Life is wonderful! At least, that's what thirteen-year-old Cassie believes. Everything seems she's tried out for—and won—the lead role in the eighth-grade musical AND she's going with the best-looking guy in school. Cassie is sure of one nothing can stop her now! Then her dad moves out. And suddenly Cassie's perfect world comes crashing down around her . . .

Cassie knows she is meant to be a professional singer. So it makes sense that she should attend the prestigious—and expensive—school for the performing arts. Unfortunately, her newly divorced parents don't agree. Then, just when Cassie begins to lose all hope, she discovers an unlikely ally—her mother's new boyfriend. There's only one Cassie can't stand the man!

“I hate this school!†Cassie had dreamed all summer about attending the School for the Performing Arts. But now that she’s finally there, she feels out of place. As if that isn’t bad enough, her mother announces that she is going to get remarried! Suddenly there’s only one thing in Cassie’s life that putting a stop to her mother’s new romance!

Cassie's finally back at her old school with her old friends. Life should be wonderful, but for some reason. Cassie can't seem to fit in anywhere. Her best friend doesn't even talk to her now that she's got a boyfriend. Just when Cassie is ready to give up, a miracle Arien Belle, the most popular senior in school, chooses her for a friend! With Arien's help, Cassie's life takes a definite turn for the better...just in time for her to receive some shocking news that shakes her whole world!

Cassie Perkins is sick and tired of being told she's self-centered. She's determined to prove it isn't true. Fortunately, she has the perfect making over the class misfit, Sandy Shore. All it will take is a little makeup and good diet, and Sandy's life will be all she could ever want it to be. But there's something Cassie doesn't know. Something that all the makeup and dieting in the world can't fix. And she's about to learn that helping people isn't always as easy as it seems.

Fourteen-year-old Cassie is disconcerted when she finds herself attracted to Ethan Cox, a boy at summer camp whom she considers to be a jerk

When Cassie and her best friend, Andrea, enter the Prestige Model Search, they do it just for fun. But Andrea wins! And she asks Cassie to go with her to New York. At first the trip is a lot of fun. Then things change, Andrea's attitude, for example. Suddenly she thinks Cassie is somewhere between secretary and a slave; and suddenly she gets involved in things that will land her in big trouble. Now Cassie isn't so sure she can take care of herself, let alone anyone else.

Cassie plans to support and promote candidate Jim Forman for president in return for being included in a national singing tour, until she makes some disturbing discoveries about Forman.

Cassie finds herself falling in love with her stepbrother's musclebound friend.