Release Date: November 2, 2010Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 332
Review Source: Library
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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.
My Thoughts:
'The Mockingbirds' is an absolutely lovely novel, which probably sounds like an odd way to describe a book that deals with such a serious and heinous subject as date rape. However, Daisy Whitney has written the book in such a way that it is so much more than an issue novel. Her characters feel like real people, both good and bad. Alex is an interesting, layered character from whom it's easy to feel sympathy for and relate to.
Though 'The Mockingbirds' is more than an issue novel, it deals with those issues quite interestingly, presenting messages without making them seem preachy. The book goes beyond just the issue of rape and discusses matters of truth, memory, and, most of all, justice. I love how Whitney managed to include all this weighty material without making the book feel like a lesson, and how she was even able to write humorous and romantic aspects into the story.
If you enjoy contemporaries that deal with serious issues while still retaining a hopeful tone, then you're sure to enjoy 'The Mockingbirds'. I know I really did, and I'm so glad that I was exposed to so many positive reviews which convinced me to pick this one up.
Rating:
Find The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.ca
P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mom (!!!), who supposedly reads this blog but tells me she "keeps forgetting to check it". ;)
Wow, really fantastic review Ashley! I need to read this one, I love when a book can approach a difficult subject matter with both seriousness and humor, and then manages to bring up issues without being preachy or hitting us over the head with the lesson we're supposed to learn. Looking forward to this one now!
ReplyDeleteKinda funny...I noticed at work yesterday my copy which I have had on hold forever is finally in transit. I wonder if it's the exact one you read. We should totally leave messages to each other. Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a difficult subject handled very well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review :)
Great review. I think I may check this out now. :D
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