Dear Cassie

by Lisa Burstein

[Angie]

Much like its companion Pretty Amy, Dear Cassie is not a happy read. It’s another hard punch of reality that continues with the consequences of Amy, Cassie, and Lila’s disastrous prom night. This time we’re following Cassie to rehab as part of her sentencing. However, it’s not the medical facility that she was expecting. It’s a camp in the middle of the woods where she’ll have to learn how to survive in the wilderness on her own while reflecting on the choices that landed her there. It’s not only the massive amount of marijuana and driving under the influence that have brought Cassie to Turning Pines. She has a secret that she can’t even talk to herself about.

I really liked the format of Dear Cassie. Each chapter is one day at the camp. Sometimes Cassie is telling us about what strenuous activity they had to perform that day, or she shares from her Assessment Diary. She also goes into the prom night events, so even if you haven’t read Pretty Amy, you’ll know exactly what happened. It turns out that Aaron played a huge role in her life after the arrest, too, and he’s the biggest factor that she won’t talk about. The story does get a little repetitive with us getting the ins and outs of camp life, but I did enjoy Cassie’s reflections on her time there.

The one thing that I did not like was the romance. I didn’t feel like it needed to be there at all. Cassie meets Ben at the airport before they’re whisked away to the campground. Then he spends much of their co-ed time annoying her, or rather, Cassie spends most of the being being annoyed by him. I just never felt an attraction between them, and I actually did find Ben irritating at times. I do understand that Ben was another challenge for her to face, since she wants to avoid boys, but it felt forced and like an obvious plot device.

I did enjoy the other characters though! Troyer was my favorite though. She doesn’t speak at all, but she’s the one that helps Cassie open up the most. I found myself most curious as to what brought her to rehab. Nez was just a bitch! I loved to hate, but at times she was a bit much. She takes slut to a whole other level! She’s a source of much frustration for Cassie. Even their counselor, Rawe, was a good source of entertainment. You could tell that she wanted to help, but that she was also irritated with the bickering between the girls.

I did enjoy Dear Cassie a lot despite my complaints. I didn’t like it quite as much as Pretty Amy, but I think that just comes down to me finding Amy more relatable than Cassie. Of course, this will be different for each reader. I like how the author isn’t afraid to show the darker side to being a teenager. Sure hanging out with friends and being rebellious can be fun, but it can also have some major repercussions.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.