Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Whitney, Daisy, The Mockingbirds, Little, Brown and Company, 2010. Pgs. 332. Language: PG-13 (15 swears, 2 “f”s), Violence: PG-13 Sexual Content: R

Alex Patrick is a student at Themis Academy, a prestigious boarding school that’s administrative discipline is mild to non-existent. When Alex wakes up one morning naked in a unknown guy’s bed with no recollection of how she got there, her further investigation makes her believe she was date-raped. When the boy starts spreading rumors of their sexual activity that night, Alex becomes afraid to eat in the cafeteria, avoids the guy in the halls, struggles to remember what happened that night, and watches as her life at Themis starts to become unbearable. When her friend, T.S. and her sister, Casey convince her to turn to the Mockingbirds, a clandestine student organization bent on seeing justice service, for help, Alex has mixed feelings about confronting the boy about that night. Will Alex find the courage to stand up for what’s right and get her life back in order?

An excellent story that teaches an important lesson. The characters are well-developed. The plot is engaging and holds the reader’s attention. There are, however, a lot of mature themes and content in this book. As Alex’s forgotten night and the description of her date-rape become more vivid and her school situation becomes more uncomfortable, the content becomes less and less appropriate for younger readers. High school students who like realistic fiction, inspirational stories, and Laurie Halse Anderson books will, however, enjoy reading this book. HS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Jessica M, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.