Review Detail

Casey is taking on a lot this year: she’s campaigning to be the fifth-grade class president, making sure all Ms. Muffin’s kittens get great homes, asking AJ to the dance, and making sure she doesn’t fall behind with her detective skills. Everything is all falling into place for Casey until her nemesis, Dina, uses a humiliating photo of her to blackmail her, and unfortunately for Casey, it seems that her best friend, Jan is how Dina got hold of that photo. And on top of all this her parents have been acting weird, and she thinks that they are keeping a secret from her, one that is going to change things for Casey drastically. Will Casey be able to find out the Case of Everything is Terrible, or is she just going to have to go along with what life is throwing her way?

What I Liked: Don’t worry if you have yet to read the first book in this graphic novel; this one is a great stand-alone book with such fun stories told by Casey’s various cases. This one has various cases, such as the case of AJ’s first name, the case of the mysterious baby clothes, asking AJ to the dance, and more. Each of these cases is short and gets solved in only a few pages, making it so that the attention of younger children is not lost.

There are several moments in which things don’t seem to be looking good for Casey, but each of those times her parents or friends step in and help her navigate the big feelings that she is having. While there are moments in which Casey exaggerates things that are happening in her life and has a hard time coping with changes, the people around her validate all of her feelings.

The illustrations in this book are cartoonish and fun, which add to the entertaining moments that are included throughout this book. Each of the characters has distinct features that make it easy to differentiate between them. An added feature is that the nemesis has a different head shape, making it clear that she is different from the rest of the people in Casey’s life.

Final Verdict: Casey’s Cases: Everything is Terrible is a cute and fun book that showcases the importance of communication. Children ages 7 and up who are early readers who enjoy books such as Dog Man or Diary of a Wimpy Kid will enjoy this new graphic novel series.