Most Helpful Customer Reviews
95 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
even realism can too far, August 28, 2000
As a junior high school English teacher, I am always on the lookout for a good YA novel to teach to my students or to recommend that they read individually. When I heard of Tears of a Tiger, I had high hopes that it would be everything that I look for in a YA novel. First of all, I liked the fact that the main characters were African-American. I teach a large portion of African-American students, and I have a lot of trouble finding a YA novel in which African-Americans are the central characters (are you listening, YA authors?). Second, I absolutely loved the differing points of view style that the book is written in. The way that the characters are developed through conversation, letters, poems, essays, and so on is one of the best that I have read. This is a great teaching tool alone, not to mention a super way of telling the story. Third, the event that is the catalyst for the plot, the underage drinking and driving, is realistic and teaches a great lesson to teenagers. Given my glowing praise, you may wonder, why not five stars? The simple fact is that Andy's suicide destroyed the book for me. The whole plot of the book seemed to be leading to Andy's coming to grips with the death of his friend. I was thinking: what a great way to show kids that there are other alternatives than killing oneself to work through problems. Then, the suicide note and he is dead. This is not a good message to send to youth. While a mature young adult can read and understand this book the way that the author probably meant it to be read, this is not a YA book for the masses. In good conscience, I cannot teach a book to kids who have enough disturbing messages thrown at them from all sources on a daily basis as it is. They do not need to read a book in which the main character, a young man much like many of them, cannot cope with his mistakes and kills himself. Would I still teach Antigone and Macbeth, you may wonder? Yes, I would; the characters who commit suicide in many classic works of literature bear little or no resemblance to the teenagers of today. Andy, on the other hand, is too much like many of the teenagers that I run into on a daily basis. Our children need to be taught the real truth--that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dramatic story of a boy who takes life the wrong way., June 9, 1999
By A Customer
Tears of a Tiger Book Review Happy-go-lucky teenage boys, play basketball and party; figure out how fast all that can change. Andrew(also known as Andy) Jackson, a basketball player who has his license, and his girlfriend Keisha, have been going steady for a few months. Andy's friends Robbie Washington, B.J. Carson, and Tyrone Mills, all go to the Hazelwood High School together, and have been friends for years. Robbie, Tyrone and Andy are party animals, while B.J. is more down-to-earth and passive. One night the boys decide to get a six-pack and have one of their usual "late-night rituals" together. Andy is the driver and has been drinking, and Robbie has his feet up, dangerously on the dashboard. Carelessly drunk and still driving, the boys head out on the highway, where later they hit a wall and helplessly watch Robbie burn to death in the car. There was nothing the boys could do to get him out of the car, but Andy still blames himself, because he was driving. Andy goes deeper, and deeper into depression, and loses his girlfriend Keisha through his anger and crying. He even sees a counselor, and his friends think he is fine. All that smile and charm is hidden behind a crying mask, and his friends can't reach out to help him. But even a counselor couldn't help his friends through the tragedy they were going to face....in the future. Sharon M. Draper has put together many books like this one, to help young adults through problems that they will face, in their teen years. The book, she hopes, will teach young readers to deal with their problems and to stay away from drugs, alcohol, and suicide. This book is a mix of drama, action, and slight horror. The book was worth the reading, and if you like books that make you cry, you can guarantee this one! It was put together in a conversational form, which was difficult to follow in the beginning, but you will catch up soon, and it just gets better and better. If you ever come across this book, be sure to read it; it may change your life.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What I've Been Saying All Along, May 31, 2006
When publishing my own book, I heard repeatedly that young African-Americans do not read but I think that's a lie. If more books came out that they could relate to, especially for boys, then the percentage of readers would change. When I initially got this book, I looked at how it was written and became concerned about the style. Everything is all dialogue--and as much as I like dialogue, I thought maybe the author was pushing it too much. Wrong! I realized quickly that if the dialogue is informative enough, it will make a reader feel like they're being told the story in a conversational manner...and in a different manner at that. This book was outstanding. I love realistic views of how teenagers REALLY act, feel, talk, and relate to other peers. Ofcourse not every teenager runs into a drunk driving issue, a suicidal peer, or parent abandonment...but even those who don't can probably relate to this book. Draper did not ONLY concentrate on a boy's feelings after his friend died in his car, but also on the relationship between young lovers, parenthood, a teacher/coach relationship with his/her students, and how peer pressure affects students in general. I am so impressed and definitely glad that Amazon.com recommended this book to me. Great job, Sharon! Absolutely great job!
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