The Mockingbirds

By Daisey Whitney

Summary: Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional ...more 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: Whoa Daisy Whitney, you sure do know how to get to us! This was a wonderful novel, so insightful and emotional. We meet Alex who is your typical student. She gets good grades and wants to do something with her life. She goes out with some friends one night, drinks a little too much, goes back to a guy's room, and gets date raped. She knows she drank a little but didn't think she drank enough to really hurt her. This book opens up the next day where Alex wakes up in a strange room, naked, with a strange guy laying next to her. She can't remember what really happened. He alerts her that they had sex, twice, and she was all over him.

Well, she goes back to her room and talks to her friends and realizes she was date raped. The guy who date raped her is a popular jock named Carter who thinks nothing can touch him. Carter starts rumors about Alex and how she is "easy." Alex gets help from The Mockingbirds, a secret society set up by students to enforce justice throughout the student body.

This was such an emotional and gripping novel. Whitney really knows how to make you want to beat up the jock and want to cry for Alex. Alex also has a friend throughout the book named Martin. I really liked him and I'm glad there was a forming relationship between Alex and Martin. He was also part of the Mockingbirds so we bond with him throughout the book.

Alex was brave for standing up to Carter but I felt like she needed to go to an adult and take this further but as many women are, Alex was scared and at least she turned to The Mockingbirds for help.

Overall: This is a wonderful novel. It's also raw and full of emotions. If you've been anywhere near this situation (date rape) than you will appreciate the book a lot more than the normal person. I really enjoyed reading this book, even though there were a few times I wanted to kick the guy who treated Alex like crap, and a few times I wanted to kiss Martin! I also wanted to let Alex cry on my shoulder. Daisy Whitney has written brilliant novel.

Cover: Like it. I like the bird and the black and red colors together. I read the ARC, I think the final cover may have different colors? I'm not sure.

What I'd Give It: