Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)They say to write what you know and the author's blurb says Daisy Whitney was date-raped in college. That is probably why her portrayal of the aftermath of a rape feels very real. This is the author's debut novel and it is worth reading.
After drinking too much and waking up in the room of a boy she barely knows, Alex feels extreme guilt and shame. But she listens to her friends when they convince her that even if she did drink too much, it doesn't make it okay for a boy to have sex with her while she's passed out. Alex's rapist, Carter, is a popular water polo athlete at Themis Academy. He and his friends snicker about her in class and in the common areas until Alex ends up eating her meals in her room and taking different routes to her classes. But Alex has good friends, especially her new friend Martin, who stand by her and make sure she always has an escort to classes and sometimes bring her food in her dorm room.
At Themis Academy, the students are held to high standards. The problem is, the academy seems to think that just being accepted into the school makes the students above reproach. The students don't feel like there is any real justice system. That's why, years earlier, Alex's own sister created a secret group called The Mockingbirds. Their name comes from To Kill a Mockingbird. The group consists of students of all grades and has built-in checks and balances to assure fairness. They listen to evidence and declare the defendant guilty or innocent. This system can only work, of course, if both parties agree to accept the ruling of the Mockingbirds.
Alex's roommates convince her to take her case to the Mockingbirds. In the weeks leading up to the trial Alex becomes close to Martin, her roommate's boyfriend's roommate. She never knew he was in the Mockingbirds. They develop a sweet romance as Alex slowly tries to get back to normal in the aftermath of the rape. Although it takes weeks before the 'trial' finally happens, it is over pretty quickly. I won't give away the verdict.
I liked the fact that, even though Alex felt stupid and guilty for getting drunk and going to Carter's room with him, she still had the good sense to know she was victimized and that Carter broke the law. She felt a lot of guilt, but she was sensible, too. It would have been nice if she had gone to the police, but with little or no evidence they might not have been able to help her. I think the concept of a group like the Mockingbirds is nice, but I really don't see such a thing working in real life. The idea of students policing themselves and the offenders agreeing by the decision of the Mockingbirds seems a little too good to be true.
The book had nice characters and moved quickly. Even though it had a serious subject matter, I'm glad there was a little romance sprinkled in. I would recommend this to girls aged 13 and up. I will be watching to see what Daisy Whitney does next.
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