The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie
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| The Betrayal of Bindy MacKenzie | |
| Image:BindyMacKenzie.jpg | |
| Author | Jaclyn Moriarty |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan Publishers Australia Pty Limited |
| Publication date | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 494 pp |
| Preceded by | Finding Cassie Crazy |
The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie, ("The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie (US)" and "Becoming Bindy MacKenzie (UK)") is the third novel for young adults by Jaclyn Moriarty set in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, where the author grew up. The story is told in 10 parts.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
A sheet of paper is shown with Bindy Mackenzie's name in the middle. The following comments are written on the page:
"I have never spoken to Bindy, but I am sure that behind her extremely annoying personality she is a beautiful human being."
"A bit too smart."
"You can't help who you are, Bindy, and maybe you will change this year? Good luck with year 11. I think you will change."
"Bindy wears her hair weird even though people talk about it behind her back. I'd change my hair, but that's Bindy for you, she's got guts."
"She's a fast typist."
"Well, what can you say about Bindy? Hmm. Did someone say the word 'smart'???? Bindy! You have words in your head that would be too long to fit in anyone else's head! Because you have such a HUGE HEAD! Just kidding!! (kind of)"
"Bindy Mackenzie talks like a horse."
These messages enrage Bindy and she sets out to plan her revenge: revealing the true souls of the people who wrote these messages, The Venomus Seven. A new teacher, Try Montaine, who says she is from the US, arrives to take Bindy's Friendship and Development Class. The students notice that her accent changes a lot. One day Bindy witnesses two women having argument which she assumes to be about a Polish exchange student. A lawyer named Blake Elroy (which is revealed to be a psuedonym, and there is no such person or law firm) asks her to describe what she has seen and she realises she has assumed the whole thing. Later she realises that the so-called Polish student's name is actually Finnegan A. Blonde in reverse (Ed Nolbanagennif) and the password to get into the school system. She goes into the office at school and discovers that the password works and allows her to get into the system. Later, when the FAD group bond together and realize that Try's intentions are bad, Bindy gets poisoned. She finds out that her dropping grades and illnesses were due to poison being slipped to her throughout the book. She finds that she was acting too superior to her FAD group at the beginning of the book, and they all soon become friends.
[edit] The Motive
Bindy Mackenzie is the most perfect girl at Ashbury High. She scores in the 99.9th percentile in all her classes. She holds lunchtime advisory sessions for her fellow students. She keeps careful transcripts of everything said around her. And she has been Kmart casual Employee of the Month for seventeen months straight.
No wonder someone wants to kill her.
[edit] The Suspects
Bindy is horrified to learn that she must take part in the new Friendship and Development (FAD) Project - a new class meant to provide a "life raft" through "the tricky seas of adolescence." Bindy can't see how airhead Emily Thompson, absentminded Elizabeth Clarry, mouthy Toby Mazzerati, malicious Astrid Bexonville, silent Briony Atkins, narcissistic Sergio Saba, and handsome, enigmatic, Finnegan Blonde could ever possibly help her.
(Well, maybe Finnegan could.)
[edit] The Crime
But then Bindy's perfect life begins to fall apart. She develops an obsession with the word "Cincinnati." She can't stop feeling sleepy. 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 madness? Is it conspiracy? Is it...murder?
[edit] The Truth
Lots of people hate Bindy Mackenzie - but who would actually kill her? The answer is in Bindy's transcripts. The detectives are the members of her FAD group. But Bindy has made every one of them into an enemy... and time is running out.
[edit] Notes
One of Bindy's diary entries from part five is written in German:
Diary Entry
Dienstag, Februar 6
Heute hatte ich zum ersten mal Deutsch studiert! Und von jetzt werde ich EINFACH auf Deutsch schreiben, auf Deutsch denken, und auf Deutch leben! Von jetz bin ich einfach Deutsch! Ich werde mit meiner Familie auf Deutsch sprechen. Ich werde Alles auf Deutsch machen! Also, guten Nacht! Ich schreibe weiter Morgen!
Which loosely translates to:
Diary Entry
Tuesday, February 6
Today, I studied German for the first time! And from now on, I will write SIMPLY in German, will think in German and live in German. From now on, I am simply German! I will speak with my family in German. I will do everything in German! Thus, good night! I write more in the morning!
