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jaymielynnie's review against another edition
5.0
I'd read it again right away if it wasn't due back to the library. Great for parents of littles who are immersed for the second time in classic fairy tales.
cookse01's review against another edition
4.0
It's a dark book but intriguing as it has so many layers.
haven_9's review
5.0
Honestly amazing, one of the most beautifully written young adult books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Tragic and sweet this is an amazing look at one of the characters we don’t often glance twice at. The book was narrated by Tink which was my overall favorite part of this book. This book is so quotable!
dolce_rhythm's review against another edition
5.0
This book is disturbing, haunting and beautiful. I can't stop thinking about it.
misshappyapples's review against another edition
4.0
I always sort of love books that take minor characters from other tales and rewrite the story from their point of view. And how could I possibly resist a book entitled 'Tiger Lily'. I love 'Peter Pan'. One could say, actually, that I'm relatively obsessed with it. I love J.M Barrie's book, I love the play, I love the musical, and the Disney version. So when there's something that comes out that's related in anyway, I tend to take notice. And Tiger Lily! I have always had a soft sport from the native girl who takes a different form in pretty much every version of Barrie's tale. I've often thought her underused so I jumped at this novel right at it's publication date. But, for all the same reasons I mention above, I was wary. Luckily, this book was amazing. It was fast paced, wonderfully characterized, and incorporated great things I never would have even thought of.
Tiger Lily is a fifteen year old member of the Sky Eater tribe on Neverland, an island located somewhere [it seems] in the Southern Atlantic, where fairies are common, mermaids a fact, marvelous creatures consistent, and at some point in everyone's life they stop aging (it's said they stop aging when the most important thing that will ever happen to them happens). She can hunt better than she can make clothing and is the adopted daughter of the tribe's shaman, an androgenous fellow named Tik Tok. She's a little moody and a little bit different, causing her fellow tribe members to be somewhat wary of her. But when Tiger Lily saves an Englander from certain death stranded on the island it's decided it's time for her to marry the foul Giant. But Tiger Lily has a secret, she's met and befriended the fearsome Peter Pan and as her wedding draws closer she and Peter form a stronger bond. But when another ship appears, bearing an English girl called Wendy Darling, things might just change forever.
I want to start with saying this book was excellent. It's narration style was perfect, a first person narrative not by Tiger Lily but by Tinker Bell, a young fairy who takes a shine to Tiger Lily and follows her endlessly. It let us see Tiger Lily from the outside while still getting into her thoughts and an equal view of those around her. It really was an ingenious idea. Also, the author shed some light on some goings on and explained them from another point of view. For example, Hook lost his hand in a boot making factory, it was only a rumor that Pan cut it off (not sure I love this), or the Lost Boy's love of repelling caused rumors that they could fly. There are also a few cute shoutouts such as when Tiger Lily drops Tik Tok's beloved clock into the river where it's quickly globbled by a crocodile. But the driving force behind this is a little love story that died, and it's a good one. Tiger Lily is a great character, quiet and strong, not always understandable but always likable. Peter is the same way, though much more vulnerable than in other incarnations. Don't let any of the next several paragraphs sway you from the knowledge that I thought this book was great, but there are some things that need saying.
Let me get this out of the way. The problem with this book is that it, once again, tries to humanize Peter Pan. I don't think this is something that can be done and I don't think it's something that SHOULD be done. I read the first book in the series that begins with 'Peter and the Starcatchers' (of which there is apparently a broadway musical now) and could appreciate it as good. The same went for the okay miniseries on Syfy last year entitled 'Neverland'. Both these things strove to explain where Peter came from and how he got to be the way he is. Both ignore the fact that in Barrie's story Peter Pan isn't something that needs explaining, Peter is the embodiment of youth, the boy who will never grow up, who has continual adventures and who will eventually leave you behind when you get too old. He's a representation and manifestation of what we lose when we get too old.
Mercifully, 'Tiger Lily' didn't attempt to explain where Peter came from. It doesn't go into how he came to be in Neverland and how he started living in a hole in the ground with the rest of the lost boys. It does, however (and unfortunately), take away his magic. For one, he can not fly. Which I found to be sort of depressing. It paints Peter as a somewhat remarkable regular boy of about sixteen who has taken the burden of his entire group onto his shoulders. It's great characterization, but I'm not sure it's Peter Pan.
Another complaint; I've always found Peter's relationship with Tinker Bell to be really quite lovely. It's obvious that she's in love with him and he does not reciprocate the feelings, but he cares about her in a constant sort of way that he doesn't care about anyone else. Yes, including Wendy. This story sort of took that way. Writing Tinker Bell as narrator is a stroke of genius and really worked for this tale, but it also ensures that she must follow Tiger Lily, she must love Tiger Lily and be on Tiger Lily's side. I don't think the Tink that Barrie wrote would have done this. She is Peter's constant companion. She exhibits jealousy I can't write off as annoyance for Tiger Lily's sake. And in the end, after Wendy Darling has gone home, it's still Peter and Tink, forever and ever. But, this isn't particularly romance, this is kinship.
In fact, I always sort of balk at versions that add in romance to Peter and Wendy's relationship. It wouldn't be hard to believe that she has herself a little crush, but this is not a romantic story. This is a story about children. And to be quite frank, Peter is far too selfish and self absorbed to love anybody. He's supposed to be, he's a child playing at being an adult, the same way all children do. The fact that his age does not fluxuate over how many years he's existed does not matter. He wants 'always to be a little boy and have fun' and so he does. He repeatedly refers to Wendy as a 'mother' (while admittedly taking on the father role for himself, but not in a real way, more in the way of a child playing house). Romance is just not necessary. But with this book it was seventy percent of the plot.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, immediately, and to anyone. It was great. But there are things that bugged me about it, mainly because I am so devoted to the original text. Still, this must be looked upon as a separate entity, and as that it succeeds.
Tiger Lily is a fifteen year old member of the Sky Eater tribe on Neverland, an island located somewhere [it seems] in the Southern Atlantic, where fairies are common, mermaids a fact, marvelous creatures consistent, and at some point in everyone's life they stop aging (it's said they stop aging when the most important thing that will ever happen to them happens). She can hunt better than she can make clothing and is the adopted daughter of the tribe's shaman, an androgenous fellow named Tik Tok. She's a little moody and a little bit different, causing her fellow tribe members to be somewhat wary of her. But when Tiger Lily saves an Englander from certain death stranded on the island it's decided it's time for her to marry the foul Giant. But Tiger Lily has a secret, she's met and befriended the fearsome Peter Pan and as her wedding draws closer she and Peter form a stronger bond. But when another ship appears, bearing an English girl called Wendy Darling, things might just change forever.
I want to start with saying this book was excellent. It's narration style was perfect, a first person narrative not by Tiger Lily but by Tinker Bell, a young fairy who takes a shine to Tiger Lily and follows her endlessly. It let us see Tiger Lily from the outside while still getting into her thoughts and an equal view of those around her. It really was an ingenious idea. Also, the author shed some light on some goings on and explained them from another point of view. For example, Hook lost his hand in a boot making factory, it was only a rumor that Pan cut it off (not sure I love this), or the Lost Boy's love of repelling caused rumors that they could fly. There are also a few cute shoutouts such as when Tiger Lily drops Tik Tok's beloved clock into the river where it's quickly globbled by a crocodile. But the driving force behind this is a little love story that died, and it's a good one. Tiger Lily is a great character, quiet and strong, not always understandable but always likable. Peter is the same way, though much more vulnerable than in other incarnations. Don't let any of the next several paragraphs sway you from the knowledge that I thought this book was great, but there are some things that need saying.
Let me get this out of the way. The problem with this book is that it, once again, tries to humanize Peter Pan. I don't think this is something that can be done and I don't think it's something that SHOULD be done. I read the first book in the series that begins with 'Peter and the Starcatchers' (of which there is apparently a broadway musical now) and could appreciate it as good. The same went for the okay miniseries on Syfy last year entitled 'Neverland'. Both these things strove to explain where Peter came from and how he got to be the way he is. Both ignore the fact that in Barrie's story Peter Pan isn't something that needs explaining, Peter is the embodiment of youth, the boy who will never grow up, who has continual adventures and who will eventually leave you behind when you get too old. He's a representation and manifestation of what we lose when we get too old.
Mercifully, 'Tiger Lily' didn't attempt to explain where Peter came from. It doesn't go into how he came to be in Neverland and how he started living in a hole in the ground with the rest of the lost boys. It does, however (and unfortunately), take away his magic. For one, he can not fly. Which I found to be sort of depressing. It paints Peter as a somewhat remarkable regular boy of about sixteen who has taken the burden of his entire group onto his shoulders. It's great characterization, but I'm not sure it's Peter Pan.
Another complaint; I've always found Peter's relationship with Tinker Bell to be really quite lovely. It's obvious that she's in love with him and he does not reciprocate the feelings, but he cares about her in a constant sort of way that he doesn't care about anyone else. Yes, including Wendy. This story sort of took that way. Writing Tinker Bell as narrator is a stroke of genius and really worked for this tale, but it also ensures that she must follow Tiger Lily, she must love Tiger Lily and be on Tiger Lily's side. I don't think the Tink that Barrie wrote would have done this. She is Peter's constant companion. She exhibits jealousy I can't write off as annoyance for Tiger Lily's sake. And in the end, after Wendy Darling has gone home, it's still Peter and Tink, forever and ever. But, this isn't particularly romance, this is kinship.
In fact, I always sort of balk at versions that add in romance to Peter and Wendy's relationship. It wouldn't be hard to believe that she has herself a little crush, but this is not a romantic story. This is a story about children. And to be quite frank, Peter is far too selfish and self absorbed to love anybody. He's supposed to be, he's a child playing at being an adult, the same way all children do. The fact that his age does not fluxuate over how many years he's existed does not matter. He wants 'always to be a little boy and have fun' and so he does. He repeatedly refers to Wendy as a 'mother' (while admittedly taking on the father role for himself, but not in a real way, more in the way of a child playing house). Romance is just not necessary. But with this book it was seventy percent of the plot.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, immediately, and to anyone. It was great. But there are things that bugged me about it, mainly because I am so devoted to the original text. Still, this must be looked upon as a separate entity, and as that it succeeds.
em_ily_quick's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
fionakisiday's review against another edition
5.0
This book tells you everything that is going to happen within the first page, but somehow you keep reading. You keep turning the page with a huge gaping hole in your heart because you know what will happen and every gullible fiber of your being is in complete doubt. FUCK. Read this book if you like to feel empty inside.
sachik's review against another edition
1.0
This had so many good reviews and such an interesting concept and I couldn't even make myself finish it. I really didn't like the narration style, and I liked Tiger Lily's relationship with Peter even less. The whole book was just so, so dull.