Book Review: The Mockingbirds

This week I'm writing a review on The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney. I met Daisy during the SCBWI LA Conference this past summer and she's an amazing person - friendly and supportive - and so I'm not surprised that the book is amazing as well!


Goodreads Description:

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 Review:

Daisy has been very open about this topic, revealing that she experienced a similar experience. In all honesty, I don't think the book could have been written this well if she hadn't ... maybe if she was a friend or a guidance counselor ... but I'm still not sure! Daisy nails the emotions that the character experiences after the date rape - the grief, the terror, the doubts, and the guilt.

And yet, Daisy explores the topic in such a way that there's a continuous thread of hope. The novel could have easily turned dark and depressing, but Alex continues to persevere and stay strong. There's also a sweet male character that you easily fall in love with!

I think this novel is an important read (and gift for teens) for several reasons. This kind of date rape (or friend rape, or acquaintance rape) is more prevalent than we can ever know. The Mockingbirds is a way to help those girls who have been the victim of a date rape - and also to educate those who have not, so they can avoid such a situation.

I applaud Daisy for writing such a real and vivid portrayal of such a touchy topic - and give The Mockingbirds 5 Palm Trees.

And definitely check out The Mockingbirds Book Trailer:

Give and YOU Shall Receive

From our twelve calender months, which month would you say requires the most adjustment?

I'd have to say September.

Summer is still wadding in the back of my mind, yet I'm up at the crack of dawn yarding the poor kiddos our of bed for school. Then there's making lunches, pickups, rushing this one to practice and that one to dance. There's getting the kids to exchange playtime for reading and homework. And that doesn't even touch upon the change in laundry and groceries--both of which are nightmares in my household of six. Um...yeah. We have schedule changes galore.

If you live in a college town as I do, the kind-of-sort-of twentysomethings are back, taking up extra parking stalls and tables at our favorite local diner. But finally, we do adjust, until...

...the excitement of Homecoming & prowling the neighborhood on Halloween night strikes the kids and we're back to square one. Once the dance craze and sugar high wear off, we settle down again.

So with the start of November, I like to concentrate on what's ahead for the last eightish weeks of the year. The closer we journey toward the holiday season, the more I think about the last ten months and all the good that has come my way.

That's exactly what we did here on Oasis for YA. For the month of November we asked you to pledge to donate books to your local library, local schools, or an organization of your choice. Of course, we offered a prize. So today--after my long-winded intro--I'm here to announce the winners of our GIVE THANKS, GIVE BOOKS campaign!!

ERIC LUPER you're our TOP WINNER!!

You'll receive a new copy of Untamed by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast and a $15 iTunes gift card

JANNA JOHNSON is our second place WINNER!!

You'll receive a SIGNED copy of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White and a paperback copy of The Hollow

Your generosity will not be forgotten.

CONGRATS!!

Have any of you donated a book just for the sake of giving? Who did you give it to, and how did that make you feel? 

I wrote a NaNo book. Now what?

                  Winner of the Rachel Vincent contest is Liz Czukas!  Congrats, Liz!

Agents all over are cringing as they open their email inboxes today. Why are they cringing? Because NaNoWriMo is officially over, and writers all over are sending in their manuscripts. If you know what’s wrong with that statement, then you can stop reading! : D LOL.

For everyone else, listen carefully! :D Do NOT send those novels. Just because they’re complete, doesn’t mean they’re finished. You have a TON left to do. Like editing, revising, more editing, rewriting. Sending to betas, more rewriting. More betas. Are we seeing a pattern?

It’s a lot of work, but it’s so worth it when you get feedback from an agent/editor saying it’s well written and they want your work.

The best advice for what to do with it now? Nothing. Set it off to the side. Let it mature for a few weeks to a month or so, while you write something else. Why? Because absence makes the heart grow fonder. Seriously, though, it’s because you need distance from your story, so you can see all it’s flaws.

Right now you’re enamored with it, and you won’t be able to see the things as clearly as you should.

And while you’re waiting, write that next novel. After all, the only thing that sets an author apart from others is the fact they write. And with each subsequent story, you get better.

So, please, no matter how much you love that story you just wrote, be kind to the agents and editors who are fearful of their inboxes this month and “just say nay.”