review: The Mockingbirds

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Published: (November 2, 2010)

Pages: 332

Source: Borrowed from library

Summary from Goodreads:

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:

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney is a powerful, poignant novel that shows what happens when adults turn the other cheek and students are forced to stand up for what is right and what is good. The story, centered on Alex, is about date rape. When Alex is raped, she turns to a secret society that is focused on righting wrongs. It was a great plot, and I loved seeing how Alex and The Mockingbirds were going to avenge what had happened. I was also happy to see that The Mockingbirds is going to be a series, and I can't wait to see Whitney's next book.

However, it broke my heart to read about how the adults in The Mockingbirds--the teachers, the administration--were portrayed. They were blind, ignorant and unwilling to admit the evils in the world. I understand the reasoning of creating such a group. Without this factor there could be no such thing as The Mockingbirds. But I couldn't help compare The Mockingbirds tot he the helplessness that I'm sure thousands of young adults feel when they have no one to turn to. 

The same helplessness I fell that I can't help them either.

But someone can. There are websites and phone numbers and adults who DO CARE and ARE THERE FOR YOU.

Teen Safe Project

Hope for Healing

About Date Rape

Love is Not Abuse

Whitney's book made an impact--and one that I hope helps open others eyes as well.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!

Post this week have been AWOL. I've a friend come down to visit from Indiana so I've been focusing on spending time with her! It's been great and I love having her here.

But now it's time to get this book blog in gear. To the books!

Bought:

Unearthly (Unearthly - Trilogy) by Cynthia Hand

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

I love the cover of Unearthly, but I was a little sad when I opened by Barnes and Noble order and the back cover was torn a bit at the corner :( Prom and Prejudice made it through the trip okay--however, it's a really really thin book. I was surprised--but quantity does not equal quality, right?

From the library:

The Iron Daughter (Harlequin Teen) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen (Harlequin Teen) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

I'd place a request at the library for The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen, but when I was typing in the title I got a bit confused and asked for "The Iron Witch by Julie Kagawa." Thank goodness the library order the right book--and they went ahead and order the other book as well :)

I also picked up some music this weekend after seeing a conversation on Twitter about a particular artist:

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I'm not quite sure where she's been all my life but I love her sound and the music videos are lovely. <3

That's what it's in my mailbox. What's in yours?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

This week's topic is best book to movie adaptions. I couldn't come up with a complete list of ten, so I add adaptions that will be coming out soon or I plan on seeing soon.

Until recently, I had only seen the first two movies of the series. And then my best friends and I remedy that with a 15 hour HP movie marathon. I love the actors of the movie and the special effects. They really give you a piece of Hogwarts

I love the way Levine retells fairy tells and I think that Anne Hathaway really does a great job making Ella a kick-ass character.

I think Georgia has made every Top Ten Tuesday list I've made--but I do love her so. I was in England when Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and I was dying to see it in an English cinema. Sadly, my navigating skills are severely lacking and I just ended up riding the Circle Line... in a circle. Thank goodness for Redbox! Cute cute movie.

Oh, Scarlett and Rhett. The casting of this movie really made it what it was. Vivien Leigh is a classic beauty.

Haha. I love this movie--Amanda Bynes is hilarious and this take on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is fun and modern.

There is nothing better than a favorite children's book come to life.

And now for movie adaptations I have not seen but am pretty sure are going to be awesome:

Disney made Avalon High one of its monthly made-for-TV movie. I'm a bit skeptical, but come on, it's Meg Cabot.

March 11.

March 11.

March 11.

I can't wait.

I am really excited to see how they pull this sucker off. Hope's it comes close to the book.

See "City of Bones"