Title: Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Genre: Fantasy
How I got the book: I bought it
Summary (from Amazon):
Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair… Tiger Lily. When fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan deep in the forbidden woods of Neverland, the two form a bond that’s impossible to break, but also impossible to hold on to. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland’s inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. However, when Wendy Darling, a girl who is everything Tiger Lily is not, arrives on the island, Tiger Lily discovers how far she is willing to go to keep Peter with her, and in Neverland.
Told from the perspective of tiny, fairy-sized Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily is the breathtaking story of budding romance, letting go and the pains of growing up.
My Review (may contain spoilers!):
Peter Pan is my all-time favorite. Whenever I find a retelling of it, I pick it up and read it without question. Of course, there are some retellings that I enjoy more than others.
This one, I’m sad to admit, didn’t keep my interest very well.
I finished the whole book hoping it would get better, but it never did for me.
Tinkerbell is the narrator as she observes Peter Pan and the Lost Boys as well as Tiger Lily and her tribe. So it was written in first person through Tinkerbell, but because she could read emotions and such, she knew what everyone was feeling and sometimes thinking. In other words, it was written in third person with the use of first person.
Are you confused, yet?
It was a pretty clever way to tell the story, I’ll admit. But it was confusing and just didn’t work for me. I think it should have been written in third person and that’s it.
The reason Tinkerbell was the narrator was because she had a crush on Peter Pan and watched as he and Tiger Lily grew feelings for each other. Even the summary states that the story is, more a less, a love triangle. Yet, I felt as though the love story was completely overshadowed.
Yes, Tinkerbell had a crush on Peter Pan and she couldn’t have him because she’s a fairy and he barely knew she existed, but the summary definitely makes the novel sound better than it is.
Hook was supposedly the bad guy, but he was only mentioned in two chapters. I just felt as though there was no real plot.
Aside from the POV, the novel was written nicely.
I also liked the twist of Tik Tok. Instead of an alligator, he was Tiger Lily’s father who loved time and made clocks.
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson gets 3 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“Actually, I never get sad. It’s a waste of time, don’t you think?” –Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily
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I like your review. I agree this book wasn’t what I was hoping it would be
Thank you. Yeah, I had high hopes for the book and was disappointed.
That book sounds unfortunate. The concept is interesting, though.
It was an interesting concept. But, in my opinion, it just didn’t work.
The cover bothers me.
How come?
The design of its title doesn’t seem to work with everything else. That’s just how I feel.
I can see that. I think “lily” should be “Lily.”
Yes, that too!
Because it’s technically two words, but it’s still part of the name… And title.
True. I wish the font was different too.
Well now that you mention it, I can see that font being used for a thriller or something.
Same here actually. I can see it too.
I like the background. I don’t know what it is, but the colors are pretty.
I agree. It’s the text that doesn’t work for me.
Right. I agree.
Shame, covers awesome too.
Yeah, I was surprised I was able to finish it to tell you the truth.
It is such a shame you didn’t enjoy this retelling of Peter Pan as it sounds super interesting! You mentioned that you pick up a lot of Peter Pan retelling so I wondered if you had any recommendations of ones that are great as I was thinking of picking this up but now I’m not so sure! 😀
If you think you would enjoy this book, then by all means give it a try! It wasn’t my cup of coffee, but I’m sure many others have enjoyed it. 🙂
A Peter Pan retelling that I read fairly recently was called Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum. I really enjoyed that one.
Yep Synopsis sounds really intriguing and I was considering adding it to my TBR list… maybe I will as I am also a Peter Pan books/movies fan.
Give it a try anyway. You may end up enjoying it more than me.