Book Review: Tiger Lily

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson

Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

When I first saw the book, to be honest, and read the title I did not put two and two together that this was the same Tiger Lily from the wonderful story of Peter Pan. After reading the synopsis I felt like a big idiot of course for not realizing it sooner. I LOVE the cover because it is just a blur of color and those colors suit someone like Tiger Lily. She is of the Earth and wild and free just like the Earth tones on the front of the book. The cover almost looks to be an actual tiger lily and a dress worn by someone at the same time. I think it is beautiful! It has such a exotic context to it which is often times how Tiger Lily is actually described.

I do not even know where to begin with this book. I had read so many reviews, some good and others not so good. Eventually, it didn’t take me long; I decided that I had to see what all the talk was about for myself. I hope I can do this book justice within the review! First of all, I love how the author, Jodi Anderson, took one character from a well known storybook and set her apart in order to allow her to share her own unique story with us. This story has a dark and sometimes eerie feel to it because everything is so bluntly put into place for you. This is not a children’s book with colorful drawings and short and sweet sentences; no, this is a book about a love story that does not receive a happy ending and a few characters that do not either.

This story is narrated by Tinkerbell, whom happens to be my favorite storybook character. I loved her personality in this book and the way that she was protective and close to Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. She really gets inside of Tiger Lily’s thoughts and actually accompanies her everywhere. She describes Tiger Lily as running wild and being feared by many around her. Tinkerbell really adds the magical aspect to this book and she takes the reader on an inside journey of Neverland and describes what it looks like as well as some of the creatures and people that occupy the island. Her insights throughout the story are touching and seep down to a very personal level as she becomes more and more a part of their lives.

Tiger Lily was a raw and vastly flawed character but this is what made her so noticeable. She possesses no feminine characteristics and has no desire to be a wife to any man until she is face to face with Pan, as he is often referred to. She shows no fear or pain at the beginning of the story even though at times it is likely that she wishes to rip her own heart out. Her way is dealing with things is far different from my own. She finds solace and serenity, somewhat, in her visits with Peter and The Lost Boys. Their story is very endearing because they become almost like a family unit and they all become dependent on Tiger Lily’s frequent visits. Her relationship with Peter is at times strange and even distant. It is almost as if they are both trying to deny their own feelings so as to not appear weak in front of the other. They, by no means, possess a “mushy gushy” type of affection toward one another, but this is part of what makes it so realistic.

The moment when Wendy Darling steps onto the scene things change drastically for Tiger Lily. Her relationship with Peter and The Lost Boys and it just seems like no circumstance works out for her. This is when the heartbreaking starts and I would advise anyone to hold on tight and don’t look up! This book is not for people who expect a happy ending every time or anyone who expects a predictable one. In my opinion, at times the book can feel like it is dragging on but that is just because Tinkerbell deems it necessary to provide you with all the facts first!