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Ashbury/Brookfield #3
The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie
PERFECT. adj. 1. being entirely without fault or flawless. 2. Bindy Mackenzie, student at Ashbury High. 3. Jaci Moriarty's murderously funny follow-up to THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS.
Bindy Mackenzie is the smartest girl at Ashbury High. She memorizes class outlines to help her teachers. She records transcripts of everything said around her. She offers helpful critiques for her fellow students. And she wears crazy nail polish to show she's a free spirit.
But then Bindy's life begins to fall apart. She can't stop feeling sleepy and she fails an exam for the first time ever. And--worst of all--she just doesn't care. What could be the cause of all these strange events? Is it conspiracy? Is it madness? Is it . . . murder?
Bindy Mackenzie is the smartest girl at Ashbury High. She memorizes class outlines to help her teachers. She records transcripts of everything said around her. She offers helpful critiques for her fellow students. And she wears crazy nail polish to show she's a free spirit.
But then Bindy's life begins to fall apart. She can't stop feeling sleepy and she fails an exam for the first time ever. And--worst of all--she just doesn't care. What could be the cause of all these strange events? Is it conspiracy? Is it madness? Is it . . . murder?
491 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
48 people are currently reading
3187 people want to read
About the author
Jaclyn Moriarty
38 books1,565 followersJaclyn Moriarty is an Australian writer of young adult literature.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 463 reviews
September 24, 2011
Becoming Bindy Mackenzie is probably the Jaclyn Moriarty book I struggled most with at the beginning. All of her books have been a little hard for me to get into – I have to reach a certain point in the story before I am totally immersed. But then it is almost impossible to stop reading. That certain point came very late this time. In fact, I had already considered giving up. Now I have to say: While Bindy isn't my favourite in the Ashbury series, I am still very, very glad I read it.
From the outside, Bindy is a very hard character to like. Not knowing what the reader knows, I can understand that her classmates are not very friendly towards her, that some even despise her. She looks down on others (even if she does not realise that), she is a know-it-all, and she often unconsciously hurts the people around her with what she says. Yet, understanding what has made her the way she is, I just felt incredibly sad for her. She is a good person, kind and caring, but she has never learned to openly show it and in trying to be helpful, she often just comes across as mean.
I loved seeing Bindy change throughout the year, discover new things about her character and learn her story through past diary entries. The mystery surrounding her health (is it stress? is it an illness? might it even be glandular fever? is it *gasp* murder?) kept me guessing the whole time, turning the pages in a frenzy, cursing my train to arrive at uni so fast (normally it takes ages) and the outcome really surprised me – which happens rarely, I have to admit.
All in all, a great addition to the Ashbury series. In contrary to the first two installments, Feeling Sorry for Celia and Finding Cassie Crazy, it focuses a little more on family issues and overall is much sadder and less funny (more along the lines of Dreaming of Amelia), but I recommend them all! Although each one of them tells its own story, I would say they are best enjoyed in the order, as you will understand the references made.
#9 Aussie YA challenge 2011
From the outside, Bindy is a very hard character to like. Not knowing what the reader knows, I can understand that her classmates are not very friendly towards her, that some even despise her. She looks down on others (even if she does not realise that), she is a know-it-all, and she often unconsciously hurts the people around her with what she says. Yet, understanding what has made her the way she is, I just felt incredibly sad for her. She is a good person, kind and caring, but she has never learned to openly show it and in trying to be helpful, she often just comes across as mean.
I loved seeing Bindy change throughout the year, discover new things about her character and learn her story through past diary entries. The mystery surrounding her health (is it stress? is it an illness? might it even be glandular fever? is it *gasp* murder?) kept me guessing the whole time, turning the pages in a frenzy, cursing my train to arrive at uni so fast (normally it takes ages) and the outcome really surprised me – which happens rarely, I have to admit.
All in all, a great addition to the Ashbury series. In contrary to the first two installments, Feeling Sorry for Celia and Finding Cassie Crazy, it focuses a little more on family issues and overall is much sadder and less funny (more along the lines of Dreaming of Amelia), but I recommend them all! Although each one of them tells its own story, I would say they are best enjoyed in the order, as you will understand the references made.
#9 Aussie YA challenge 2011
September 17, 2007
I didn't think she could do it - make me love Bindy, that is. But she did.
It's a testament to her ability as an author in the way that she takes a very minor character - one created for comic relief and for the convenience of transcripts in the format she's chosen - and turn her into a three-dimensional, neurotic and completely loveable character.
Bindy is still Bindy, but we start to understand why Bindy is the way Bindy is after awhile. 1/3 of the way through, you're rooting for Bindy and frowning upon the other characters that we loved in the other books. By the end, she makes everything right, somehow, and still manages to have a bit of intrigue.
Seriously, though. This book is like...the misery of high school, smooshed together with the misery of family and friends. It's got all this misery in it, see, and yet still manages to make you smile like an idiot. Yeah. Go read it, guys.
It's a testament to her ability as an author in the way that she takes a very minor character - one created for comic relief and for the convenience of transcripts in the format she's chosen - and turn her into a three-dimensional, neurotic and completely loveable character.
Bindy is still Bindy, but we start to understand why Bindy is the way Bindy is after awhile. 1/3 of the way through, you're rooting for Bindy and frowning upon the other characters that we loved in the other books. By the end, she makes everything right, somehow, and still manages to have a bit of intrigue.
Seriously, though. This book is like...the misery of high school, smooshed together with the misery of family and friends. It's got all this misery in it, see, and yet still manages to make you smile like an idiot. Yeah. Go read it, guys.
July 28, 2011
4.5 stars
As Bindy would say, I devoured this book. It's long, but I actually ripped through it. And I loved it. I want to give this book to the people who treat YA as some kind of bastard genre -- I've been wrestling with On The Road for weeks. I zipped through this in one night.
Jaclyn Moriarty - you are one clever bitch (that's supposed to be a term of endearment). Bindy Mackenzie compelled me all the way. Until the last 70ish pages, it remains a fairly typical (but still very good!) high-school read about finding yourself and maybe toning down your more obnoxious features. What I loved about this book was that it didn't perpetuate the negative you-must-change-everything-about-yourself-to-get-what-you-want message, but it was realistic about Bindy's flawed, unlikeable but oddly endearing personality: it didn't make her (m)any friends. However, I can't help but compare this to Finding Cassie Crazy, and I preferred the latter in many ways.
But why didn't this earn the full five stars? The writing is funny, excellent, speedy and surprisingly subtle for what initially appears to be quite an unsubtle book. It's a winner in the writing stakes -- but it wasn't an all-out winner for me until the last section. I know that Jaclyn Moriarty doesn't redo this until Dreaming of Amelia, but I miss her multiple narrators, especially her boys! My favourite parts were those that dealt with other narrators. It's not that I didn't enjoy Bindy immensely, I did, but this is a case of Moriarty's greatest strength being one of her few weaknesses (did that sound pretentious enough? :D): Bindy is such a full-on narrator, so idiosyncratic and relentless, and that is very enjoyable, but such an extreme personality. Besides, I still have huge crushes on all the boys (except Matthew Dunlop, you nasty scumbug!) from Finding Cassie Crazy. I couldn't quite get there with Finnegan A. Blonde, and I wanted to. I just found myself occasionally tiring of Bindy going around in circles for portions of the plot.
Moriarty does a simply superb job of balancing Bindy's flaws (numerous!) with her..."inner vulnerability" is such a cliche, but there's no better way to describe Bindy. She denies all her weaknesses, pushing them down as far as she can, but no-one can deny that she's lonely. However, while Bindy is extremely endearing to the reader, Moriarty is also a great writer for showing us exactly why her classmates dislike her so much. While I was desperately flipping to the next page, I couldn't help saying to myself "would you want to be friends with Bindy Mackenzie?" The truth is, although we are similar in many ways, at the start of the book, I would not. This sounds like a criticism of Moriarty - it isn't. I have a special respect for authors who can make their first-person narrators very well-balanced. Bindy is.
The supporting cast is, for the most part, great. I loved meeting up with Emily again and getting updates on all the other Ashbury girls. However, contributing towards that half-star off perfect score, I couldn't feel for Astrid. Moriarty did her best, and Moriarty really is *the* best, but she couldn't make me feel for petty, shallow, mean Astrid. While I said above that I totally understood where the supporting characters were coming from with their disdain for Bindy, I felt that what Astrid did at Hill End, while not the worst thing ever, was a horrible thing to do. The effect it had on Bindy had me cringing for her. Although Moriarty tries to redeem Astrid, and it was only right because no-one is 100% cruel and unsympathetic, her idiosyncratic voice (although the "like you knows" did make me laugh) made it difficult for Moriarty to truly communicate Astrid's regret. It also slightly (only slightly) spoiled Emily for me, to think that she could be hanging around such a mean girl. However, the rest of the supporting characters are typically Moriarty endearing. Especially Sergio, and yes, Finnegan. While I couldn't have the same kind of emotional engagement with them that I felt with the Cassie guys, I still loved them.
Honestly, and trust me on this one, it's better if you go into the book knowing pretty much no more than what I've written up there. The less you know about the plotline I am going to discuss, the better it is. And it really is fantastic -- the sheer enjoyment and rollercoaster relish of it is one of my favourite reading feelings. While I'm not going to into specific plot details, I didn't see this change of pace coming, and it's better if you don't, either. This section of the book more than earned the half-star, but because of issues mentioned above, I can't really give this the perfect five. However, for those who have read it, have no intention of reading it or are one of those people who just have to look under spoiler tags (I sympathise):
I want to be like Jaclyn Moriarty when I grow up.
As Bindy would say, I devoured this book. It's long, but I actually ripped through it. And I loved it. I want to give this book to the people who treat YA as some kind of bastard genre -- I've been wrestling with On The Road for weeks. I zipped through this in one night.
Jaclyn Moriarty - you are one clever bitch (that's supposed to be a term of endearment). Bindy Mackenzie compelled me all the way. Until the last 70ish pages, it remains a fairly typical (but still very good!) high-school read about finding yourself and maybe toning down your more obnoxious features. What I loved about this book was that it didn't perpetuate the negative you-must-change-everything-about-yourself-to-get-what-you-want message, but it was realistic about Bindy's flawed, unlikeable but oddly endearing personality: it didn't make her (m)any friends. However, I can't help but compare this to Finding Cassie Crazy, and I preferred the latter in many ways.
But why didn't this earn the full five stars? The writing is funny, excellent, speedy and surprisingly subtle for what initially appears to be quite an unsubtle book. It's a winner in the writing stakes -- but it wasn't an all-out winner for me until the last section. I know that Jaclyn Moriarty doesn't redo this until Dreaming of Amelia, but I miss her multiple narrators, especially her boys! My favourite parts were those that dealt with other narrators. It's not that I didn't enjoy Bindy immensely, I did, but this is a case of Moriarty's greatest strength being one of her few weaknesses (did that sound pretentious enough? :D): Bindy is such a full-on narrator, so idiosyncratic and relentless, and that is very enjoyable, but such an extreme personality. Besides, I still have huge crushes on all the boys (except Matthew Dunlop, you nasty scumbug!) from Finding Cassie Crazy. I couldn't quite get there with Finnegan A. Blonde, and I wanted to. I just found myself occasionally tiring of Bindy going around in circles for portions of the plot.
Moriarty does a simply superb job of balancing Bindy's flaws (numerous!) with her..."inner vulnerability" is such a cliche, but there's no better way to describe Bindy. She denies all her weaknesses, pushing them down as far as she can, but no-one can deny that she's lonely. However, while Bindy is extremely endearing to the reader, Moriarty is also a great writer for showing us exactly why her classmates dislike her so much. While I was desperately flipping to the next page, I couldn't help saying to myself "would you want to be friends with Bindy Mackenzie?" The truth is, although we are similar in many ways, at the start of the book, I would not. This sounds like a criticism of Moriarty - it isn't. I have a special respect for authors who can make their first-person narrators very well-balanced. Bindy is.
The supporting cast is, for the most part, great. I loved meeting up with Emily again and getting updates on all the other Ashbury girls. However, contributing towards that half-star off perfect score, I couldn't feel for Astrid. Moriarty did her best, and Moriarty really is *the* best, but she couldn't make me feel for petty, shallow, mean Astrid. While I said above that I totally understood where the supporting characters were coming from with their disdain for Bindy, I felt that what Astrid did at Hill End, while not the worst thing ever, was a horrible thing to do. The effect it had on Bindy had me cringing for her. Although Moriarty tries to redeem Astrid, and it was only right because no-one is 100% cruel and unsympathetic, her idiosyncratic voice (although the "like you knows" did make me laugh) made it difficult for Moriarty to truly communicate Astrid's regret. It also slightly (only slightly) spoiled Emily for me, to think that she could be hanging around such a mean girl. However, the rest of the supporting characters are typically Moriarty endearing. Especially Sergio, and yes, Finnegan. While I couldn't have the same kind of emotional engagement with them that I felt with the Cassie guys, I still loved them.
Honestly, and trust me on this one, it's better if you go into the book knowing pretty much no more than what I've written up there. The less you know about the plotline I am going to discuss, the better it is. And it really is fantastic -- the sheer enjoyment and rollercoaster relish of it is one of my favourite reading feelings. While I'm not going to into specific plot details, I didn't see this change of pace coming, and it's better if you don't, either. This section of the book more than earned the half-star, but because of issues mentioned above, I can't really give this the perfect five. However, for those who have read it, have no intention of reading it or are one of those people who just have to look under spoiler tags (I sympathise):
I want to be like Jaclyn Moriarty when I grow up.
February 26, 2012
My best friend's mom is a doctor and one of the most patient, compassionate people I've ever met in my life. Whenever I hear about the latest disease, I immediately call her with my deadly symptoms. Now this same woman, after five minutes of watching Lea Michele in Glee, will ask, "What is that bitch doing now?" Lea Michele's character is just one of those people -- she can make people who have devoted their entire lives to helping others want to commit murder.
Now imagine reading 491 pages of Lea Michele's diary.
The first 150 pages, as you may have seen from my SOS masquerading as status updates, were excruciating.
But it's Jaclyn Moriarty!, I thought. I loved the first two books in the Ashbury series. (If you haven't read Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments, I highly recommend them.) Surely this one is going to pick up. And it did -- after 200 pages that took me nearly two weeks to get through.
And the thing is, I ended up liking Bindy. I loved her sense of humor. In her Reflections on Glandular Fever (street name: mono) on page 222, she writes:
Final verdict: 3 stars -- 2 stars for the first half and 4 stars for the second half.
Full disclosure: I've only watched two episodes of Glee, both times against my will. In fairness to Lea Michele, I thought everyone was annoying.
This review was originally posted on Young Adult Anonymous.
Now imagine reading 491 pages of Lea Michele's diary.
The first 150 pages, as you may have seen from my SOS masquerading as status updates, were excruciating.
But it's Jaclyn Moriarty!, I thought. I loved the first two books in the Ashbury series. (If you haven't read Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments, I highly recommend them.) Surely this one is going to pick up. And it did -- after 200 pages that took me nearly two weeks to get through.
And the thing is, I ended up liking Bindy. I loved her sense of humor. In her Reflections on Glandular Fever (street name: mono) on page 222, she writes:
As for glandular fever, I don't believe in it. I don't think it exists. It's one of those "teenage" ailments that students invent to get themselves extra study time. I have no respect for it.What I didn't like was the minutiae of her life carefully transcribed on the 200 pages prior. Sure, a lot of what Bindy wrote came into play later, but this isn't a Megan Whalen Turner book here, where every word and choice has meaning. I thought a lot of the first half could be cut. I didn't really start enjoying the novel until page 225, when the gang from The Year of Secret Assignments was mentioned, and then the story went full speed from there. I'll still read The Ghosts of Ashbury High... eventually... but I'm a bit hesitant after Bindy.
Final verdict: 3 stars -- 2 stars for the first half and 4 stars for the second half.
Full disclosure: I've only watched two episodes of Glee, both times against my will. In fairness to Lea Michele, I thought everyone was annoying.
This review was originally posted on Young Adult Anonymous.
January 28, 2010
"The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie" is my favorite Moriarty novel so far. I guess I am now used to the author's writing style, or maybe I can identify with Bindy better than with any other of her characters (I only pray I wasn't quite like Bindy in my overachieving teen years).
Bindy was introduced in Moriarty's previous books as an annoyingly smart student with killer typing skills. She excels at everything, she is very driven and thinks of herself as superior to other Ashbury students. Only in her run for excellence she builds walls around herself and misses out on friendships with her peers.
As usual, Moriarty's books are never just about teen issues, there is always some kind of mystery or crime involved. Same goes for this particular book. This story is not just a sort of makeover tale in which Bindy realizes her wrongs and changes herself by becoming more accessible to people around her, but a murder mystery too, and Bindy is at the center of it.
Once again, this novel has its signature Moriarty epistolary style and is made entirely out of notes, memos, and diaries. It is hard to put down and it gives a great insight into teen minds. I liked getting to know Bindy, I enjoyed her nerd wit and her condescending ways, but I also enjoyed finding out what exactly had made Bindy the way she was.
Simply, a great novel. I am looking forward to the next Moriarty novel which is out this year and, surprise-surprise, set in Ashbury High and has many of my old favorites in it.
Bindy was introduced in Moriarty's previous books as an annoyingly smart student with killer typing skills. She excels at everything, she is very driven and thinks of herself as superior to other Ashbury students. Only in her run for excellence she builds walls around herself and misses out on friendships with her peers.
As usual, Moriarty's books are never just about teen issues, there is always some kind of mystery or crime involved. Same goes for this particular book. This story is not just a sort of makeover tale in which Bindy realizes her wrongs and changes herself by becoming more accessible to people around her, but a murder mystery too, and Bindy is at the center of it.
Once again, this novel has its signature Moriarty epistolary style and is made entirely out of notes, memos, and diaries. It is hard to put down and it gives a great insight into teen minds. I liked getting to know Bindy, I enjoyed her nerd wit and her condescending ways, but I also enjoyed finding out what exactly had made Bindy the way she was.
Simply, a great novel. I am looking forward to the next Moriarty novel which is out this year and, surprise-surprise, set in Ashbury High and has many of my old favorites in it.
January 15, 2011
Oh, this book has exhausted me. During the second half I cried so much that I was getting concerned about dehydration. I think I have to drink two liters of water or juice now to compensate for all the tears I've shed. I am not sure why Bindy has moved me so much. She has this kind of different view of the world and she is so supersmart. She wants her worthless father and her busy mom to take the time to respond to her mails to help her decide and she is so very lonely. It felt like watching someone through his own opera glass and thus understanding basically what makes that someone tick, yet seeing what that someone cannot see: That she is living her life, apart from the rest of humanity, in a parallel universe. For example when Bindy, in her own focused strange way cooks up ways to help her school-mates to gain better grades and to get on with their lives (aka fighting their inner "teenage monsters"), but nobody is able to grasp what she is doing and why. So Bindy's attempts at being charitable and good disintegrate into smoke and make her appear even freakier in the eyes of the student body. And this inability to communicate, to connect with the world around her - even with her loving aunt and uncle and cute cousin Bella - is responsible for Bindy's mental abilities and physical health going slowly down the drain without anybody going farther than making check-up appointments for her, which are repeatedly ignored by her. All the pointless struggle, all the sadness and the crucial turning point when Bindy spontaneously opens up messed with my heart thoroughly and turned me into this sobbing, snot-dripping wreck. I know this is not really a review, but I am not functioning correctly again yet. When you glimpse at my rating you can see that I actually liked this book although usually I resent books that make me cry. And I liked it - and especially Bindy - although it was completely lacking Moriarty's trademark humor, the healthy dose of romance I normaly crave in each and every young adult book, and - with the exception from the end and a few letter responses from teachers, parents and officials - the use of multiple points of view, which you quickly start taking for granted after having read one or two of Jaclyn Moriarty's funnily gleaming literary gems.
Note on the series: I have not read the Ashbury books in the chronological order and I don't think you have to. I recommend to take the chance and read any of these books should you stumble upon one of the installments randomly.
I will go and order The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, because it feels like a crime not to read a book that the author has published.
Aussie Book Challenge 2011 Book #2.
TBR Pile Reduction Challenge 2011 Book #3.
Note on the series: I have not read the Ashbury books in the chronological order and I don't think you have to. I recommend to take the chance and read any of these books should you stumble upon one of the installments randomly.
I will go and order The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, because it feels like a crime not to read a book that the author has published.
Aussie Book Challenge 2011 Book #2.
TBR Pile Reduction Challenge 2011 Book #3.
August 18, 2018
I love-love-love Jaclyn Moriarty but this book...
What happened?!
It was so odd. I thought at first I just wasn't connecting with Bindy's character. Then I decided the problem was me and I internally praised Moriarty's way of conveying feelings and emotions. But then...that ending?
I'm rather baffled by this book. It seems...unduly dramatic.
What happened?!
It was so odd. I thought at first I just wasn't connecting with Bindy's character. Then I decided the problem was me and I internally praised Moriarty's way of conveying feelings and emotions. But then...that ending?
I'm rather baffled by this book. It seems...unduly dramatic.
August 1, 2020
I adored this book. Adored it.
The children's librarian at my library has been recommending this for months, and it finally floated to the top of my to-read pile.
Bindy Mackenzie, the narrator, is a teenage genius with a decided lack of skill in social interaction. She constantly types on her laptop: transcripts of conversations of the people around her, philosophical musings, and a general record of what's going on in her life. She sends a lot of memos. She has personalized stationery, and for a small fee, she'd be happy to design some for you. Bindy watches people but is often puzzled or frustrated by their actions. Bindy judges and holds grudges. Bindy wishes for friends. She is in turn obnoxious, hilarious, shocking, infuriating and lovable. As a reader, I just wanted everything to turn out OK for her.
The format of this book took some getting used to—it's Bindy's transcripts, philosophical musings and memos for a large chunk of the book, until later she is on the receiving end of the memos. It feels disjointed at first, but as I continued reading, the story pieced itself together into both a compelling mystery and a touching, often laugh-out-loud funny story of friendship and growing up.
Highly recommended. I know it's listed as the 3rd in a series, but it worked fine as a stand-alone novel. I will definitely be picking up the others.
The children's librarian at my library has been recommending this for months, and it finally floated to the top of my to-read pile.
Bindy Mackenzie, the narrator, is a teenage genius with a decided lack of skill in social interaction. She constantly types on her laptop: transcripts of conversations of the people around her, philosophical musings, and a general record of what's going on in her life. She sends a lot of memos. She has personalized stationery, and for a small fee, she'd be happy to design some for you. Bindy watches people but is often puzzled or frustrated by their actions. Bindy judges and holds grudges. Bindy wishes for friends. She is in turn obnoxious, hilarious, shocking, infuriating and lovable. As a reader, I just wanted everything to turn out OK for her.
The format of this book took some getting used to—it's Bindy's transcripts, philosophical musings and memos for a large chunk of the book, until later she is on the receiving end of the memos. It feels disjointed at first, but as I continued reading, the story pieced itself together into both a compelling mystery and a touching, often laugh-out-loud funny story of friendship and growing up.
Highly recommended. I know it's listed as the 3rd in a series, but it worked fine as a stand-alone novel. I will definitely be picking up the others.
June 28, 2023
Alas, this book was not so good. I adored "Feeling Sorry For Celia" and positively devoured "The Year of Secret Assignments", but this one really let me down. The narrative is overly complex and totally jumbled - I didn't figure out the (over the top and unbelievable) point until I was nearly done. It wasn't as funny or engaging as Moriarty's other, un-put-downable novels. Also, the epistolary style she used to such great effect in her other books doesn't work here because we're reading just Bindy's writings almost exclusively until near the end of the book, which feels pointless - why not just use a standard narrative if all we're getting is Bindy's own musings? It only makes it confusing and fragmentary.
March 26, 2017
*sniff sniff* I'd like a moment of silence, please; I'm mourning the fact I've read all four Ashbury/Brookfield books. (Yes, I know I read them out of order.) I can't remember a series I've enjoyed so much in a long time. (Well... young adult series, that is.) Jaclyn Moriarty blows me away with how she is able to change from one writing voice to another, making all her characters real and unique, flawed and wonderful!
...Did I mention I'm really sad to be done with these books? I guess this means it's time to start re-reading! (Actually, I already re-read The Year of Secret Assigments just last week after getting an ex-library copy for 12 1/2 cents. Which, unsuprisingly, made me supercalihappy!)
...Did I mention I'm really sad to be done with these books? I guess this means it's time to start re-reading! (Actually, I already re-read The Year of Secret Assigments just last week after getting an ex-library copy for 12 1/2 cents. Which, unsuprisingly, made me supercalihappy!)
August 19, 2013
The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie can only be described as a literary delight. Once again, Moriarty's epistolary format not only surprises, but stuns, in its genius. With this installment in the Ashbury/Brookfield Series, Moriarty follows the tale of Bindy Mackenzie, a top student whose life is slowly turning upside down. For starters, she's living with her aunt and uncle while her parents pursue their careers. For another, there's a strange new class called Friendship and Development (FAD) in which Bindy is stuck with the Venomous Seven. On top of all that, Bindy is forgetting her assignments, baby-sitting, sending frantic e-mails to her parents, and transcribing conversations she overhears. With so much crazy going on, there can be only one explanation for Bindy's change in behavior: she's being - slowly - murdered.
Easily one of the highlights of this novel is friendship. When we first meet Bindy, she is quick to judge - instantly disliking the "Venomous Seven" in her FAD class - and goes out of her way to be rude. And yet, as the novel progresses, we begin to see Bindy's side of the situation; of her past and the small actions that have caused Bindy to slowly hate the majority of her classmates. As she works to win them back, though, the friendships formed are ones to look out for. Not only are they achingly realistic, but also heartfelt. Furthermore, it's impossible not to love Bindy. After all, this is the girl who is vying for her parents affections, who sends them long e-mails but never receives any responses. Moriarty manages to weave so much depth into this one piece, all while retaining her humor and light voice.
Sadly, what really prevented me from giving this book a higher rating - despite the fact that I teared up during a scene or two and completely LOVED the growth arc of this novel - was the "murder" plot. We see this really emerge during the last third and while I cannot deny that it is brilliantly woven into the story, never taking away from the depth of the novel and only adding to its enjoyability, it did take away one thing from the novel that I particularly enjoyed. Bindy experiences what it's like to suddenly become so involved in what others think of her and redeem herself to her friends that she often pushes aside her school work. I feel as if this is a very natural direction for many teens to take and loved that Bindy's isolation from everything - even school, which she formerly excelled in - was a part of this novel. Thus, to have it explained away in the end was a bit of disappointment. Furthermore, I wanted more closure when it came to Bindy and her parents. I simply wish we could have seen a greater source of interaction between them. Nevertheless, this is a definite winner. I do think Feeling Sorry for Celia is a slightly stronger story overall - and I loved seeing Elizabeth re-appear in this novel and witnessing the direction her story arc took was enriching - but The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie is certainly a worthy piece of YA Fiction. One of the few out there.
Bonuses: Mysteriously Missing Brothers, Unknown Nail Polish Senders, Creepy Babysitting Hirers, and...Murder?
Easily one of the highlights of this novel is friendship. When we first meet Bindy, she is quick to judge - instantly disliking the "Venomous Seven" in her FAD class - and goes out of her way to be rude. And yet, as the novel progresses, we begin to see Bindy's side of the situation; of her past and the small actions that have caused Bindy to slowly hate the majority of her classmates. As she works to win them back, though, the friendships formed are ones to look out for. Not only are they achingly realistic, but also heartfelt. Furthermore, it's impossible not to love Bindy. After all, this is the girl who is vying for her parents affections, who sends them long e-mails but never receives any responses. Moriarty manages to weave so much depth into this one piece, all while retaining her humor and light voice.
Sadly, what really prevented me from giving this book a higher rating - despite the fact that I teared up during a scene or two and completely LOVED the growth arc of this novel - was the "murder" plot. We see this really emerge during the last third and while I cannot deny that it is brilliantly woven into the story, never taking away from the depth of the novel and only adding to its enjoyability, it did take away one thing from the novel that I particularly enjoyed. Bindy experiences what it's like to suddenly become so involved in what others think of her and redeem herself to her friends that she often pushes aside her school work. I feel as if this is a very natural direction for many teens to take and loved that Bindy's isolation from everything - even school, which she formerly excelled in - was a part of this novel. Thus, to have it explained away in the end was a bit of disappointment. Furthermore, I wanted more closure when it came to Bindy and her parents. I simply wish we could have seen a greater source of interaction between them. Nevertheless, this is a definite winner. I do think Feeling Sorry for Celia is a slightly stronger story overall - and I loved seeing Elizabeth re-appear in this novel and witnessing the direction her story arc took was enriching - but The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie is certainly a worthy piece of YA Fiction. One of the few out there.
Bonuses: Mysteriously Missing Brothers, Unknown Nail Polish Senders, Creepy Babysitting Hirers, and...Murder?
September 1, 2024
oh bindy how I adore ya
July 6, 2015
Can I give a two-part review? One part I wrote when I was half-way through, and the next part will be written now that I've finished it. Am I taking this too seriously? Probably. Appropriate book for it really.
Part 1
It stresses me to read this most of the time because of the cringe-worthy factor but also because of how close to home it hits. I know I was never a kid that deluded or certain of myself outwardly, but the idea of someone thinking they are so above it all when in actuality is going through the same anxious awkward teenager garbage that everyone else is is so real. It makes me want to blush purely for being the wound up intense person I was (and still am!), makes me feel better at how much I've progressed, how different yet similar I was and also is such an amazing perspective looking from the outside in even though it's written in first person. It's almost satire, but it's written so uniroinically that I feel like it's modelled on me. I think this Bindy is my spirit animal.
Part 2
Wow, I was pretty on the money about the themes of the book (obviously) so I'm a little disappointed that the entire book dissolved into a nutty, "I've been poisoned and I'm having delusions because of the arsenic" downhill slide. It had such potential to teach a lesson about the pitfalls of stress blah blah blah, but I think it wasted it's opportunity. Sigh. Criminals involved in a software gang who are banding together to pose as teachers and babysitting clients with no children to poison a school girl? Sadface.
Interesting extras
I love love love that all of Jaclyn Moriarty's books manage to tie characters in and around one another. I got hooked on them all when I was a teenager (Feeling Sorry For Celia, Finding Cassie Crazy) and still love to reread them to this day, so I like that all of the characters intersect in some obscure way.
Part 1
It stresses me to read this most of the time because of the cringe-worthy factor but also because of how close to home it hits. I know I was never a kid that deluded or certain of myself outwardly, but the idea of someone thinking they are so above it all when in actuality is going through the same anxious awkward teenager garbage that everyone else is is so real. It makes me want to blush purely for being the wound up intense person I was (and still am!), makes me feel better at how much I've progressed, how different yet similar I was and also is such an amazing perspective looking from the outside in even though it's written in first person. It's almost satire, but it's written so uniroinically that I feel like it's modelled on me. I think this Bindy is my spirit animal.
Part 2
Wow, I was pretty on the money about the themes of the book (obviously) so I'm a little disappointed that the entire book dissolved into a nutty, "I've been poisoned and I'm having delusions because of the arsenic" downhill slide. It had such potential to teach a lesson about the pitfalls of stress blah blah blah, but I think it wasted it's opportunity. Sigh. Criminals involved in a software gang who are banding together to pose as teachers and babysitting clients with no children to poison a school girl? Sadface.
Interesting extras
I love love love that all of Jaclyn Moriarty's books manage to tie characters in and around one another. I got hooked on them all when I was a teenager (Feeling Sorry For Celia, Finding Cassie Crazy) and still love to reread them to this day, so I like that all of the characters intersect in some obscure way.
July 5, 2007
This is a strange book. As much as Feeling Sorry for Celia is a superlative text, I suppose I believe that authors should try to write different novels each time they write, and not get in an unimaginative rut.
If you get this from a typical library, as you read, you will keep looking back at the strange sticker on the spine saying that it is a mystery, feeling that somehow the catalogers were confused by its title. Then, rather suddenly, the skewed teen drama swerves into the criminal, putting all the earlier text you read into suspicion, and a mystery left for the reader to unravel.
Fascinating, truly, and still within the 'found documents' style of Moriarty's, but ultimately a bit unsatisfying. I like the found documents thing though, as well as the nuances and absurdities with which this book toys, so it receives a solid 4 stars. But only circuitously so.
If you get this from a typical library, as you read, you will keep looking back at the strange sticker on the spine saying that it is a mystery, feeling that somehow the catalogers were confused by its title. Then, rather suddenly, the skewed teen drama swerves into the criminal, putting all the earlier text you read into suspicion, and a mystery left for the reader to unravel.
Fascinating, truly, and still within the 'found documents' style of Moriarty's, but ultimately a bit unsatisfying. I like the found documents thing though, as well as the nuances and absurdities with which this book toys, so it receives a solid 4 stars. But only circuitously so.
March 3, 2015
Oh, Bindy. There is no other character like her out there. Most are quick to mention how funny and quirky this book is, and that's undeniably true, but what really stood out for me was the sadness and hardship of Bindy's life and being a teenager in general. Bindy's family life was not good and she suffered through some terribly cruel things and learned to cope by totally losing herself in her transcripts and musings and memos. This is a great story for illustrating how hard it is to grow up and what it means to be compassionate and forgiving.
September 18, 2008
Bindy Mackenzie is and has always been the smartest girl in the whole school, but with few friends. When a new course, FAD, is brought into school, Bindy hates it from the moment it starts. After playing the name game, where a piece of paper with 1 persons name on is passed round and they have to write what they think of that person, Bindy is convinced that everyone in the group hates her, but it turns out there is someting much more sinister going on...
July 10, 2017
This book was EXCELLENT! I loved the characters, and how all the loose ends eventually tied in (??), and the humour, and the relatable-ness.
The US title is quite misleading, so I recommend ignoring it and pretending the book is called "The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie" (which it is).
The US title is quite misleading, so I recommend ignoring it and pretending the book is called "The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie" (which it is).
August 2, 2018
I can’t believe I ever doubted you, Jaclyn! Ms. Moriarty is truly a master storyteller and after a slow (but necessary) start, she really whipped out a killer ending. Something I’ve loved in every book by Moriarty (and I’ve read p much her entire canon) is her ability to write amazing contemporary that balances pitch perfect humor with natural but really gut wrenching drama. She also creates such real and fully dimensional characters, both in the foreground a background. Take Bindy herself! After being promoted from a bit character in “The Year of Secret Assignments”, she’s grown into a heroine in her own right, and over the course of 491 pages (and at least 2 failed reads) I’ve totally fallen in love with her. Not to babble away, but it’s Jaclyn Moriarty’s world and we’re just living in it 💕
May 21, 2019
This was the first Jaclyn Moriarty book I read and I really enjoyed it. Because I hadn’t read the earlier ones I didn’t get all of the character relations and it did take me a while to fully understand what was going on. I mean, I had a gist of what was happening but I didn’t completely get it. Anyways, what I loved was the feel of the book, the atmosphere, and I understood Bindy feeling left out. It took me a little time to understand the more important issue in her life, high achieving, parents not there. I mean, I got it, but I didn’t really get it, like feel that part. Anyways, around the end, when I guess everything was solved for the best, I found it really sad. I didn’t like that because I was reading it as escape literature. But I read it a few times more because the overall feel of the book was really enjoyable and I enjoyed Jaclyn Moriarty’s style.
May 24, 2019
Sooo this book has been on my to-read shelf for almost ELEVEN YEARS but I finally ILL requested a copy and got it so here I am ha!! Got a copy from good old BYU. You can trust the Mormons to have semi-obscure Australian YA, am I right?
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Damn man that was a ride and got really conspiratorial at the end, but overall really sweet and reminded me of why I loved this series so much when I was 13-14.
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Damn man that was a ride and got really conspiratorial at the end, but overall really sweet and reminded me of why I loved this series so much when I was 13-14.
January 16, 2020
This book got me through my late childhood/early teenage years. I have read it so many times my copy is literally falling to pieces!
It’s been a few years so it need a reread, but it was just so fun and amazing. I didn’t know it was a series!? Give it to me now.
It’s been a few years so it need a reread, but it was just so fun and amazing. I didn’t know it was a series!? Give it to me now.
December 26, 2021
Well that took a hard right turn! Creative and kooky and impossible in plot but thoroughly credible in emotion. I had a lot of outrage re Bindy's parents on her behalf but Moriarty concluded with sympathy for everyone, except the ridiculous villain. A romp, with compassion for nerdy anxiety
October 29, 2024
17 Oct 2024: I didn't realize this book was a series. I've had this book for over ten years. Found it again recently when my 8-month-old puppy decided to eat the cover and gnaw on the binding. Luckily it is only a little bit damaged. Hopefully I don't need to read the other two books to enjoy this one.
Update (29 Oct 2024): So, yes, I liked this book; it's a little kooky, and the main character is a bit much, but once you learn more about her and her family life and history, it sort of makes sense. This book is also a mystery, which is a bit convoluted, but mysteries are supposed to be. Since it is also set in Australia, some of the language and sayings were foreign to me. The way the author puts this story together is different too, but a fun way to experiment with a different medium. The author is actually the younger sister of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies author). Will I read the first two books of this series? Probably not, but it's possible.
Update (29 Oct 2024): So, yes, I liked this book; it's a little kooky, and the main character is a bit much, but once you learn more about her and her family life and history, it sort of makes sense. This book is also a mystery, which is a bit convoluted, but mysteries are supposed to be. Since it is also set in Australia, some of the language and sayings were foreign to me. The way the author puts this story together is different too, but a fun way to experiment with a different medium. The author is actually the younger sister of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies author). Will I read the first two books of this series? Probably not, but it's possible.
July 16, 2021
Tro det eller ej. Men jeg har læst min første bog i en måned!!! (tak studentertid, det var sjovt)
October 1, 2020
I mean it was fine but slow going and there wasn't that much...I guess mystery? (I mean, I did figure out the "whodunit" which is rare for me) Or investigation.
Also the narrator was incredibly annoying ahaha. I did sort of like the side characters tho. Emily and Briony had some cool moments, and Sergio had one or two. Though they all could use more development.
Wow I really need to hurry up on finishing books if I want to meet my reading goal. This is why you just accept meeting your 50 book goal and don't try to unnecessarily raise the bar, kids.
Also the narrator was incredibly annoying ahaha. I did sort of like the side characters tho. Emily and Briony had some cool moments, and Sergio had one or two. Though they all could use more development.
Wow I really need to hurry up on finishing books if I want to meet my reading goal. This is why you just accept meeting your 50 book goal and don't try to unnecessarily raise the bar, kids.
February 3, 2011
Bindy Mackenzie is the smartest, most focused student at Ashbury High. She works hard to be the best and encourages her peers to fulfill their potential as well, holding lunchtime seminars and offering constructive criticism. In that respect, she’s the nicest, kindest student at Ashbury. The problem is that she’s the only one who thinks so. The fact that most of her classmates hate her comes to light during her 11th grade year, when she’s forced to take a Friendship and Development class (FAD) that puts her with her peers. As the year progresses and Bindy becomes less socially awkward and more aware of the consequences of her actions, she also starts to realize that someone might be trying to kill her.
Like Moriarty’s other works, The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie is told in an epistolary manner, for the most part. Unlike Moriarty’s other works, though, this story is told almost exclusively through the eyes and mind of Bindy Mackenzie herself. Through Bindy’s diary, transcripts, and letters, the reader gains insight into a girl who is often funny and even more often self-righteous. As her story unfolds, however, the reader starts to understand that Bindy’s pretty complicated: her parents are emotionally and physically absent, she doesn’t have friends to confide in, and the amount of pressure that she’s putting on herself to be successful might just be making her sick. Moriarty’s talent is clear here, as she crafts a character that is both annoying and oddly sympathetic. Bindy is irritating, don’t get me wrong: she’s self-righteous to a fault, completely oblivious to how snide she comes off towards her peers and teachers, and seems to be unaware of or in denial about the fact that she is a teenager. But she is also lonely, and funny, and wants to be loved, and that shines through the air of pomp that she puts on when in the company of others.
Fans of her other work will also be glad to see the appearances of characters from her previous Ashbury novels. Moriarty writes characters that are quirky (almost too much, sometimes) and funny and self-aware. She understands teenagers and writes them well. Her talent for writing funny, smart dialogue is illustrated in this book as well. Moriarty presents heroines in her books that are funny, smart, and flawed, and none of them are completely defined by romantic interests.
All was not well with my reading of this book, though. Like The Ghosts of Ashbury High, Bindy Mackenzie suffers from being overly-long. Coming in at nearly 500 pages, the story gets bogged down in details and anecdotes that don’t come to a head until way too late (or not at all). The last 200 pages are the strongest, but by then the reader has sloshed through nearly 300 pages of build up to something that not only did they not see coming but doesn’t make complete sense. It is Moriarty’s tendency to include a darker element to her stories about teenagers doing silly things, but this one is dark in a way that doesn’t quite work, because it comes out of nowhere.
That being said, it’s still an enjoyable read for fans of Moriarty’s books. If you’re just entering the author’s oeuvre, though, I’d recommend starting with Feeling Sorry for Celia, which remains, to this day, her best work.
Like Moriarty’s other works, The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie is told in an epistolary manner, for the most part. Unlike Moriarty’s other works, though, this story is told almost exclusively through the eyes and mind of Bindy Mackenzie herself. Through Bindy’s diary, transcripts, and letters, the reader gains insight into a girl who is often funny and even more often self-righteous. As her story unfolds, however, the reader starts to understand that Bindy’s pretty complicated: her parents are emotionally and physically absent, she doesn’t have friends to confide in, and the amount of pressure that she’s putting on herself to be successful might just be making her sick. Moriarty’s talent is clear here, as she crafts a character that is both annoying and oddly sympathetic. Bindy is irritating, don’t get me wrong: she’s self-righteous to a fault, completely oblivious to how snide she comes off towards her peers and teachers, and seems to be unaware of or in denial about the fact that she is a teenager. But she is also lonely, and funny, and wants to be loved, and that shines through the air of pomp that she puts on when in the company of others.
Fans of her other work will also be glad to see the appearances of characters from her previous Ashbury novels. Moriarty writes characters that are quirky (almost too much, sometimes) and funny and self-aware. She understands teenagers and writes them well. Her talent for writing funny, smart dialogue is illustrated in this book as well. Moriarty presents heroines in her books that are funny, smart, and flawed, and none of them are completely defined by romantic interests.
All was not well with my reading of this book, though. Like The Ghosts of Ashbury High, Bindy Mackenzie suffers from being overly-long. Coming in at nearly 500 pages, the story gets bogged down in details and anecdotes that don’t come to a head until way too late (or not at all). The last 200 pages are the strongest, but by then the reader has sloshed through nearly 300 pages of build up to something that not only did they not see coming but doesn’t make complete sense. It is Moriarty’s tendency to include a darker element to her stories about teenagers doing silly things, but this one is dark in a way that doesn’t quite work, because it comes out of nowhere.
That being said, it’s still an enjoyable read for fans of Moriarty’s books. If you’re just entering the author’s oeuvre, though, I’d recommend starting with Feeling Sorry for Celia, which remains, to this day, her best work.
February 24, 2026
Plot
Bindy is a high schooler in New South Wales, Australia, and she has a problem. With everything. And you know what? She's going to write it all down. All of it. Especially when she's put into a friendship course with people she doesn't care for.
The teen hides in nooks and writes transcripts of conversations for fun. Her journal also includes observations of classmates and teachers, emails, memos to others, and more. She likely has asperger's. From the responses of others, she is quite an annoying human, as shown by the teachers who hide from her, unanswered calls, classmates who avoid her. She prefers to stalk her classmates from her FAB course, and write them notes about their attributes in relation to animals.
Bindi has two jobs--the first is at a woman's house to "babysit," but so far she has never seen the baby and instead watches the woman make pasta, and her second job is in a mildewing old bookstore. But, her life is spiraling out of control at her aunt's home, at school, mentally, and with her family. Then she gets fired from all her jobs.
But when Bindi's classmates from FAB start putting together the pieces of her life, from hallucinations to poor grades and a weakened immune system, they become quite sure that Bindi is slowly being poisoned.
Review 2020
Five years ago, I found this book still shelved in the adult fiction, though everything else had been separated into YA and middle grade years before. The summary and cover interested me, but I've only now just listened to it. Great audiobook by the way. While Bindi can be pretty annoying, I enjoyed how her group came together and helped her solve her life mystery. I liked the story more than I thought I would, and I'd recommend it to 6th/7th graders and up.
The first book in this series came out in 2000, and Angus, Thongs, and FFS came out in 1999. I am just reading this book in 2020, and I read Georgia Nicholson in high school. I think high school me would have really liked this series too! I was, sadly, terrified of the high school librarians (the really, really nice old ladies who loved my older brother), so I jumped into Stephen King, VC Andrews, and was always on the lookout for "The Lady Chatterley's Lover," because so many dorky girls in books go off to find it... and I never did, until just now when I added to my TBR list!
Review 2026
I found the first book in this series in my school's library and decided to listen to it [on Sora]. It was decent, the second one was meh, and this one I've thought about so many times over the years because of Bindi's peculiar personality, the wallpaper, and how much it reminds me of Georgia Niccholson. The first two gave me more context about the other students, so I figured I needed to relisten to this one.
Also, this was one of the books that made me start using "reverie" as a tag because omg it is used sooooo much [especially in this book!].
Bindy is a high schooler in New South Wales, Australia, and she has a problem. With everything. And you know what? She's going to write it all down. All of it. Especially when she's put into a friendship course with people she doesn't care for.
The teen hides in nooks and writes transcripts of conversations for fun. Her journal also includes observations of classmates and teachers, emails, memos to others, and more. She likely has asperger's. From the responses of others, she is quite an annoying human, as shown by the teachers who hide from her, unanswered calls, classmates who avoid her. She prefers to stalk her classmates from her FAB course, and write them notes about their attributes in relation to animals.
Bindi has two jobs--the first is at a woman's house to "babysit," but so far she has never seen the baby and instead watches the woman make pasta, and her second job is in a mildewing old bookstore. But, her life is spiraling out of control at her aunt's home, at school, mentally, and with her family. Then she gets fired from all her jobs.
But when Bindi's classmates from FAB start putting together the pieces of her life, from hallucinations to poor grades and a weakened immune system, they become quite sure that Bindi is slowly being poisoned.
Review 2020
Five years ago, I found this book still shelved in the adult fiction, though everything else had been separated into YA and middle grade years before. The summary and cover interested me, but I've only now just listened to it. Great audiobook by the way. While Bindi can be pretty annoying, I enjoyed how her group came together and helped her solve her life mystery. I liked the story more than I thought I would, and I'd recommend it to 6th/7th graders and up.
The first book in this series came out in 2000, and Angus, Thongs, and FFS came out in 1999. I am just reading this book in 2020, and I read Georgia Nicholson in high school. I think high school me would have really liked this series too! I was, sadly, terrified of the high school librarians (the really, really nice old ladies who loved my older brother), so I jumped into Stephen King, VC Andrews, and was always on the lookout for "The Lady Chatterley's Lover," because so many dorky girls in books go off to find it... and I never did, until just now when I added to my TBR list!
Review 2026
I found the first book in this series in my school's library and decided to listen to it [on Sora]. It was decent, the second one was meh, and this one I've thought about so many times over the years because of Bindi's peculiar personality, the wallpaper, and how much it reminds me of Georgia Niccholson. The first two gave me more context about the other students, so I figured I needed to relisten to this one.
Also, this was one of the books that made me start using "reverie" as a tag because omg it is used sooooo much [especially in this book!].
January 7, 2016
I reread this after FINALLY getting an ebook copy <3 This will always hold a special place in my heart. The first time I read it was during my later years in high school. A time which I never like to look back on because its too painful. And this book resonated then (because of how the wasteland of highschool damaged me and probably many others) and still does now.
Its a lovely book told in memos / typewritten/letters/emails about a girl who on the surface seems quite obnoxious and unlikeable.
Jaclyn Moriarty's humor through this medium translates very well, its a fun way of telling a story. She manages to translate feelings of loneliness, the high school setting and also insert a random murder conspiracy in there for more plot twistyness.
It might be hard to get into at the beginning because Bindy comes off so..patronizing and has such a case of foot in the mouth. Agh. I felt for her. Her desire for friendship and approval kept being trumped by her insensitive idiocy.
I read this with the original title of Becoming Bindy Mackenzie. I dont really like the new blurbs where they mention about the crime part of the story. This is more about Bindy's awakening and unraveling with a side plot of poisoning and murder to spice things up. Not that I didn't enjoy those parts. Its just the story would have still sailed smoothly on even if nothing had come of the murder conspiracy. The students also weren't as horrible as real life can produce but that might also be a nod to Bindy's obliviousness. I don't know..
Overall very enjoyable. I feel like Ive set a morose tone to this review lol. But its a fun read which may or may not awaken otherwise painful memories within you haha.
Its a lovely book told in memos / typewritten/letters/emails about a girl who on the surface seems quite obnoxious and unlikeable.
Jaclyn Moriarty's humor through this medium translates very well, its a fun way of telling a story. She manages to translate feelings of loneliness, the high school setting and also insert a random murder conspiracy in there for more plot twistyness.
It might be hard to get into at the beginning because Bindy comes off so..patronizing and has such a case of foot in the mouth. Agh. I felt for her. Her desire for friendship and approval kept being trumped by her insensitive idiocy.
I read this with the original title of Becoming Bindy Mackenzie. I dont really like the new blurbs where they mention about the crime part of the story. This is more about Bindy's awakening and unraveling with a side plot of poisoning and murder to spice things up. Not that I didn't enjoy those parts. Its just the story would have still sailed smoothly on even if nothing had come of the murder conspiracy. The students also weren't as horrible as real life can produce but that might also be a nod to Bindy's obliviousness. I don't know..
Overall very enjoyable. I feel like Ive set a morose tone to this review lol. But its a fun read which may or may not awaken otherwise painful memories within you haha.
January 17, 2011
Okay, so I gotta admit, in the beginning I kinda hated her... I thought she was just straight up obnoxious and it was REALLY starting to bother me.. especially with the comment about Sergio's scar and I was thinking.. she deserves those Name Game Comments.
But then.... her life story came along, and I was like "WHAT!?!?! No, no Mr.Mackenzie, don't you dare put those thoughts into her head! What happened to everyone is equal?" And then she tried to change to help people "shine" and "see their good animals" and still people didn't really like her. (Except maybe Finnegan <3) And then her dad, instead of saying happy birthday, goes and FORGETS HER BIRTHDAY and just goes on about how hes disappointed in her. But then what Astrid did to her in Year 8!!!! God, I was feeling SO BAD for her! That's when I started loving Bindy and kinda hating Astrid (though it did help that she apologized)
and then SHE ALMOST DIES!!!!! I WAS ABOUT TO THROW THE BOOK OUT THE WINDOW. I was like, HELL NO, you are NOT gonna make me love bindy and then just KILL HER OFF.
but the poisoning was kinda funny, and I glad she survived so she could read the new Name Game paper, cuz that's what she deserved.
This book really surprised me, I thought I was gonna hate her all the way through, but I didn't. Just the opposite. And that goes to show:
"You don't know Bindy Mackenzie."
But then.... her life story came along, and I was like "WHAT!?!?! No, no Mr.Mackenzie, don't you dare put those thoughts into her head! What happened to everyone is equal?" And then she tried to change to help people "shine" and "see their good animals" and still people didn't really like her. (Except maybe Finnegan <3) And then her dad, instead of saying happy birthday, goes and FORGETS HER BIRTHDAY and just goes on about how hes disappointed in her. But then what Astrid did to her in Year 8!!!! God, I was feeling SO BAD for her! That's when I started loving Bindy and kinda hating Astrid (though it did help that she apologized)
and then SHE ALMOST DIES!!!!! I WAS ABOUT TO THROW THE BOOK OUT THE WINDOW. I was like, HELL NO, you are NOT gonna make me love bindy and then just KILL HER OFF.
but the poisoning was kinda funny, and I glad she survived so she could read the new Name Game paper, cuz that's what she deserved.
This book really surprised me, I thought I was gonna hate her all the way through, but I didn't. Just the opposite. And that goes to show:
"You don't know Bindy Mackenzie."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2016
I very much enjoyed both Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments. I expected the same from this novel, but the only reason I finished was because I loved the others and thought it would eventually redeem itself.
Bindy is super annoying and aggravating. She is purposely mean and spiteful to her classmates. It's later revealed that at least one of them had been truly mean to her in the past, but it's not revealed until too late. By then I already disliked Bindy and her over-the-top antics by way of getting "revenge."
Bindy is supposed to be extremely smart yet she is super sick and still refuses to see a doctor. The adults frustrated me in this aspect too. She's 16/17 and they just make her appointments over and over? After she misses the first few why didn't they take her themselves!?
The whole book is way too long and drawn out. I wanted to find out what was wrong with her and who was trying to kill her. I don't know if it's because it was super drawn out or just that it was a dumb "conspiracy theory" in the end that made it extremely anticlimactic. Maybe if it was a faster pace it would seem more exciting and believable.
While I hated this book, I still plan on reading Moriarty's fourth installment in this series. Hopefully it is more along the lines of the first two novels which were very good.
Bindy is super annoying and aggravating. She is purposely mean and spiteful to her classmates. It's later revealed that at least one of them had been truly mean to her in the past, but it's not revealed until too late. By then I already disliked Bindy and her over-the-top antics by way of getting "revenge."
Bindy is supposed to be extremely smart yet she is super sick and still refuses to see a doctor. The adults frustrated me in this aspect too. She's 16/17 and they just make her appointments over and over? After she misses the first few why didn't they take her themselves!?
The whole book is way too long and drawn out. I wanted to find out what was wrong with her and who was trying to kill her. I don't know if it's because it was super drawn out or just that it was a dumb "conspiracy theory" in the end that made it extremely anticlimactic. Maybe if it was a faster pace it would seem more exciting and believable.
While I hated this book, I still plan on reading Moriarty's fourth installment in this series. Hopefully it is more along the lines of the first two novels which were very good.
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