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inkandplasma's review against another edition
4.0
Full review: https://inkandplasma.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/tigers,-not-daughters-by-samantha-mabry-(review)/
I was blown away by this book. Considering I had absolutely no expectations going into it, I felt intoxicated by the prose. I’m usually a little leery of reading books focused solely on grief. I’m very, very easily upset by books (and by most things, I’m baby) so I started this book with a heavy amount of caution. It was handled beautifully. The writing was musical and powerful, and handled the extremely dark topics that this book covered with a deft touch. More than that, I loved that the characters felt absolutely and unrelentingly real. They were flawed, and that’s what made them perfect narrators. There’s nothing I love more than female characters who have human, ugly sides, not just their good, beautiful sides.
Each of the girls is processing Ana’s death in their own way, and it leads to a fractured and complicated narrative split across Jessica, Iridian and Rosa’s perspectives, a year after Ana died. The relationships between them are heavy and strained by grief and by the trauma of living in their family home, now shadowed by the emotional ghost of their lost mother, and the more physical ghost of their sister. We meet Ana through her sisters’ memories of her, rather than from her own perspective, and I was amazed by how Samantha Mabry managed to create such a whole and complete character from little snippets of her life. We know Ana by the end of the book, and know that she’s dedicated to protecting her family, and raising them in their mother’s absence while still trying to be herself. It’s a hard balance to find, and when the weight falls across the surviving sisters, they struggle to take it.
Iridian is haunted more than her sisters, by something that she can’t bring herself to talk about, and she’s trying to find herself in Ana’s romance novels and in her own writing – desperate to create a story of her own and a world that she alone has power over. Rosa believes Ana has been reincarnated in an escaped hyena, and will risk anything to find her sister’s spirit and protect it from the rest of the community who live in fear of the beast. Jessica is Ana 2.0. She wants to be just like her sister. She takes her sister’s room, her make up, her clothes. She takes her sister’s abusive boyfriend too, punishing herself for not being enough like Ana.
The prose itself is as harsh and beautiful as the girls it describes. I was astounded by the way that Samantha Mabry managed to fit the prose so perfectly to the tone of the story, lyrical and soft in places and razor sharp and uncomfortable in others. Where this book could have been suffocatingly sad, the Torres sisters were fighters and they drove the story upwards. I couldn’t look away because I needed to see their futures and I needed to see them empowered. They brought a glimmer of hope into the story even when they weren’t feeling it themselves, and Tigers, Not Daughters is a tale of female strength and empowerment that I could never have expected. I think Ana would be proud of her sisters.
I was blown away by this book. Considering I had absolutely no expectations going into it, I felt intoxicated by the prose. I’m usually a little leery of reading books focused solely on grief. I’m very, very easily upset by books (and by most things, I’m baby) so I started this book with a heavy amount of caution. It was handled beautifully. The writing was musical and powerful, and handled the extremely dark topics that this book covered with a deft touch. More than that, I loved that the characters felt absolutely and unrelentingly real. They were flawed, and that’s what made them perfect narrators. There’s nothing I love more than female characters who have human, ugly sides, not just their good, beautiful sides.
Each of the girls is processing Ana’s death in their own way, and it leads to a fractured and complicated narrative split across Jessica, Iridian and Rosa’s perspectives, a year after Ana died. The relationships between them are heavy and strained by grief and by the trauma of living in their family home, now shadowed by the emotional ghost of their lost mother, and the more physical ghost of their sister. We meet Ana through her sisters’ memories of her, rather than from her own perspective, and I was amazed by how Samantha Mabry managed to create such a whole and complete character from little snippets of her life. We know Ana by the end of the book, and know that she’s dedicated to protecting her family, and raising them in their mother’s absence while still trying to be herself. It’s a hard balance to find, and when the weight falls across the surviving sisters, they struggle to take it.
Iridian is haunted more than her sisters, by something that she can’t bring herself to talk about, and she’s trying to find herself in Ana’s romance novels and in her own writing – desperate to create a story of her own and a world that she alone has power over. Rosa believes Ana has been reincarnated in an escaped hyena, and will risk anything to find her sister’s spirit and protect it from the rest of the community who live in fear of the beast. Jessica is Ana 2.0. She wants to be just like her sister. She takes her sister’s room, her make up, her clothes. She takes her sister’s abusive boyfriend too, punishing herself for not being enough like Ana.
The prose itself is as harsh and beautiful as the girls it describes. I was astounded by the way that Samantha Mabry managed to fit the prose so perfectly to the tone of the story, lyrical and soft in places and razor sharp and uncomfortable in others. Where this book could have been suffocatingly sad, the Torres sisters were fighters and they drove the story upwards. I couldn’t look away because I needed to see their futures and I needed to see them empowered. They brought a glimmer of hope into the story even when they weren’t feeling it themselves, and Tigers, Not Daughters is a tale of female strength and empowerment that I could never have expected. I think Ana would be proud of her sisters.
emmreadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Tigers, Not Daughters is a beautiful story about strength in the face of adversity. These sisters face down issues like loss, grief, and abuse while growing together as a unit. Adding in a bit of magical realism, discussion of religion, and a manhunt for a hyena only adds character to the novel. The writing was beautiful, but I had some issues with the pacing that lessened the immersion for me.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
*Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
speasyspice's review against another edition
4.0
When Ana Torres unexpectedly dies the summer after she graduates high school, her three younger sisters are left alone in a sea of overpowering loss, neighborhood gossip, and unanswered questions. Left on their own without their eldest sister, the remaining Torres girls cope in any way they can, but a year after Ana’s death, it becomes obvious that they are all still hurting. Then Ana’s ghost begins to make its presence known in the Torres house, with mysterious laughter, handprints on the shower, and messages written on the walls. But why is Ana here? What is she trying to tell them? And what if she has unfinished business? Heartbreaking and hopeful, ghostly and gorgeous, Tigers, Not Daughters is a masterful story of grief, healing, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood between determined, ferocious young women. An absolutely stunning read.
kelseymay's review
2.0
2.5 stars
I enjoyed reading "Tigers, Not Daughters," but I wasn't satisfied with the ending and several of the narration tactics. I also felt that a few too many of the conversations felt unrealistic. Still, this book has many things going for it, including a fantastic portrayal of the complexity of teen relationships, great attention to detail, colorful language, and an accurate portrayal of different levels of teen sexuality.
I enjoyed reading "Tigers, Not Daughters," but I wasn't satisfied with the ending and several of the narration tactics. I also felt that a few too many of the conversations felt unrealistic. Still, this book has many things going for it, including a fantastic portrayal of the complexity of teen relationships, great attention to detail, colorful language, and an accurate portrayal of different levels of teen sexuality.
rcaivano's review against another edition
I went into this thinking I wasn't going to like it but read it because of all the great reviews. The three Torres sisters are living in the shadow of their oldest sister's death. None of them, including their useless father (their mother died in childbirth) is handling the death well. The story is told from each sister's POV which makes it much more interesting and relatable, but each are so damaged you can't help but want to reach into the pages of the book and help each of them. Again, useless father who is of no help to anyone. It appears that their sister Ana has come back with a message and each sister tries to find her, and her message, in their own way. It's a story about intense sisterly love, family bonds, and also standing up for yourself - there are abusive men in their lives and the sisters help each other realize they don't have to take it. They are enough for themselves and each other. An excellent book.
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child death, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
whimsicalyme's review against another edition
5.0
I know that I have seen mixed reviews for this book but let me be clear......It almost broke my heart, this book is an unflinching diatribe on grief, abuse, and loss. The book isn't overly long or wordy but it packed a punch. Seeing the sister's through each other's POV added so much depth to the characters. I loved them for their spirit, their fight against a world without their sister in it. Although each of the surviving sisters fell apart in some way, Mabry also wrote the rawness of their regret, each sister realizing she had strength, and together they are strongest.
I give this one 5 fantastic stars for great characters, the haunting use of a ghost, and magical realism. Mabry flawlessly demonstrates how girls on their path to womanhood can discover how resilient. and strong they can be.
bbailey10's review against another edition
4.0
Tigers, Not Daughters is a slow-burn book. With flashbacks, point-of-view changes, and a very introspective story, this book beautifully details how three sisters are living in the aftermath of their oldest sister’s death. The hint of magical realism brings a whimsical, haunting note to this sad, hopeful, heartbreaking story. I could not stop reading it.
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
stenaros's review
3.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
This was a very atmospheric novel about four sisters. It was told in alternating sister perspectives plus an outside observer. For me, the narrative sunk under its collective misery and didn't deliver enough of a payout at the end.
This was a very atmospheric novel about four sisters. It was told in alternating sister perspectives plus an outside observer. For me, the narrative sunk under its collective misery and didn't deliver enough of a payout at the end.