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A review by bookph1le
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
3.0
This was one of those books where I wasn't really into it in the beginning, but it ended on a really strong, beautiful note. More complete review to come.
Full review:
When I first started reading Tiger Lily, I wasn't all that fond of it. In fact, up until about three quarters of the way through the book, I was ready to chalk it up to its just not being a book for me. I didn't have issues with any technical aspects of the book, didn't find any plot holes or characters I didn't like, I simply wasn't connecting with it on a level that makes me care deeply for a book. Then, suddenly, the action ramped up and the emotional impact of the novel really started getting to me. Unfortunately, by that point, it was too late for me to become completely invested in the novel. Spoilers ahead.
I know exactly why I didn't connect with the novel and it is this: I did not like the structure of it. There was nothing wrong with it; it's simply that it was a matter of personal preference. By having Tinker Bell as the narrator, I felt too removed from Tiger Lily to care about her as much as I would have needed to in order for me to really be pulled into the narrative. It seemed this was done to set her up as some sort of impartial narrator and, because I didn't get much insight into what Tiger Lily was thinking and feeling, I also felt impartial. The other downside to this was it pulled me out of the story because I often found myself thinking, "Wait, how could Tinker Bell know Tiger Lily is thinking that? That's impossible!" and then I'd have to remind myself that Tinker Bell could read thoughts. Whenever I'm jolted out of the flow of a book by moments like these, it makes it hard for me to really appreciate that book.
However, once Tinker Bell became more of an active player in the story itself, I found myself drawn in. The ending is so strong and packs such an emotional punch that it was almost as if it was a different book. I didn't really get the feeling that the tension was building, more that it went from Tinker Bell being kind of outside of the events to Tinker Bell suddenly playing an active role. Once she played an active role, the story suddenly became far, far stronger for me than it had been before. In a way, I think Tinker Bell represents the feeling we all have at times, when we can't control the events that are unfolding in our lives, but this didn't really occur to me until at least three quarters of the way through the book. I might have looked at it differently had I had a stronger sense earlier in the book that Tinker Bell was a representation of the futility of life.
Yet this is a pretty substantial book. Anderson tackles issues like gender roles and the impact that missionaries have on native people. This isn't done in a preachy way and it's not necessarily central to the novel, but I thought she did an excellent job of showing how much destruction can be caused by good intentions. That's the crux of this novel, really. It's not so much that the evil in Neverland causes the havoc that later comes--though the evil definitely plays its part--it's more that small errors, little lapses in judgement add up in a very important way. I liked that aspect of this book, liked that it took a critical look at what happens when we're not paying close attention to the events that are unfolding in our lives.
Another thing I really liked about this book was its message about romantic love. Tiger Lily falls for Peter because he is wild, fragile, and broken and she longs to soothe his aches but also to lose herself in his wildness. Though she's not considered conventional in her own society, she lives by its strictures--particularly when it comes to who she will marry--and there's that part of her that longs to break free, which is what makes Peter so attractive. Yet the love Peter has for her is entirely selfish on his part. Peter loves Tiger Lily more for what she can do for him than for what he can do for her. When this is contrasted with the unconditional love and devotion Pine Sap feels, it creates a stark example of the difference between a love that is unhealthy and one that is healthy, a love in which someone loves the idea of a person as contrasted to a love in which someone loves the actual person. I think there's too little of this in YA lit at times, so I'm always happy when I find a book that lays this out clearly.
The writing in this book is also quite lovely, and I thought Anderson dealt with the pain of loss and betrayal in a way that was authentic without being over-the-top. I really felt for Tiger Lily at the end of the novel, and my heart ached for her as I kept turning pages, eager to find out what would happen in the end. And that's why the slow start was such a disappointment for me. Had the entire book hit me in the way the last part of it did, this would have been a five-star novel for me for sure.
Full review:
When I first started reading Tiger Lily, I wasn't all that fond of it. In fact, up until about three quarters of the way through the book, I was ready to chalk it up to its just not being a book for me. I didn't have issues with any technical aspects of the book, didn't find any plot holes or characters I didn't like, I simply wasn't connecting with it on a level that makes me care deeply for a book. Then, suddenly, the action ramped up and the emotional impact of the novel really started getting to me. Unfortunately, by that point, it was too late for me to become completely invested in the novel. Spoilers ahead.
I know exactly why I didn't connect with the novel and it is this: I did not like the structure of it. There was nothing wrong with it; it's simply that it was a matter of personal preference. By having Tinker Bell as the narrator, I felt too removed from Tiger Lily to care about her as much as I would have needed to in order for me to really be pulled into the narrative. It seemed this was done to set her up as some sort of impartial narrator and, because I didn't get much insight into what Tiger Lily was thinking and feeling, I also felt impartial. The other downside to this was it pulled me out of the story because I often found myself thinking, "Wait, how could Tinker Bell know Tiger Lily is thinking that? That's impossible!" and then I'd have to remind myself that Tinker Bell could read thoughts. Whenever I'm jolted out of the flow of a book by moments like these, it makes it hard for me to really appreciate that book.
However, once Tinker Bell became more of an active player in the story itself, I found myself drawn in. The ending is so strong and packs such an emotional punch that it was almost as if it was a different book. I didn't really get the feeling that the tension was building, more that it went from Tinker Bell being kind of outside of the events to Tinker Bell suddenly playing an active role. Once she played an active role, the story suddenly became far, far stronger for me than it had been before. In a way, I think Tinker Bell represents the feeling we all have at times, when we can't control the events that are unfolding in our lives, but this didn't really occur to me until at least three quarters of the way through the book. I might have looked at it differently had I had a stronger sense earlier in the book that Tinker Bell was a representation of the futility of life.
Yet this is a pretty substantial book. Anderson tackles issues like gender roles and the impact that missionaries have on native people. This isn't done in a preachy way and it's not necessarily central to the novel, but I thought she did an excellent job of showing how much destruction can be caused by good intentions. That's the crux of this novel, really. It's not so much that the evil in Neverland causes the havoc that later comes--though the evil definitely plays its part--it's more that small errors, little lapses in judgement add up in a very important way. I liked that aspect of this book, liked that it took a critical look at what happens when we're not paying close attention to the events that are unfolding in our lives.
Another thing I really liked about this book was its message about romantic love. Tiger Lily falls for Peter because he is wild, fragile, and broken and she longs to soothe his aches but also to lose herself in his wildness. Though she's not considered conventional in her own society, she lives by its strictures--particularly when it comes to who she will marry--and there's that part of her that longs to break free, which is what makes Peter so attractive. Yet the love Peter has for her is entirely selfish on his part. Peter loves Tiger Lily more for what she can do for him than for what he can do for her. When this is contrasted with the unconditional love and devotion Pine Sap feels, it creates a stark example of the difference between a love that is unhealthy and one that is healthy, a love in which someone loves the idea of a person as contrasted to a love in which someone loves the actual person. I think there's too little of this in YA lit at times, so I'm always happy when I find a book that lays this out clearly.
The writing in this book is also quite lovely, and I thought Anderson dealt with the pain of loss and betrayal in a way that was authentic without being over-the-top. I really felt for Tiger Lily at the end of the novel, and my heart ached for her as I kept turning pages, eager to find out what would happen in the end. And that's why the slow start was such a disappointment for me. Had the entire book hit me in the way the last part of it did, this would have been a five-star novel for me for sure.