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“There’s this trick I have on the piano. When I reach a section of music that totally trips up my fingers and mangles my confidence, I call on the experts. I put the score away, close my eyes, and imagine I’m in Carnegie Hall. There’s no audience, I’m not even onstage. I’m sitting in the first row next to Beethoven, Mozart, and Gershwin. It’s just the four of us. I tell them the problem. Then I wait patiently for their guidance. They’ve never failed me before… I present them with today’s quandary, only this one is of the nonmusical variety. What we have, gentlemen, is a girl who can’t remember her first time.”

Alex went to a concert with her friends on a rare night when they were allowed to leave their boarding school, Themis Academy. She drank too much, and woke up in the bed of a fellow student she didn’t know or remember from the night before. Slowly, details of the night trickled back, and the horrible realization dawned on her that none of what happened that night had been her choice. She had said no to Carter, but he ignored her.

After confiding in her friends, they seek out a secret committee called ‘The Mockingbirds’, made up of students with a desire to replace the schools lackadaisical to nonexistent discipline system with a strict but fair arrangement. They act as a “for the students, by the students” kind of committee. The Mockingbirds help Alex to recover from the pain of being date-raped, and to move on from the all-consuming fear and distraction that followed, as well as working towards getting a confession and an appropriate punishment for Carter.

It was refreshing to read a book about a girl like Alex who didn’t act like a helpless victim. Unlike the meek and self-isolated character in the book ‘Speak’, which ‘The Mockingbirds’ has been compared to because of the similar teenage rape storyline, Alex takes matters into her own hands and asks for help. As a result, she’s able to work towards a normal life in which she can feel safe. I think this is an ideal model for girls who have experienced similar injustices. Isolation is not the answer. I appreciated that Alex was never alone throughout the process; someone was always supporting her.

The author of ‘The Mockingbirds’, Daisy Whitney, showed accurately and without reservations how quickly a rumor can spread through the grapevine, (true or untrue), as well as how cruel teenagers can be. I was shocked but in agreement with how oblivious adults sometimes can be to things going on right under their noses, even though they were teenagers once too. I think the idea that Themis’ students are assumed to be flawless and unable to inflict harm on one another is creative and mirrors a reality in normal high schools. There is a lot that happens in schools that never reaches the ears of those in power at the school, often to the detriment of those involved. While Themis’ disciplinary system without the student-run Mockingbirds could never fly in real schools, it is an exaggerated version of the reality of oblivious teachers.

While it’s not a cheery or particularly funny book, ‘The Mockingbirds’ is an important read. It’s well written, the concept is unique, and the characters are very likeable. It’s one of those books that you’ll be happy you read, because you come away feeling like you better understand how Alex and other date-rape victims feel as they deal with the consequences of a huge problem in our world.

“Baltic amber trapped in sunlight. It’s deceptive. My skin appears delicate, but it’s as tough as armor. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen myself this way. Too long since I’ve tasted sun on my skin”

-Page 4 of ‘Firelight’

 “I suck in a breath as the smolder dies from my lungs. We stare at each other for a lingering moment. He, a hunter. Me, a draki. Then, he’s gone.”

-Page 19 of ‘Firelight’

Firelight’s main character is spunky, brave, and slightly masochistic, with a healthy dose of girl-power. Her name is Jacinda, and she is a descendant of dragons, part of a species called “draki”, who vacillate between human and dragon form. They become dragons when fearful, angry, or experiencing other strong emotions. It is a very exciting, romantic, and entertaining book, with some small issues regarding originality that may irritate some readers.

As in many teen novels nowadays, there is a non-human main character whose strange creature tics pose problems for her when interacting with normal people. The unique aspect is the kind of creature she is, which is refreshing after reading so many vampire, werewolf, and even witch/wizard books. Sophie Jordan, the author, is amazing with description. The colours, patterns, and situations she paints are stunningly vivid. The story is very exciting, fantastical, and at times, also realistic. Jacinda’s family, since her father died and they were forced to flee their draki town, does not have a lot of money. They are forced to live in a crappy apartment and wear the same clothes often, adding a grounding aspect to her story. The Romeo and Juliet -with a bit more danger- forbidden romance between her and draki-hunter Will is sweet and fun to read.

If you did not like the Twilight series, you should probably not read it. A recovered former Twilight junkie myself, I loved it, but once I recognized the first similarity between the two books, every time I noticed another I made note of it and it annoyed me a little bit. Some examples of such similarities are that the boy she likes is excessively moody and possesses a dangerous quality. Despite this, and her knowledge that he is part of a family that hunts her species in the area, and came close to capturing her mere weeks before, she still likes him. Will, his creepy cousins, and their fathers go on “outdoor trips”, missing school to fish, camp etc., when they are actually hunting. Additionally, channeling the movie ‘Mean Girls’ and the show 90210, among many others, the only friend she makes, Catherine, used to be best friends with the “enemy”. Brooklyn, the evil girl, is not particularly significant in the story, occasionally making an appearance to threaten or be rude to Jacinda for getting the attention of the boy that Brooklyn likes, Will. Or, later in the book, Brooklyn attacks her in the bathroom, causing Jacinda to be suspended for accidentally utilizing her special draki skill in defense, which is to breathe fire.

Overall, if this storyline appeals to you, then I would recommend it because I definitely enjoyed it!

“She drew on those memories now, tightening her grip on the ragged bit of pink fabric she held. She opened her mind and let the darkness come down, let the connection that bound her to the hair ribbon and the spirit inside it – the ghostly echo of the person who had once owned it – unravel like a golden thread leading through the shadows.”

– Page 30 of ‘Clockwork Angel’

One of the most entrancing series’ I’ve read is ‘The Infernal Devices’ trilogy, with the first two books available right now. The first book, ‘Clockwork Angel’ had me right from the beginning with its sympathetic protagonist, Tessa, a sweet seventeen year old girl from New York moving to Victorian London to find her older brother because she has no other family left. She discovers she has a hidden superpower once she arrives. I love books that show extraordinary things can happen to completely ordinary people just like me. Tessa’s unique magical power of shape-shifting when she touches an object that belongs to somebody else, sets it apart from other supernatural books that are all the rage these days, following Stephanie Meyer’s lead. Despite the Victorian England setting and all that comes with it, (think big dresses, hesitant women, and lots of tea), the two good-looking guys that compete for Tessa’s attention, (both are ‘Shadowhunters’ – protectors of the human race from demons), once she settles in London make for a familiar and entertaining addition to the story, grounding it and reminding us that even magical creatures fall in love J.

The antiquated ideas about women and their role in society are both frustrating and interesting. Tessa’s timidness can sometimes be irritating, like her unwillingness to fight for her life or that of people she loves in battle. But, in some ways this makes it more era-appropriate, when previously sheltered women could probably really never have imagined needing to injure or kill someone for survival. Watching her defy this mold of deferential women was entertaining and satisfying. The author perfectly captures the voice of witty and mischievous characters, especially the incredibly aggravating but amusing Will, and Tessa’s sassy retorts.

The action-packed, twist of an ending makes for an exciting, impossible to put down last 100 pages of the first book, as were basically the entire first and second books. The further vilifying of Will, one of my favourite characters, proves that happy endings aren’t always guaranteed in fairytales. I highly recommend picking up this series for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it’s one of those books where you find yourself thinking about the characters even when you’re not reading it, whether you’re walking your dog, showering, or even reading something else!