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 Take
I had heard so many wonderful things about this book. I was hopeful that I would like it as much as I'd heard everyone else did. I was NOT disappointed. I liked this book. Alex's confusion over doing the right thing and her fear that she had somehow brought all of it upon herself was realistic. Her friend's devotion to her was heartwarming.
The concept of the Mockingbirds was thought provoking for me. I think it was very well thought out and an interesting concept. It was nice to see that students supported one another and didn't turn a blind eye to the seemly or illegal actions of some of their fellow students. Instead of it being chaos there was a well-ordered system to ensure the offenders take responsibility for their actions.
I think too often today, parents don't have those tough talks with their boys about what constitutes consent and what does not. I know that I have begun that process, due in part to this book. I want to raise a boy more like Martin and less like Carter.
I was touched that Ms. Whitney shares her own story of date rape in the back of the book. I also thought it was awesome that she shared some links to resources for assistance for young women. There was minimal swearing, some alcohol, but no drugs in this book. I definitely recommend picking this one up to read. I'm giving it four gentle kisses!
