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The Mockingbirds #2
The Rivals
When Alex Patrick was assaulted by another student last year, her elite boarding school wouldn't do anything about it. This year Alex is head of the Mockingbirds, a secret society of students who police and protect the student body. While she desperately wants to live up to the legacy that's been given to her, she's now dealing with a case unlike any the Mockingbirds have seen before.
It isn't rape. It isn't bullying. It isn't hate speech. A far-reaching prescription drug ring has sprung up, and students are using the drugs to cheat. But how do you try a case with no obvious victim? Especially when the facts don't add up, and each new clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she loves her friends, her boyfriend, and her fellow Mockingbirds.
As Alex unravels the layers of deceit within the school, the administration, and even the student body the Mockingbirds protect, her struggle to navigate the murky waters of vigilante justice may reveal more about herself than she ever expected.
It isn't rape. It isn't bullying. It isn't hate speech. A far-reaching prescription drug ring has sprung up, and students are using the drugs to cheat. But how do you try a case with no obvious victim? Especially when the facts don't add up, and each new clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she loves her friends, her boyfriend, and her fellow Mockingbirds.
As Alex unravels the layers of deceit within the school, the administration, and even the student body the Mockingbirds protect, her struggle to navigate the murky waters of vigilante justice may reveal more about herself than she ever expected.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2012
16 people are currently reading
1793 people want to read
About the author
Daisy Whitney
10 books464 followersBy day, Daisy Whitney is a reporter and ghostwriter. At night, she writes novels for teens and is the author of THE MOCKINGBIRDS and its sequel THE RIVALS (Little, Brown). Her third novel WHEN YOU WERE HERE releases in June 2013 (Little, Brown), and her fourth novel STARRY NIGHTS (Bloomsbury) hits shelves in September 2013. When Daisy's not inventing fictional high school worlds, she can be found somewhere north of San Francisco walking her adorable dog, watching online TV with her fabulous husband or playing with her fantastic kids. A graduate of Brown University, she believes in shoes, chocolate chip cookies and karma. You can follow her writing blog and new media adventures at DaisyWhitney.com. (I don't rate books on GoodReads, nor do I check the site so please friend me on Facebook instead.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
May 11, 2011
I MAY have gotten a copy of this to pass on to a charity, and I MAY have peeked inside just to see if it's as awesome as THE MOCKINGBIRDS. I MAY have finished the whole thing in about an hour and a half despite having lots of other things to do and despite the fact that it doesn't belong to me.
Officially, I did not read this book. But if I had, I would be telling you how AWESOME it is. YOU NEED TO READ IT.
I need to read it too. Because I didn't. Really. I swear.
Officially, I did not read this book. But if I had, I would be telling you how AWESOME it is. YOU NEED TO READ IT.
I need to read it too. Because I didn't. Really. I swear.
April 16, 2012
Daisy Whitney did something magical with The Rivals - she managed to craft a sequel I loved even more than The Mockingbirds, which was one of my favorite books of 2010. Riveting and intense, The Rivals is everything I was looking for in a sequel.
It had been awhile since I read The Mockingbirds, but within the first three pages of the book Daisy Whitney made me fall back in love with the world she has created with The Rivals. It was at this point, I was completely hooked and the only point in which I put it down was to go eat dinner. It was a book worthy of being carried with me as I walked around, rode the T, and anywhere else I needed to go.
I loved that the plot was hard to guess - it was a bit of a mystery trying to figure out who was behind what. The Rivals is a whole new ball game after what happened in The Mockingbirds, and I really wasn't expecting any of it. I love the scenes between Martin and Alex - they are so adorable together.
The cast of characters I grew to love in The Mockingbirds was only expanded in The Rivals. Not only do you get to know the characters from The Mockingbirds better, but a few new characters who are pretty fabulous are introduced.
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney is a book to add to your must read pile. I am a complete and utter idiot for waiting 2 months after its release to read it, as it was just so incredible. Daisy Whitney is such a talented author, and I cannot wait to read the next character's story she chooses to share with us.
It had been awhile since I read The Mockingbirds, but within the first three pages of the book Daisy Whitney made me fall back in love with the world she has created with The Rivals. It was at this point, I was completely hooked and the only point in which I put it down was to go eat dinner. It was a book worthy of being carried with me as I walked around, rode the T, and anywhere else I needed to go.
I loved that the plot was hard to guess - it was a bit of a mystery trying to figure out who was behind what. The Rivals is a whole new ball game after what happened in The Mockingbirds, and I really wasn't expecting any of it. I love the scenes between Martin and Alex - they are so adorable together.
The cast of characters I grew to love in The Mockingbirds was only expanded in The Rivals. Not only do you get to know the characters from The Mockingbirds better, but a few new characters who are pretty fabulous are introduced.
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney is a book to add to your must read pile. I am a complete and utter idiot for waiting 2 months after its release to read it, as it was just so incredible. Daisy Whitney is such a talented author, and I cannot wait to read the next character's story she chooses to share with us.
March 5, 2012
Alex is one of those characters it's impossible to dislike. She has a good heart, a good head, and she's trying to do the right thing. It's obvious from that start that she doesn't know how to handle her new role as the head of The Mockingbirds, and people take advantage of that left and right.
What I liked the most about her, however, was the fact that everything that happened in The Mockingbirds wasn't erased. It still mattered. Alex was still recovering, rebuilding, and working towards breaking through her rape. Add that to the fact that the details of the event were known throughout the school because of the case, and it's understandable why her hesitations as a leader got in her own way.
Daisy Whitney does a remarkable job of building things up. If there's one thing that stands out about her writing, it's that the smallest conflicts in the book (which aren't so small, you find in the end) create so much tension and frustration that you almost can't believe it was something that insignificant. It's not just with the bad kind of tension either, though. The sexual tension in this book is nicely done. Alex and Martin are working on balancing who they were, who they are, and who they want to be, and you can feel it in their scenes together. There is one scene, with Alex playing at the piano and Martin behind her, and the beautiful tension that builds between them, that I still haven't gotten out of my mind.
The idea of a prescription drug ring might not capture your interest at first, if that's not something you're into. Like most of my favorite young adult books, that's not even the beginning. You find out that there are some shady goings-on at the school (as usual), and at one point, I can guarantee that your stomach will drop, just as Alex's does. It might happen again and again, depending on how quickly you pick up the subtext and clues.
Daisy Whitney writes with a strength and power that has been overlooked. The voice is strong, her descriptions are spot-on, and her characters are real. They are angry, they are frustrated, they are confused and disoriented, they are teenagers. But make no mistake, they are not stupid. They are smart and powerful. These are not your bubblegum chewing, grunting airheads from the movies.
What I liked the most about her, however, was the fact that everything that happened in The Mockingbirds wasn't erased. It still mattered. Alex was still recovering, rebuilding, and working towards breaking through her rape. Add that to the fact that the details of the event were known throughout the school because of the case, and it's understandable why her hesitations as a leader got in her own way.
Daisy Whitney does a remarkable job of building things up. If there's one thing that stands out about her writing, it's that the smallest conflicts in the book (which aren't so small, you find in the end) create so much tension and frustration that you almost can't believe it was something that insignificant. It's not just with the bad kind of tension either, though. The sexual tension in this book is nicely done. Alex and Martin are working on balancing who they were, who they are, and who they want to be, and you can feel it in their scenes together. There is one scene, with Alex playing at the piano and Martin behind her, and the beautiful tension that builds between them, that I still haven't gotten out of my mind.
The idea of a prescription drug ring might not capture your interest at first, if that's not something you're into. Like most of my favorite young adult books, that's not even the beginning. You find out that there are some shady goings-on at the school (as usual), and at one point, I can guarantee that your stomach will drop, just as Alex's does. It might happen again and again, depending on how quickly you pick up the subtext and clues.
Daisy Whitney writes with a strength and power that has been overlooked. The voice is strong, her descriptions are spot-on, and her characters are real. They are angry, they are frustrated, they are confused and disoriented, they are teenagers. But make no mistake, they are not stupid. They are smart and powerful. These are not your bubblegum chewing, grunting airheads from the movies.
April 9, 2012
3.75 stars
Hey ho, whaddaya know? It’s Michelle and Andi here! In a small freakish moment in nature she and I happened to unexpected read the same book at the same time. Fortunately for you that means you get to hear us gab about it. We have thoughts people, very serious thoughts. Check out what they
Michelle
What did you think about the story overall? I have to say I liked The Mockingbirds better. I felt like this book (while good) wasn’t a necessary extension of the first. Having said that I quite enjoyed catching up with Alex and liked seeing her growth since what happened with Carter. The story itself made sense to me, that there would be a cadre of people who rebel against the Mockingbirds (even if I saw the plot points and progressions pretty early on) and that there were some who still didn’t believe Alex. I’m still on the fence about the school administration though. It felt a bit too over the top, that any school administrator would be so blatant about turning a blind eye or that those that were aware of The Mockingbirds wouldn’t do more about it.
Andi
For me this book was close to being excellent, but something made it a little off from the greatness of The Mockingbirds. I tried to figure out if it was the case, the new people, the slight shift in Alex’s personality, but it wasn’t any of that. I actually liked how Alex was always on the line of deceptive and straight forward. It worked, and so did the new people. It was the administration that bothered me. It was too much of a plot point to make the head master be that ‘turn a blind eye to win an award’ like. It was very contrived and it took away from what Alex and The Mockingbirds were up against and made everything they did whether good or bad okay because the administration was the bad guys in the long run.
Michelle
Yes! I felt like the award thing was way too convenient. Particularly given the fact that the precedent had been set in the previous book that the administrator never paid much attention to goings on. Also, I think the focus on that element took away from the strength of The Mockingbirds. As a group it felt far more public in this book where as in the last they were more covert and at least tried to fly under the radar. It felt like vigilantism was being flaunted as opposed to being a means to an end.
What are your thoughts on the case that was being investigated?
I was kind of torn. I liked that Whitney spoke to a relevant topic on a much grander scale (cheating) but part of me felt like one of the best things about The Mockingbirds was that they gave a voice to an individual who was wronged. Rivals took away from that some for me. It lost some of it’s emotion and urgency because there wasn’t one single person being focused on. BUT, I don’t think this book was as much about The Mockingbirds as it was a continuation of Alex’s story.
Andi
Like you I was torn too. I got that it was used as a way to justify the means, to show that not everything was so black and white and clear cut. I liked that aspect of it. But I had trouble believing that a high school senior, even someone like Alex, would go that hardcore against a cheating ring. There was something about the case that just didn’t work for me. Was the mystery aspect of who was behind it good? Absolutely. But I couldn’t help but think it would be even better if the case was more individualized. I just couldn’t see a kid caring about cheating if it really wasn’t affecting them and I struggled with that.
Michelle
Again, I agree! In my high school it was pretty much keep your nose down and stay out of it. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that such things are always that way I can see where it could be this way. But it seems far less plausible to me. Did you feel like it was a mystery? Because I knew what was going on pretty early on. There were a few places where things worked out differently than I expected but it wasn’t overwhelmingly surprising overall.
Andi
Oh, definitely not a surprise to me. I saw the writing on the wall from the get-go, but the attempt at a mystery was there for sure. Whitney wanted to keep you guessing, but for two amazing astute readers like ourselves…come on now.
What did you think of Alex and Martin’s relationship?
Their relationship was the one aspect I 100% loved. The growth and love from what they were in The Mockingbirds was pretty amazingly done in my eyes. It was the part of the story that I just found very real. The problems they had, the insecurities, that is all typical high school, if not just relationship stuff that couples go through. Sure their was the added pressure of working together and not always agreeing on the course of action to take, but their relationship was totally relatable and added to the book instead of just being there to add some romance.
Michelle
I was more drawn to their relationship in the first than this one. She was a bit unkind to him (understandably so) in some respects. I enjoyed that he handled it well. I do like that their relationship was portrayed realistically. She was distant and he was hurt. There was some spitefulness and childishness. No Dawson’s Creek action here where they were far to wise and introspective for their own good. I liked that a lot.
What did you think about her attraction to the other boy? I’m forgetting his name, UGH.
Andi
Jones! Oh Jones. I guess I was annoyed more with Jones then her attraction to him. I kind of understood the attraction because he was completely separate from everything else that was going on. He wasn’t in The Mockingbirds and he wasn’t in the circle of friends that she wasn’t trusting anymore. He was her Jones, her soft place, her music guy. But personally I thought Jones was pretentious and full of himself and that is what bothered me. He really acted like he was above all things Mockingbirds and I couldn’t figure out why he felt so entitled.
Michelle
Yes, Jones! Thank you! See that’s one of the problems for me is that we didn’t have all that much time with him. To really get to know him outside of the peripheral. That made it harder to understand why she would be so inclined to give up what she had with Martin for Jones. I do get the inclination to gravitate towards him for the reasons you mention but why allude to potential romance. You can get that connection through friendship, you know? I agree that he had arrogance about him and I wonder if it was intended to be felt as more aloof than anything else. I didn’t much mind about his personality just because I knew his purpose was to be conflict for she and Martin.
Speaking of which, I didn’t feel like that was a necessary focus for the story. There was already so much conflict in the plot already that there wasn’t a need to have a third party element to the romance.
Andi
Maybe that’s the problem that I was thinking of him from both books, like I couldn’t separate the two. I guess I’m just not a Jones fan. LOL. But I totally get what you are saying. The extra conflict was just that…extra. There was plenty immerse yourself in without it. Was it supposed to show the strength of Alex and Martin or what? Kind of pointless is right.
Michelle
I think so. Also, I think it went to show that Alex was healing from the rape. That she could open herself up to the idea of dating not just one man but potentially someone else as well. In that way I think it worked well. She had far more interaction with boys in this book and I found that aspect was handled really well.
What did you think of Alex’s character development from book one?
Andi
Now that part I honestly thought was really well done. From book one to The Rivals you could notice the change in Alex. Like she said in the book, as much as she wanted to be that same girl from before the rape, the one that went under the radar she couldn’t. She was different and I think Whitney showed that really well. I loved even in just The Rivals how at the beginning Alex was afraid to face Natalie, who I can’t stand by the way, and then at the end she refused to let her bully her. She found who she was and how being raped made her able to withstand things the old Alex never would have. Once she stopped running from her past she was no longer her past, she was the girl that did something about it and took control back of her life. You know?
Michelle
I do! What I liked best about it was that her progress was slow and thoughtful. It wasn’t this huge grand sweeping change that happens in 2.5 seconds so that the story can be conveniently done. She was still traumatized by the rape and had appropriate reactions when seeing Carter at different times. I also liked that she was able to continue to move forward with Martin and that she opened herself up to multiple possibilities where romance and intimacy were concerned. Not sure I’m on board with her getting to sexy times with him as quickly as she did. I would have imagined it taking longer given where she was in the first book. But that’s just me. Did it feel too fast for that to you?
Andi
I can see how people would think it was very fast that she was okay to sleep with Martin. But I can also see why it was important for Alex to actually let herself be with someone like that. It was more, to me anyway, to show that the rape didn’t define her and that she was in a safe place with Martin. Martin made her feel like the Alex of old so it was natural that she would be okay to be intimate with him. Fast, maybe a little, but I think it was a way for Alex to grow and for the rape to have been something that happened to her, not who she was.
Michelle
This is true, it’s difficult not to let something like that define you so plowing ahead to try and make positive changes is definitely an encouraging message.
Any final thoughts to share?
Andi
All in all I really enjoyed the book. It was nice to see some character growth. There were things I would have lied to have been different, but in the end I think it all worked as a whole. I do get the feeling of a possible third part, but time will tell. I know I’m excited for whatever Ms. Whitney has for us next.
Did you read it? What did you think? Add your thoughts to the comment.
Hey ho, whaddaya know? It’s Michelle and Andi here! In a small freakish moment in nature she and I happened to unexpected read the same book at the same time. Fortunately for you that means you get to hear us gab about it. We have thoughts people, very serious thoughts. Check out what they
Michelle
What did you think about the story overall? I have to say I liked The Mockingbirds better. I felt like this book (while good) wasn’t a necessary extension of the first. Having said that I quite enjoyed catching up with Alex and liked seeing her growth since what happened with Carter. The story itself made sense to me, that there would be a cadre of people who rebel against the Mockingbirds (even if I saw the plot points and progressions pretty early on) and that there were some who still didn’t believe Alex. I’m still on the fence about the school administration though. It felt a bit too over the top, that any school administrator would be so blatant about turning a blind eye or that those that were aware of The Mockingbirds wouldn’t do more about it.
Andi
For me this book was close to being excellent, but something made it a little off from the greatness of The Mockingbirds. I tried to figure out if it was the case, the new people, the slight shift in Alex’s personality, but it wasn’t any of that. I actually liked how Alex was always on the line of deceptive and straight forward. It worked, and so did the new people. It was the administration that bothered me. It was too much of a plot point to make the head master be that ‘turn a blind eye to win an award’ like. It was very contrived and it took away from what Alex and The Mockingbirds were up against and made everything they did whether good or bad okay because the administration was the bad guys in the long run.
Michelle
Yes! I felt like the award thing was way too convenient. Particularly given the fact that the precedent had been set in the previous book that the administrator never paid much attention to goings on. Also, I think the focus on that element took away from the strength of The Mockingbirds. As a group it felt far more public in this book where as in the last they were more covert and at least tried to fly under the radar. It felt like vigilantism was being flaunted as opposed to being a means to an end.
What are your thoughts on the case that was being investigated?
I was kind of torn. I liked that Whitney spoke to a relevant topic on a much grander scale (cheating) but part of me felt like one of the best things about The Mockingbirds was that they gave a voice to an individual who was wronged. Rivals took away from that some for me. It lost some of it’s emotion and urgency because there wasn’t one single person being focused on. BUT, I don’t think this book was as much about The Mockingbirds as it was a continuation of Alex’s story.
Andi
Like you I was torn too. I got that it was used as a way to justify the means, to show that not everything was so black and white and clear cut. I liked that aspect of it. But I had trouble believing that a high school senior, even someone like Alex, would go that hardcore against a cheating ring. There was something about the case that just didn’t work for me. Was the mystery aspect of who was behind it good? Absolutely. But I couldn’t help but think it would be even better if the case was more individualized. I just couldn’t see a kid caring about cheating if it really wasn’t affecting them and I struggled with that.
Michelle
Again, I agree! In my high school it was pretty much keep your nose down and stay out of it. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that such things are always that way I can see where it could be this way. But it seems far less plausible to me. Did you feel like it was a mystery? Because I knew what was going on pretty early on. There were a few places where things worked out differently than I expected but it wasn’t overwhelmingly surprising overall.
Andi
Oh, definitely not a surprise to me. I saw the writing on the wall from the get-go, but the attempt at a mystery was there for sure. Whitney wanted to keep you guessing, but for two amazing astute readers like ourselves…come on now.
What did you think of Alex and Martin’s relationship?
Their relationship was the one aspect I 100% loved. The growth and love from what they were in The Mockingbirds was pretty amazingly done in my eyes. It was the part of the story that I just found very real. The problems they had, the insecurities, that is all typical high school, if not just relationship stuff that couples go through. Sure their was the added pressure of working together and not always agreeing on the course of action to take, but their relationship was totally relatable and added to the book instead of just being there to add some romance.
Michelle
I was more drawn to their relationship in the first than this one. She was a bit unkind to him (understandably so) in some respects. I enjoyed that he handled it well. I do like that their relationship was portrayed realistically. She was distant and he was hurt. There was some spitefulness and childishness. No Dawson’s Creek action here where they were far to wise and introspective for their own good. I liked that a lot.
What did you think about her attraction to the other boy? I’m forgetting his name, UGH.
Andi
Jones! Oh Jones. I guess I was annoyed more with Jones then her attraction to him. I kind of understood the attraction because he was completely separate from everything else that was going on. He wasn’t in The Mockingbirds and he wasn’t in the circle of friends that she wasn’t trusting anymore. He was her Jones, her soft place, her music guy. But personally I thought Jones was pretentious and full of himself and that is what bothered me. He really acted like he was above all things Mockingbirds and I couldn’t figure out why he felt so entitled.
Michelle
Yes, Jones! Thank you! See that’s one of the problems for me is that we didn’t have all that much time with him. To really get to know him outside of the peripheral. That made it harder to understand why she would be so inclined to give up what she had with Martin for Jones. I do get the inclination to gravitate towards him for the reasons you mention but why allude to potential romance. You can get that connection through friendship, you know? I agree that he had arrogance about him and I wonder if it was intended to be felt as more aloof than anything else. I didn’t much mind about his personality just because I knew his purpose was to be conflict for she and Martin.
Speaking of which, I didn’t feel like that was a necessary focus for the story. There was already so much conflict in the plot already that there wasn’t a need to have a third party element to the romance.
Andi
Maybe that’s the problem that I was thinking of him from both books, like I couldn’t separate the two. I guess I’m just not a Jones fan. LOL. But I totally get what you are saying. The extra conflict was just that…extra. There was plenty immerse yourself in without it. Was it supposed to show the strength of Alex and Martin or what? Kind of pointless is right.
Michelle
I think so. Also, I think it went to show that Alex was healing from the rape. That she could open herself up to the idea of dating not just one man but potentially someone else as well. In that way I think it worked well. She had far more interaction with boys in this book and I found that aspect was handled really well.
What did you think of Alex’s character development from book one?
Andi
Now that part I honestly thought was really well done. From book one to The Rivals you could notice the change in Alex. Like she said in the book, as much as she wanted to be that same girl from before the rape, the one that went under the radar she couldn’t. She was different and I think Whitney showed that really well. I loved even in just The Rivals how at the beginning Alex was afraid to face Natalie, who I can’t stand by the way, and then at the end she refused to let her bully her. She found who she was and how being raped made her able to withstand things the old Alex never would have. Once she stopped running from her past she was no longer her past, she was the girl that did something about it and took control back of her life. You know?
Michelle
I do! What I liked best about it was that her progress was slow and thoughtful. It wasn’t this huge grand sweeping change that happens in 2.5 seconds so that the story can be conveniently done. She was still traumatized by the rape and had appropriate reactions when seeing Carter at different times. I also liked that she was able to continue to move forward with Martin and that she opened herself up to multiple possibilities where romance and intimacy were concerned. Not sure I’m on board with her getting to sexy times with him as quickly as she did. I would have imagined it taking longer given where she was in the first book. But that’s just me. Did it feel too fast for that to you?
Andi
I can see how people would think it was very fast that she was okay to sleep with Martin. But I can also see why it was important for Alex to actually let herself be with someone like that. It was more, to me anyway, to show that the rape didn’t define her and that she was in a safe place with Martin. Martin made her feel like the Alex of old so it was natural that she would be okay to be intimate with him. Fast, maybe a little, but I think it was a way for Alex to grow and for the rape to have been something that happened to her, not who she was.
Michelle
This is true, it’s difficult not to let something like that define you so plowing ahead to try and make positive changes is definitely an encouraging message.
Any final thoughts to share?
Andi
All in all I really enjoyed the book. It was nice to see some character growth. There were things I would have lied to have been different, but in the end I think it all worked as a whole. I do get the feeling of a possible third part, but time will tell. I know I’m excited for whatever Ms. Whitney has for us next.
Did you read it? What did you think? Add your thoughts to the comment.
November 30, 2012
Originally posted here: http://theloyalbook.blogspot.it/2012/... (SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH)
Scrivere una recensione su libri a sfondo sovrannaturale mi riesce più facile, lo ammetto, perché tendo a mettere un po' di distanza tra me e il libro. Quando invece mi trovo davanti libri come The Rivals è impossibile non fermarsi a riflettere su tematiche un po' più profonde, anche se lontane dal nostro ambito culturale.
Di Daisy Whitney avevo già letto The Mockingbirds, il cui tema principale era lo stupro, un argomento a me molto caro (la mia recensione potete trovarla QUI). È passato qualche mese e ho deciso di tornare a fare visita ad Alex, la protagonista, sempre alle prese con la politica del 'mettere la testa sotto la sabbia' della prestigiosa scuola che frequenta. Ora è lei a capo del gruppo segreto che si occupa di far rispettare la disciplina nel campus, visto che la loro preside non è in grado di affrontare i problemi, ma deve vedersela con problemi quali lo spaccio di sostanze stupefacenti per migliorare le prestazioni scolastiche e le sue amicizie e la sua stessa storia d'amore ne risentiranno.
Non è tanto la storia in sé che mi è piaciuta, quanto piuttosto la credibilità di Alex e la sua forza. Alex è rimasta marchiata per sempre dallo stupro che ha subito e non sarà facile per lei dimenticarlo. Non è perfetta, fa moltissimi errori, si pente ed è piena di dubbi. Sia come capo dei Mockingbirds che come amica, Alex si mette continuamente in gioco, si fa mille domande, ma alla fine il suo scopo è solo quello di cercare di fare del suo meglio. Ho apprezzato veramente il percorso di crescita di questo personaggio; Alex è ben lontana dai cliché delle classiche protagoniste young adult, ed è sicuramente per questo che è facile identificarsi in lei. Un discorso analogo vale anche per tutti gli altri personaggi, dal suo ragazzo Martin all'amica Maia, dal ballerino Theo all'amico Jones. Sono personaggi molto reali, molto imperfetti e molto umani, ognuno alle prese con la propria personale strada alla ricerca di se stesso e di un posto nel mondo. Anche le situazioni e le relazioni sono molto veritiere: non ci sono improbabili amori ultraterreni, ma ragazzi e ragazze che cercando di far funzionare amore e amicizia pur con tutti i problemi che la vita pone davanti.
Narrato in prima persona dal punto di vista di Alex, la storia ha un buon ritmo, sebbene possa risultare lenta a tratti. La sua bellezza sta però nel modo in cui affronta certe tematiche e negli spunti di riflessione proposti. Gli argomenti trattati nel libro sono molteplici e profondi: l'importanza di affrontare le conseguenze delle proprie azioni, i problemi che derivano dall'avere il potere, la vendetta, la crescita personale… potrei andare avanti ancora per ore senza riuscire a fargli giustizia, ma di sicuro questo libro piacerà a chi cerca qualcosa più di una semplice storiella per passare il tempo.
La frase che mi ha colpito:
“Some decisions are hard, some are easy, but either way it's our choices that matter. Who we chose to align with. What we choose to give in to. What we choose to resist. And most of all, who we choose to be. Because it is always our choice.”
“We are what we love. We are the things, the people, the ideas we spend our days with. They center us, they drive us, they define us to our very core.
Without them, we are empty.”
Il libro è attualmente inedito in Italia.
ENGLISH
I have to say that writing a review about paranormal books seems to be so much easier for me, because I tend to put some distance between the book and myself. When I'm confronted with books like The Rivals I find it difficult not to stop and ponder about the important issues the novel deals with and I find myself deeply engaged in the discussion.
I had already read and loved The Mockingbirds, which dealt with date-rape, an issue that is very important for me. After some months I decided it was time to go back to prestigious Themis and visit Alex, still dealing with the school permissive policy. Now she's in charge of the Mockingbirds, the secret group who enforces discipline on campus since the dean and the school board do not do anything to face the real problems. This time Alex has to deal with a cheating ring, trafficking of illegal meds to improve school performance and her friendship and her love story will pay a high price for this.
I liked the story but what really impressed me was Alex's credibility, her strength and how much she grows during the novel. She's been marked by rape and she knows she won't forget it. She's not perfect, she makes tons of mistakes, she regrets things and has many doubts. Both as the head of the Mockingbird and as a friend, she constantly challenges and doubts herself but in the end her main purpose is to do her best for everybody. I really appreciated how this character developed through the novel; Alex is far from the clichéd young adult protagonists and that's why you can easily identify with her. Same thing goes for all the other characters, from her boyfriend Martin to her friend Maia, from the broken dancer Theo to her friend Jones. They are very real, very imperfect and very much human, each of them dealing with their own journey, searching for their identity and for a place in this world. Also, the situations and the relationships are totally believable and realistic: there are no impossible loves and preternatural creatures, there are just boys and girls trying to make things work even with the challenges life gives us.
With a first person's POV, the story Alex tells us has a good pace, even if at times can be a bit slow. Its beauty and deep meaning, though, can be found in the way the novel approaches certain issues and gives us food for thought. There are many issues, each of them very important and controversial: how to deal with the consequences of actions, the problems arising with having power, revenge, personal growth… I could go on for hours but I can't seem to make this book justice.
If you like a book that will give you more than a few pleasant hours, Daisy Whitney's novels are your choice.
My favourite quote:
“Some decisions are hard, some are easy, but either way it's our choices that matter. Who we chose to align with. What we choose to give in to. What we choose to resist. And most of all, who we choose to be. Because it is always our choice.”
“We are what we love. We are the things, the people, the ideas we spend our days with. They center us, they drive us, they define us to our very core.
Without them, we are empty.”
Scrivere una recensione su libri a sfondo sovrannaturale mi riesce più facile, lo ammetto, perché tendo a mettere un po' di distanza tra me e il libro. Quando invece mi trovo davanti libri come The Rivals è impossibile non fermarsi a riflettere su tematiche un po' più profonde, anche se lontane dal nostro ambito culturale.
Di Daisy Whitney avevo già letto The Mockingbirds, il cui tema principale era lo stupro, un argomento a me molto caro (la mia recensione potete trovarla QUI). È passato qualche mese e ho deciso di tornare a fare visita ad Alex, la protagonista, sempre alle prese con la politica del 'mettere la testa sotto la sabbia' della prestigiosa scuola che frequenta. Ora è lei a capo del gruppo segreto che si occupa di far rispettare la disciplina nel campus, visto che la loro preside non è in grado di affrontare i problemi, ma deve vedersela con problemi quali lo spaccio di sostanze stupefacenti per migliorare le prestazioni scolastiche e le sue amicizie e la sua stessa storia d'amore ne risentiranno.
Non è tanto la storia in sé che mi è piaciuta, quanto piuttosto la credibilità di Alex e la sua forza. Alex è rimasta marchiata per sempre dallo stupro che ha subito e non sarà facile per lei dimenticarlo. Non è perfetta, fa moltissimi errori, si pente ed è piena di dubbi. Sia come capo dei Mockingbirds che come amica, Alex si mette continuamente in gioco, si fa mille domande, ma alla fine il suo scopo è solo quello di cercare di fare del suo meglio. Ho apprezzato veramente il percorso di crescita di questo personaggio; Alex è ben lontana dai cliché delle classiche protagoniste young adult, ed è sicuramente per questo che è facile identificarsi in lei. Un discorso analogo vale anche per tutti gli altri personaggi, dal suo ragazzo Martin all'amica Maia, dal ballerino Theo all'amico Jones. Sono personaggi molto reali, molto imperfetti e molto umani, ognuno alle prese con la propria personale strada alla ricerca di se stesso e di un posto nel mondo. Anche le situazioni e le relazioni sono molto veritiere: non ci sono improbabili amori ultraterreni, ma ragazzi e ragazze che cercando di far funzionare amore e amicizia pur con tutti i problemi che la vita pone davanti.
Narrato in prima persona dal punto di vista di Alex, la storia ha un buon ritmo, sebbene possa risultare lenta a tratti. La sua bellezza sta però nel modo in cui affronta certe tematiche e negli spunti di riflessione proposti. Gli argomenti trattati nel libro sono molteplici e profondi: l'importanza di affrontare le conseguenze delle proprie azioni, i problemi che derivano dall'avere il potere, la vendetta, la crescita personale… potrei andare avanti ancora per ore senza riuscire a fargli giustizia, ma di sicuro questo libro piacerà a chi cerca qualcosa più di una semplice storiella per passare il tempo.
La frase che mi ha colpito:
“Some decisions are hard, some are easy, but either way it's our choices that matter. Who we chose to align with. What we choose to give in to. What we choose to resist. And most of all, who we choose to be. Because it is always our choice.”
“We are what we love. We are the things, the people, the ideas we spend our days with. They center us, they drive us, they define us to our very core.
Without them, we are empty.”
Il libro è attualmente inedito in Italia.
ENGLISH
I have to say that writing a review about paranormal books seems to be so much easier for me, because I tend to put some distance between the book and myself. When I'm confronted with books like The Rivals I find it difficult not to stop and ponder about the important issues the novel deals with and I find myself deeply engaged in the discussion.
I had already read and loved The Mockingbirds, which dealt with date-rape, an issue that is very important for me. After some months I decided it was time to go back to prestigious Themis and visit Alex, still dealing with the school permissive policy. Now she's in charge of the Mockingbirds, the secret group who enforces discipline on campus since the dean and the school board do not do anything to face the real problems. This time Alex has to deal with a cheating ring, trafficking of illegal meds to improve school performance and her friendship and her love story will pay a high price for this.
I liked the story but what really impressed me was Alex's credibility, her strength and how much she grows during the novel. She's been marked by rape and she knows she won't forget it. She's not perfect, she makes tons of mistakes, she regrets things and has many doubts. Both as the head of the Mockingbird and as a friend, she constantly challenges and doubts herself but in the end her main purpose is to do her best for everybody. I really appreciated how this character developed through the novel; Alex is far from the clichéd young adult protagonists and that's why you can easily identify with her. Same thing goes for all the other characters, from her boyfriend Martin to her friend Maia, from the broken dancer Theo to her friend Jones. They are very real, very imperfect and very much human, each of them dealing with their own journey, searching for their identity and for a place in this world. Also, the situations and the relationships are totally believable and realistic: there are no impossible loves and preternatural creatures, there are just boys and girls trying to make things work even with the challenges life gives us.
With a first person's POV, the story Alex tells us has a good pace, even if at times can be a bit slow. Its beauty and deep meaning, though, can be found in the way the novel approaches certain issues and gives us food for thought. There are many issues, each of them very important and controversial: how to deal with the consequences of actions, the problems arising with having power, revenge, personal growth… I could go on for hours but I can't seem to make this book justice.
If you like a book that will give you more than a few pleasant hours, Daisy Whitney's novels are your choice.
My favourite quote:
“Some decisions are hard, some are easy, but either way it's our choices that matter. Who we chose to align with. What we choose to give in to. What we choose to resist. And most of all, who we choose to be. Because it is always our choice.”
“We are what we love. We are the things, the people, the ideas we spend our days with. They center us, they drive us, they define us to our very core.
Without them, we are empty.”
August 19, 2020
The ending of this book was very weird... I enjoyed parts of it throughout but overall this series wasn't really for me. I did LOVE the setting of a private/boarding school so I may need to check out more books in that setting though
March 1, 2012
First I'd like to clarify that I'm very much a bell curve grader for books. For me 3 stars is an okay book that I enjoyed, but didn't really like or love. I rarely give a book 5 stars so a 3 star book is pretty good and not necessarily a critical review.
Having said that, I enjoyed The Rivals, but not nearly as much as I liked the first book in this series, The Mockingbirds.
Overall, however, I do enjoy Ms. Whitney's writing style and I think she creates very real, believable teenage characters, which is not common in much of today's YA literature. I will definitely continue to read whatever Ms. Whitney writes.
The Rivals picks up just after the Mockingbirds left off. It is a new school year, and after winning her Mockingbirds date rape trial against Carter, Alex is now the leader of the Mockingbirds and sits on the board, along with her new boyfriend, Martin.
The major case in this book is not a typical Mockingbirds type case as there is no clear victim. It is a ADHD drug cheating ring linked to the debate team. I actually like the ambiguity this case introduces and Alex's struggles between what is right and wrong when everything is a shade of grey, I just question the actual premise. Yes, using ADHD drugs can give oe more focused energy, but it isn't necessarily going to make someone win debates. They don't make people smarter, just more focused.
While I don't mind Alex's struggles, and I do appreciate that the book deals with challenges that I expect are very real for today's teens, I did feel that the book dragged a bit.
I had two major issues with the story. The first is the adult involvement. I appreciate that the story actually addresses that the faculty, specifically the headmistress, look a blind eye to what is going on and given that this is a boarding school, the lack of parental involvement makes sense. However, I do find it odd that none of these kids think to involve their parents. We do get some back story that some of the parents would not be good support systems, but surely among all of these kids, one of them has a decent parent who would get involved.
As I said above, overall this was a good book, better than much of what I read, and if you like The Mockingbirds, you should definitely read it. If you haven't read The Mockingbirds, definitely do so and then pick The Rivals up. It is a good, but not great, second book in this story and I look forward to the third entry.
Having said that, I enjoyed The Rivals, but not nearly as much as I liked the first book in this series, The Mockingbirds.
Overall, however, I do enjoy Ms. Whitney's writing style and I think she creates very real, believable teenage characters, which is not common in much of today's YA literature. I will definitely continue to read whatever Ms. Whitney writes.
The Rivals picks up just after the Mockingbirds left off. It is a new school year, and after winning her Mockingbirds date rape trial against Carter, Alex is now the leader of the Mockingbirds and sits on the board, along with her new boyfriend, Martin.
The major case in this book is not a typical Mockingbirds type case as there is no clear victim. It is a ADHD drug cheating ring linked to the debate team. I actually like the ambiguity this case introduces and Alex's struggles between what is right and wrong when everything is a shade of grey, I just question the actual premise. Yes, using ADHD drugs can give oe more focused energy, but it isn't necessarily going to make someone win debates. They don't make people smarter, just more focused.
While I don't mind Alex's struggles, and I do appreciate that the book deals with challenges that I expect are very real for today's teens, I did feel that the book dragged a bit.
I had two major issues with the story. The first is the adult involvement. I appreciate that the story actually addresses that the faculty, specifically the headmistress, look a blind eye to what is going on and given that this is a boarding school, the lack of parental involvement makes sense. However, I do find it odd that none of these kids think to involve their parents. We do get some back story that some of the parents would not be good support systems, but surely among all of these kids, one of them has a decent parent who would get involved.
As I said above, overall this was a good book, better than much of what I read, and if you like The Mockingbirds, you should definitely read it. If you haven't read The Mockingbirds, definitely do so and then pick The Rivals up. It is a good, but not great, second book in this story and I look forward to the third entry.
February 14, 2012
It has been a while since I read The Mockingbirds, but I got quickly up to speed in The Rivals. The students seem a little older in this series, so much so that I thought they were in college. Though they seem grown up, they make some bad decisions, which is where the Mockingbirds come in. The latest case is a tricky one for the vigilante group due to the relationship of the accused to members of the Mockingbirds, and that this time the victim is the entire student body. The Mockingbirds go on a wild goose chase to find the real culprit behind the cheating ring.
There are some growing pains for the Mockingbirds as they get used to their new group dynamic and their evolving role in the school. I think it makes sense that the group would be under scrutiny, when you have a small court making decisions for the whole school. Their role is interesting to me and I like that they have taken the responsibility of making student offenders accountable when the faculty is not doing their job. It did seem like too much for the students to take on though – I wouldn’t want my child to go to a school that doesn’t protect them.
Solving the crime is part of the fun in The Rivals. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there would be something new to shed doubt on another character. New as well as familiar characters at Themis Academy are under the microscope in the latest scandal. Alex has to make hard choices in her leadership role with all the conflicting evidence. She has grown a lot as a character even though she is realistically still dealing with the after effects of the date rape, and everything doesn’t go perfectly for her in her first case.
I like how Daisy Whitney incorporates the arts into the series through the characters interest in literature, music, dance and drama. The new characters fit in well, as there are new villains and allies in Alex’s world. In addition to the Mockingbirds and Alex’s road to Julliard, the romance story also heats up. And the introduction of a potential rival for Alex’s affections also caught my interest.
I liked the way this book got me excited to read more about these characters. In a way, both books in the series work well as standalone’s but The Rivals takes the drama to the next level and heightened my interest in the series. I don’t know if there is a third book but there are a few juicy storylines that I’m interested to see how they play out. If you like older YA books with ethical dilemmas or just enjoy a good mystery, give this series a try.
There are some growing pains for the Mockingbirds as they get used to their new group dynamic and their evolving role in the school. I think it makes sense that the group would be under scrutiny, when you have a small court making decisions for the whole school. Their role is interesting to me and I like that they have taken the responsibility of making student offenders accountable when the faculty is not doing their job. It did seem like too much for the students to take on though – I wouldn’t want my child to go to a school that doesn’t protect them.
Solving the crime is part of the fun in The Rivals. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there would be something new to shed doubt on another character. New as well as familiar characters at Themis Academy are under the microscope in the latest scandal. Alex has to make hard choices in her leadership role with all the conflicting evidence. She has grown a lot as a character even though she is realistically still dealing with the after effects of the date rape, and everything doesn’t go perfectly for her in her first case.
I like how Daisy Whitney incorporates the arts into the series through the characters interest in literature, music, dance and drama. The new characters fit in well, as there are new villains and allies in Alex’s world. In addition to the Mockingbirds and Alex’s road to Julliard, the romance story also heats up. And the introduction of a potential rival for Alex’s affections also caught my interest.
I liked the way this book got me excited to read more about these characters. In a way, both books in the series work well as standalone’s but The Rivals takes the drama to the next level and heightened my interest in the series. I don’t know if there is a third book but there are a few juicy storylines that I’m interested to see how they play out. If you like older YA books with ethical dilemmas or just enjoy a good mystery, give this series a try.
April 20, 2012
THESE BOOKS. MY BRAIN. I just have opinions on ALL the opinions. What a crazy complex, difficult, important look at ethics, and so different one book to the next. People: read these. Think things. Expand your brain box.
Anyway, with MOCKINGBIRDS I opined that I couldn't buy into (read: couldn't stomach buying into) the idea that any set of intelligent adults in charge of the daily welfare of teens would so WILLFULLY ignore such horrid behavior all for plaques and accolades. Well. WELL. Feel free, Alex Patrick: prove me wrong. Watch my intestines choke themselves in horror at watching that behavior firsthand as you try so desperately to shove responsibility back into the rightful administrative hands. Because your hands are busy. BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN.
tl;dr UGH DEAN LADY. You. Are. The. Worst.
However, the writing: tops. The friendships/rivalries/everything else: so believable. The lurrrrrrrrv: tingly! nerve-wracking! frustrating! age/emotion-perfect! And Jones? Man. I mean, I love Martin and all, he's clearly an awesome boyfriend, but JONES. Mmmm. Would I had been in high school with him. And Alex? I agreed with her and I didn't; I believed what she did and I didn't; I thought she made the right decisions, and wished she would have made others. Thing is, she wasn't right, not 100% of the time. Even when she was rethinking if SHE thought she was right. And I am not right.
It is so graaaaaaaay! Gray gray gray. And GREAT for being so.
Again, anyway, I liked Alex the first time around plenty, but if I preferred her here, it was because her tangent-y daydreams occur far less frequently, and because she has had some time to move on and show her steel after the horror show of a junior year she ended up having. And she makes mistakes, which is so important—mistakes that are good-intentioned and reasonable and so so cringe-worthy because we as readers can almost universally see them coming, in great part due to our own (my own, at least) memories of how it felt to be a senior and trying to make (easily less ethically fraught) tough decisions for the first time in life.
MAN. I have so much more to say about these books, but this isn't really the place. The right place? High school classrooms. College classrooms. Teen book clubs. Places people with growing brains can stretch their own code of ethics and disagree with others safely.
Without breaking someone else's hands.
Anyway, with MOCKINGBIRDS I opined that I couldn't buy into (read: couldn't stomach buying into) the idea that any set of intelligent adults in charge of the daily welfare of teens would so WILLFULLY ignore such horrid behavior all for plaques and accolades. Well. WELL. Feel free, Alex Patrick: prove me wrong. Watch my intestines choke themselves in horror at watching that behavior firsthand as you try so desperately to shove responsibility back into the rightful administrative hands. Because your hands are busy. BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN.
tl;dr UGH DEAN LADY. You. Are. The. Worst.
However, the writing: tops. The friendships/rivalries/everything else: so believable. The lurrrrrrrrv: tingly! nerve-wracking! frustrating! age/emotion-perfect! And Jones? Man. I mean, I love Martin and all, he's clearly an awesome boyfriend, but JONES. Mmmm. Would I had been in high school with him. And Alex? I agreed with her and I didn't; I believed what she did and I didn't; I thought she made the right decisions, and wished she would have made others. Thing is, she wasn't right, not 100% of the time. Even when she was rethinking if SHE thought she was right. And I am not right.
It is so graaaaaaaay! Gray gray gray. And GREAT for being so.
Again, anyway, I liked Alex the first time around plenty, but if I preferred her here, it was because her tangent-y daydreams occur far less frequently, and because she has had some time to move on and show her steel after the horror show of a junior year she ended up having. And she makes mistakes, which is so important—mistakes that are good-intentioned and reasonable and so so cringe-worthy because we as readers can almost universally see them coming, in great part due to our own (my own, at least) memories of how it felt to be a senior and trying to make (easily less ethically fraught) tough decisions for the first time in life.
MAN. I have so much more to say about these books, but this isn't really the place. The right place? High school classrooms. College classrooms. Teen book clubs. Places people with growing brains can stretch their own code of ethics and disagree with others safely.
Without breaking someone else's hands.
March 7, 2012
After reading The Mockingbirds, I was excited to pick up The Rivals. While The Mockingbirds could have ended where it did, I loved the characters and story, and I was a very happy reader with book two sitting next to me, especially with how different it proved to be from book one. (While I enjoyed book one, it would be boring to read the same formula in a different setting with a new case.) The Mockingbirds dealt with date rape. In book two, some students are using prescription drugs to cheat; plus, the Mockingbirds find rivals in another student group of vigilantes.
While the story picks up where book one left off, book two is different in that there is more intrigue: there is a case, but we don't know who is at fault and must figure it out along with the characters, who show some amazing development once again. Alex struggles with leading the Mockingbirds. While the idea of a student vigilante group sounds amazing, it is hard to maintain. Alex doesn't have a clear set of moral guidelines to follow, and she doesn't know when to be a friend, a student, or the head of a student vigilante group.
At the same time, Alex is still suffering from the same experiences that haunted her during book one, and her experiences prove an obstacle to forming new relationships. She and the other main characters' ethics are tested; they fail, they admit their mistakes, and they grow. I loved them the better for their human weaknesses. The culprits, on the other hand, are characters that you love to hate.
While there is not as much action as book one, The Rivals also confronts ethical issues that makes us consider what we would do in the characters' situations, and it is a great followup to The Mockingbirds. Whether or not you've read book one, The Rivals is a book that I would definitely recommend; and if you haven't read book one already, I highly suggest you get your hands on a copy!
Original posted at Imaginary Reads
While the story picks up where book one left off, book two is different in that there is more intrigue: there is a case, but we don't know who is at fault and must figure it out along with the characters, who show some amazing development once again. Alex struggles with leading the Mockingbirds. While the idea of a student vigilante group sounds amazing, it is hard to maintain. Alex doesn't have a clear set of moral guidelines to follow, and she doesn't know when to be a friend, a student, or the head of a student vigilante group.
At the same time, Alex is still suffering from the same experiences that haunted her during book one, and her experiences prove an obstacle to forming new relationships. She and the other main characters' ethics are tested; they fail, they admit their mistakes, and they grow. I loved them the better for their human weaknesses. The culprits, on the other hand, are characters that you love to hate.
While there is not as much action as book one, The Rivals also confronts ethical issues that makes us consider what we would do in the characters' situations, and it is a great followup to The Mockingbirds. Whether or not you've read book one, The Rivals is a book that I would definitely recommend; and if you haven't read book one already, I highly suggest you get your hands on a copy!
Original posted at Imaginary Reads
February 11, 2012
3.5 STARS
The book picks up right where Mockingbirds leaves off. There is enough back story to jump into this book without reading the first one but I liked the first one because of the originality. This one lacked a clear conflict. There would be a beginning of a conflict and then it would fizzle. Eventually, I saw the pattern of the real conflict which was two-fold 1)Students are using ADHD medicine to improve academic performance and 2) Alex, the new leader, is imperfect, not knowing what she can ethically do or not do.
The first conflict was not as substantial as I would like. It was like trying to grab water. On the other hand, this aspect is addressed. The "victim" is not clearly identified like the other cases of the Mockingbirds. So Alex puts her figurative arms out with her eyes closed and starts walking in the dark. It seemed contrived and anti-climactic.
Meanwhile, Alex is struggling with leading an underground vigilante group without clear cut guidelines. More than anything, this storyline showed the flaws of a vigilante student group. It's a great idea but the checks and balances are weak and human nature can be manipulated in so many different ways.
Even though I found the story slow in the beginning, Whitney does an exemplary job with character development, placing main characters in multiple environments and testing their ethical strength. Sometimes they screw up. Other times, they don't. Yet other times, they exhibit humility by admitting wrong doing. And then there are the true culprits/bullies who, through excellent character development, I hated quite a bit.
I can see a third installment to round out Alex's senior year. One that balances the power of bad behavior, administration accountability and vigilante accountability. Ultimately, I think it will come down to power corrupts; Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
That's just my guess.
The book picks up right where Mockingbirds leaves off. There is enough back story to jump into this book without reading the first one but I liked the first one because of the originality. This one lacked a clear conflict. There would be a beginning of a conflict and then it would fizzle. Eventually, I saw the pattern of the real conflict which was two-fold 1)Students are using ADHD medicine to improve academic performance and 2) Alex, the new leader, is imperfect, not knowing what she can ethically do or not do.
The first conflict was not as substantial as I would like. It was like trying to grab water. On the other hand, this aspect is addressed. The "victim" is not clearly identified like the other cases of the Mockingbirds. So Alex puts her figurative arms out with her eyes closed and starts walking in the dark. It seemed contrived and anti-climactic.
Meanwhile, Alex is struggling with leading an underground vigilante group without clear cut guidelines. More than anything, this storyline showed the flaws of a vigilante student group. It's a great idea but the checks and balances are weak and human nature can be manipulated in so many different ways.
Even though I found the story slow in the beginning, Whitney does an exemplary job with character development, placing main characters in multiple environments and testing their ethical strength. Sometimes they screw up. Other times, they don't. Yet other times, they exhibit humility by admitting wrong doing. And then there are the true culprits/bullies who, through excellent character development, I hated quite a bit.
I can see a third installment to round out Alex's senior year. One that balances the power of bad behavior, administration accountability and vigilante accountability. Ultimately, I think it will come down to power corrupts; Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
That's just my guess.
September 27, 2018
Is the justice system ever enough? The Mockingbirds tend to disagree. As students go to the dean they get turned away leading them to an underground practice. This technique helps those who need it and prosecutes those who do wrong. It all starts when Delaney Zirinski comes to the leader of the Mockingbirds, Alex Patrick, with a secret to tell.
I would solely recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery and maybe some high school drama. 'The Rivals' both relates to life at a high school and the mysteries of an unsolved case within its walls. In the book there is bullying, relationships, and friendships.
Bullying occurs in the third chapter. When a girl says to Alex, "If it isn't Alexandra Nicole Patrick. The girl who just couldn't say no." Her main focus was torturing Alex with her past. There is a relationship between two of the main characters, Alex and Martin. Soon after, a friendship is built between the first accuser and Alex.
Throughout the book a mystery is built. It starts when The Mockingbirds first get news of the cheating ring. Many are suspects and many are just victims caught in the middle. "Sometimes instinct can be wrong. But sometimes it can be right too. And sometimes you just have to take it on faith." The quote itself builds a mystery. Drags the reader to want to know more and read into the next chapter. Another case of the mystery building is when Alex finds out her room mate has a large bottle of the so called drug being used in the cheating ring.
Some people would say it's not good to recommend. With the indepth descriptions. Some of what happened to Alex in the previous year and some of what is happening now. But looking around all of that the book is great fit for basically anyone willing to read.
I would solely recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery and maybe some high school drama. 'The Rivals' both relates to life at a high school and the mysteries of an unsolved case within its walls. In the book there is bullying, relationships, and friendships.
Bullying occurs in the third chapter. When a girl says to Alex, "If it isn't Alexandra Nicole Patrick. The girl who just couldn't say no." Her main focus was torturing Alex with her past. There is a relationship between two of the main characters, Alex and Martin. Soon after, a friendship is built between the first accuser and Alex.
Throughout the book a mystery is built. It starts when The Mockingbirds first get news of the cheating ring. Many are suspects and many are just victims caught in the middle. "Sometimes instinct can be wrong. But sometimes it can be right too. And sometimes you just have to take it on faith." The quote itself builds a mystery. Drags the reader to want to know more and read into the next chapter. Another case of the mystery building is when Alex finds out her room mate has a large bottle of the so called drug being used in the cheating ring.
Some people would say it's not good to recommend. With the indepth descriptions. Some of what happened to Alex in the previous year and some of what is happening now. But looking around all of that the book is great fit for basically anyone willing to read.
April 28, 2022
I enjoyed the book way more than the first one. Somehow I felt like it matched the tragedy and theme of justice in the first book while still being completely different. This was honestly the book I wanted to read the first time, it was more about Mockingbirds existing and the issues it has with running it. I also like that this book was more about her relationships with other people. It really had me turning the pages to find out the ending which was especially juicy.
Now that bad part, I didn’t like villains. For one, I felt like they weren’t included enough in the book. The two people besides Natalie kinda felt like extras who were just like “HAHAHA 🤪 I ruined your life! Sorry bro 🥱” like ????. I felt like I wasn’t expecting these characters to be bad because... they weren’t really developed to do so. I think the character development in general was worse for the characters that mattered.
Overall though, I enjoyed the book alot. I think its because it was more about the ethics, relationships, and the mystery part of this book and the consequences that Alex’s decisions had. The last book felt like a story about a date-rape case and a journey for her to heal from it and get some sort of justice for herself, which wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as fun to read as the 2nd.
Overall: 4.7/5
Characters: 4/5
Enjoyability: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Relationships: 4.5/5
Ethical Problems of Mockingbirds: 4.2/5
British Person Becoming a Zombie: 5/5
Now that bad part, I didn’t like villains. For one, I felt like they weren’t included enough in the book. The two people besides Natalie kinda felt like extras who were just like “HAHAHA 🤪 I ruined your life! Sorry bro 🥱” like ????. I felt like I wasn’t expecting these characters to be bad because... they weren’t really developed to do so. I think the character development in general was worse for the characters that mattered.
Overall though, I enjoyed the book alot. I think its because it was more about the ethics, relationships, and the mystery part of this book and the consequences that Alex’s decisions had. The last book felt like a story about a date-rape case and a journey for her to heal from it and get some sort of justice for herself, which wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as fun to read as the 2nd.
Overall: 4.7/5
Characters: 4/5
Enjoyability: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Relationships: 4.5/5
Ethical Problems of Mockingbirds: 4.2/5
British Person Becoming a Zombie: 5/5
January 20, 2018
This is another book, where i have picked up and put down a few times. This year I am finally going to read the put downable books and decide to stay or leave the series. There is no third book which cause me to pass this book so many times. This books begins right after Alex's "trial" with the Mockingbirds, her case happened during a time where date rape was shoved far under the carpet and the door was sealed shut. This time it is all about who is abusing ADD drugs and why it is going on. At times this held my interest but then it would segue into another plot and I lost interest. When I got to the motive behind it all, I was disappointed.
May 5, 2019
I actually liked this slightly more than The Mockingbirds. While the first book focused more on Alex's trauma as a sexual assault survivor and how the Mockingbirds operates from the point of view of the plaintiff, The Rivals fleshes out Themis Academy and its student body politics, as well as involve new characters, which I really liked. It also shines a light on The Mockingbirds' imperfections, and the changes it goes through now that Alex was made the leader.
Also: I don't really know who the guy in the cover is supposed to be? I assume the girl from the cover of the first book is supposed to be Alex, but who is this guy with the blue eyes? Martin?
Also: I don't really know who the guy in the cover is supposed to be? I assume the girl from the cover of the first book is supposed to be Alex, but who is this guy with the blue eyes? Martin?
June 7, 2018
Alex thinks she has everything figured out with the Mockingbirds and that she is going to have a rocking senior year. But, oh boy, her first case and the new member on the Board will shake her to the core. I don't know that there is another book coming out, but the ending sure leaves room for that. Alex makes lots of mistakes, but finally understands she has to own up to it. This high school is unreal in the way the administration is blind to what is happening among the students and only cares about the awards the students can achieve and thus cast reflected glory on the school.
August 17, 2018
I loved how the story continued in this book. I love how Alex grows as a character. My main critiques were that a love triangle was attempted that I don't feel was executed well and that two of the "villains" in this story didn't have a very good motive to do what they did. I did like how the drug abuse was handled in this story. I feel parts of it were very realistic. All in all I'd recommend this book (just read the first one beforehand :P)
July 8, 2017
This was a disappointment for me. I appreciated the difficulty and skill that Whitney displayed in The Mockingbirds to tell different sides of the story about date rape. It was a deeper read for me than I expected. The Rivals just did not display that same skill for me. I was not as invested in the crime being put on trial or the players involved.
July 23, 2022
The sequel to The Mockingbirds, this book examines vigilante justice. Now Alex Patrick and her friends are seniors, and Alex is now heading up The Mockingbirds. This time the case is a wide-spread scandal involving prescription drugs and cheating. The book is ok and I don't regret reading it, but it is not as good as The Mockingbirds.
May 22, 2019
2.5 stars
Read
June 22, 2021I vividly remembering buying this book because the guy in the front cover looked like Louis Tomlinson. I did read it but it was kind of confusing as it was the second book in a series
January 26, 2016
Read more reviews at rainbowreviews.wix.com/readingfree
When Alex is in charge of leading The Mockingbirds, she's thrown into a case with her boyfriend, which is sure to cause romance-issues, and an half-brained junior politician, Parker. But when Alex's best friend and mentee are at the center of her investigation, will she do what's right? Or will she protect her friends?
You may like this book if you like the following sub-genres:
Drug Abuse
Dating/Relationships
Vigilante Justice
Boarding School
Goodreads users gave this book a 3.71. I think it was more deserving of a 3.00.
The concept of this book was really strong. Most kids don't go to private schools; even more so, most don't go to boarding schools. So it's kind of one of those books that makes you wish you were there (if you're a high school student, anyway). But, the execution was just kind of "meh." I was really expecting a lot more of the vigilante justice to come through and less of the high school experience. When there's a case of a cheating ring, it's understandable that we'll get insight to some of the high school drama brought into the story line, but there was a lot of mumbo-jumbo about dance, and piano, and violin. It just felt kind of unnecessary - like a filler. I would've rather seen that information skimmed over, or brought into the story in a different way.
Alex's past should've been a larger part of the story line. I really would've liked the story to start with her trial - even if it only spanned the course of 10-20 pages. There was a lot of discussion about Alex's growth; but a reader doesn't want to take your word for it. We want to see it; experience it; feel it. We want to take a journey with our characters. If we wanted to just read what happened, we'd have someone else read the book and write a chapter-by-chapter summary and read that. As much as I wanted to feel the growth that Alex ventured down, I just couldn't. Her assault supposedly took place her junior year. But when the school year starts in August, we are assuming that her recovery took place over the course of maybe, 6 months at the most. We just never got a lot of that story line, and I think the author tried to do that towards the beginning of the story, but it completely dropped off.
The main component of this plot line is that Alex and the Mockinbirds are brought a case about a cheating ring with a drug called Annie (it's basically XL-Ritalin). And I thought the underground vigilante justice group was a really cool way to show teenagers (who are likely the ones reading this) that they can do the right thing; that an adult doesn't have to be the one involved in their choices. I thought the story line it self was just on-point with what kids want to read. The delivery wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. Majority of the language was really basic, so it was an easy read. there was enough twists-and-turns that you felt compelled to keep reading. I struggled with the idea that the dean was turning a blind eye to every single thing happened, despite being after an award. I just don't see that happening with every code-violation (despite the dean being hands-on with the teachers). But I love the idea of a crime being solved; even if it's just a high-school level crime. And that's what kept me involved in this story line. I kept deciding who was guilty, who wasn't guilty, and being proven wrong (or in a few cases, right).
The story line took an odd turn towards the end. The last 50 pages felt like a short-story that was based on the same characters, but completely separate from the rest of the novel. Once the trial has been completed, another group is started called The Watchdogs. But it's so random, it doesn't even make sense. It's just felt as if the author needed, yet another, filler. Because of this new vigilante group, members of this group inflict physical pain on a member of The Mockingbirds (also doesn't make any sense as to why physical violence is all of a sudden happening). And then finally, Alex takes payback into her own hands. The Mockingbirds are supposed to stand for justice; for what's right and fair. Not for playing pranks on other members of the school. It was just so out of place, that it felt like all the hard work the author put into teaching teenagers that there's appropriate justice that can be taken has turned into a message that it's okay to inflict some embarrassment on other students. It was just a really crappy ending.
When Alex is in charge of leading The Mockingbirds, she's thrown into a case with her boyfriend, which is sure to cause romance-issues, and an half-brained junior politician, Parker. But when Alex's best friend and mentee are at the center of her investigation, will she do what's right? Or will she protect her friends?
You may like this book if you like the following sub-genres:
Drug Abuse
Dating/Relationships
Vigilante Justice
Boarding School
Goodreads users gave this book a 3.71. I think it was more deserving of a 3.00.
The concept of this book was really strong. Most kids don't go to private schools; even more so, most don't go to boarding schools. So it's kind of one of those books that makes you wish you were there (if you're a high school student, anyway). But, the execution was just kind of "meh." I was really expecting a lot more of the vigilante justice to come through and less of the high school experience. When there's a case of a cheating ring, it's understandable that we'll get insight to some of the high school drama brought into the story line, but there was a lot of mumbo-jumbo about dance, and piano, and violin. It just felt kind of unnecessary - like a filler. I would've rather seen that information skimmed over, or brought into the story in a different way.
Alex's past should've been a larger part of the story line. I really would've liked the story to start with her trial - even if it only spanned the course of 10-20 pages. There was a lot of discussion about Alex's growth; but a reader doesn't want to take your word for it. We want to see it; experience it; feel it. We want to take a journey with our characters. If we wanted to just read what happened, we'd have someone else read the book and write a chapter-by-chapter summary and read that. As much as I wanted to feel the growth that Alex ventured down, I just couldn't. Her assault supposedly took place her junior year. But when the school year starts in August, we are assuming that her recovery took place over the course of maybe, 6 months at the most. We just never got a lot of that story line, and I think the author tried to do that towards the beginning of the story, but it completely dropped off.
The main component of this plot line is that Alex and the Mockinbirds are brought a case about a cheating ring with a drug called Annie (it's basically XL-Ritalin). And I thought the underground vigilante justice group was a really cool way to show teenagers (who are likely the ones reading this) that they can do the right thing; that an adult doesn't have to be the one involved in their choices. I thought the story line it self was just on-point with what kids want to read. The delivery wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. Majority of the language was really basic, so it was an easy read. there was enough twists-and-turns that you felt compelled to keep reading. I struggled with the idea that the dean was turning a blind eye to every single thing happened, despite being after an award. I just don't see that happening with every code-violation (despite the dean being hands-on with the teachers). But I love the idea of a crime being solved; even if it's just a high-school level crime. And that's what kept me involved in this story line. I kept deciding who was guilty, who wasn't guilty, and being proven wrong (or in a few cases, right).
The story line took an odd turn towards the end. The last 50 pages felt like a short-story that was based on the same characters, but completely separate from the rest of the novel. Once the trial has been completed, another group is started called The Watchdogs. But it's so random, it doesn't even make sense. It's just felt as if the author needed, yet another, filler. Because of this new vigilante group, members of this group inflict physical pain on a member of The Mockingbirds (also doesn't make any sense as to why physical violence is all of a sudden happening). And then finally, Alex takes payback into her own hands. The Mockingbirds are supposed to stand for justice; for what's right and fair. Not for playing pranks on other members of the school. It was just so out of place, that it felt like all the hard work the author put into teaching teenagers that there's appropriate justice that can be taken has turned into a message that it's okay to inflict some embarrassment on other students. It was just a really crappy ending.
Read
May 9, 2012Also check out my review of Daisy Whitney's debut novel THE MOCKINGBIRDS.
Daisy also participated in an interview during Psychtember!
This is a book I was about to review when my computer crashed, so it never quite happened...and then I got too busy! So I'm sorry about that. I wanted to be singing the praises of THE RIVALS to the moon and making sure everyone reading this was so inspired by my review that they rushed out and bought the book right away. (I'm pretty sure there's still time to do that, so what are you waiting for? Go!)
While you don't have to read THE MOCKINGBIRDS in order to read THE RIVALS, I personally would recommend doing so. While it fully stands on its own, the main character, Alex, does refer to events from the first book. This pretty much creates the backstory needed to explain things to new readers starting with THE RIVALS. The first book sets up the school judicial system known as the Mockingbirds, which really isn't re-explained in concise detail because author Daisy Whitney and narrator Alex assume the reader already knows this stuff. I think that the judicial system is one of the things that made THE MOCKINGBIRDS such an amazing book, especially since its roots lie in one of my favorite classics, Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
THE RIVALS is one of those sequels that meets or exceeds expectations, which is even rarer when considering how amazing the first book was. I loved going back to Themis Academy and reuniting with beloved characters. Alex is still dealing with the fallout from the first book, where she was date-raped and had to go to the Mockingbirds for help. Because she had been a victim, she was chosen as the leader of the Mockingbirds for the start of the new school year, but not everyone at Themis thinks she deserves the position...or that she was ever a victim in the first place. THE RIVALS excels in looking at Alex recover from events that destroyed her as she slowly begins to heal and move on in life, though she'll never be quite the same again. Whitney handles this realistically, and readers really care about Alex and her plight. Too many authors would have just had Alex put all her baggage on the back burner and move on, happy again with life. Whitney doesn't hold back the punches and Alex realistically has to re-adjust to life and find her way all over again.
Alex's first case as leader of the Mockingbirds puts her in uncharted territory; there's a drug ring on campus, so there's no one in particular to bring charges against, and no one person that is a victim. Students across campus are popping Addy (Adderall, used for ADHD) in order to focus and obtain better grades. This is, essentially, a form of cheating, but it's also dangerous...and illegal, since Adderall needs a prescription in order to be consumed. The Mockingbirds have to decide if they want to take on a case with faceless victims, and if they do, who to trust. When the ring hits too close to home, Alex finds herself freefalling and in way over her head.
Whitney raises multiple ethical dilemmas in THE RIVALS, ones with no clear-cut answers. There are so many shades of gray that it's impossible to determine white from black. One reason I love Whitney so much is because she really knows how to dive into an issue and make readers think. Her character development is superb and she isn't afraid to let her characters be human and make mistakes. They screw up, just like in real life. They don't always have the right answers. No one is perfect, and it's so refreshing to see that in a novel. She is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I will read anything she puts out in the future. I would love to see her return to Themis Academy at least one more time because, while the book has a full ending, I didn't want to stop reading and wanted to see what happened next!
Daisy also participated in an interview during Psychtember!
This is a book I was about to review when my computer crashed, so it never quite happened...and then I got too busy! So I'm sorry about that. I wanted to be singing the praises of THE RIVALS to the moon and making sure everyone reading this was so inspired by my review that they rushed out and bought the book right away. (I'm pretty sure there's still time to do that, so what are you waiting for? Go!)
While you don't have to read THE MOCKINGBIRDS in order to read THE RIVALS, I personally would recommend doing so. While it fully stands on its own, the main character, Alex, does refer to events from the first book. This pretty much creates the backstory needed to explain things to new readers starting with THE RIVALS. The first book sets up the school judicial system known as the Mockingbirds, which really isn't re-explained in concise detail because author Daisy Whitney and narrator Alex assume the reader already knows this stuff. I think that the judicial system is one of the things that made THE MOCKINGBIRDS such an amazing book, especially since its roots lie in one of my favorite classics, Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
THE RIVALS is one of those sequels that meets or exceeds expectations, which is even rarer when considering how amazing the first book was. I loved going back to Themis Academy and reuniting with beloved characters. Alex is still dealing with the fallout from the first book, where she was date-raped and had to go to the Mockingbirds for help. Because she had been a victim, she was chosen as the leader of the Mockingbirds for the start of the new school year, but not everyone at Themis thinks she deserves the position...or that she was ever a victim in the first place. THE RIVALS excels in looking at Alex recover from events that destroyed her as she slowly begins to heal and move on in life, though she'll never be quite the same again. Whitney handles this realistically, and readers really care about Alex and her plight. Too many authors would have just had Alex put all her baggage on the back burner and move on, happy again with life. Whitney doesn't hold back the punches and Alex realistically has to re-adjust to life and find her way all over again.
Alex's first case as leader of the Mockingbirds puts her in uncharted territory; there's a drug ring on campus, so there's no one in particular to bring charges against, and no one person that is a victim. Students across campus are popping Addy (Adderall, used for ADHD) in order to focus and obtain better grades. This is, essentially, a form of cheating, but it's also dangerous...and illegal, since Adderall needs a prescription in order to be consumed. The Mockingbirds have to decide if they want to take on a case with faceless victims, and if they do, who to trust. When the ring hits too close to home, Alex finds herself freefalling and in way over her head.
Whitney raises multiple ethical dilemmas in THE RIVALS, ones with no clear-cut answers. There are so many shades of gray that it's impossible to determine white from black. One reason I love Whitney so much is because she really knows how to dive into an issue and make readers think. Her character development is superb and she isn't afraid to let her characters be human and make mistakes. They screw up, just like in real life. They don't always have the right answers. No one is perfect, and it's so refreshing to see that in a novel. She is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I will read anything she puts out in the future. I would love to see her return to Themis Academy at least one more time because, while the book has a full ending, I didn't want to stop reading and wanted to see what happened next!
September 11, 2016
The Mockingbirds was one of my favorite books of 2011 so I eagerly picked up the sequel, The Rivals, as soon as it was released. The Rivals was good...but not as good as The Mockingbirds.
The world of The Mockingbirds was largely black and white. We knew who the good guys were and we knew who the bad guys were. It wasn't quite so simple, but for the most part, it was clear. The villains and the heroes is much less clear in The Rivals. A massive drug ring designed to improve academic performance is spreading through the school. So many people are involved, or appear to be involved, that it's not easy to pin down a defendant to put on trial in front of The Mockingbirds. Or whether a trial should be held at all.
As frustrating as the ethical murkiness of this book, I loved its complexity. The leaders of The Mockingbirds could seemed all knowing from Alex's perspective last year. Now as the leader, she is beset by indecision. Not only that, but she has to deal with disagreements within her counsel and difficult personalities. I hated seeing Alex struggling so much, but part of me was thinking that this was an incredible preparation for real life. I admire Daisy Whitney for portraying The Mockingbirds so realistically.
Alex continues to be a fascinating character. She is still struggling with the after effects of her date rape from the previous year. I like that Daisy chose to keep it part of Alex's psyche, since the trauma of such an event doesn't just disappear. In many ways, Alex grew more this year than she did last year. She had to choose between what was right and what was easy, which was especially difficult because what she thought was right might actually be wrong. I also liked that Alex didn't always make the right choices and had to deal with them.
Martin, Alex's boyfriend is still a strong character. He is hard to like in this book. He challenges Alex on many of her decisions about the drug ring. Not unfairly, but as a reader I was always rooting for Alex, so it frustrated me. One of my main criticisms of this book is that Daisy chose the oft-repeated second book plot point of a love triangle. As a result, Martin often appears to be a jealous boyfriend. He acts like any teenage boy would act if his girlfriend was spending an awful lot of time with another guy, but I missed my sweet, nerdy Martin from the first book. Still, he is predominantly a good and kind guy.
I think Daisy is a great writer, but the excellence of her prose didn't stand out as much in this book. I'm not exactly sure why. I think it was partly because she described the psychological impact of date rape in a way that felt almost three dimensional in the first book and there wasn't an opportunity to have such detailed description in The Rivals. I also disliked the love triangle element mentioned above. Even moreso because the plot angle seemed to fizzle away abruptly at the end of the book, like she couldn't figure out what to do with it and just decided to ignore it. The passivity of the adults at Themis Academy became so apparent as to be blatantly unbelievable in this book as well. In fact, it was no longer passivity - it was knowing inactivity.
The Rivals is a good book. It isn't as special as The Mockingbirds, but the challenges Alex and her board faced were in some ways more difficult. How Alex responded to challenges from her board, her classmates, and her best friends showed what kind of leader she was. Plus the mystery of "who-dunnit" was surprising, with plenty of twists and turns I didn't expect. I would definitely recommend you check out The Rivals!
Rating: 3.5 ]/ 5
The world of The Mockingbirds was largely black and white. We knew who the good guys were and we knew who the bad guys were. It wasn't quite so simple, but for the most part, it was clear. The villains and the heroes is much less clear in The Rivals. A massive drug ring designed to improve academic performance is spreading through the school. So many people are involved, or appear to be involved, that it's not easy to pin down a defendant to put on trial in front of The Mockingbirds. Or whether a trial should be held at all.
As frustrating as the ethical murkiness of this book, I loved its complexity. The leaders of The Mockingbirds could seemed all knowing from Alex's perspective last year. Now as the leader, she is beset by indecision. Not only that, but she has to deal with disagreements within her counsel and difficult personalities. I hated seeing Alex struggling so much, but part of me was thinking that this was an incredible preparation for real life. I admire Daisy Whitney for portraying The Mockingbirds so realistically.
Alex continues to be a fascinating character. She is still struggling with the after effects of her date rape from the previous year. I like that Daisy chose to keep it part of Alex's psyche, since the trauma of such an event doesn't just disappear. In many ways, Alex grew more this year than she did last year. She had to choose between what was right and what was easy, which was especially difficult because what she thought was right might actually be wrong. I also liked that Alex didn't always make the right choices and had to deal with them.
Martin, Alex's boyfriend is still a strong character. He is hard to like in this book. He challenges Alex on many of her decisions about the drug ring. Not unfairly, but as a reader I was always rooting for Alex, so it frustrated me. One of my main criticisms of this book is that Daisy chose the oft-repeated second book plot point of a love triangle. As a result, Martin often appears to be a jealous boyfriend. He acts like any teenage boy would act if his girlfriend was spending an awful lot of time with another guy, but I missed my sweet, nerdy Martin from the first book. Still, he is predominantly a good and kind guy.
I think Daisy is a great writer, but the excellence of her prose didn't stand out as much in this book. I'm not exactly sure why. I think it was partly because she described the psychological impact of date rape in a way that felt almost three dimensional in the first book and there wasn't an opportunity to have such detailed description in The Rivals. I also disliked the love triangle element mentioned above. Even moreso because the plot angle seemed to fizzle away abruptly at the end of the book, like she couldn't figure out what to do with it and just decided to ignore it. The passivity of the adults at Themis Academy became so apparent as to be blatantly unbelievable in this book as well. In fact, it was no longer passivity - it was knowing inactivity.
The Rivals is a good book. It isn't as special as The Mockingbirds, but the challenges Alex and her board faced were in some ways more difficult. How Alex responded to challenges from her board, her classmates, and her best friends showed what kind of leader she was. Plus the mystery of "who-dunnit" was surprising, with plenty of twists and turns I didn't expect. I would definitely recommend you check out The Rivals!
Rating: 3.5 ]/ 5
May 4, 2012
Coming back to Themis Academy after summer, Alex Patrick's first year as leader of the Mockingbirds is off to a confusing, complicated start when a new student comes to her with allegations that a widespread cheating ring, aided by pharmaceutical drugs, is being carefully planned by a large group of students. This crime is less clear-cut than anything the Mockingbirds have went after before: there's no clear victim and they're not even sure who the accused are. But as clues start piling up, some of them pointing towards people Alex hate to think of as anything less than honest and innocent, the already complicated case gets even more confusing. And Alex, pushed into the role of vigilante justice leader, learns just how tricky the role is when she's torn between her friends and those she's vowed to protect, between what's right and what the rules say.
I was wary of (but excited about) a Mockingbirds (review) sequel, and, it turns out, with good reason. The case this time isn't nearly as cut-and-dried as Alex's date rape case was -- without a clear person (or group of people, even) who are accused, much of the book is taken up by the clue-gathering on the part of the Mockingbirds board (Alex, her boyfriend Martin, and third board member Parker) before there's even an accused to bring to trial. The specifics of the drug/cheating ring are often as confusing to the reader as they are to Alex and there are plenty of misdirects when it comes to who's masterminding the ring. Whereas The Mockingbirds was focused on the date rape issue, The Rivals deals more squarely with the Mockingbirds' brand of vigilante justice and just how well it works (or doesn't). Alex struggles with where the line is when it comes to justice, morality, and who should come first: her friends, or the Mockingbirds. It's clear that this second installment is leading up to the next book and various changes in how the Mockingbirds is run, but maybe because of this it falls prey to that "second book syndrome" in that much of the book feels like a set up for what comes next. Over halfway through the story I still felt like I was waiting for it to begin. (Part of this, maybe, is because the book's title doesn't make sense until nearly the very end.)
None of this is to say that there's not some captivating, important stuff in The Rivals, because there definitely is. Just how oblivious or ignorant the faculty and administration are is brought to the forefront in stunning ways; there were scenes between Alex and the dean of Themis that had me staring in shock at how certain things were viewed and treated. Alex, Martin, and her friend Jones' thoughts on justice, right and wrong, and how the case should be handled were very interesting, especially after reading The Mockingbirds where Alex was on the other side of the fence, so to speak. Having her pushed into a leadership position gives a very "insider" look at how the Mockingbirds operates and what those inside think of it, which was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, the main storyline (the drugs/cheating ring) had so many misdirects and took so long to find its footing that it didn't quite have the heft I felt that it needed to carry the rest of the book. Additionally, second-book syndrome and the fact that I found myself disagreeing with various characters' decisions mean that this one falls a bit short of it's predecessor. This was a good read, and I'm fairly sure (though not positive) that I'll be reading the next book in the series, but The Mockingbirds can certainly stand alone, and maybe it should.
I was wary of (but excited about) a Mockingbirds (review) sequel, and, it turns out, with good reason. The case this time isn't nearly as cut-and-dried as Alex's date rape case was -- without a clear person (or group of people, even) who are accused, much of the book is taken up by the clue-gathering on the part of the Mockingbirds board (Alex, her boyfriend Martin, and third board member Parker) before there's even an accused to bring to trial. The specifics of the drug/cheating ring are often as confusing to the reader as they are to Alex and there are plenty of misdirects when it comes to who's masterminding the ring. Whereas The Mockingbirds was focused on the date rape issue, The Rivals deals more squarely with the Mockingbirds' brand of vigilante justice and just how well it works (or doesn't). Alex struggles with where the line is when it comes to justice, morality, and who should come first: her friends, or the Mockingbirds. It's clear that this second installment is leading up to the next book and various changes in how the Mockingbirds is run, but maybe because of this it falls prey to that "second book syndrome" in that much of the book feels like a set up for what comes next. Over halfway through the story I still felt like I was waiting for it to begin. (Part of this, maybe, is because the book's title doesn't make sense until nearly the very end.)
None of this is to say that there's not some captivating, important stuff in The Rivals, because there definitely is. Just how oblivious or ignorant the faculty and administration are is brought to the forefront in stunning ways; there were scenes between Alex and the dean of Themis that had me staring in shock at how certain things were viewed and treated. Alex, Martin, and her friend Jones' thoughts on justice, right and wrong, and how the case should be handled were very interesting, especially after reading The Mockingbirds where Alex was on the other side of the fence, so to speak. Having her pushed into a leadership position gives a very "insider" look at how the Mockingbirds operates and what those inside think of it, which was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, the main storyline (the drugs/cheating ring) had so many misdirects and took so long to find its footing that it didn't quite have the heft I felt that it needed to carry the rest of the book. Additionally, second-book syndrome and the fact that I found myself disagreeing with various characters' decisions mean that this one falls a bit short of it's predecessor. This was a good read, and I'm fairly sure (though not positive) that I'll be reading the next book in the series, but The Mockingbirds can certainly stand alone, and maybe it should.
February 22, 2015
The Rivals is a follow up book to The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney. In The Mockingbirds, Alex Patrick is a high school junior who is date-raped after drinking at a club. The elite residential high school that Alex attends refuses to accept that any of their intelligent, talented students would break their honor code and so have no structure in place to deal with disciplinary issues. Alex's only recourse is to enlist the aid of the underground student group known as The Mockingbirds. After Alex's case is validated by the group and Carter's punishment is delivered, Alex is asked to take over the leadership of the group during her senior year. The Rivals begins as the students are gathering back at the school for Alex's senior year. Alex must learn to balance her new duties as leader of the Mockingbirds with being a student and highly talented pianist. She has the support of Amy the previous leader, Martin her boyfriend and her roommates, T.S. and Maia. Unfortunately, Alex is quickly faced with a big issue that must be dealt with. She is told that members of the prestigious Debate Club are circulating forged prescriptions for an amphetamine to enhance their performance. The rumors are flying about several different students but nothing prepares Alex for hearing the name of her roommate, Maia, mentioned as the supplier of the drugs. Now Alex must decide where her loyalties truly lie and whether her duties as a Mockingbird include crushing the dreams of her best friend. The struggle to find the truth behind the scandal brings betrayal, lies, heartbreak and disappointment causing Alex to question who she is and who she really wants to be.
I really enjoyed The Mockingbirds and looked forward to reading The Rivals. However, I must admit that it took me a little while to really get into the story. Perhaps because I had so recently read the first book, I didn't appreciate all the time that was taken to give the back story in the second book. Also, this story is a lot more complicated with many more characters to keep up with.
Once I got into the meat of the story my interest picked up and at the end I didn't want to put the book down. The main character is a nice girl who tries very hard to do the right thing in a very difficult situation. Having never attended an elite boarding school, I don't know how accurate the portrayal of the administrators and teachers is, but I find it hard to believe that people in that situation wouldn't be more concerned about the health and safety of their students. Even when told directly about drug use by a group of students and another girl breaking the fingers of Alex's hand, the Dean suggests that these things be put behind her and move forward. I liked the book even though I found some of its premises to be a little unbelievable. It discusses the differences in right and wrong, moral and immoral and how these are viewed differently by different people. There is some language and Alex and Martin decide to engage in a sexual relationship. These scenes are alluded to rather than described graphically. I would recommend this book for entertainment reading for mid to older teens.
Readingteen.net
Content:
Sexual Content: Moderate/Heavy
Profanity: Heavy
Violence: Moderate
Other Notables: Abuse of prescription drugs
For more details, check out The Rivals on Parentalbookreviews.com
I really enjoyed The Mockingbirds and looked forward to reading The Rivals. However, I must admit that it took me a little while to really get into the story. Perhaps because I had so recently read the first book, I didn't appreciate all the time that was taken to give the back story in the second book. Also, this story is a lot more complicated with many more characters to keep up with.
Once I got into the meat of the story my interest picked up and at the end I didn't want to put the book down. The main character is a nice girl who tries very hard to do the right thing in a very difficult situation. Having never attended an elite boarding school, I don't know how accurate the portrayal of the administrators and teachers is, but I find it hard to believe that people in that situation wouldn't be more concerned about the health and safety of their students. Even when told directly about drug use by a group of students and another girl breaking the fingers of Alex's hand, the Dean suggests that these things be put behind her and move forward. I liked the book even though I found some of its premises to be a little unbelievable. It discusses the differences in right and wrong, moral and immoral and how these are viewed differently by different people. There is some language and Alex and Martin decide to engage in a sexual relationship. These scenes are alluded to rather than described graphically. I would recommend this book for entertainment reading for mid to older teens.
Readingteen.net
Content:
Sexual Content: Moderate/Heavy
Profanity: Heavy
Violence: Moderate
Other Notables: Abuse of prescription drugs
For more details, check out The Rivals on Parentalbookreviews.com
May 16, 2014
It's been a while since I read The Mockingbirds, but I still remember absolutely loving it. To be honest, I wasn't sure that kind of story needed a sequel - I didn't know if Daisy Whitney could come up with another plot concerning the Mockingbirds as strong as the one in the first novel. And while I do think that The Rivals is lacking a bit of the driving force that Alex's struggle for justice after her rape provided for The Mockingbirds, I did really enjoy this sequel!
The whole cheating/drug ring plot seemed kind of strange to me at first. I'm still not sure I entirely get the premise - the debate team is using ADHD medication to win their debates? How is that supposed to work? When people abuse Adderall - or Annie, as it's called in The Rivals - it's to help them focus on getting work done, and I don't really see how that helps the debate team. But even if the premise didn't make all that much sense to me, I did really enjoy the mystery that evolves around it. There are various plot twists in The Rivals that will keep you on your toes - I didn't see half of them coming!
I especially loved the way The Rivals changed the way you think about everything we learned in The Mockingbirds, how it challenges what you thought was right and wrong. Just like Alex, you ask yourself how far you're allowed to go in the name of (what you consider) justice, whether it's more important to trust the people close to you or to do your "job" of questioning everything, and so on. The lines between right and wrong are a lot more blurred in The Rivals than they were in The Mockingbirds, and I loved reading about Alex trying to figure out what would be the right thing to do.
Within the context of this case, it was interesting to see how Alex's relationships with those around her evolved. I still loved Alex's character, and the cast of secondary characters is fully developed and complex, just like in the first book. I especially liked Alex's relationship with Martin - too often, sequels create too much unnecessary drama between the couples that are established in the first book, so I'm glad that Alex's relationship with Martin progresses in such a natural way in The Rivals.
Part of what makes these two books so powerful together, I think, is how in The Rivals, we get to see Alex still struggling to come to terms with her rape from The Mockingbirds. Daisy Whitney handled the issue of rape with as much grace and delicacy as she did in the first book; the scenes where Alex sees her rapist on campus and the scenes where she and Martin are trying to figure out how to have a "normal" relationship after what happened to Alex are some of the most powerful scenes in the novel, for me. The only thing that bothered me about this topic is how Alex's rape is continuously referred to as date-rape, just because I don't like how that term makes acquaintance-rape seem somehow less than the dark-alley rape many people still associate with the term.
The Rivals is everything a good sequel should be, and more. It's a complex and layered story that complicates everything we learned in The Mockingbirds. With fully developed characters, a captivating writing style, and a complex and fascinating plot, I can't recommend this series enough! I can't wait to read more from Daisy Whitney!
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
The whole cheating/drug ring plot seemed kind of strange to me at first. I'm still not sure I entirely get the premise - the debate team is using ADHD medication to win their debates? How is that supposed to work? When people abuse Adderall - or Annie, as it's called in The Rivals - it's to help them focus on getting work done, and I don't really see how that helps the debate team. But even if the premise didn't make all that much sense to me, I did really enjoy the mystery that evolves around it. There are various plot twists in The Rivals that will keep you on your toes - I didn't see half of them coming!
I especially loved the way The Rivals changed the way you think about everything we learned in The Mockingbirds, how it challenges what you thought was right and wrong. Just like Alex, you ask yourself how far you're allowed to go in the name of (what you consider) justice, whether it's more important to trust the people close to you or to do your "job" of questioning everything, and so on. The lines between right and wrong are a lot more blurred in The Rivals than they were in The Mockingbirds, and I loved reading about Alex trying to figure out what would be the right thing to do.
Within the context of this case, it was interesting to see how Alex's relationships with those around her evolved. I still loved Alex's character, and the cast of secondary characters is fully developed and complex, just like in the first book. I especially liked Alex's relationship with Martin - too often, sequels create too much unnecessary drama between the couples that are established in the first book, so I'm glad that Alex's relationship with Martin progresses in such a natural way in The Rivals.
Part of what makes these two books so powerful together, I think, is how in The Rivals, we get to see Alex still struggling to come to terms with her rape from The Mockingbirds. Daisy Whitney handled the issue of rape with as much grace and delicacy as she did in the first book; the scenes where Alex sees her rapist on campus and the scenes where she and Martin are trying to figure out how to have a "normal" relationship after what happened to Alex are some of the most powerful scenes in the novel, for me. The only thing that bothered me about this topic is how Alex's rape is continuously referred to as date-rape, just because I don't like how that term makes acquaintance-rape seem somehow less than the dark-alley rape many people still associate with the term.
The Rivals is everything a good sequel should be, and more. It's a complex and layered story that complicates everything we learned in The Mockingbirds. With fully developed characters, a captivating writing style, and a complex and fascinating plot, I can't recommend this series enough! I can't wait to read more from Daisy Whitney!
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
September 11, 2016
Daisy Whitney’s debut novel The Mockingbirds was one of the more unique books I read last year. It established the ground rules for the Mockingbirds, an underground student-run judicial system set on helping students when the administration fails. Now with the sequel The Rivals, Alex, who had sought help from the Mockingbirds in the previous year, is head of the secret society. Alex’s first case is unlike any other before it; a prescription drug ring aimed at helping students cheat has been set up, but no one will step up as the clear victim. It becomes a question of morals, and cracks begin forming within the Mockingbirds and among Alex’s relationships.
Daisy Whitney’s The Rivals does not suffer from the sophomore slump. She takes a spin on the foundation she built with the first novel, deviating from it almost entirely and showing some valid faults that can form in a vigilante group such as the Mockingbirds. In the past they had only dealt with proceedings that were clearly black and white, but this time, it’s an elaborate crime where things are gray and muddled. Alex’s integrity and loyalty get tested; she struggles with her new position and forces herself to question every angle even if it means investigating friends. Some of her choices are very questionable but I do understand her justifications for what she does. In the end, she led with her heart and I commend her for that.
The Rivals reads like a crime-drama, as readers are playing detective right along with Alex. Whitney leads you one way, and turns that road around, and then pulls the blinders over your eyes. It has a well-developed plot that will hold readers’ interest and keep them on their toes figuring out who the culprit is. I also thoroughly enjoyed being on the inside of the Mockingbirds to see the dilemmas and conflicts they must deal with on a daily basis.
I was pleased Whitney included a b-storyline to show Alex healing in the aftermath of last year’s date-rape. Alex furthers her transition from victim to survivor, undoubtedly reclaiming her identity. There are still people who don’t believe her or who think she deserved it; her feelings from that night don’t just go away because she won her trail, and I think it’s important to address that. For me, Alex is an even stronger person than she was in the last novel and proves herself as the leader of the Mockingbirds.
The Mockingbird series does bring to light how school administrations can fail at their jobs by being ignorant of students’ needs or turning a blind eye. It is outrageous, but not unbelievable, especially in light of various school scandals hitting the news lately. The Rivals comes around nicely to tie up issues I had with the ending of the first novel. The second novel has a satisfying conclusion, one that holds a lot more hope.
Whitney tackles contemplative, edgy subject matter and writes it in an effortless and clean way. It’s quite likely fans of The Mockingbirds will enjoy this sequel just as much, if not more.
Cross-posted to Wit & Fancy.
Daisy Whitney’s The Rivals does not suffer from the sophomore slump. She takes a spin on the foundation she built with the first novel, deviating from it almost entirely and showing some valid faults that can form in a vigilante group such as the Mockingbirds. In the past they had only dealt with proceedings that were clearly black and white, but this time, it’s an elaborate crime where things are gray and muddled. Alex’s integrity and loyalty get tested; she struggles with her new position and forces herself to question every angle even if it means investigating friends. Some of her choices are very questionable but I do understand her justifications for what she does. In the end, she led with her heart and I commend her for that.
The Rivals reads like a crime-drama, as readers are playing detective right along with Alex. Whitney leads you one way, and turns that road around, and then pulls the blinders over your eyes. It has a well-developed plot that will hold readers’ interest and keep them on their toes figuring out who the culprit is. I also thoroughly enjoyed being on the inside of the Mockingbirds to see the dilemmas and conflicts they must deal with on a daily basis.
I was pleased Whitney included a b-storyline to show Alex healing in the aftermath of last year’s date-rape. Alex furthers her transition from victim to survivor, undoubtedly reclaiming her identity. There are still people who don’t believe her or who think she deserved it; her feelings from that night don’t just go away because she won her trail, and I think it’s important to address that. For me, Alex is an even stronger person than she was in the last novel and proves herself as the leader of the Mockingbirds.
The Mockingbird series does bring to light how school administrations can fail at their jobs by being ignorant of students’ needs or turning a blind eye. It is outrageous, but not unbelievable, especially in light of various school scandals hitting the news lately. The Rivals comes around nicely to tie up issues I had with the ending of the first novel. The second novel has a satisfying conclusion, one that holds a lot more hope.
Whitney tackles contemplative, edgy subject matter and writes it in an effortless and clean way. It’s quite likely fans of The Mockingbirds will enjoy this sequel just as much, if not more.
Cross-posted to Wit & Fancy.
April 26, 2012
Well…this one had me on one rollercoaster of a ride. I was bouncing up and down from hating it to loving it and from hating Alex to appreciating her. It’s the year that Alex needs to discover the new her. The leader of the Mockingbirds and she tends to have some trouble doing this. She’s went from being the girl who went unnoticed to the one that everyone talks about and she’s having some issues dealing with the spotlight and all the pressure. So would I. imaging holding someone’s dreams in your hands. Because at Themis people come for their dreams and if someone files charges against you with the Mockingbird you risk loosing those dreams. Even though the system was made by the students and for the students this novel demonstrates that all forms of societies/governments have flaws and those flaws are the people and the emotions that run them. Daisy Whitney takes you from the perspective of a girl that was raped and trying to find justice to one that is trying to figure out what is just and how much say someone really should have in your life. Like Alex I was confused about the morals and the lines that should and should not be crossed. Would you snoop and try your best friend? Or should you just trust them and know that they did the right thing, because they are after all your best friends. And then this novel had me questioning how far I would go for something I really loved. If I loved piano the way she did would I do anything to protect my hands or gain a better edge? Ou this novel raised many questions and emotions and had me confused about government, morals, and society right along with her. Another emotionally compelling novel by Daisy Whitney
Good:
Martin: as all ways the superhero was awesome. Even his flaws are awesome. Even his nerdyness and talking about animals is sexy.
Jones: I like Jones. I wonder what role he will have in the next book.
Alex: Overall, she’s trying to do her best and has a lot on her plate
Bad:
Alex: I know, I know. I just said she was a part of the good and she is but she contributes to the part in the middle of the book where I was just overall mad. Alex is confused…but confused or not I don’t accept some of her reactions or thinking. And too be honest I thought at some points she was being a little childish. You would think that going through something like rape would make you act more mature and think about things before you say them.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall I love Whitney’s writing style. There were no flaws that I noticed and I had no issues keeping pace with her writing. And I love the subjects that she takes on. They’re not some small petty issue like boyfriend or best friend issues (although all of those do happen within the book) she writes about true life altering events like Rape, abuse, cheating, and drug use, and setting firm morals identifying the importance of people above self wants. This was a good read. One that I am happy I purchased so it can now sit proudly on my shelf.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
Good:
Martin: as all ways the superhero was awesome. Even his flaws are awesome. Even his nerdyness and talking about animals is sexy.
Jones: I like Jones. I wonder what role he will have in the next book.
Alex: Overall, she’s trying to do her best and has a lot on her plate
Bad:
Alex: I know, I know. I just said she was a part of the good and she is but she contributes to the part in the middle of the book where I was just overall mad. Alex is confused…but confused or not I don’t accept some of her reactions or thinking. And too be honest I thought at some points she was being a little childish. You would think that going through something like rape would make you act more mature and think about things before you say them.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall I love Whitney’s writing style. There were no flaws that I noticed and I had no issues keeping pace with her writing. And I love the subjects that she takes on. They’re not some small petty issue like boyfriend or best friend issues (although all of those do happen within the book) she writes about true life altering events like Rape, abuse, cheating, and drug use, and setting firm morals identifying the importance of people above self wants. This was a good read. One that I am happy I purchased so it can now sit proudly on my shelf.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
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