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A review by bookishrealm
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
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? It's complicated
5.0
I should have known that any book that wins the Newberry Medal is one that is bound to make me cry. I should know that as a librarian. Did this still choke me up? Absolutely.
When You Trap a Tiger is so much more than the cover gives it credit for. Like other reviewers, I automatically assumed that it was going to have fantastical/magical elements. That's not to say that it didn't; however, this book was more about familial relationships and identity. Lily is used to being invisible and folds into herself quite a bit. Lily, her mother, and her sister move in with Halmoni (Lily's grandmother) to help take care of her while she's sick. For me as a reader, I was confused as to where Keller was going to take the story. There was a weaving in of Korean folklore and storytelling that I found fascinating, yet at the same time I wasn't sure how it would all work together. This book taught me patience (in a good way). Keller slowly and beautifully reveled how the relationship between the tiger, Lily, and Halomi worked to create the entire narrative. And it completely destroyed me. At the same time that Lily is desperate to save Halomi, she's trying to navigate friendships and her relationship with her sister. Because her "invisibility" Lily tries and sometimes fails at friendships especially in relation to protecting Halomi whose behavior grows more and more eccentric as she grows more ill. She also struggles with trying to build and maintain a relationship with her sister. There is a certain level of empathy that the reader develops for Lily while she struggles and grows.
It would ultimately be a failure on my end not to mention the important role that storytelling plays in this book. Storytelling serves as a primary source to connecting Lily to her Korean ancestry and it never failed to amaze me how much I related to this sentiment even though I'm not an ownvoices reviewer. Storytelling serves as a catalyst for this story where readers are not only able to see amazing character development, but also the beautiful development of a well-thought out plot. Through both of these things Lily learns the importance of her own ancestry and how to use her voice in effective and important ways that are comfortable for her. Storytelling also serves as a coping mechanism in the face of death and grieving. With such a difficult reality facing a young character, Keller creates these elements to also help readers build and navigate empathy.
Full of such beautiful writing and characterizations, I instantly fell in love with this book. It's such a beautiful ode to Keller's own journey in recognizing her own Korean heritage. It's a testament to the struggle of grieving, familial relationships and finding one's voice. I can't begin to thank the author enough for sharing a piece of Korean culture with me and so many other readers. This book is so very deserving of every single award it receives and I can't wait to read more from Keller.
When You Trap a Tiger is so much more than the cover gives it credit for. Like other reviewers, I automatically assumed that it was going to have fantastical/magical elements. That's not to say that it didn't; however, this book was more about familial relationships and identity. Lily is used to being invisible and folds into herself quite a bit. Lily, her mother, and her sister move in with Halmoni (Lily's grandmother) to help take care of her while she's sick. For me as a reader, I was confused as to where Keller was going to take the story. There was a weaving in of Korean folklore and storytelling that I found fascinating, yet at the same time I wasn't sure how it would all work together. This book taught me patience (in a good way). Keller slowly and beautifully reveled how the relationship between the tiger, Lily, and Halomi worked to create the entire narrative. And it completely destroyed me. At the same time that Lily is desperate to save Halomi, she's trying to navigate friendships and her relationship with her sister. Because her "invisibility" Lily tries and sometimes fails at friendships especially in relation to protecting Halomi whose behavior grows more and more eccentric as she grows more ill. She also struggles with trying to build and maintain a relationship with her sister. There is a certain level of empathy that the reader develops for Lily while she struggles and grows.
It would ultimately be a failure on my end not to mention the important role that storytelling plays in this book. Storytelling serves as a primary source to connecting Lily to her Korean ancestry and it never failed to amaze me how much I related to this sentiment even though I'm not an ownvoices reviewer. Storytelling serves as a catalyst for this story where readers are not only able to see amazing character development, but also the beautiful development of a well-thought out plot. Through both of these things Lily learns the importance of her own ancestry and how to use her voice in effective and important ways that are comfortable for her. Storytelling also serves as a coping mechanism in the face of death and grieving. With such a difficult reality facing a young character, Keller creates these elements to also help readers build and navigate empathy.
Full of such beautiful writing and characterizations, I instantly fell in love with this book. It's such a beautiful ode to Keller's own journey in recognizing her own Korean heritage. It's a testament to the struggle of grieving, familial relationships and finding one's voice. I can't begin to thank the author enough for sharing a piece of Korean culture with me and so many other readers. This book is so very deserving of every single award it receives and I can't wait to read more from Keller.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death