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A review by janina_reads
Becoming Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
4.0
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, [b:Feeling Sorry for Celia|82783|Feeling Sorry for Celia (Ashbury/Brookfield, #1)|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312026150s/82783.jpg|1013926] and [b:Finding Cassie Crazy|82779|Finding Cassie Crazy|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316809686s/82779.jpg|2161186], it focuses a little more on family issues and overall is much sadder and less funny (more along the lines of [b: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, [b:Feeling Sorry for Celia|82783|Feeling Sorry for Celia (Ashbury/Brookfield, #1)|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312026150s/82783.jpg|1013926] and [b:Finding Cassie Crazy|82779|Finding Cassie Crazy|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316809686s/82779.jpg|2161186], it focuses a little more on family issues and overall is much sadder and less funny (more along the lines of [b: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