Cassie's not really sure how it started, but eating pistachio nuts always makes her feel better. Whenever her parents have a shouting match, the pressure of running for freshperson class president gets overwhelming, or her beautiful (and short) sister calls her a giraffe, grabbing a handful of red nuts somehow helps. Cassie has medicine for her asthma attacks; why not have a prescription for "unhappiness attacks"? ( )

At least one reviewer claims it's dated, implies obsolete - but somehow I doubt that. I'll try to read it for myself...

I liked Cassie a lot. Her voice was true and believable, wavering there on the edge of growing up. This is an Issue Book but it manages to not be particularly pointed or preachy. I found parts of it poignant and parts laugh-out-loud funny. Nicely done, but certainly a period piece now. ( )

Short but sweet and much less dated than "The Cat Ate My Gymsuit," although they were both written in the seventies. Possibly better than Danziger's first book, this novel has a tighter narrative and a heroine that readers will probably think is cool (despite her mishaps with some eyebrow tweezers). A good middle-grade novel about kids becoming more self-reliant. ( )

The style of writing in this book reminds me so much of Judy Blume's books. This book would be a good book for children in divorced families to see that they are not alone in their feelings.

Cassie is a total hypochondriac. Her family is totally disfunctional and makes me feel glad that mine is much more normal. ( )