Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A middle grade meditation on love, loss, and the power of stories, this novel is absolutely worth reading for readers who like sad stories. Seriously, make sure you have a tissue box (or two) ready!
Lily, her mom, and her sister have just uprooted their comfortable lives in California to move in with Lily's ailing halmoni. On the drive into town, Lily spots a tiger in the middle of the road, seemingly invisible to everyone else. On guard against the cunning trickster from Korean folktales, Lily cannot wait to discuss this mysterious occurrence with her grandmother. Once she arrives, she realizes the danger is greater than she thought; her halmoni has stolen something precious from the magical tigers of her home country, and they want it back.
Don't be fooled; though this book does have fantastical elements, it is - at its heart - a story aboutdealing with the death of a loved one . Not for readers seeking an epic fantasy or adventure. Recommended instead for fans of Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech and The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly.
Lily, her mom, and her sister have just uprooted their comfortable lives in California to move in with Lily's ailing halmoni. On the drive into town, Lily spots a tiger in the middle of the road, seemingly invisible to everyone else. On guard against the cunning trickster from Korean folktales, Lily cannot wait to discuss this mysterious occurrence with her grandmother. Once she arrives, she realizes the danger is greater than she thought; her halmoni has stolen something precious from the magical tigers of her home country, and they want it back.
Don't be fooled; though this book does have fantastical elements, it is - at its heart - a story about
emotional
hopeful
sad
This was not my favorite. I know it's rated well and just won the Newbery...but I did not love this fantasy story. Maybe if I'd read it in person, I would have connected more with the story. I listened to the audio book and I was kind of bored and didn't really like the main character.
I'm not a huge fan of fantasy either, so having her see a tiger who talks was confusing to me.
I'm not a huge fan of fantasy either, so having her see a tiger who talks was confusing to me.
And to think for a second I considered giving this anything less than 5 stars. This book will give you hope in humanity and make you ugly cry. It is no wonder it won the 2021 Newbery Metal! Stunning character development, fully fleshed out personalities, and beautiful story telling. This is a must read for any age.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
absolutely gorgeous story!
Wow, what a stellar Newbery. This book is heavy-hitting while still being lyrical and interwoven with patient, regenerative magic. The female protagonists at the heart of this book are incredibly complex and tender, and their bumpy journey as a family rings true. As far as the fantasy/folklore elements of this book go, This is one of my favorite MG novels I've read in a long time.
My only reason for knocking one star is that it's written in present tense, which is a major irritation of mine. This seems to be becoming ever more prevalent, though, so I may just have to get over myself one of these days. Nonetheless, it always feels like a cheap shot to me, like overly sentimental music in a movie, to get the reader to feel what the protagonist feels. In my opinion, good writing doesn't need such gimmicks--this book surely didn't. In magical-realism-adjacent work like this, present tense also has the unfortunate effect of making the whole book feel like a dream sequence, and I always question whether the protagonist is suddenly going to "wake up" in past tense and all the magic will evaporate. If it weren't for this choice, I would have given this five stars easily.
Spoiler
I was pleasantly surprised not to get a Scooby-Doo ending in this book, where all the supernatural happenings in the story are suddenly explained away with a quick unmasking. Here, Lily's supernatural experiences are open-ended and therefore validated.My only reason for knocking one star is that it's written in present tense, which is a major irritation of mine. This seems to be becoming ever more prevalent, though, so I may just have to get over myself one of these days. Nonetheless, it always feels like a cheap shot to me, like overly sentimental music in a movie, to get the reader to feel what the protagonist feels. In my opinion, good writing doesn't need such gimmicks--this book surely didn't. In magical-realism-adjacent work like this, present tense also has the unfortunate effect of making the whole book feel like a dream sequence, and I always question whether the protagonist is suddenly going to "wake up" in past tense and all the magic will evaporate. If it weren't for this choice, I would have given this five stars easily.
É minha primeira vez lendo middle age, e tenho certeza que esse livro funcionaria demais para a Cecília com 12 anos.
Um livro sobre família, perda, referências femininas, sobre cultura, acreditar e sobre o tigre que mora em todas nós.
A mensagem é linda e a mistura do folclore coreano faz com que tudo se torne ainda mais mágico.
Um livro sobre família, perda, referências femininas, sobre cultura, acreditar e sobre o tigre que mora em todas nós.
A mensagem é linda e a mistura do folclore coreano faz com que tudo se torne ainda mais mágico.
emotional
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:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
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