The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie

by Jaclyn Moriarty

Book Overview

PERFECT. adj. 1. being entirely without fault or defect: 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439740525
• ISBN13: 9780439740524
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 494 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.5" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Bindy sure is.... Different.

I have never read a teen novel with SUCH great characterization! I'm used to blah characters that somehow get into serious situations, like in a Sarah Dessen book. (Which I enjoy, but it gets boring.) I can't exactly relate to Bindy, but it's always interesting to get into the head of an outcast. Bindy is at the top of her class, as urged by her father, and is working herself to death(!), just trying to stay on top. But because of her academic excellence and 'better-than-thou' persona, people don't understand her in the least... She's just so strange! Her actions are ridiculous sometimes, but you can't help, well, not wanting her dead! This book is so much different from anything out there, I definitely recommend it!

don't give up

I was extremely excited for Moriarty's new book after reading The Year of Secret Assignments so I practically dove into this one. It has a great plot, but it just takes a while to get to it. I literally couldn't put it down when I did get to it, though. The character of Bindy Mackenzie is an outsider to her own age group. She provides unique insight as to how teenagers today. I saw reflections of myself in some of her character descriptions. Bindy is very hard to relate to, but she can be understood after you get to know her. I think this is why the plot takes so long to unfold-there's no way that it would hold the same meaning if you didn't get where Bindy was coming from. My advice is this: Don't give up on it because of its slow beginning. The plot has you on the edge of your seat when it comes your way... Trust me!

The Compulsive Reader's Reviews

Bindy Mackenzie--student extraordinaire and perfectionist--is the heroine in this follow up novel to Moriarty's Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments. Bindy is thrown when she is placed in FAD--Friendship and Development class. It doesn't make any sense! Who would rip away her study period so thoughtlessly? And what could she possibly learn from the other students in her class? But could Bindy actually be so perfect that someone wants to kill her? And if so, the only people who can figure out who the perp is in time are the classmates that Bindy underestimated and alienated. Laugh-out loud funny, Moriarty doesn't disappoint. Full of her trademark intricate plot twists, quick wit, and told entirely in transcripts, journal entries, and letters, this novel gives a perfectly honest portrayal of teen life life that is appropriate for even younger readers. Bindy Mackenzie will keep you guessing.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Bindy Mackenzie--student extraordinaire and perfectionist--is the heroine in this follow-up novel to Moriarty's Feeling Sorry for Celia: A Novel and The Year Of Secret Assignments. Bindy is thrown when she is placed in FAD--Friendship and Development class. It doesn't make any sense! Who would rip away her study period so thoughtlessly? And what could she possibly learn from the other students in her class? But could Bindy actually be so perfect that someone wants to kill her? And if so, the only people who can figure out who the perp is in time are the classmates that Bindy underestimated and alienated. Laugh-out-loud funny, Moriarty doesn't disappoint. Full of her trademark intricate plot twists, quick wit, and told entirely in transcripts, journal entries, and letters, this novel gives a perfectly honest portrayal of teen life that is appropriate for even younger readers. Bindy Mackenzie will keep you guessing. Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader

excellent

Bindy Mackenzie has always thought of herself as a kind, smart person who always did and said the right thing and was well-liked by everyone. That's why she's startled to discover, on her first day of Friendship and Development class in Year 11, that no one likes her! In fact, the only positive thing anyone said about her was that "she is a very fast typist." That's not even a compliment, that's just a fact! Bewildered, when Bindy has the occasion to document her life for the same class, she is determined to portray herself as likeable, while at the same time retaliating against her fellow students who insulted her. She is determined that she will make good friends, and that everyone will like her. Then, all of a sudden, Bindy is in danger, and only her friends can help her. Is Bindy as likeable as she sees herself? Saving her from danger seems as good a test as any. This documentary novel, with some of the same characters as Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments, is a slice of life of the girl who thought she had it all, then found out she had nothing. You'll have to decide for yourself if Bindy is likeable or not, but the novel most certainly is. It is poignant and humorous, and seems all the way through incredibly realistic. You're sure to find at least one character you wish to befriend, even if you decide against Bindy.