Review: The Mockingbirds

By: Daisy Whitney
Published: November 2010 by Little, Brown
Format: Hardback, 332 pages
First Reviewed: January 2011
Buy: Barnes & Noble//Books-A-Million//Amazon//Book Depository
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Hush little students, don't say a word...

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.

Rating: 4/5

So originally I heard great things about this book, and then I started reading more reviews and saw a lot of one stars, so I became weary of it, but to be honest, I quite liked this book.

Love the whole boarding school aspect as well as The Mockingbirds aspect. It was a nice twist on boarding school books. I do wish I could have gotten a better feel of the surroundings, but overall it was a solid setting for a book like this.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure how to feel about the MC Alex. I couldn't decide if I liked her or felt for her for the first few chapters, but then I definitely started to like her as she developed throughout. There's a little bit of all of us in Alex. The minor characters were a good supporting cast, I'd say. They didn't fall under cliches, which I liked. I wish I could have gotten just a wee bit more from the characters as a whole, but there were pretty nicely developed overall.

The writing is what made this book. Her writing flows so well that I devoured this book whole. She touched on the right points and didn't dwell on anything that didn't need dwelling. Instead, she let the scenes tell the story rather than Alex, which I loved. And she handled this topic extremely well, making it both believable and interesting to read (not in the weird way). A few nitpicks, though (of course): Everyone had brown eyes and she made sure to mention it all the time, it seemed. Descriptions in general, actually. She'd mentioned them a few times. And in the beginning, there was a lot of repetition with "Here at Themsis," or something along those lines, dealing with how the school and students operate. Only problems, though, because she's one to look out for. I'd love to see what else she brings to YA world.

A touchy subject, but one I think all young adults should understand. Like I said, Whitney handled it extremely well, and I never felt uncomfortable while reading. Let's just say my mind is very innocent in this subject area, and for me not to be bothered by some scenes, that means it's good story-telling work. The plot was nicely paced and I never got bored. It's not a mystery or anything like that, but rather a journey with the MC, through her time of hardship. The messages this book gives is great to see in YA world. We don't see it enough. Great plot work from Whitney.

Brownie points for the tagline, first off. It's awesome! And this is definitely a book that's made me think after I've finished. I had my subtle nitpicks, I think every teen and young adult should check it out, even older adults, too. It sends a great message.