The Rivals and The Mockingbirds Winners!

The three winners of a set containing the paperback of The Mockingbirds and a hardcover copy of The Rivals, both by Daisy Whitney, are:

Bianca!
Kayleigh!
Heather!

Congratulations! Winners have been emailed. Hope you enjoy the books!

Video Interview with Daisy Whitney + GIVEAWAY!

Hi blog readers! Daisy Whitney is back again on Steph Su Reads, this time promoting her latest novel, The Rivals, the sequel to The Mockingbirds. Thanks to Little, Brown, I was able to send Daisy a few interview questions, which she kindly answered in the exclusive video below. Enjoy!

The Rivals summary:

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 most: 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.

The Rivals is now out in hardcover from Little, Brown!

The previous stops on this blog tour were at Books Complete Me and Eve's Fan Garden.

Also, thanks to Little, Brown's generosity, THREE winners can get a set of a paperback of The Mockingbirds and a hardcover of The Rivals! To enter, please fill out the form below. This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only and will end Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Good luck!

Exclusive Video Interview with Daisy Whitney!

HERE IS ME BEING REALLY EXCITED FOR WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU GUYS TODAY. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to ask Daisy Whitney, author of the wonderful debut novel The Mockingbirds, a few questions, which she answered via video interview! And look: she somehow got the background of her vlog to be the layout of my blog!! Watch the interview to find out:

• Why the setting of Themis is central to the book
• The benefits of a student justice group such as the Mockingbirds
• What movies, TV shows, and books Daisy has been loving lately

Look, look below!

If you can't view it, try watching it at Youtube by following this link. Thank you Daisy, for answering my questions, and Lisa at Little, Brown, for arranging this!

Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Tags: YA, date rape, boarding school

Summary

When Alex gets date-raped at her prestigious Themis Academy, there’s no one in the jaded administration that she feels comfortable turning to. So instead, she brings her case to the Mockingbirds, a student-run justice system.

Review

A book as impactful as Daisy Whitney’s debut novel comes along only once every few years. THE MOCKINGBIRDS is at once tender and empowering, clear-cut and sensitive. It’s the kind of book that needs to be read by everyone, yet doesn’t scrimp in the important qualities that make up good literature.

I would say read this for the mere fact that EVERYONE should be educated about the personal and societal consequences of date rape, but it’s also more than that. Yes, the book’s subject is one that everyone should be aware of: through Alex’s story, we learn about the rights of the survivor, the emotional maelstrom in the aftermath, and even the guilt and self-hatred that survivors falsely put upon themselves. But all of this is done in a smart, non-preachy manner. It’s really Alex’s story, Themis Academy’s story, and not just a pedagogical tool with interchangeable characters and side plots. Everything comes together in a way that makes it cohesive not just within the story world.

THE MOCKINGBIRDS makes its impact not just by its important subject but also by Daisy Whitney’s writing style. All too often a book will try to make an impact with an explosive issue, forgetting, in the process, to still develop characters and write in a way that makes us readers care and invest. THE MOCKINGBIRDS does not force us to wade through unnecessary descriptions or artificial relationships: each and every character has a role, has a story, and helps Alex. The book deals with its difficult subject in a no-nonsense manner, and while this can sometimes make Alex feel a little underdeveloped, so all-encompassing her date-rape case seems to be, it also makes her the “everygirl,” one whom readers will be able to relate to and empathize with, regardless of our own experiences.

THE MOCKINGBIRDS is one of those books that should be assigned reading for all teens. If everyone could be educated about date rape through Alex’s experience, the world could truly be a better place.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 4 out of 5 - I think it looks incredibly classy. I initially didn't like the color change from red to the current blue, but after seeing it in person, it doesn't even matter; it's perfect the way it is. :)

Little, Brown / Nov. 2, 2010 / Hardcover / 339pp. / $16.99

ARC picked up at BEA.

Summer Giveaway #7: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (US only)

Ever since I found out about Daisy Whitney's upcoming debut novel, The Mockingbirds, it has been on my radar. A secret school society? Count me in! Plus, look at that hardcore cover. Luckily enough, The Mockingbirds received respectable buzz at BEA, and I was able to score an extra ARC, which I'd like to give to one lucky winner!

Summary:

Some schools have honor codes.

Others have handbooks.

Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

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

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

Interested? To enter, fill out this form here, making sure to answer the question relevantly. This giveaway is open to US only (unless you're willing to pay for shipping), and ends Friday, July 23, 2010. Good luck!