The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Description:

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.

Epic Wins:

• Rape. Rape told in a way that doesn’t gross you out (well as non-gross as you can get with rape).
• The pages, I’m sure, use magical glue that pastes your emotions to Alex. You understand her, you feel her pain, but you see the light at the end of the tunnel, that light is justice. No, not revenge, but the double-edge blade of pure justice.
• The reality of what Alex goes through is painfully clear, it could happen to you. Whitney paints a picture and makes a strong point.
• I HATE every book I have read about rape, they always make me feel overly uncomfortable, but something about Alex and the Mockingbirds keeps you hanging on. The feeling of a light at the end of the tunnel keeps the pages zooming past. - This book became a part of my every thought. What will Alex do? How will the trial go? Will there even be a trail? You never really know what will happen but you keep rooting for Alex hoping she gets through the next day.
• As her memories of the blurry night come back to her you learn exactly what happened. She breaks down and breaks through and your emotions match her, when she is mad you are furious, when she is confused you are perplexed, when she is lost in her music you vanish with her. The Mockingbirds is heart-stopping reality put into perspective.
• I cannot express just how much I LOVED this book! I don’t understand why either. I tried to read The Lovely Bones and failed miserably, it just felt awkward. It has to be Alex (or very well could be Martin!). Or it could be the setting, Themis, the place where they expect you to act a certain way and don’t give out punishments. Something about this book hit me in just the right way that I can’t help but (yet again) profess my love for!
• The Mocking birds- amazing group of justice-seeking students
• MARTIN- Totally a nerd but who said nerds weren’t cute?? Best thing that happens in the whole book, which is saying a lot because I have nothing but wins to say about this book.

Epic Fails: (again oddities)

• The rape scenes. You really can't get around these because they are the main point of the book. This is obvious because the whole story is based on her being raped.
• Carter- I HATE HIM! He is such a jerk! (You need to read to find out why). Alas, without him there would be no story. :( You lose some you win a lot.

Overall:

I loved this book to infinity and beyond (which for your information is way better then a high five)! If you don't go buy it now I'm pretty sure aliens will take over your brain, just sayin. SAVE YOUR BRAIN!

** Please note because this book deals with rape it is not squeaky clean but it packs a good punch on a subject that is quite difficult.

Just sayin,
-Kare