A review by kmspedden
Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

5.0

*I received a free ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Music for Tigers is a fantastic coming of age story. There are many different things dealt with In the novel and they all flow together so well. It’s crazy knowing that there were animals that were abundant at one time and people deciding they were pests killed them off. And yes you know that there aren’t really tigers running around Tasmania and that no one has noticed them yet but it is a wonderful thought thinking they could be out there somewhere. That people cared enough about the animals to protect them. It also handles autism and anxiety very well. There are some stories that slap that label on people and don’t do much other then write a character as ‘socially awkward; or something like that but Coli is so well rounded. He’s someone that knows his limits and has moments where he’s overwhelmed and has ways to self calm just like someone does in real life.

It’s such a realistic portrayal that I think it’s perfect for a middle grade book when kids are starting to really see things and there are always the problems with bullying. It shows that he’s not ‘odd’ or ‘weird’ (words used in the book to say what he isn’t) but a child that’s different just like everyone else. I would fully recommend this book both for it’s characters and it’s story. I really enjoyed it.