Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

Review: 

I loved this book! The Mockingbirds has been on my shelf since BEA 2010- that is crazy long. I don't know why I took so long to read it, but since I have an ARC of the sequel waiting to be read I figured this was as good a time as any. This was a heartbreaking and intense read, but it had a great message and a plot that sucked me in from the first page. I can't wait to pick up The Rivals and see what happens next. 

Alex was such a brave character. Her experience at Themis Academy was awful and I can't imagine the pain and heartache she felt after being date-raped by a boy she barely knew. Even worse, the school would do nothing so she is left with consulting the secret honor society known as The Mockingbirds that helps their fellow students. I feel as though Alex would be someone I could be friends with in real life. She was strong and determined and even at her worst moment she came out fighting. I admired her dedication to gaining justice and how she wasn't afraid to show her emotions when things got especially tough. 

This was certainly a page-turner because I just had to know what was going to happen. There were quite a few plot twists and Alex only starts remembering the night of her rape very slowly and each memory helps her in trying to piece together what really happened. The Mockingbirds has a unique premise and the idea of a secret society righting the wrongs committed against their fellow students is such an original idea. The Mockingbirds may seem like an unbelievable group, but it worked. 

I have never dealt with what Alex had to (thankfully), but I still felt for her and wanted her to be able to seek justice and move on with her life. Luckily, she had a great support system in her friends and sister. The secondary characters were a great group (especially TS and Martin) and I liked getting to know them all and better understand their role in the story. 

Contemporary YA is my favorite genre and The Mockingbirds once again reminded me why this is true. Daisy Whitney's debut was a brave and intense read that will open teen's eyes to something not often talked about- date rape. While this did deal with a very serious issue, there was still humor and romance, which I loved. 

Overall, The Mockingbirds is a book I will definitely be recommending to my friends and I hope if you haven't picked it up yet, you will. I'm so glad I have The Rivals on my TBR shelf because I can dive right into it!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

November 2, 2010/Little, Brown BFYR/332 Pages/Young Adult/Book One

Source: BEA '10 
Other books in this series: The Rivals

8 comments:

  1. Your review reminds me of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. "Speak" is also about a girl who was raped, but it is as much about healing as it is about a rape victim.

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  2. I've been hearing about this book for a long time. Like you, I don't know why I haven't read it yet. I need to. Thanks for the review.

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  3. Yay, I'm so glad you loved it. I must confessed that I, too, have had an arc of MOCKINGBIRD for quite some time. Definitely bumping this up my TBR pile! Thanks for the awesome review!

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  4. Great review. I really need to read this one. I bought a copy awhile ago because everyone was raving about it and it sounded amazing...but now that the sequel is out, I must get on it! LOL

    Contemporary is my favorite as well. I really want it to make a bit come back in YA lit.

    -lauren

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  5. I really liked this book! Thanks for the good review--I also perceive Alex to be a very strong, bold character. I also like how the author characterizes the whole Mockingbirds group.

    You should think about reviewing the second book, if you want...I really want to read the sequel! :)

    -Hyperbaloo13

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    1. I'm so glad you also enjoyed this book! I actually just finished The Rivals and will be reviewing it soon. I highly recommend it!

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  6. Thanks for the review--I loved this book! I also agree that Alex is a bold, strong character. I also liked how the author characterized the whole Mockingbird group. I want to say something but I can't, for fear of spoiling... :)

    You should think about reviewing the sequel, if you want to. I really want to read the second book! :)

    -Hyperbaloo13

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  7. This narrative The Mockingbirds by: Daisy Whitney is a story that uses the everyday hardships that people in real life are forced with overcoming. With the themes of peer pressure and fear playing a large role in this novel, it is conclusive that most adolescents can relate to the events that occur. Alex just wanted to be a normal teenage girl and focus on her school work as well as her music. She never thought she would have needed the Mockingbirds but when things took a turn for the worst she was left with no other choice. This story incorporates both youthful writing style and intriguing twists that make it hard to put the book down. This book has also helped me to open my eyes and look at situations from different sides. My recommended audience for this particular story would most likely be a younger women audience, preferably teenagers. Since the main character is an adolescent girl who is dealing with typical difficulties of being that age, it is easiest for members of this audience such as myself, to relate to the plot of the story. Since this book is so distinct to a certain audience it would be better if could be relatable to males as well as females. This book was a quick and entertaining read and teaches essential life lessons.

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