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horanjji's review against another edition
4.0
Es un libro que empecé a leer sin saber exactamente de qué iba o qué me iba a encontrar, y ha resultado ser muy bonito y tierno. Además, es una bonita forma de aprender algo sobre folklore coreano.
pathfindernicole's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
2.0
Like many books that inevitably disappoint me, When You Trap A Tiger started out great only to peter out over time.
The set-up of the book implies that it will be a full tilt, bombastic magical romp as Lily’s halmoni (grandmother) has a magical illness that Lily must endeavor to fix. This proved to be untrue. It's actually just magical realism.
Halmoni has a 'normal' fatal condition and the tiger existing is the only magic apparent. The tiger purportedly being untrustworthy was somewhat true except based on the revelation about the tiger in the end the tiger could have just been honest with Lily and the whole deal they made would not even have been necessary.
I understand that the tiger was trying to ensure Lily learned the lesson in the end, but I disliked that it was presented like Lily was going to have to go on an adventure when she doesn’t actually do anything. The tiger just wants Lily to listen to the stories her halmoni stole as an exchange. I was expecting a journey, trials, a tournament, or something. At the very least maybe some research. Instead, this was barely different from any other middle grade contemporary.
If you took the tiger out and simply swapped in a book of folktales that Lily discovers or a grandmotherly stand in character (which is essentially what the tiger was anyways) nothing would change. In fact it would make more sense if the tiger didn’t exist and Lily was merely regressing out of fear. It would be an evocative way of expressing how desperate Lily is for a solution to her halmoni’s suffering.
Her sister and her new friend are not essential like the synopsis suggests since neither is privy to the existence of the tiger. Her sister does find out magic exists, but it’s at the very end when it no longer matters.
Two weird things of note: One, Lily’s father was white which does not come up until like halfway into the book. I thought this was strange because her father being white definitely would have played into her sister’s identity issues yet it’s mentioned as part of a funny anecdote and then never brought up in context. I think this was a missed opportunity to fully synthesize her sisters’ arc.
The second thing is that Lily’s sister is queer and the author chooses to treat it like it’s a mystery instead of a normal part of the sister’s character. I picked up on the vibes immediately so I didn't get why Keller was dragging it out. It literally gets confirmed in like the last chapter in a heavy handed ‘good for her’ aside by Lily that felt very out of place.
Obviously, the book is from Lily’s POV so if Lily doesn’t know we wouldn’t know for certain either. But, a big part of the book is supposed to be the sisters’ growing back together so wouldn’t it have been good for her to share this part of herself with Lily? Not that she’s obligated to, but it could have been a way for the two to bond or shed some light on why her sister seems so hot and cold.
There are no signs that their mother won’t react well, however, I understand that doesn’t guarantee she will handle it with grace so I can see why her sister might be lashing out if she feels she’s hiding such a big part of herself. But, we don’t get any reason as to why she doesn’t make it clear she’s got a girlfriend. It’s anyone’s guess. I could just be making assumptions based on my own experiences. There’s no indication one way or another.
It comes off as if the author didn’t want to write it yet still wanted praise for having a queer character so she considered this a fair middle ground. I don’t want to besmirch the honor of a person I don’t know, I’m simply pointing out that regardless of intention it feels performative.
Lily’s mother is introduced as a bad mom - being a bad mom is fluid, it doesn’t have to be a permanent descriptor - who puts Lily in the middle of her and her sister’s arguments thereby weaponizing Lily's people pleasing tendencies for her own gain. She also is prone to ignoring Lily’s own needs out of convenience. This is dropped rather quickly and never touched upon again. Her mother never realizes she’s been doing this. Subsequently, she never apologizes either.
Lily's new friend has some abandonment issues going on that manifest in self sabotage of his studying for a major exam he needs to ace to avoid repeating a grade. Lily at one point just tells him he should probably stop doing that. He does and that seems to be the end of that whole thing. Similar to Lily's mom, his father yells at him in a grocery store to shut up and this goes totally unaddressed. Lily’s halmoni kind of reprimands him for it, but the rest of the book just chugs along with no mention of if this man ever stopped emotionally neglecting and possibly verbally abusing his kid. We don’t even know if he ever apologized for the outburst.
The parts with halmoni are the strongest. Lily’s love for her is endearing. The prospect of her loss is legitimately heartbreaking. Keller does a wonderful job of painting a strong grandparent-grandchild dynamic. Halmoni’s worsening illness and the emotional fall out for those around her is very well done. When halmoni is lucid she’s such a fascinating, vibrant character. It contrasts masterfully with the scared, confused person she becomes when the illness causes her to lose track of herself. It was sad to watch her mental state begin to break down.
Anyways, I was let down. The concept was interesting, the execution was lacking. It wasn’t a bad book, simply average. I liked it enough that I’d still recommend it. If you don’t read it, you’re not losing out on a lot.
The set-up of the book implies that it will be a full tilt, bombastic magical romp as Lily’s halmoni (grandmother) has a magical illness that Lily must endeavor to fix. This proved to be untrue. It's actually just magical realism.
Halmoni has a 'normal' fatal condition and the tiger existing is the only magic apparent. The tiger purportedly being untrustworthy was somewhat true except based on the revelation about the tiger in the end
Spoiler
The tiger is actually her great grandmotherI understand that the tiger was trying to ensure Lily learned the lesson in the end, but I disliked that it was presented like Lily was going to have to go on an adventure when she doesn’t actually do anything. The tiger just wants Lily to listen to the stories her halmoni stole as an exchange. I was expecting a journey, trials, a tournament, or something. At the very least maybe some research. Instead, this was barely different from any other middle grade contemporary.
If you took the tiger out and simply swapped in a book of folktales that Lily discovers or a grandmotherly stand in character (which is essentially what the tiger was anyways) nothing would change. In fact it would make more sense if the tiger didn’t exist and Lily was merely regressing out of fear. It would be an evocative way of expressing how desperate Lily is for a solution to her halmoni’s suffering.
Her sister and her new friend are not essential like the synopsis suggests since neither is privy to the existence of the tiger. Her sister does find out magic exists, but it’s at the very end when it no longer matters.
Two weird things of note: One, Lily’s father was white which does not come up until like halfway into the book. I thought this was strange because her father being white definitely would have played into her sister’s identity issues yet it’s mentioned as part of a funny anecdote and then never brought up in context. I think this was a missed opportunity to fully synthesize her sisters’ arc.
The second thing is that Lily’s sister is queer and the author chooses to treat it like it’s a mystery instead of a normal part of the sister’s character. I picked up on the vibes immediately so I didn't get why Keller was dragging it out. It literally gets confirmed in like the last chapter in a heavy handed ‘good for her’ aside by Lily that felt very out of place.
Obviously, the book is from Lily’s POV so if Lily doesn’t know we wouldn’t know for certain either. But, a big part of the book is supposed to be the sisters’ growing back together so wouldn’t it have been good for her to share this part of herself with Lily? Not that she’s obligated to, but it could have been a way for the two to bond or shed some light on why her sister seems so hot and cold.
There are no signs that their mother won’t react well, however, I understand that doesn’t guarantee she will handle it with grace so I can see why her sister might be lashing out if she feels she’s hiding such a big part of herself. But, we don’t get any reason as to why she doesn’t make it clear she’s got a girlfriend. It’s anyone’s guess. I could just be making assumptions based on my own experiences. There’s no indication one way or another.
It comes off as if the author didn’t want to write it yet still wanted praise for having a queer character so she considered this a fair middle ground. I don’t want to besmirch the honor of a person I don’t know, I’m simply pointing out that regardless of intention it feels performative.
Lily’s mother is introduced as a bad mom - being a bad mom is fluid, it doesn’t have to be a permanent descriptor - who puts Lily in the middle of her and her sister’s arguments thereby weaponizing Lily's people pleasing tendencies for her own gain. She also is prone to ignoring Lily’s own needs out of convenience. This is dropped rather quickly and never touched upon again. Her mother never realizes she’s been doing this. Subsequently, she never apologizes either.
Lily's new friend has some abandonment issues going on that manifest in self sabotage of his studying for a major exam he needs to ace to avoid repeating a grade. Lily at one point just tells him he should probably stop doing that. He does and that seems to be the end of that whole thing. Similar to Lily's mom, his father yells at him in a grocery store to shut up and this goes totally unaddressed. Lily’s halmoni kind of reprimands him for it, but the rest of the book just chugs along with no mention of if this man ever stopped emotionally neglecting and possibly verbally abusing his kid. We don’t even know if he ever apologized for the outburst.
The parts with halmoni are the strongest. Lily’s love for her is endearing. The prospect of her loss is legitimately heartbreaking. Keller does a wonderful job of painting a strong grandparent-grandchild dynamic. Halmoni’s worsening illness and the emotional fall out for those around her is very well done. When halmoni is lucid she’s such a fascinating, vibrant character. It contrasts masterfully with the scared, confused person she becomes when the illness causes her to lose track of herself. It was sad to watch her mental state begin to break down.
Anyways, I was let down. The concept was interesting, the execution was lacking. It wasn’t a bad book, simply average. I liked it enough that I’d still recommend it. If you don’t read it, you’re not losing out on a lot.
books_and_keys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
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
3.25
alexandra9's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
scarabsi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75
the way the book wove mythology into the lives of an everyday modern family was wonderful to read, and I enjoyed the way it masterfully straddled the line between the real and the fantastical. It is also very refreshing to read a book about connecting with your heritage through your parents or grandparents that don't feel like just another retread of the Joy Luck Club formula. Wonderful experience all around, had me crying in the early morning as I devoured it in one go.
hedyharper's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Car accident, and Dementia
osbo's review against another edition
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? N/A
4.5
kimchihae's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0