The Year of Secret Assignments

Please bear with me while I learn how to write book reviews! Here is my first.

THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jaclyn Moriarty.

Lifelong friends, Cassie, Lydia, and Emily, are sophomore students at Ashbury High School, rival school to Brookfield High. When their English teacher attempts to dissolve the feud between the schools with a confidential pen pal project, the girls tackle their assignment with varying degrees of interest and reluctant enthusiasm.

Emily and Lydia are surprised to find themselves paired with charming, funny partners, Charlie and Sebastian (Seb), while Cassie struggles to break down the defenses of mean, threatening Matthew who opens their correspondence with a threat. After some hilarious initial correspondence, each girl sets about meeting their pen pal in person. What follows is a series of secret rendezvous, kissing, hurt feelings, and a tragic betrayal where Matthew finally crosses the line.

When Emily and Lydia find out that Matthew has betrayed sweet, vulnerable Cassie, they vow revenge and, with the help of Charlie and Seb, instigate a series of Secret Assignments, spy tactics, lock picking, and other downright hilarious payback tactics.

Told entirely in letters, diary entries, notebook notes, and e-mails, THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS illustrates a humor-packed story about six unique teenagers dealing with the trials of life. Will they come out ahead? Will Matthew get what he deserves? Does romance ensue? Pick up a copy to find out! You won’t be disappointed. In fact, I guarantee you’ll find yourself laughing out loud and marveling over Jaclyn Moriarty’s fabulous writing.