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uglypopcorn's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
A beautiful chapter-book rich in magical realism, this read explores both the hurt and beauty of the stories we tell ourselves.
Lilly is a QAG (quiet Asian girl) or at least that's what her sister calls her. And her mom always calls her the good girl. But Lily is starting to feel like that's not true, that people don't see her for who she really is. That is, except her storytelling Halmoni - Halmoni *always* sees everything. But does she see the tiger that Lily keeps running into? This is the one story Halmoni won't tell.
This is a wonderful story that teaches children that their is beauty in claiming their own stories. It touches on how to navigate grief, build friendships, and establish pride for one's culture. ❤️
Lilly is a QAG (quiet Asian girl) or at least that's what her sister calls her. And her mom always calls her the good girl. But Lily is starting to feel like that's not true, that people don't see her for who she really is. That is, except her storytelling Halmoni - Halmoni *always* sees everything. But does she see the tiger that Lily keeps running into? This is the one story Halmoni won't tell.
This is a wonderful story that teaches children that their is beauty in claiming their own stories. It touches on how to navigate grief, build friendships, and establish pride for one's culture. ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment and Car accident
melancholymegs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Cancer, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent and Vomit
Minor: Racism
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
When You Trap a Tiger is a lovely book that focuses on familial bonds and is guided by Korean folklore. The main character, Lily, has just moved to a new place, and making friends isn’t easy for her. Her grandmother is experiencing illness and memory loss, her sister is struggling with grief for their father (whom Lily doesn’t remember), and her mom is stressed and preoccupied. Lily processes her complicated feelings through interactions with a giant, magical tiger that appears only to her. Amidst beautiful symbolism, she learns that stories are powerful, and change is inevitable. This book shines like the stars in the sky.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Racism, Terminal illness, Death, and Dementia
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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
5.0
It's been quite some time since I read a middle-grade book but this one came highly recommended and I really needed a lovely and magical story to cheer me up.
It really is a lovely and magical story, although it also deals with some difficult and sad topics and the ending made me shed many tears. Still, it is nice sometimes to have a bit of a cathartic crying session and to come out of it feeling a bit more hopeful and encouraged.
I really liked the characterization and the interactions between characters. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of translating Lily's feelings and fears on the page.
Also, I really appreciated the author's note, it was very nice and moving to learn more about the story's origins and the writing process.
It really is a lovely and magical story, although it also deals with some difficult and sad topics and the ending made me shed many tears. Still, it is nice sometimes to have a bit of a cathartic crying session and to come out of it feeling a bit more hopeful and encouraged.
I really liked the characterization and the interactions between characters. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of translating Lily's feelings and fears on the page.
Also, I really appreciated the author's note, it was very nice and moving to learn more about the story's origins and the writing process.
"Take your history, undestand where you came from and who you are - then find your own story. Create the story of who you are yet to be".
...maybe this is how healing starts - small bits of happiness waking up inside you, until maybe one day it spreads through your whole self.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cancer, Grief, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, Car accident, Vomit, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
pattyreader's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A beautiful story about a family who move to another state to care for the grandmother. Family traditions, love and storytelling help the protagonist navigate the complex issues facing the family .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Racism, Vomit, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
kaneli's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Vomit, Car accident, and Terminal illness
Minor: Racism and Car accident
jayecard's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Danke an Netgalley für dieses Rezensionsexemplar!
Ich bin zerstört. Dieses Buch hat mich nicht nur zum Heulen gebracht, ich hab danach echt einfach mal eine Runde gehen müssen, über alles nachdenken müssen, es auf mich wirken lassen, und ich bin immer noch nicht damit fertig.
Themen: Alter, Tod, Familie, Erwachsen werden, Sich selbst verstehen
Empfohlen für: Liebhaber von Märchen und Metaphern und Büchern, die emotional stärken
In Tae Kellers "Wie man einen Tiger fängt" geht es um Lily, ein in den USA lebendes Mädchen mit koreanischen Wurzeln mütterlicherseits. Ihre Großmutter hat ihr und ihrer Schwester früher immer Geschichten über mutige Mädchen und böse Tiger erzählt, aber nun ist sie krank - und zum ersten Mal begegnet Lily einem Tiger aus diesen Märchen! Der Tiger sagt ihr, dass ihre Großmutter geheilt werden kann, wenn Lily dem Tiger die Geschichten zurück bringt, die die Großmutter vor langer Zeit gestohlen hat - aber das sind böse, traurige Geschichten, und die sollten doch lieber für immer in ihren Gläsern stecken bleiben, oder?
Die Geschichte webt Märchen und Realität ineinander: Die Geschichten erzählen einander genau so wie sich selbst, bis durch ihr Zusammenspiel die Wahrheit herauskommt. Und das Buch ist dabei grausam ehrlich. Wie reagiert man, wenn die liebe tolle Oma plötzlich nicht immer perfekt war? Was tut man, wenn man an sich selbst eine wilde Seite entdeckt, und Angst davor hat? Wie konfrontiert man die eigene Geschichte, wenn sie so unschöne Seiten hat? Es ist ein Schlag in den Magen nach dem anderen.
Im Vordergrund steht da der Umgang mit der Krankheit der Oma, und dem Gedanken, dass ein lieber Mensch vielleicht nicht mehr so lange unter uns weilt - aber Tae Keller lässt für Leser, die weiter suchen möchten, subtil viele Themen mehr einfließen. Ich will das aber gar nicht vorweg nehmen, ich denke, alle Leser und Leserinnen sollten das für sich selbst erfahren können.
Ich empfehle das Buch wirklich von wärmsten Herzen (aber auch mit etwas Vorsicht, denn ein, zwei mal musste ich es weglegen, weil es mir einfach zu viel wurde). Es ist eine wunderschöne Geschichte über die starken Frauen einer Familie, über Märchen, und über Tiger.
CW:
SpoilerTod, Krebs, Demenz (nicht direkt, aber ähnliche Symptome)
Ich bin zerstört. Dieses Buch hat mich nicht nur zum Heulen gebracht, ich hab danach echt einfach mal eine Runde gehen müssen, über alles nachdenken müssen, es auf mich wirken lassen, und ich bin immer noch nicht damit fertig.
Themen: Alter, Tod, Familie, Erwachsen werden, Sich selbst verstehen
Empfohlen für: Liebhaber von Märchen und Metaphern und Büchern, die emotional stärken
In Tae Kellers "Wie man einen Tiger fängt" geht es um Lily, ein in den USA lebendes Mädchen mit koreanischen Wurzeln mütterlicherseits. Ihre Großmutter hat ihr und ihrer Schwester früher immer Geschichten über mutige Mädchen und böse Tiger erzählt, aber nun ist sie krank - und zum ersten Mal begegnet Lily einem Tiger aus diesen Märchen! Der Tiger sagt ihr, dass ihre Großmutter geheilt werden kann, wenn Lily dem Tiger die Geschichten zurück bringt, die die Großmutter vor langer Zeit gestohlen hat - aber das sind böse, traurige Geschichten, und die sollten doch lieber für immer in ihren Gläsern stecken bleiben, oder?
Die Geschichte webt Märchen und Realität ineinander: Die Geschichten erzählen einander genau so wie sich selbst, bis durch ihr Zusammenspiel die Wahrheit herauskommt. Und das Buch ist dabei grausam ehrlich. Wie reagiert man, wenn die liebe tolle Oma plötzlich nicht immer perfekt war? Was tut man, wenn man an sich selbst eine wilde Seite entdeckt, und Angst davor hat? Wie konfrontiert man die eigene Geschichte, wenn sie so unschöne Seiten hat? Es ist ein Schlag in den Magen nach dem anderen.
Im Vordergrund steht da der Umgang mit der Krankheit der Oma, und dem Gedanken, dass ein lieber Mensch vielleicht nicht mehr so lange unter uns weilt - aber Tae Keller lässt für Leser, die weiter suchen möchten, subtil viele Themen mehr einfließen. Ich will das aber gar nicht vorweg nehmen, ich denke, alle Leser und Leserinnen sollten das für sich selbst erfahren können.
Ich empfehle das Buch wirklich von wärmsten Herzen (aber auch mit etwas Vorsicht, denn ein, zwei mal musste ich es weglegen, weil es mir einfach zu viel wurde). Es ist eine wunderschöne Geschichte über die starken Frauen einer Familie, über Märchen, und über Tiger.
CW:
SpoilerTod, Krebs, Demenz (nicht direkt, aber ähnliche Symptome)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Racism
linesiunderline's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
This tale, rooted in Korean mythology, invites readers to think about the complicated journey of loss, claiming your stories, letting go, and the everyday magic of home and family. It’s easy to see why it won the Newbery. Fine writing, a touch of magic, diverse characters and complex themes make this book memorable.
“Sometimes believing is the bravest thing of all.”
“Sometimes believing is the bravest thing of all.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Racism
storiesandsidequests's review
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Diversity/Representation: Korean-American Protagonist and Author, LGBTQ+ side character
Content Warnings: death of a family member, cancer, dementia, racism
I picked this up because my local library and some bookshops were hyping this up after it won the Newberry Award. It was a quick and enjoyable middle grade book that incorporated Korean folktales and magical realism and deals with some heavier topics.
The main themes throughout the story are family, identity, and death. I enjoyed the way the family relationships developed and the growth Lily and her sister go through as siblings. At the beginning of the story, there is a wall that has grown between them, evident when Lily’s sister berates her for being a stereotypical QAG (Quiet Asian Girl). I enjoyed the way that Lily found her voice and was able to write her own ending to the Tiger’s story but I wish there had been more build of this hidden talent as a storyteller throughout the book. Before that moment, she always seemed very interested in hearing the stories but never told them herself.
It’s never explained if the things Lily experienced with the tiger happened purely in her head, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think it works well with the atmosphere of the story to leave it open to interpretation but the fact her halmoni who had dementia was the only other person able to see the tiger raises some questions about her own experience. There also seemed to be some inconsistencies in regard to the tiger’s character. The tiger is described as menacing and we are told that she is hunting Lily’s grandmother but once we meet her we never get that impression. Even from Lily’s point of view, there’s not a real sense of fear or threat.
I liked the use of Korean folktale stories as a way for Lily to process the changes in her life but I personally wished there was a better connection between the stories and the overall narrative. I also don’t understand why Halmoni was so intent on keeping the stories bottled up since they weren’t anything particularly scary. Granted, this book was targeted to younger children, but I felt like there could have been more depth to the stories. For instance, they alluded very briefly to the challenges Halmoni faced in the wake of the Korean American War but didn’t elaborate.
“Lily, when I tell my story, I am sad. So much of our family story is sad. And more than that: so much of Korean people story is sad. Long, long ago, Japan and United States people do wrong things to our country. But I don’t want to give you sad, angry stories. I don’t want to pass you those bad feelings.”
I think mentioning this but glossing over it does a disservice to readers. I understand wanting to protect children from the generational trauma of the war but children are not as delicate as adults often think they are and this could be an opportunity for Korean-American children to understand their heritage since US history curriculum does such a terrible job giving an unbiased account of certain events (if they even mention them at all).
As far as other characters go, Ricky wasn’t really necessary to the plot itself but served the purpose of bringing up race and stigma/perception around people who are different, particularly Asian-Americans. I liked the way the author included the incident of casual racism and stereotyping that happened when Ricky’s friends showed up and met Lily for the first time. Showing Ricky’s response and effort to understand more of Lily’s culture and connection with Halmoni was nice to see on the page.
Overall, the family relationships were well developed and the way the story deals with death and grief through magical stories was beautiful. Lily’s growth was wonderful to read and it was nice to see her write her own ending of the tiger’s story. I would highly recommend this book for younger readers.
Content Warnings: death of a family member, cancer, dementia, racism
I picked this up because my local library and some bookshops were hyping this up after it won the Newberry Award. It was a quick and enjoyable middle grade book that incorporated Korean folktales and magical realism and deals with some heavier topics.
The main themes throughout the story are family, identity, and death. I enjoyed the way the family relationships developed and the growth Lily and her sister go through as siblings. At the beginning of the story, there is a wall that has grown between them, evident when Lily’s sister berates her for being a stereotypical QAG (Quiet Asian Girl). I enjoyed the way that Lily found her voice and was able to write her own ending to the Tiger’s story but I wish there had been more build of this hidden talent as a storyteller throughout the book. Before that moment, she always seemed very interested in hearing the stories but never told them herself.
It’s never explained if the things Lily experienced with the tiger happened purely in her head, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think it works well with the atmosphere of the story to leave it open to interpretation but the fact her halmoni who had dementia was the only other person able to see the tiger raises some questions about her own experience. There also seemed to be some inconsistencies in regard to the tiger’s character. The tiger is described as menacing and we are told that she is hunting Lily’s grandmother but once we meet her we never get that impression. Even from Lily’s point of view, there’s not a real sense of fear or threat.
I liked the use of Korean folktale stories as a way for Lily to process the changes in her life but I personally wished there was a better connection between the stories and the overall narrative. I also don’t understand why Halmoni was so intent on keeping the stories bottled up since they weren’t anything particularly scary. Granted, this book was targeted to younger children, but I felt like there could have been more depth to the stories. For instance, they alluded very briefly to the challenges Halmoni faced in the wake of the Korean American War but didn’t elaborate.
“Lily, when I tell my story, I am sad. So much of our family story is sad. And more than that: so much of Korean people story is sad. Long, long ago, Japan and United States people do wrong things to our country. But I don’t want to give you sad, angry stories. I don’t want to pass you those bad feelings.”
I think mentioning this but glossing over it does a disservice to readers. I understand wanting to protect children from the generational trauma of the war but children are not as delicate as adults often think they are and this could be an opportunity for Korean-American children to understand their heritage since US history curriculum does such a terrible job giving an unbiased account of certain events (if they even mention them at all).
As far as other characters go, Ricky wasn’t really necessary to the plot itself but served the purpose of bringing up race and stigma/perception around people who are different, particularly Asian-Americans. I liked the way the author included the incident of casual racism and stereotyping that happened when Ricky’s friends showed up and met Lily for the first time. Showing Ricky’s response and effort to understand more of Lily’s culture and connection with Halmoni was nice to see on the page.
Overall, the family relationships were well developed and the way the story deals with death and grief through magical stories was beautiful. Lily’s growth was wonderful to read and it was nice to see her write her own ending of the tiger’s story. I would highly recommend this book for younger readers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Death, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Racism
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