchase food, and my siblings are careless about what happens. My younger sister always looks to me if she is hungry all becuase she cannot cook herself, just like Cassie's little brother. And my older sister just doesn't care that much because she doesn't eat much in the house and her money always has to go somewhere else, like Cassie's older sister. I always try to cook something when my father does not want to cook and my mother arrives home late, like Cassie's mother. I also feel that the same way Cassie was able to express herself successfully through writing, i am able to do the same. I love to write poetry or sometimes just write something down because it is like a therapy for me.
August 5, 2013
First time author Barbara Dee has created a story that seems so real. 12-year-old Cassie is struggling to adjust to all the changes in her life - her father has left and she doesn't know why, she and her family have moved out of their home and into a "unit", she has had to quit swim team and her friends seem to be quitting her. In addition, there is the evil English teacher who is making her life more difficult. Also, her older sister Miranda is supposed to be taking care of their young brother, doing the shopping, and fixing dinner, but most of the time these chores seem to fall onto Cassie. Her mother is back to work and works late almost every night.
Cassie struggles to hold the family all together. She doesn't rat on her sister's disappearances and "takes care" of everything. Until it gets too much. I loved Cassie's voice both in her fantasy stories/notebook and in the main story. It is a realistic depiction of a 12-year-old whose life is spinning out of control. The story kept me interested to see how it will be resolved - but just like real life, not everything is answered.
I think this would make a great book discussion book. Groups could discuss how things should be resolved, choices that Cassie, Miranda and their mother make, how the problems in Cassie's life relate to their own. Middle school is also an age where friendships change, dissolve, or become stronger. I think some discussion groups could spend a whole day on that one!
Cassie struggles to hold the family all together. She doesn't rat on her sister's disappearances and "takes care" of everything. Until it gets too much. I loved Cassie's voice both in her fantasy stories/notebook and in the main story. It is a realistic depiction of a 12-year-old whose life is spinning out of control. The story kept me interested to see how it will be resolved - but just like real life, not everything is answered.
I think this would make a great book discussion book. Groups could discuss how things should be resolved, choices that Cassie, Miranda and their mother make, how the problems in Cassie's life relate to their own. Middle school is also an age where friendships change, dissolve, or become stronger. I think some discussion groups could spend a whole day on that one!
October 3, 2019
Cassie has a lot to deal with when her father is "out of the picture." Her mom is always working late at nights , her older sister Miranda is always getting on her nerves, and her little brother needs all the attention that he can get. It's up to Cassie to deal with the craziness of her family while also learning to be the new mom of the house.
November 8, 2017
This book is about a girl who is managing everything from her father leaving, to her older sister not shopping for groceries and not watching their little brother, to her little brother needing help reading, to her grades in school dropping. I gave this a 3 out of 5 stars because it is a realistic fiction book that is not that relate able.
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December 28, 2021I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because this book wasn't extraordinarily impressionable on me. Five star rated books would be books that would make me want to better myself. A book that makes me more aware about my surroundings. This book was well written but not extraordinary in my opinion.
October 5, 2017
This a very good book about a girl facing problems that most people have probably never faced. It is a highly recommended book. (Warning: it can become pretty crazy)
October 15, 2017
BEST BOOK EVER
December 5, 2017
This was a pretty good book, nut got pretty overwhelming at the middle of the book. I liked the way the problems piled up.
October 11, 2018
“Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life,” by Barbara Dee is a very realistic and relatable realistic fiction novel to read in my life! Cassie is a twelve-year-old girl who is going through many different conflicts at once: her father is “out of the picture,” her mother is always working to provide for the family, her sister doesn’t even babysit her little brother who seems to have a “reading disability,” her terribly rude English teacher Mr. Mullaney who gives out repetitive quizzes and doesn’t even care about Cassie’s hardworking story, and much more. She feels like she always has to be the “grown adult” or “the person in charge” of everything because of how often people are lost in their own world and not present in what is actually happening in reality, and goes through tough obstacles to make sure everything is right for once. Yet, after all her patience and work, things went somewhat downhill which leads to even bigger situations. Barbara Dee did an excellent job of portraying this wonderful story she created, with very easy and descriptive texts and, in my opinion, very thought out imagery. In my opinion, this book isn’t at all difficult, that even a 5th-8th grader can read in their down time, which won’t take long to finish. I strongly enjoyed how this story is just a young girl, trying to fix what is going on in her life so her and others can be content and make sure nothing wrong will occur. This can relate to many girls and boys in society who is going through a tough path between their parents, school, friends, and family. It gives out a great lesson, to always keep your head up high when things get rocky all of a sudden, and do your best in the situation. There is only very minimum things I disliked about the story, but it’s mostly about the people who treated Cassie like she’s a piece of trash that seems to be around them a lot. Yet with all of these amazing qualities, this would definitely be an eye-opener to many people, from elementary students to middle school kids. All-in-all, 10/10 story!
December 5, 2018
I chose to read this book because it isn't exactly a book I would normally read. The cover, for starters, seemed to be a bit too childish for me. The title seemed weird, and something that I would normally never read. I usually like to read books that are a bit more though-provoking and that have a deeper meaning to them, such as dystopians, historical fictions, romance novels, etc. I usually choose books with really complex looking covers or unique named, and quite frankly, judge the book by its' cover. Instead, I decided to read a book that I would normally never read. After reading this book, I think I might be more open to exploring other works of fiction instead of what I'm typically reading.
Although I didn't love this book, it made me curious as to what other types of stories fiction can tell.
As for the actual book, it was definitely not one of my favorites. It felt very relatable, and the though process Cassie went through seemed to capture what it's like to be at her age in the generation she is in. Her older sister reminded me much of my own, and that made me understand Cassie a lot better. The plot has a couple of rough spots in it. For starters, it never really addressed why her dad left. When she received the letter from her dad that said he would eventually be coming home, it never really stated why. It also never explained what happened to her family, and why their financial state was so terrible. It never really addressed why she couldn't seem to make friends, and it felt like there were a lot of loose ends. Overall, I think this book was pretty good. The characters were well developed, and Cassie feeling like her family as broken made me think about how other people view the term "family", and what it means to them. I give this book a 3/5 stars.
Although I didn't love this book, it made me curious as to what other types of stories fiction can tell.
As for the actual book, it was definitely not one of my favorites. It felt very relatable, and the though process Cassie went through seemed to capture what it's like to be at her age in the generation she is in. Her older sister reminded me much of my own, and that made me understand Cassie a lot better. The plot has a couple of rough spots in it. For starters, it never really addressed why her dad left. When she received the letter from her dad that said he would eventually be coming home, it never really stated why. It also never explained what happened to her family, and why their financial state was so terrible. It never really addressed why she couldn't seem to make friends, and it felt like there were a lot of loose ends. Overall, I think this book was pretty good. The characters were well developed, and Cassie feeling like her family as broken made me think about how other people view the term "family", and what it means to them. I give this book a 3/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
This book had potential, but ultimately was a one-dimensional cliche with very unlikeable characters. Cassie was horribly judgement and mean to anyone who tried to help her. Miranda was one of the most selfish characters I have ever read about. Jackson appeared much younger than six. The mom is the most irresponsible of all by never checking in with the unprepared children she left in charge while she was at work. Cassie's teacher was horribly unlikable as well, even when he offered Cassie support. The only good character in the book was Bess, who unnecessarily described as overweight and surprisingly rich. This book is not one I would recommend.
April 15, 2024
I have no idea whether or not this book was good. All I know is that it was exactly what I needed when I read it, 12 years old and miserable. I'm scaling down my bookshelves and I have to give up my physical copy after more than ten years of carting it from apartment to apartment like a beloved stuffed toy, but I hope against hope that when I drop it off at the local Little Free Library, another miserable 12 year old finds it and gets just what they need, too.
April 28, 2020
I really hope there is a sequel. I stayed up late reading and finishing the book. No intention of doing that on a school night (teaching from home) but I just kept reading and couldn't stop.
May 26, 2021
I remember reading this book as a teenager and it was the first book to make me cry. I remember loving it so much.
July 3, 2021
i remeber rereading this book so many times cause i loved it so much
January 28, 2022
busy book
July 24, 2025
This had some cute moments, but overall, the main character didn't feel completely real to me and the ending felt rushed.
February 9, 2020
I had read this book many years ago as a kid but found it again and needed a quick read. It still has the same effect on me as it did then. The story is sweet, silly, and slippery as it takes us through Cassie’s eyes as she deals with her father leaving, her mother’s absence as she picks up the workload, and the ups and downs of dealing with her siblings as they each detach themselves from the heavy situation they find themselves in. The way the characters are set up it was easy to dislike big sister Miranda at the start as she quarrels with Cassie and Jackson, but as the novel goes on she becomes more fleshed out and likable as a character. Cassie’s meddling in her family’s lives and lack of realization of her own academic and social life deterioration had me smiling and rooting for her as it helped us understand how each character dealt and reacted with the changes in their lives. It’s still a solid read for anyone who wants to backtrack to the hardships of middle school/junior high life.
June 25, 2013
Since her father's unexplained departure from the family, Cassie's life has gone downhill. Her family has moved from their nice house into a tiny condo, her former friends have drifted away from her, and her mother works nonstop. Trapped between trying to cheer up her unhappy younger brother and cover for her irresponsible older sister, Cassie finds herself facing regular dilemmas like how to make dinner when the only thing in the fridge is 6 varieties of mustard. Her only enjoyment is the fantasy novel she's writing, which her meanie English teacher seems totally unwilling to give her credit for. (I'm tickled pink, by the way, that her favorite fantasy authors include Diana Wynne Jones!)
Will Cassie crack up before things start getting better? Or is she missing something important that's right under her nose? A firmly believable story of teen struggle, in the vein of Define "Normal" and Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey.
Will Cassie crack up before things start getting better? Or is she missing something important that's right under her nose? A firmly believable story of teen struggle, in the vein of Define "Normal" and Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey.
March 30, 2012
"Just Another Day In My Insanely Real Life" by Barbra Dee is about a girl named Cassie who finally understands the meaning of responsibility. She's an 11 year old girl who isn't the most popular kid in school and doesn't have the greatest grades, but somehow still seems to fit in. But when her parents get a divorce and her mom starts working full time, its up to Cassie to take care of her little brother, her annoying older sister, and the old apartment they live in. One possible theme for this story would be to always be truthful even if the problem is really bad. When Cassie lied about her school and her brother's book report, she thought it would be okay to lie and get it over with, but she put herself into more trouble instead. The reason why I chose this book was when I read the back of the book, it related to how my life is now. I wanted to read more of the book to see how the charecter Cassie is put into the same situation as me. I liked the way the author wrote the book because she really captured the meaning of teenage life and the ups and downs it may have. I would definetly reccomend this book to teens in middle school because the things the charecters face are exactly what happens in middle school now. Any teenager reading it will enjoy it just as much as I did!
May 1, 2011
This book is about a family of three kids and their divorced parents. The kids end up staying with the mother. The mother always has to work late to support the family. So the two older daughters, end up taking the mother's role in the family, that is until the mom comes home. The two daughters take turns each week doing the shopping for the food and groceries. But the older sister, Miranda, keeps forgetting that its her week to do the shopping when there is no food left to eat at home. Cassie always has to be the one to lie to the mother about forgetting and Miranda always says " I owe you!" . On top of it, their little brother Jackson has his homework and projects that he needs help with and Cassie is always the one to help. On top of everything, Cassie's English teacher is always giving her a hard time. This book is just mainly about the struggles of a teen with divorced parents. I liked this book because it is written in Cassie's point of view and she has a funny tone and humor. I also liked it because it shows the problems that any regular teenager might be having.
March 27, 2009
I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this book too much. I'm not sure why but I just remember not liking it while I was reading it.
What I did like about this book was Cassie's sassy humor and her attempt in writing a very "interesting" story for her English homework. I thought it showed a lot of creativity but it seemed like the type of stuff my little sister would like. The author wrote in a manner that reflected Cassie's age - something that I liked a lot because it showed a realistic side.
Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life seemed like something that can happen to anyone. With Cassie's father moving out and her friends turning all weird on her, I think the book truly depicts what a 7th grader is going through.
The ending was a bit weird for me because I was like: "huh?!" when I read it. I'm not going to go any details otherwise I'll ruin it for you but other than the awkward ending, if you enjoy a light read, then check this one out. :)
What I did like about this book was Cassie's sassy humor and her attempt in writing a very "interesting" story for her English homework. I thought it showed a lot of creativity but it seemed like the type of stuff my little sister would like. The author wrote in a manner that reflected Cassie's age - something that I liked a lot because it showed a realistic side.
Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life seemed like something that can happen to anyone. With Cassie's father moving out and her friends turning all weird on her, I think the book truly depicts what a 7th grader is going through.
The ending was a bit weird for me because I was like: "huh?!" when I read it. I'm not going to go any details otherwise I'll ruin it for you but other than the awkward ending, if you enjoy a light read, then check this one out. :)
January 5, 2009
Cassie, your common seventh grader, has an older sister and a younger brother. Her mom works all day and most of the night, leaving her to make sure her little brother gets all his homework done, eats and leaves time out to play with him. Her sister, who has most of the grocery shopping and cooking duties, usually hangs out with her friends half of the time, putting all of the stress on Cassie. Although I really liked the author's style of writing, this book was only okay. The author could've included more detail, but you just couldn't stop reading once you started. She, also, included a little bit of simile; Just enough to get by. Overall, the book was average. It could've been better, but it was worth reading.
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