The Mockingbirds

The Mockingbirds
Daisy Whitney
Little, Brown Young Readers, November 2010
Realistic Fiction

I've really been looking forward to this book for months. It was well worth the wait. Daisy Whitney is an amazing writer and I hope her words help inspire others to speak out.

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. -- Goodreads site

Everyone should read this book along with Speak, the two girls' voices are so different and they deal with their rapes in very different ways, but in the end both girls find the courage to speak up for themselves. It's wonderful that Daisy (and Laurie) had the courage to write a book like this one, to hit on all the difficult issues of rape and how the victim deals with what has happened. She has managed to write an very important book that I know will give girls the courage to speak out.

Alex's voice is so realistic. I really liked her -- she struggles to deal what has happened to her while trying to allow herself to continue living her life. Her friends are also wonderful characters; they all want to help her speak out and move on. Their voices are all just as realistic as Alex's. There isn't a single fake or preachy character in the book.

I really can't say enough good things about The Mockingbirds -- it's beautifully written. Daisy managed to add many funny, clever moments throughout the novel without taking away from the seriousness of Alex's rape.

A few comments on the cover: I really love this cover. It's just gorgeous and perfect for the book.

Get this book immediately and begin reading! (I really mean it, go now)