Review of The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Title: The Mockingbirds

Author: Daisy Whitney

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 332

Source: Library

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

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.

Every once in a while you come across a story that speaks to you.  The Mockingbirds didn't speak to me, it yelled.  This is the type of book, though at times was emotionally difficult to read, stays with you long after you put it down.  It motivates you and makes you want to make a difference in the world.  Though I love the classics, it books like The Mockingbirds that I think would be more beneficial for required reading in school.  The situations and the messages are something students relate to, understand and hopefully by reading novel like this they can come away with a powerful life lesson. 

Daisy Whitney gave the main character, Alex, the perfect voice.  She made Alex come alive by not only giving her strength, but also giving her doubt.  Throughout the novel Alex continues to struggle with complex emotions that she doesn't even understand.  Alex is the true type of heroine because as difficult as her life has become, she hasn't given up.  Instead she decides to fight, and not necessarily for herself but to protect others and help prevent what happened to her from occurring again.   

While Alex has her battles to fight, she didn't have to do it alone.  She has The Mockingbirds!  And while I'm sad that an organization like this has to exist, because of the administration's blind-eye antics, I'm glad it was there for the students at Themis Academy.  (Seriously, I really hope schools do not operate this way currently.)  I love that Alex's big sister started this group and named it after To Kill A Mockingbird.  That story had a big role in this novel and I loved the parallel scenarios.  Plus I just think that Alex's big sister rocked.  She was definitely one of my favorite side characters along with The Mockingbirds. 

What a powerful novel.  I highly suggest you add this to your TBR pile.