Finding Cassie Crazy
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| Author | Jaclyn Moriarty |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan |
| Released | 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio book |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-03303643869 (first edition, paperback) |
| Preceded by | Feeling Sorry for Celia |
| Followed by | The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie |
Finding Cassie Crazy (Titled "The Year of Secret Assignments" outside of Australia and the UK. ) is a novel by Jaclyn Moriarty. It was first published 2003 in Australia. While it can easily stand as a novel on its own, though it is a companion book to 'Feeling Sorry for Celia.'
[edit] Plot summary
The novel follows the correspondence between students from two rival schools. Cassie Aganovic, Emily Melissa-Anne Thompson, and Lydia Jaackson-Oberman attend the prestigious, private Ashbury High; Matthew Dunlop, Charlie Taylor, and Sebastian Mantegna ("Seb") attend the public, notoriously rough Brookfield High. In a special pen-pal program between the schools, Cassie begins to write to Matthew; Emily writes to Charlie; and Lydia exchanges letters with Seb.
The letters are initially hostile, and the reader wonders where the book is going. Emily and Charlie poke fun at each other's writing, while Lydia and Seb bicker about school prejudice. Matthew continuously threatens Cassie (i.e. "I'll break your fingers one by one"), but she responds calmly.
Over time, however, the letters change tones. Charlie and Emily go on "practice dates" to help Charlie date the girl of his dreams, and Lydia and Seb participate in "Secret Assignments" that eventually lead to their becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Cassie and Matthew begin to go down a similar path, but when they go to meet, he first stands her up and then, on a following meeting, proceeds to rip up a letter that she had sent and make fun of her. This is especially hard for Cassie, as her father has recently died of cancer and she and her mother are participating in therapy.
When Lydia and Emily find out what Matthew has done, they work with Seb and Charlie to try and hunt down the perpetrator. They discover that Matthew Dunlop is, in fact, an alias; further sleuthing uncovers that his true identity is Paul Wilson, the form captain and star of the school drama.
When Brookfield is attacked, presumably by an Ashbury student, the Brookfielders retaliate. For a time, acts of vandalism are perpetrated between the schools, and a Brookfield student--whom the staff keep anonymous--pinpoints Cassie, Emily, and Lydia as the criminals. When told by their form mistress, Mrs. Lilydale, that she will be forced to read their diaries and letters for clues to their whereabouts, the girls protest. In coordination with Cassie's mother, Mrs. Lilydale arranges a trial so that the girls can prove that this would inflict unjustly on their privacy. Emily, fascinated by law, is appointed to represent the students in a Brookfield-Ashbury co-trial.
When the time for the trial comes, only Emily and Lydia are present. In a red-hot trial, Emily turns the tables on the staff and proves that she, along with her classmates, has a right to privacy, and the administration agrees not to read their letters. Suddenly, Cassie bursts in, followed by Charlie and Seb. They are carrying evidence of the vandalism, such as the paint used to write "Brooker Bites" on the wall and the grapeseed oil that is used to smear the science lab floors. When questioned by Emily, Charlie reveals that the items came from the bedroom closet of none other that Paul Wilson.
When Paul attempts to fight back, he is cornered by the fact of his guilt. He runs out the door, and all charges are dropped against the Ashbury students, as the Brookfield attacks were "inside jobs." The story ends happily as the year wraps up with an art show put on by the students of both schools. Cassie uses words from a sweet letter from "Matthew" as the lyrics to a song she writes and sings; Lydia, an aspiring author, and Seb, a talented arist, contribute a children's book.
The conflict between the schools has finally been resolved.
[edit] Characters
Cassandra "Cassie" Aganovic- A shy, vulnerable girl who's father has recently died of cancer. She opens up less willingly, even to her best friends. Although she seems meek, she may actually be the bravest of the three.
Emily Melissa-Anne Thompson- A talkative chocoholic. Emily aspires to be a lawyer. She misuses words in a comical way. She is slightly idealistic, always wanting things to be "fair" and for wrongs to be righted. Emily stands up for her beliefs in a strong way, and tends to believe that her manner of thinking is the correct one. Her pride is hurt when suggested otherwise.
Lydia Jaackson-Oberman- The daredevil of the group, and an aspiring author. She seems fearless, but she is actually afraid of many things, including not reaching her dream of writing a book. She spins tales because she is afraid of reality sometimes. Her stories often end with all of the characters dying in violent manners. Lydia is the one who convinces Cassie and Emily to ditch school to see movies quite often.
Charlie Taylor- A sweet, endearing guy. He is the youngest of brothers with police and gang connections, and has a penchant for nice cars. He is a sometimes-car-thief, and has taken a teacher's car out for a joyride. Because of this, he is attractive to girls at Brookfield, but he is oblivious of this. Charlie believes that he is impaired when it comes to "dates with girls".
Sebastian "Seb" Mantegna An excellent artist with a major soccer obsession. He is described as "dark and sexy". Seb has a problem controlling his anger, and has beat up people "who deserve it". He beats up Paul Wilson after his cruel meeting with Cassie.
