First Impressions: I have an embarrassing confession to make right now. I have an extremely strange obsession with Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. I collect all of the editions I can get my hands on of the book, I've watched all of the movies, I've seen the play dozens of times in different venues, and I've written a parade of papers in college analyzing different aspect of the original version. Like I said, I'm strangely obsessed. So when I found out that Jodi Lynn Anderson, one of my favorite authors, had written a book about Tiger Lily, I needed to get it! I didn't even have to read the synopsis to know that I wanted to review this book (but I did, and afterwards, I wanted this book even more). Now, I have a second confession to make. I'm not a huge fan of Wendy! I've always preferred Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily over Wendy. I could spend all day explaining why, but I'm not going to bore you to death. I however feel inclined to let you know that this review might be a bit biased, just because of how much I love anything to do with Peter Pan. It's very hard for me not to like, on the exception of Disney's version of Peter Pan, which I find incredibly racist and ignorant since I'm Native American. Anyway, back to the book.
First 50 Pages: The first 50 pages of this book kind of put me in shock. Okay, I'm being dramatic, but the beginning was surprising. Just by judging what the book synopsis had told me, I thought that this book would be told from the point of view of Tiger Lily. It's not. It is told from Tinkerbell's point of view and how she views everything that is going on around her, but mostly it's about Tinkerbell's observations revolving around Peter and Tiger Lily. Tinkerbell doesn't have the ability to speak (and the story explains why) but she is quite the little observer and she is able to read other people's thoughts. Without the ability to speak, her memory with details is very astounding and I loved her point of view and I loved how the author chose to use her as the narrator. Again, this may be a bias because Tink is my favorite Peter Pan character and I've always wanted to have her perspective on the activities that occur in Neverland.
With that said, it was an odd choice. I can see how some people won't be able to connect as much as they want to with Tiger Lily or any of the other characters. If you go into this book expecting to hear a whole lot from Tiger Lily herself, you are going to be disappointed. If you expect to hear a story told from Tinkerbell, I think you are going to like this book much more. It's not going to be for everyone. I'd also like to include that the pace of this book is slower than I expected it to be. That isn't a bad thing, but don't expect a ton of action.
Characters & Plot: One of my favorite things about Tiger Lily, is that it seemed to stay true to the original story. All of the main characters are there and even the Crocodile makes an appearance. As a big fan of the original play, I really appreciated Jodi keeping things simple. However, Jodi puts her own unique spin on just about everything and this book, even though it was true to the original, felt very unique. It was unlike any other Peter Pan inspired novel I've ever read. Jody's style of writing is incredibly beautiful and at times, it was heartbreaking. The ending tore me up, and yes, it made me cry. I'm such a crybaby sometimes, but Jodi's writing is phenomenal.
Tinkerbell is but a ball of light. She follows around the different characters and "reads" their emotions and thoughts. She has much to say, but isn't able to communicate other than pinching, pulling, and prodding the other characters. She has affection for Tiger Lily though, and she can tell you all about her. She knows Tiger Lily probably as well as Tiger Lily knows herself. Tinkerbell knows Tiger Lily isn't like the other members of her tribe. She is different and she has a great fear of Pan, the leader of the Lost Boys. Tiger Lily, in this version, isn't even a blood member of her family. Tink explains how Tiger Lily got her name and how she was found. She explains how she met Pan, how they fell in love, and how everything fell apart.
If you take the time to research J.M. Barrie's original play, you will find very quickly that it is a dark tale and nothing like what Disney imagined it to be. Jodi crafted Tiger Lily in the same manner, so more bonus points from me to her! Tinkerbell tells the reader in the beginning of the story that there will be no happy ending for Tiger Lily, so be prepared for that. This is a much darker tale, almost reminiscent of the old , original fairy tales. It's not going to be everyone's preferred cup of tea. I think some of the younger readers aren't going to like this book, maybe even much of the intended audience, but I could be wrong.
The romance that is captured in Tiger Lily is totally top-notch, swoon worthy stuff. The love and devotion that Peter and Tiger Lily share for one another is gorgeous. I don't know how best to describe it. It's one of those things that you just have to read for yourself in order to understand. The best way I can describe it, is that it felt so honest and I think many readers will be able to relate to some degree.
And then in walks Wendy, and I can't even describe my hatred for her. I dislike her even more in this story then I ever did before. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I know I wished Wendy a slow and painful death once or twice throughout this book. Now I'm being dramatic again, but I did go off on a huge rant about Wendy to my husband who seemed to have no idea (and he didn't) what the heck I was talking about. But it made me feel better and he seemed okay with my spurt of insanity. I have the best husband!
Final Thoughts: I'll be buying copies of Tiger Lily to pass around to my friends and family so they can enjoy it. That is how much I loved this book. I think this is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of Peter Pan and darker fairy tales. To Jodi Lynn Anderson: You did an AMAZING job with Tiger Lily! I bow down to you, Oh Great One!