Tiger Lily

Take the beautiful, imaginary world of Neverland and make it a literal place where everything is messy and covered in dirt and that is the uninteresting world where Tiger Lily is set. I didn't think it was possible to make Neverland so completely boring. A few magical elements remain like fairies and mermaids but they felt very flat and unoriginal. There's also a poorly explained excuse for why some people get old and some people don't. If you're curious the reason some people don't get old is because it just happens when something important happens in your life for no logical reason whatsoever. The plot felt very been there done that in the way that Avatar was. It's kind of a tired plot line to have new people come and mess everything up for the indigenous people. I also felt like there was nothing new or interesting added to this retelling of Peter Pan. I personally like my retellings to have new twists otherwise what is the point of the retelling? I'm not really sure what the overall conflict even was. It felt like the plot just kind of dragged along with an ending that kind of baffled me. Honestly, the whole book felt a little preachy. There were a few cute scenes between Peter Pan and Tiger Lily but not enough to make me really love this book. The writing was good though it wasn't my favorite. The word choice stood out to me sometimes and felt a little awkward here and there like it was trying too hard to be poetic or something, but there were a few quotes I really liked. Like this one: "I'm not myself," [Tiger Lily] offered, guilty. . . . "You can never say that. You're just a piece of yourself right now that you don't like." -Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily (p. 69) My favorite character by far was Smee who sadly shows up in the book only a few times. The rest of the characters I had a hard time connecting with, especially Tiger Lily and the very strange decision she makes at the end of the book. I honestly found it hard to tell some of the characters apart. Overall, I did not enjoy the world building in this book at all. It had a tired plot line with a cast of characters that I ended up not caring much about.show more

5788165 Cherie Searles's review Nov 26, 12 �?????ff'�?????f'�?????'�?????�????�???�??�?�· edit 5 of 5 stars false bookshelves: retellings, 5-star, favorites-of-2012 Read on October 22, 2012 Oh, how to review this book! It was unexpected and poetic and heartbreaking and emotional and piercing and exquisite. This is the story of Tiger Lily as seen through Tinker Bell's eyes. Set before the events of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, it is a story of first love, of being true to yourself, of the reality of the world - good and bad. Those looking for the typical teen romance with lots of quivering and flip-flopping stomachs and make out scenes should look elsewhere. There is an innocence to the love story here that is sweet and sad. Ms. Anderson has a way with words. They are lyrical and poetic. They are descriptive in the most beautiful way. For example, "How can I describe Peter's face, the pieces of him that stick to my heart? Peter sometimes looked aloof and distant; sometimes his face was open and soft as a bruise. Sometimes he looked completely at Tiger Lily, as if she were the point on which all the universe revolved, as if she were the biggest mystery of life, or as if she were a flame and he couldn't not look even though he was scared. And sometimes it would all disappear into carelessness, confidence, amusement, as if he didn't need anyone or anything on this earth to feel happy and alive." and "I recognized Tiger Lily instantly; I had seen her before. She stood out like a combination of a roving panther and a girl. She stalked instead of walked. Her body still held the invincibility of a child, when at her age it should have been giving way to fragile, flexible curves." and "To love someone was not what she had expected. It was like falling from somewhere high up and breaking in half, and only one person having the secret to the puzzle of putting her back together." In my opinion, this is the mark of a truly great writer. Not only is the story compelling, but the words she chooses and they way she puts them together make you feel what the characters are feeling. You don't just sympathize with them, you empathize. The words are not chosen only to literally tell the story, or to make the author sound smart, they are chosen with care to captivate the reader and completely immerse them in the scene and characters. Peter and Tiger Lily have to be two of the loneliest characters. Their love for each other is so sweet but at the same time their doubt and inexperience is excruciating to read. I loved them both. The true star of this book, though, is Tinker Bell. As the narrator here we really see the truth of the story. We see loneliness and heartache and budding romance and injustice. She tells us at the beginning that good doesn't always win and that becomes evident as the story progresses. Not all endings are happy ones. I don't know what else to say except that I loved this book. I recommend it to everyone. I will be adding a hardcover copy of this one to my permanent favorites shelf in my home. flagshow more

There are very few books that are able to embed themselves deeply into my heart... and I can honestly say that Tiger Lily's story is one of those. There are no right words for me to explain to you the emotions I felt while reading this book. This story is raw and beautiful. Tiger Lily is such a strong, loyal, spirited and capable girl, in more ways than one - she can do anything from hunting, climbing and running to being able to hide her emotions and was undaunted by the villagers ridicule and criticism. She cared deeply for her adoptive father, Tik Tok. And though she continually reminded herself that she only puts up with her two so-called friends, Pine Sap and Moon Eye, she cared very much for them too. When Tiger Lily meets Peter Pan, their worlds collide and tilt over. Peter Pan was thought to be a myth since none of the villagers had ever seen him. He was so much more than Tiger Lily ever imagined... The only boy out of the group that had no memories of his childhood. And his only way of protecting 'the boys' and himself was by living in denial and surviving one day at a time. Peter was mesmerizing and enthralling while at the same time impulsive, scattered and broken... and he became Tiger Lily's secret. And yes, Tiger Lily and Peter Pan's story is told through the eyes of Tinker Bell, sort of. As a fairy, Tink is able to feel what those around her are feeling and at times, she can even feel what they are thinking. And even though she is just a tiny speck of fairy dust who is ignored throughout the majority of their journey and is incapable of communicating with anyone other than other fairies - she does play a major role to their story. It was perfect. We also meet Captain Hook and Smee. Hook is what I would have expected. But Smee, I was taken by surprised with him. Let's just say that he is the one that people will write horrors about! And let's not forget Wendy. At first, I wanted to be angry with Wendy. If it wasn't for her, perhaps there would have been a different ending to this story. With her "Englander" and motherly ways, of course she was different from Tiger Lily. But she gave all of the boys hope to being loved and cared for, like the ways that they remembered. The same for Peter, a dream he always dared not to have. I understand now why the story ends the way that it does. We've all read Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and we all know how that ends. No spoilers were told here. Tiger Lily's story is bittersweet... heartbreaking. Jodi Lynn Anderson captured Tiger Lily beautifully. There will never be another more magical story between Peter Pan and Tiger Lily than this one.show more

Tiger Lily promised a dark and tragic interpretation of a familiar children's story, one that would steal your breath away - and that was right. This book is exactly what it promised to be- a new, fresh take on an old story, a love story. As fascinating a story as it is, I can also see how this introspective book wouldn't be for every reader- but it's sure to capture the hearts of many who enjoy a grand romance, and anything to do with Peter Pan. Reasons to Read: 1.A thoughtful interpretation of Peter Pan: I enjoy the story of Peter Pan, but I thought it was fantastic how well Jodi Lynn put her own spin on this story; the majority of the "facts" and details remain the same (or if they are changed, there's a reasonable explanation for it) and I was constantly surprised at how she made such a classic story her own. It can be hard to rework familiar territory, but the effect ends up making Tiger Lily a masterpiece of retellings. 2.Lovely storytelling: While at first I had some reservations with the story being narrated by Tinker Bell, I soon realized how effective it was being told from a third party. Part of what makes the story so poignant is that it's never really clear how the various characters truly feel about one another or their circumstances - and because it's told through Tinker Bell's eyes, it feels even more tragic because we get to see hints of the pain experienced by a number of characters rather than just Tiger Lily. Tinker Bell is remarkably unbiased (except when it comes to Tiger Lily, whom she clearly has strong ties to) and offers a different perspective on the events as well. 3.A strong, unique Tiger Lily: This is not the helpless, fairly bland Native American princess we're used to (thanks, Disney). Tiger Lily is reimagined as we haven't seen her before, and she's fully brought to life with her own past and her own personality. And her relationship with Peter Pan is beautiful in its own right, so simple and just plain RIGHT. It's the way things change between them that's so heartbreaking, and how they both feel lost to do anything about it. The one thing I was not expecting from this story was for the relationship between Tiger Lily and Peter Pan to be so pivotal, and even after reading most of it I didn't feel that should have had so much impact as it did. And the ending felt so rushed that it didn't feel wholly pulled together. I just had a hard time believing that this strong heroine would just sit back passively and watch while things happened around her, and then to react later on in such a strong, violent way. And honestly it was at that point that I began to lose my connection to Tiger Lily, because while I could understand her distress I couldn't fathom her rationale behind her choices. And for a book that's promoted as a love story- well, I found the romance between Peter and Tiger Lily to be rather rushed. And I found where the book really shone, was in its portrayal of various other relationships and qthe idea of cultures clashing and transformation and feeling like a misfit. THAT, more than any love story, is what the book (even unconsciously) seems to be about. And that's what's so striking about it. But all in all, this is a truly unique and stunning book that leaves a small mark on your heart. It's one that's unforgettable, partially because of how it makes you think differently about this familiar story and question characters like Pan, Wendy, Tiger Lily, and Tinker Bell to think of them in ways we've never seen before. ARC borrowed from Wendy @ A Cupcake and a Latteshow more