The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
The Mockingbirds #1
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, November 2, 2010
Hardcover, 332 pages
Borrowed from library

Some schools have honor codes.

Others have handbooks.

Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.


Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way-the Themis way. So when Alex Patrick is date-raped during her junior year, she has two options: Stay silent and hope someone helps, or enlist the aid of the Mockingbirds-a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of the student body.

In this account of a teenage girl's search for her voice and the courage to use it, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that standing up for someone, especially yourself, is worth the fight.

- Description from Goodreads.com

One of my favourite things in the entire world is landing upon a good book by accident. Or at least, without the intention to. And I'm so happy I got to experience this just when my reading was in crisis mode. A string of not so good books plus some not so good books I have to plow through PLUS school made for a very dire reading situation. I desperately needed a breather and what do you know, I found it in this book.

The Mockingbirds doesn't strike me as a book I would love. It deals with a very serious topic - date rape - and though serious topics may not leave me running for the hills, they definitely make me frightened. I'm always thinking about how far the author will delve into the situation: too little and I feel it's shallow, too much and I want to block it out, I feel so uncomfortable because the words are hitting me so hard. And truthfully, it's tough to find that balance of just right in any book dealing with very serious, very important, very real issues. But The Mockingbirds brings that.

The Mockingbirds tells the story of junior Alex who gets date-raped by another student at her school, Themis Academy. And here's where Daisy adds her originality, rather cleverly I might add. Themis isn't your typical school. The administration barely bats an eye at the secret happenings of the students. Someone got killed? Just act like nothing happened. And so obviously, this type of setting is great for misbehaviour. People can do whatever they want and the teachers won't step in. Which is why it's up to the students to make sure everyone's in line. There's a secret group called the Mockingbirds made up of Themis students whose very job is to police the grounds. And when Alex gets date-raped, she turns to the Mockingbirds for help.

I loved getting to see the inner workings of the Mockingbrids. It was so fascinating and incredibly vibrant in the way that it nearly stood out from the page. The impact they have on the students in Themis is wonderful and it's represented in the way Alex begins to develop throughout the story. As she's consulting with them about her situation, we see Alex grow into such a strong figure that it's hard not to be inspired by her.

And that was the best part of this book. Being inspired to DO something when things aren't right. I truly have to extend my thanks to Daisy Whitney for writing such an important book. It's great that teens can educate themselves with books now. You know, once again, I have to be grateful I'm growing up during a time when YA books really do hold power and influence. I feel so much stronger now having just read this book. 

Incredibly moving and just amazing in its entirety, The Mockingbirds is a book you won't want to miss. Highly recommended.

Just Go With The Flow | Day 12

Day 12 and we're all about the blogging fatigue today!

I don't know if you know but during the summer, I experienced some major blogging fatigue. After blogging for the majority of July, I felt EXHAUSTED. And I knew I needed to take a step back from it no matter how much I wanted to push through.

That's what I want to talk about today. Knowing when to stop. Stop feeling bad when you miss a post, stop thinking you HAVE to do this, stop making blogging feel less like a hobby and more like a duty. Because it isn't. I know there are many responsibilities some of you have to keep up - blog tours and ARC reviews, just to name a few - but when you're really getting sick and tired of blogging, I think it's important to forget about your commitments and take a step back. Because when you're going through blogging fatigue, you probably won't be churning out your best posts. And honestly, I think I'd rather have a few very good posts on my blog than many mediocre posts.

So if you ask me, the best way to cope with blogging fatigue is to just go with the flow. Acknowledge that you haven't been as into blogging as you were before and assure yourself that that's okay. It's normal not to be yippee-ki-yay about something all the time. Then, I'd suggest you take a BIG step back from blogging and just relax. Goodness, you've been sitting in that chair, typing your butt off FOREVER so it's about time you get a break. And those commitments? Forget about them. In the end, you run YOUR blog and no one will be upset if you say you're feeling a little down in the dumps... At least, I hope not! Like I said, it's hard to leave your blog but sometimes, it needs to be done. You can't go at it every day 24/7. It's just not possible so when the fatigue comes, step away from the computer and go do all the things you didn't do while all your energy was focused on blogging. Get outside and smell the flowers! Watch a movie.  Catch up on your favourite shows. Try on eyeliners at Sephora (that's what I do!). And when you feel re-energized, then you know you can return to blogging. 

So the next time blogging fatigue knocks at your door, remember this post. Remember that you need to rest sometimes. All I ask is that you try this once. If it doesn't work, fine. But if it does, congrats! You've found a fool-proof way to combat blogging fatigue head on.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Published by Viking Juvenile; May 10, 2011
Hardcover, 402 pages
Borrowed from library

Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out. Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

- Description from Goodreads.com

Remember that time when I said that there was a magic formula to all of Sarah Dessen's books? Yeah, well, I'm not finding it so magic anymore. 

Somewhere between Along for the Ride and this book, my thoughts on Sarah Dessen shifted from "I acknowledge all her books are similar but they're great regardless" to "I acknowledge all her books are similar and they're boring me". 

I mean, there's no doubt Dessen is a great writer. Words flow so easily out her mouth but frankly, all her characters are the same and all her storylines progress in the same way and really, after a handful of her novels, I have to say that her books aren't special any more. Take this book for example. Dave is as homogeneous as they come. I had no sense of who he was at all and you know, I had the same problem with Eli from Along for the Ride. 

And then of course, Mclean. No different from ALL the other Dessen protagonists I've read about. I mean, I honestly can't tell the difference between Mclean's character and say, Emaline's character. 

Like I said, the novels aren't special any more because I can't set them apart. Which sucks because I still remember the hold Sarah Dessen had on me after This Lullaby and The Truth About Forever. She was kind of like a comfy throw I crawled under whenever I was feeling down but now? Now I can't find that darn throw! 

And I won't give up yet because I still have faith that I will rediscover that Dessen magic but at this point, I can't help but think that it might be gone.

Introducing the Childhood Classics Read-a-Thon

This idea was born from a comment on my post, Book Voyage by Audrey from The Book Analyst. 

"On a side note, I love that you had From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but hate that you haven't read it! That was one of my favorite books as a child and I remember reading it over and over again."

This brought me to think about all the other books I didn't read while I was a child. Instead of perusing those classics everyone has read, I was reading Junie B Jones and Horrible Harry. Not that there's anything wrong with those two books but it's a shame I missed out on so much! So I decided it was finally time to get around to the childhood classics I missed out on.

(Excuse the bad graphic please! I had NO idea where to put the 'read-a-thon'!)

Starting this month, I will be making my way around the following list of children's books. No time is set for when to finish each book but I plan on finishing EVERY book by the end of June. And if you're interested in reading with me, feel free to join! 

1. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler by EL Konigsburg

2. The Ramona Quimby series by Beverley Cleary

3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

4. The Time Quintet series by Madeleine L'Engle

5. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

6. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

7. The Giver by Lois Lowry

8. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

9. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

10. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

11. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

12. The Holes series by Louis Sachar

13. The Island of the Blue Dolphins series by Scott O'Dell

14. The Tales of Magic series by Edward Eager

15. The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg

16. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

17. The Betsy Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

18. Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

19. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

20. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Novel Roundup (1)

Rounding up all those pesky little books I never finished!

With the end of For The Book Fanatic, I thought my blog sure could use a new feature. I stumbled upon some of my older notes regarding Random Reads and thought this would certainly make a great, fun feature! I don't DNF books often but when I do, I like to keep tabs on them in my little blogging notebook. Now, I can record them here and save space for other things in my notebook!

Since this is the first post of a feature I had ideas for for a long time, there will only be two books highlighted today! And on a separate note, if there is a book you think is worth another shot, I would love for you to let me know in the comments! :)

The Summer of First and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy

I really enjoy books set in a summer camp because it has always been my wish to go! And you know, whenever I can't do things, I tend to live vicariously through books. However, the camp in this book just didn't meet my standards! 

Now I know I haven't been to camp but I've read a lot of books set there and I have friends who go who talk about it so I think I have a pretty good idea of how it's like. And this one was nothing like anything I imagined sleepaway camp to be. They had an activity they did every day, every week. You can't pick two or three each night, you pick one at the beginning and you're stuck with it to the end. Like if you happen to choose something boring like studying different types of trees, that's too bad because you have to do it every day for hours without fail. But while I was looking to read this book for the camp, it wasn't why I stopped reading. After all, who says all camps have to be the same? 

No, the reason why I DNFed this book is because between the alternating perspectives of the three sisters and the same tone for each, it was getting a bit dull. And the boys they were all going on about? There wasn't much information about them so every time the sisters went on about their respective crush, I just wanted to scream shut up and give me some information on them. Besides what their hair color is. On another note, how do you expect me to swoon over a guy with WHITE hair? Uh, no.

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer

Besides sleepaway camps, I also really like seeing history play a part in novels. And Cleopatra Confesses offered that. I remember reading one of those Princess Diaries (funny because this author actually wrote for that series) on Cleopatra and being absolutely hooked by her. She's definitely one of my favourite princesses, along with Anastasia of Russia. 

But when I started reading, I found myself losing interest rapidly. It wasn't anything in particular, just the book as a whole for some reason managed to come off as dull and stiff for me. 

So what do you guys think? Have you read any of these books? Are these worth another shot?

Theme Song Thursday (2): Lola and the Boy Next Door

Welcome to Theme Song Thursday where I choose a theme song for a book of my choice on Thursday! This is a sporadic post which will only be updated when I have material.

I finished Lola and the Boy Next Door earlier this month and during the time I spent reading this book, there was one song I just COULD NOT get out of my head. But before I reveal the song (here's a hint: it's by one of my all-time favourite artists), I'll give you some background information on Lola that might be crucial in understanding why I chose the song.

(SORRY GUYS, I CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW THE SONG RELATES TO THE BOOK WITHOUT SPOILING SOME A LOT OF IT. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.)

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a story about a girl named Lola and her neighbour Cricket. They've been neighbours ever since they were young, growing up together and becoming friends but in order to support his sister's blossoming figure skating career, Cricket moves away with his family. And before he does, something happens and he breaks her heart. So when he leaves, Lola is happy because she doesn't want to see him again anyway.Well, after two years of being away, Cricket and his family move back into the house next to Lola's much to Lola's dismay. But soon, the dynamics change and Lola finds the feelings she used to have for Cricket come back.

In the song that I chose, the girl is singing about the boy next door and she's wondering why he's still with her girlfriend when it's clear she's getting him down and basically saying that he should be with her instead. So while this doesn't make sense from Lola's view, let's switch the 'she' into a 'he' and it makes perfect sense, right? I hope...

Exhibit A

You're on the phone with your girlfriend
She's upset
---
Max is always upset at Lola!

Exhibit B

I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry
I know you favourite songs and you tell me about your dreams
---
Just like the guy and girl in this song, Lola and Cricket are super tight!

I have to say that the music video also pairs pretty well with the book. It starts with a girl in her bedroom but then eventually moves on to show the boy and girl exchanging handwritten notes to each other. Which is...exactly what Cricket and Lola did? 

via Fanpop

And at the very end, the girl and guy attend a dance together in both the music video and the book! 

Pretty clear that this song was made for Lola, right? Can you guess what it is?

Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me

Shameless Self-Promoting | Day 11

Day 11! Only four days left! Which is great because I am starting to dread how many of these posts I have to make...

Truth: While I'm proud of my blog as a whole, I'm not proud of any single post. None of them stand out to me which is why this task is particularly hard. I know I say that for a good 80% of the fifteen tasks but this time, I really mean it. Thank goodness I only have a hundred or so posts under my belt! 

1. My Bookish Confessions Part 1 & 2

Part 2 is currently the most popular post on Random Reads. Seems like you guys just LOVE reading about all the weird things I do with my books.

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

One of the better reviews I've written by far. I mean, have you seen my older ones? Gross.

 3. Seeing Double: Anna and Lola

I was super excited to see the new Anna and Lola covers and share them with you. This was one of my favourite editions of Seeing Double!

4. Interview with Lisa Is Busy Nerding

This was part of the Book Blogger Love-a-Thon and one of my absolute favourite posts. Lisa has been one of my favourite bloggers for a long while and even though she has stopped, at least I can look back to this post and think of all the great memories! Also, I spent a heck of a long time on the questions so I would really appreciate it if you went and checked it out. Show some love, right?

5. The Ten Most Swoon-worthy Guys

My Top Ten Tuesday from before I knew Top Ten Tuesday was a thing. Oh my god, this is the most embarrassing thing ever. I would cry if anyone read it but for your enjoyment, I thought it was worth putting on this list. Pretty entertaining stuff. 

Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon

Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon
Published by Algonquin Young Readers; September 3, 2013
Paperback, 239 pages
Received from publisher through NetGalley -- thanks! 

Chemo, radiation, a zillion surgeries, watching my mom age twenty years in twenty months: if that’s part of the Big Dude’s plan, then it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Somebody Up There Hates You.

SUTHY has landed me here in this hospice, where we—that’s me and Sylvie—are the only people under 30 in the whole place, sweartogod. But I’m not dead yet. I still need to keep things interesting. Sylvie, too. I mean, we’re kids, hospice-hostages or not. We freak out visitors; I get my uncle to sneak me out for one insane Halloween night. Stuff like that. And Sylvie wants to make things even more interesting. That girl’s got big plans.

Only Sylvie’s father is so nuclear-blasted by what’s happened to his little girl, he glows orange, I swear. That’s one scary man, and he’s not real fond of me. So we got a major family feud going on, right here in hospice. DO NOT CROSS line running down the middle of the hall, me on one side, her on the other. It’s crazy.

In the middle of all of this, really, there’s just me and Sylvie, a guy and a girl. And we want to live, in our way, by our own rules, in whatever time we’ve got. We will pack in some living before we go, trust me.

- Description from Goodreads.com

I did not like this book. From that first chapter with it's excessive use of anyway, okay, and so as transitions, I knew this book would not be my friend. 

Unfortunately for anyone looking to read this book, I cannot guarantee that anything past this sentence will be spoiler-free so please proceed with caution. Okay, I actually spoil the entire book for you. Just a heads up.

Let's start with the basics: the story. Somebody Up There Hates You centers around a boy named Richie who has been diagnosed with cancer with less than thirty days to live. And since Richie is fully aware of the fact that his death is near, he plans to give life everything he's got. Which of course, includes his virginity. 

Now the thing about this book is that it has such potential to explore important topics such as death and illness. Important topics that I think we need more of in young adult. But instead, it brings this completely RIDICULOUS plot that I have to say is unfortunately shallow. Why? Because the main character is dying from cancer yet the entire book depicts him as a stupid horny teenager.

Wait, I know you're confused. What is going on right? Never fear, my dear friends. I will recount the story from the very beginning.

So far, we've established that Richie is a cancer patient and he's dying. Okay, so the next thing you need to know is that he's in the hospice and on the day his story starts, his uncle Phil comes and visits him. Phil is crazy, the 'black sheep' of the family. And somehow, he convinces the nurse on duty that she should let Richie get out of the hospice for Halloween and they somehow don't get questioned by anyone else as they leave. 

Phil and Richie eventually end up at a bar which proves how crazy he is because why would you bring a dying teenager to a bar of all places? And then leave him unattended with some busty Marie Antoinette? 

That's Uncle Phil for you.

But even weirder is what happens next. Marie Antoinette wheels him to some private corner and unzips his pants to give him a hand job. 

Who DOES that? To a sick person no less.

And then funny because once she does find out Richie is sick, she runs away. Is this girl blind? I'm being very blunt here (sorry!) but when someone's dying of cancer, there are physical signs as the author describes in the beginning! So how come Marie Antoinette doesn't see that he has no eyebrows and eyelashes, skinnier than the average teen, and just overall, sickly looking? That just makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

But anyway, Phil eventually returns Richie back to the hospice and when Richie steps into his room, he finds the only other teenager in the hospice and his true love though I'm not sure how that happened, Sylvie. She's shrouded in darkness and everything's mysteriously sexy and she leans in to him and says, 

"I don't want to be a virgin anymore."

Which basically implies that she wants to have sex with him. Naturally, Richie gets excited and they start attempting to do it right away. Attempt is the key word here because it takes a few times before they really go all the way.

One of more memorable times is when Richie and Sylvie are in a smoking box and everything's getting hot and steamy when Richie's grandmother pops up. Where did that come from, right? She sees them though and is all nonchalant about it and even proceeds to concoct a master plan so they can have sex. 

I don't know about you but I'm thinking that it's not such a great idea that two dying cancer patients (I just have to keep mentioning this because none of this book makes sense) have sex. 

I'm also thinking that the characters in this book don't know it because it seems like they let this happen in front of their very noses. Literally because as Richie says in the beginning, the doors are clear so there is no privacy at all. If patients were having sex, don't you think someone would notice through the clear doors even at night? 

The answer to that is no because Richie and Sylvie have sex. And everything is bliss. 

Until the next morning when Richie finds out that Sylvie has been knocked unconscious by their midnight hookup due to massive blood loss. I can't say I'm surprised that something bad happened. 

From here, things just go downhill. Richie gets targeted in the hallway by Sylvie's dad. He's upset at Richie for causing his daughter to be in this unstable state and reasonably so. The guy's already been through a lot and now to find out that his daughter is in even worse condition because of some guy who screwed her must be devastating. Richie doesn't seem to understand this at all. 

Having said that though, I do not accept the way Sylvie's dad reacted to the situation at all. It was repulsive. He actually reached over and punched Richie right there and then causing HIM to blackout and fall into his own unconsciousness. 

This, of course, is illegal and wrong whether the victim has cancer or not so a lot of legal problems arise and some other confusing sub-storylines. In the end, I think you will be glad to know that Sylvie and Richie are still alive and strong. 

And everything I've said so far is exactly why this book didn't do it for me.

When the word cancer is mentioned in a book, I get intrigued because I love reading books centering around serious issues. But there have been many times when I have been seriously let-down by these issues books. Because in reality, there is very little 'issue' present. Like this book. Majority of the time I forgot that Richie and Sylvie were suffering from cancer because very little actually centered around cancer. 

Instead, the book was filled with convoluted chapters with events that are either

(a) too convenient to be believable 

OR

(b) completely ridiculous. 

The one silver lining is that Hollis Seamon knows how to write a good teen narrator. Everything that came out of Richie's mouth could have easily been seen coming out of my mouth or one of my peers'. I liked how it was written very conversational. Like Richie was sitting in front of me and we were good ole buddies reminiscing on our wild days. 

But apart from that? I think it's pretty clear that this book wasn't for me. Unfortunately.

Reflect & Renew: August 2013

Hello readers! Say hi to Reflect and Renew which you will be seeing around here at the end of each month. Inspired by Monthly Rewind at the Perpetual Page Turner. Enjoy! :)

REVIEWS:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Swede Dreams by Eva Apelqvist
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen 
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

FEATURES:
Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Blogger & Reader Easier/Better


OTHER:
Why I'm A Book Blogger | Day 9
In Which I Talk About How I Choose My Next Read | Day 10
A to Z Survey
Random Reads Is One Year Old!

BOOKS NEXT UP ON MY TBR LIST:

Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Winger by Andrew Smith
Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Seven Deadlies by Gigi Levangie Grazer

MOST MEMORABLE EVENTS:
Attending a live taping of a show!
Zooming down a 310 foot high roller coaster at the amusement park
Having a baking day with my friends
Watching Simon Schama's Power of Art back to back to back
Getting free razors on the street
Finding an amazing Mexican restaurant
High school orientation!
Chowing down on some delish Middle Eastern food
Getting my nails painted at Sephora
Seeing Victoria Duffield in concert (!!!)
Watching CATS
Watching the movie, Once
Eating some great fro-yo (Menchies and The Red Bench)
Wandering around Honest Ed's before it closes!

MOST PLAYED SONG:

Roar - Katy Perry

THINGS I CAN'T WAIT FOR IN SEPTEMBER:
The first day of school - duh!


AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE:
Reem talks about the different types of readers. Which one are you?
This post inspired me to take 'must-read' out of my vocabulary. Find out why.
Chrys is officially the queen of infographics with this super cool one about bullying in the blogosphere.
Meredith at Lit Up Review shares five GREAT tips on how to balance school and blogging.
If there's anyone who understands what little book bloggers go through, it's Shanelle. Here's proof.
Carrie shares tips on how to speed-read! With school kicking in full mode, I definitely need to learn how to do this!
Claire cracks down on some of the things book snobs say. Incredibly entertaining!
View great fan made covers for classics here!
I have no clue how to use Google Analytics but now I know how to use it to check pageviews for items on my sidebar. Thanks Tanya!


That's all, see you next month! :)

Random Reads is One Year Old!

I nearly forgot about my blogoversary amidst all the high school excitement this week. Today was orientation - something I've been waiting for the entire summer. And because my mind can't handle more than one thing at a time, news of Random Reads being one year old completely shot out of my head. Thank goodness I had it written down on a post-it note! I found it on my desk today and promptly plopped myself in front of my computer to start typing this up.

Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have been blogging for one year. When I made Random Reads, I had just got back from my summer vacation. I spent a LOT of time during those two months staring at books on the screen, waiting to get home so I could read all those books I had been missing. And then after a few days coming back, I stumbled on a book blog. The Book Alley, I believe it was. And from there, I found Frenetic Reader and after a quick Google, tons of other blogs revealed themselves to me. It was a bit like a 'kid in a candy store' moment and before you could say that, I made up my mind to start my OWN blog.

It's so weird to think now that this ENTIRE community has existed without my knowing for so many years. Because it seems like I've been doing this for ages. To be fair, one year is a pretty long time and never did I expect my blog to do so well! I'm not great with updating them at all so it's nothing short of amazing that Random Reads has held my attention this long!

And now onto the thank you's. Thank you to EVERYONE who has ever commented on this blog, ever taken the time to read one of my posts. Thank you to everyone who has ever followed me and talked to me. Thank you to everyone who has ever helped me with something, replied to me in a comment. And thank you to every blog I follow. You all inspire me so much with your brilliance and not a day goes by where I don't look at your blog and think about how I can make Random Reads more like yours.

Every single one of you have helped make blogging such a great experience for me and I'm incredibly lucky to have met such wonderful people.

I wish I could hug you guys. But I can't, so virtual hug instead?

I also wish I could get you guys something that you can win but I don't have money, unfortunately. So you can have a virtual gift too!

Much love, Annie