This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker: A Heartwarming Middle School Novel About Friendship and Self-Discovery for Kids

by Terra Elan McVoy

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.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Friendship, Fiction, Childrens

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

I have been reading and writing, basically, ever since I learned how to, and everything I've done has pretty much been connected to those two things. I went to college at a small, fantastic school (with a super writing program) called St. Andrews Presbyterian College. I got my Master's degree in Creative Writing from Florida State. I have worked as an event coordinator at a major chain bookstore; as a freelance writer; a composition instructor; an editorial assistant at an NYC publisher; as manager of an independent children's bookstore, in Decatur, GA, Little Shop of Stories (where I still work as a bookseller); and as Program Director of the AJC Decatur Book Festival.

Reviews

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker by Terra Elan McVoy is hands down one of the best middle grade reads I have come across. I absolutely loved this story! It spoke volumes. It reminded me of what a minefield of emotions one experiences in those tender years between elementary school and high school. It also reminded me of the importance of staying true to self no matter what.

My Thoughts...
Initial Meeting ->
Cassie and Fiona were best friends. They had a history rich with good times, but things were changing.

Fiona: This young lady really impressed me. I liked her so much. She had a strength about her. I loved that she was constantly making observations, examining and assessing the world around her. She was so mindful of dynamics. I could see her stretching and growing before my eyes, and I was excited to see who she was going to become.

Cassie: Where do I begin? Cassie was a mixed bag of tricks. Her Cracker Jack interior was a big, fat question mark. It was like her wheels were always turning toward what she could do to climb up into the "Now that's hot crowd." I so wanted to like her as much as I did Fiona, but I just didn't. I stayed hopeful about her since Fiona saw something in her that was beautiful.

As the Story Moved Forward ->
Fiona: One thing I can say about Fiona is that she was a fireball. Even though she was in battle-survivor mode, she remained consistent. I loved her fierceness. I know that's a strange word to use to describe her, but it goes back to that strength I mentioned before. This youngling was a lioness in the making. It was pure joy for me to see this character's metamorphosis. She was devoted, vocal (and learning to be more so with each passing moment), and wonderfully unique. The things she had to deal with, from the time of the great conflict on, were huge. That she was maneuvering and finding her way through it all without losing it made me love her even more.

Cassie: What gives, dude?!?! Gah... I know that you are more than what you appear. These were my thoughts regarding Cassie after the great conflict. I want, actually no, I NEED, to say more about dear, forlorn Cassie, but I don't want to give anything away. All I'll say, at this point, is that the outside looking in and the inside looking out will always be vastly different. There was a fantastic lesson in her story at this stage.

By the End of the Story ->
Fiona: In a nutshell, Fiona dazzled me. I will forever remember this character. She certainly made a lasting impression on me.

Cassie: There's hope for you yet, I believe. I can honestly say that I was proud of her.

Supporting Characters: This story came with such a wonderful range of colorful personalities. I adored the Yoda-like wisdom and stances of three characters in Fiona's life, in particular. Evie charmed me also. She had a lesser role that was more on the scale of kindred spirits, but there was definitely something about her. The villains, of course, stayed their nice-nasty selves, but I was convinced that there was more to their own stories. Queen Kendra piqued my interest more and more, to the point that I wanted to view this story from her perspective. I also felt drawn to Pencil, if you can believe it. Ha! Who knew?

The conclusion of this incredible MGR brought to mind new hopes and genesis moments. And you know what, no matter what age any one of us is, we each need those two things.

About the Author's Writing ->
McVoy's writing, in general, is insanely good. Her works are so textured. I have read several of her books, and what I can unwaveringly say is that each one packs a punch. Her ability to give her characters such wonderful depth, such distinctive voices, and such unique experiences and life lessons only makes me want more. Her middle grade readers (MGR) - Drive Me Crazy and This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker - knocked me backwards and brought me forward in the best way. I was floored by how easily I got caught up or rather emotionally vested. I laughed, I bit my nails, and I even teared up a few times with these young ladies. I love when books touch me like that. The one thing I want to say that I appreciate the most about McVoy's writing is her dedication to follow the thread. What I mean is that I love how she presents a literary fabric and then follows each particular character thread. She remains consistent with this. Not all authors are able to do this. This word wizard was a genius, in my estimation. She took one great conflict and masterfully wrote two different books, offering two distinct points of view. There was and is, of course, more to it, but...wow. Brava! Bravo! Brilliant! Keep it coming.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Ages 8-12+, (Target Audience: Grades 3-7)
Status: Clean
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Family/Life Lessons: Yes
Relevant for Targeted Age Group: Yes
Other: Family Read Aloud, Tween Talk Group, School Library, Middle Grade Book Club, Gift, Resouce for Family Counseling
Series Worthy: Yes
Stand Alone: Yes
Hard copy or e-book: Hard copy (It's that good. Totally shelf worthy!)
Wish: I would love to see a book or books related to this work which offer the male perspective during the middle grade years. There were so many possibilities. I'm excited just thinking about it.

[Maria . · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker" was a solid enough book that had a fantastic start but a shaky end.
Fiona Coppleton is fortunate. She has a best friend, great (but divorced) parents, and an over-all happy and blessed life. UN-fortunately, though, her perfect little utopia is blasted to pieces when Doomsday comes.


Okay, not the ACTUAL end of the world. More like what most likely SEEMS like the end of the world to a seventh-grader. So, anyways, what happens is that Fiona's private diary gets stolen and read aloud on the bus. *cringe* If I was in Fiona's place, I would be mortified too. But that isn't the worst of it. The worst is when Cassie starts to flake out on Fiona. It's not a all-at-once breakup- and that's part of what makes it hard for Fiona. Fiona is hurt beyond words when Cassie badmouths Fiona and her friends. ( friendS? Girl, you are so lucky to have not just a friend, but multiple ones.) Will Fiona be able to heal, or will the scars of Cassie haunt her forever?
What I liked: Fiona and LeeLu
The character development
Pencil and Lagoon
The message
What I didn't like: Fiona's whining when she had no right to
Fiona having all these friends (Is that realistic?)
The end ( a little cliche)

"This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker" was a solid enough book that had a fantastic start but a shaky end.

[Jocalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

More geared for like middle schoolers, but a decent book about friendship and being understanding

[Brooke Banks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't realize until The Writer's Camp that Fiona was black. There was that little description and detail. I honestly don't see how the cover connects to the characters at all. With this and the author being white, I'm not classifying it as a diverse read. This feels just like every other status quo book. A throwaway line isn't enough to differentiate.

I haven't read Drive Me Crazy before reading this and I don't plan on it. It seems like this book would come first and Drive Me Crazy would come next to explain Cassie's weird behavior at the end. It doesn't feel resolved or had closure at all.

>>Fiona has a supportive family and they're well off. I agree with her friends, it must be nice being rich. They have their own nanny/housekeeper, and go out all the time.
>>Liked the Writing Camp.
>>Liked how mature and well the parents are handling the divorce and co-parenting.
>>Meh to everything else.

[human · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorite books ever!! I recommend this book for ages 7+ maybe younger. I could totally relate to Fiona with all the friend drama going on. I really recommend this this book 📚 I could not stop reading this book, I felt like I was watching from inside the book. I cannot say enough good things about this Book

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While my daughter and I enjoyed Terra's "Drive Me Crazy," we both agreed we enjoyed "This is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker" even more! Neither a prequel nor a sequel, it's a glimpse into another character's life during the same time as Drive Me Crazy. I hope there will be a third book moving forward!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a fast and fun read. This is a story of two girls who are best friends until something happens to one of them, that's when their friendship gets tasted. This a story of growing up and figuring out how friendships change and grew us they do.

[Bell Maken · Rating 5 out of 5]

so easy to relate to

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly relatable growing up book. It almost felt like reading a diary from my junior high self!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute older middle-grade / young YA book with a great, sweet narrator. I would definitely read more about Fiona.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, i love it read it three times.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A lot more than I thought I would. It has a little bit of everything, especially with the characters, which made it fun to read. Each character had such a personality that was believable and easy to love.

I personally would classify this as a diverse book. The diversity might not be as obvious as other diverse books out there. However, the main character Fiona and her sister Leelu are black. And Fiona met a friend with two dads. Then, her mother is a single independent black woman (which I admire in books, regardless of color).

When I first started reading This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker . . . I was afraid it was going to be cheesy and “trashy.” Kind of like the way The Clique series is. You know, a bunch of middle school girls snubbing each other and bringing down their self esteem. Then when Fiona had her diary stolen and read to everyone, I was like “here comes all the drama,” and not in a good way!

However, it didn’t go as expected. I’m so thankful for that. Fiona could’ve sought revenge, she could’ve gotten back at the girls who invaded her privacy. There was one incident in the food court, but that was nothing. Fiona was very grown up about the whole thing. While she did wallow and felt sorry for herself, she still decided to make the best of it.

This is a book that promotes positivity, emotional growth, learning when to let go and realise when something is toxic for you, and to just go with the flow.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

This companion novel to Drive Me Crazy explores Cassie Parker's quest for popularity through the eyes of her best friend, Fiona. Fiona aspires to be a writer, and she keeps her innermost thoughts about her classmates in a diary. When her diary is stolen and subsequently read aloud as part of a prank perpetrated by Cassie's new friend, Kendra Mack and her gang of mean girls, Cassie does not come to her defense, leaving Fiona to fend for herself as an outcast. Thankfully, Fiona has writing as her outlet, and she begins seeking her revenge on the girls who humiliated her by writing them into stories for her creative writing camp. The timeline of this book overlaps with Drive Me Crazy, so it's not a sequel, but a story in the same universe written from another point of view. It's a realistic story of how girls sometimes act during middle school friendship difficulties, but also exhausting to read as an adult. There is nothing really new in this book, but girls who are fans of the author, or who enjoyed Drive Me Crazy and want more, will happily snatch it up.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to read this. Although, there were a few parts that confused me because of how they were worded. But, I always found myself skimming ahead and reading faster to find out what would happen next. I put off quite a bit of work and regret nothing.

In this book, you get to follow the life of a soon-to-be-eighth-grader, Fiona. You get to experience what she goes through with Cassie, Kendra and her friends, Tyrick, and even a few new friends a long the way. I would recommend this book if you are unsure about it.








**I won this book on a GoodReads giveaway**

[Anne Bodenrader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Fiona has just finished 7th grade, her diary was stolen and read out loud by the mean/popular girls, and her best friend and she are not even talking. Her parents are divorced, and her dad's new girlfriend seems to be stealing her little sister away. And yet, Fiona is strong, and she finds out what makes a real friend, and what she really cares about. This book has excellent truths nestled into the story, and wonderful advice for any girl trying to survive middle school.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona's life seems ruined when her diary is stolen and read aloud on the bus, her best friend ditches her for the popular girls and her father's girlfriend keeps butting in where she's not wanted. It's too much for one girl to take! Luckily, she's a strong young woman and she's got people in her life who can help her navigate the pitfalls of middle school if she'll let them in.
This had way more depth than I expected and the diverse characters were a welcome change. I will be adding to my recommended list.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Cassie is really whiny and the story was very predictable. Her BGF Fiona has her diary stolen & read on the bus, much to her embarrassment. Supposed friend & social climber Cassie doesn't intervene to stop the kids from reading & laughing & this causes a rift in their friendship. To her credit, Fiona is not vengeful (except for one small incident at the mall) where she could really have been nasty to the students. A good middle school read, but you just knew from the start how it would end.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! I love it! I love it!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet middle school story about friendship, family, and divorce that will be popular with fans of realistic fiction.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC at the PLA conference. Great middle school read covering all the "drama" that goes along with divorce, mean girls, siblings, etc.

[Paula]

this book is a good book but not the best book for me it has no drama or adult based settings