Reviews

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry

emmbien's review

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2.0

I read Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides in college and I hated it. I do not care for the plural male narration style, it sucks. Yes I understand that it’s meant to draw attention to the male gaze, but if all something does is draw attention to a thing, does that really help at all? Awareness.

I saw reviewers describe this book as “fantasy Little Women.” Kill me now: no, no, no this is not Little Women except in that there are four sisters? Abusive dad with sisters who don’t talk to each other at all does not give Little Women vibes.

I wish there was more of a ghostly mystery or fantasy, but those parts were few and far between.

mrs_bookdragon's review

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4.0

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Magical realism is one of my favorite genres and this book has this as a surprising twist. I was not expecting some of the magical elements and I felt that they flowed smoothly for the most part. I will say that one of the sisters had a power that I felt wasn’t explored enough, but overall the magic was done well.

I loved how strong the girls were together and the overall message of sisterhood and love. It was a fast-paced, suspenseful book that tugged at my heart quite a bit.

Some things I was disappointed in was the development of the dad and the ending with him...I just felt a little lost and let down. I also had a hard time believing the ending with him. The same is with the relationship between the oldest sister and the boyfriend John. I don’t want to give anything away, but his role and her haunting just felt confusing and I wish it had been elaborated a little.

Overall, I enjoyed this young adult magical realism book. Although some plot points felt rushed, it was enjoyable and I loved the theme.

neglet's review

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Enjoyed this ghostish story—emphasized the left-behind sisters and their relationships rather than the ghost, who is mysterious but not too scary. Loved the San Antonio setting. Just enough creepy for me, with a pleasing resolution.

sarah_grey's review

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2.0

I wanted to love this. I'm disappointed that I couldn't. The snapshot style of writing and so many different points of view feels more like an indie movie that is supposed to be deep but most people don't get so no one watches it.

fallingletters's review

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When I was 20% into this book, I wondered why I hadn’t seen more people talking about it. Now that I’ve finished it, I can see why it might not be as popular as other YA magical realism novels.

gabbolds's review

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3.0

3.5⭐️

ebralz's review

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4.0

I really liked this book. I read some reviews that said this book didn’t really have a point and I think that was the point. Plus it did have a point, a story about 3 sisters and their grief over losing their sister. It was told through multiple points of view (my fav) and each sister was flawed in a emotionally and realistic way. Very well written.

cat_universe's review

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challenging emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

eowyns_helmet's review

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5.0

WOW. If I could give this book 100 stars. Gorgeous, so well observed. Unsparing in its view of the Torres sisters, and so RIGHT. The writing is spectacular without being showy. So many vivid scenes and emotions. I'm going to be recommending this everywhere.

kelly_cosgrove's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75