Annotation:
When Alex Patrick, a student at Themis Academy, becomes a victim of date rape she has nowhere else to turn to except for the semi-secret student society called The Mockingbirds. Recommended for ages 15+ due to graphic descriptions of rape. |
| Cover art from Goodreads.com |
Book Talk:
Themis Academy is a bastion of knowledge, learning, and the ultimate refuge for gifted students. It’s a utopia and there is no need for
punishment. At least that’s what the
faculty think but the students know better. They’re the Mockingbirds, a secret society
founded by Themis Academy students to help those who feel like they don’t have
a voice.
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird,
And if that mockingbird won’t sing,
Mama’s gonna write down everything.
And so that book won’t look the
same,
Mama’s gonna add a brand-new name.”
When
junior Alex Patrick wakes up in another student’s bed with no recollection of
how she got there or what happened she feels confused, angry, and ashamed. With nowhere else to turn she goes to the
Mockingbirds. Can the Mockingbirds help
Alex feel safe again?
Book
Review:
When I first started reading this
book it brought to mind Cormier’s The
Chocolate Wars but whereas Cormier explored an evil student secret society
Whitney presents a different type altogether.
Whitney’s secret society is made up of students dedicated to righting
wrongs with a system of checks and balances so that no one is accused
unfairly. Realistically I hope that any
student could go to their administrators if they were in Alex’s situation.
A
victim of rape herself, the author treats the subject matter with tact and does
a good job of describing the emotions and reactions of those going through such
a traumatic event. However, Whitney’s
graphic descriptions of Alex’s memories of being raped make this a better book
for teens 15+. That being said I think
this book would be appropriate for any high school or public library and would
be appealing to teenage girls who like realistic fiction or those who feel as
if they as if they are the only ones going through a bad situation.
Awards
and Honors:
2011- One of YALSA's 2011’s Best Fiction Books for
Teens
Author
site: http://daisywhitney.com/
Book Trailer for The Mockingbirds
by Little, Brown, & Co. Publishing
Learn about how To Kill a Mockingbird, by Lee, influenced Whitney 
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