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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good debut novel, September 19, 2010
This review is from: The Mockingbirds (Hardcover)
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They say to write what you know and the author's blurb says Daisy Whitney was date-raped in college. That is probably why her portrayal of the aftermath of a rape feels very real. This is the author's debut novel and it is worth reading.
After drinking too much and waking up in the room of a boy she barely knows, Alex feels extreme guilt and shame. But she listens to her friends when they convince her that even if she did drink too much, it doesn't make it okay for a boy to have sex with her while she's passed out. Alex's rapist, Carter, is a popular water polo athlete at Themis Academy. He and his friends snicker about her in class and in the common areas until Alex ends up eating her meals in her room and taking different routes to her classes. But Alex has good friends, especially her new friend Martin, who stand by her and make sure she always has an escort to classes and sometimes bring her food in her dorm room.
At Themis Academy, the students are held to high standards. The problem is, the academy seems to think that just being accepted into the school makes the students above reproach. The students don't feel like there is any real justice system. That's why, years earlier, Alex's own sister created a secret group called The Mockingbirds. Their name comes from To Kill a Mockingbird. The group consists of students of all grades and has built-in checks and balances to assure fairness. They listen to evidence and declare the defendant guilty or innocent. This system can only work, of course, if both parties agree to accept the ruling of the Mockingbirds.
Alex's roommates convince her to take her case to the Mockingbirds. In the weeks leading up to the trial Alex becomes close to Martin, her roommate's boyfriend's roommate. She never knew he was in the Mockingbirds. They develop a sweet romance as Alex slowly tries to get back to normal in the aftermath of the rape. Although it takes weeks before the 'trial' finally happens, it is over pretty quickly. I won't give away the verdict.
I liked the fact that, even though Alex felt stupid and guilty for getting drunk and going to Carter's room with him, she still had the good sense to know she was victimized and that Carter broke the law. She felt a lot of guilt, but she was sensible, too. It would have been nice if she had gone to the police, but with little or no evidence they might not have been able to help her. I think the concept of a group like the Mockingbirds is nice, but I really don't see such a thing working in real life. The idea of students policing themselves and the offenders agreeing by the decision of the Mockingbirds seems a little too good to be true.
The book had nice characters and moved quickly. Even though it had a serious subject matter, I'm glad there was a little romance sprinkled in. I would recommend this to girls aged 13 and up. I will be watching to see what Daisy Whitney does next.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Debut, September 4, 2010
This review is from: The Mockingbirds (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Daisy Whitney's debut novel is an outstanding YA novel that addresses the issue of date rape.
The story is set at a boarding high school and features Alex, a junior music major whose one goal is to attend Julliard. The morning after she attends a concert with her friends, she wakes up in the bed of Carter, a member of the water polo team, and has no memory of how she got there or of what happened. It soon becomes evident that Carter had sex with her. Mortified that she had sex with a stranger and can't remember it, Alex confides in her roommates. They put the name of date rape to what happened to her. They also urge her to seek out the Mockingbirds, a student group that metes out punishment to those found guilty of breaking the school's code of conduct.
Whitney unfolds Alex's story slowly. The reader is privy to Alex's thoughts and, her memories as they slowly begin to return, usually at the worst possible times. Alex, at first, just wants to forget what happen that night, but eventually comes to understand that that she can't forget the events that occurred. To make matters worse, she must deal with the whispers of her fellow students as Carter spreads his lies about her. She must also endure her self doubts about who she is and how this could have happened. As the last bit of her memory returns, she is horrified. An understanding teacher helps her come to grips with what Carter did was wrong because Alex had not consented to what happened. As she and the Mockingbirds move forward to the trial of Carter for date rape, Alex begins to understand that not saying no doesn't mean yes.
While this story is about Alex and the effects of rape, it is also a story of the Mockingbirds and how they understand the mores of a high school campus. The Mockingbirds mete out justice in ways that the school's administration wouldn't even think of doing. How they effect the guilty party's cooperation is clever and effective.
This is a fast paced book, a real page turner, that is hard to put down even in the wee hours of the morning. Young women will love this book because Whitney doesn't sugar coat the facts nor does she dance around the issue of date rape. This should be mandatory reading for every young man.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sensitively handled, well paced novel for teen girls and young adults., October 19, 2010
This review is from: The Mockingbirds (Hardcover)
The Mockingbirds deals with a tough subject matter in date rape, but I'm glad I read it because first time author Daisy Whitney handles the subject matter with sensitivity, skill and honesty, while introducing us to a cast of well developed teen characters. It's really a story about justice as the main character Alex, hesitant to go to the authorities, seeks the assistance of a secret student society called The Mockingbirds which investigates student complaints and holds trials. In the end, what Alex really needs perhaps more than justice is regaining her sense of self, something she struggles with throughout the book as she also has to get through her junior year at an elite high school. I particularly liked the very carefully handled romantic subplot that played out post-rape and how Alex tries to overcome what has happened to her. Also the detail presented in Alex seeking solace in her music, she's an accomplished pianist, was quite lovely and touching.
The writing is tight, the plot moves along quickly and I think it's one of those YA books that will cross over to many adult female readers. This also has the feel of a potential series the way the ending is set up. It earns a five stars from me as I rated it in relation to how quickly I wanted to finish it based on the writing engaging me, how original I thought the story was and how it stacked up to other YA novels.
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