A review by 12dejamoo
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I couldn’t find out whether the author was Native American or not and I don’t want to assume either way, but that would definitely change my opinion of the book. It is essentially a narrative about colonialism, so it is definitely relevant. For this reason take my rating with a pinch of salt.
The choice to tell the narrative from Tinkerbell’s perspective I thought was really intriguing - I suppose a way of telling a Native American story without putting words in Tiger Lily’s mouth. Obviously it’s still her story so it’s still relevant as to the identity of the author.
Just on a purely narrative standpoint, I found the book to be a perfect darker version of Peter Pan, adding another dimension to the story. I enjoyed the colonialist take on the story, which has made me view the original in a more critical way. I loved the characterisation of Tiger Lily, Peter, Tinkerbell, as well as Tik Tok and Pine Sap. I think this book also managed to give the Lost Boys individual characterisations, which I recognise is difficult given how many there are. I have read the original book, but it was over ten years ago and I remember very little about it.
I was hooked on the story, and did feel very sad by the end, but I think it ended pretty perfectly. Kept the sad, darker vibe and felt like a natural end to the rest of the book.
The choice to tell the narrative from Tinkerbell’s perspective I thought was really intriguing - I suppose a way of telling a Native American story without putting words in Tiger Lily’s mouth. Obviously it’s still her story so it’s still relevant as to the identity of the author.
Just on a purely narrative standpoint, I found the book to be a perfect darker version of Peter Pan, adding another dimension to the story. I enjoyed the colonialist take on the story, which has made me view the original in a more critical way. I loved the characterisation of Tiger Lily, Peter, Tinkerbell, as well as Tik Tok and Pine Sap. I think this book also managed to give the Lost Boys individual characterisations, which I recognise is difficult given how many there are. I have read the original book, but it was over ten years ago and I remember very little about it.
I was hooked on the story, and did feel very sad by the end, but I think it ended pretty perfectly. Kept the sad, darker vibe and felt like a natural end to the rest of the book.
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Suicide
Transphobia isn't the right word because the character isn't trans, but he is definitely punished for choosing to present more femme