Tiger Lily

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

ISBN: 9780062003256

Publisher: HarperTeen 
Publication Date:  July 3rd 2012
Number of Pages: 292

Source: Local Library

Goodreads Summary: Tinkerbell narrates the magical, bittersweet love story between Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. Tiger Lily has never been truly accepted by her tribe, and now the elders have decreed marriage to a man she doesn’t love. She spends more and more time alone in the woods, where she meets wild, fearless Peter Pan, leader of the Lost Boys. 

Tiger Lily is intoxicated by the freedom she feels with Peter, and falls under his spell. Their love is all-consuming, and she risks everything to be with him.

Then Wendy Darling arrives in Neverland.

My Rating:  

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved Anderson's take on the story between Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. Most of us know the childhood classic Disney movie, Peter Pan. The character of Tiger Lily is not explored at all and we know very little about her from this movie.  Anderson's book gives us the "before" and tells a bittersweet story of first love.

"There was a long moment between them that might have gone differently. Of all the times I saw the two of them together, this is the picture that is most stamped into my soul. It's the two of them, jumbled up and broken apart into confused pieces, and not really understanding, themselves, what they were doing." - Tiger Lily, 278

Things I wasn't expecting:

• The story to be told from Tinker Bell's point of view. This way of narration gives the reader a sense of disconnect, as we don't really know what Tiger Lily is thinking or feeling; we only get Tinker Bell's thoughts and guesses. I did like that were given more of a back story for Tink and are shown the reasoning she hates Wendy like she does. 
• How the story differed in regards to how the lost boys came to the island & Captain Hook's back story
• The ending! Which I won't give away - just know that it wasn't what I was expecting. I don't really agree with the conclusion and it is certainly bittersweet. 

The book is a little slow at the beginning and I was expecting Wendy to show up sooner than she did. I don't know if it's the fact that I started to identify with Tiger Lily or the way that Wendy was portrayed, but I really did not like her!! Coming in all her quaint lady-ness and upstaging the tomboy Tiger Lily.

I found it interesting the description of Tiger Lily's tribe and the underlying commentary on the relationship between natives & white "Englanders" and how they try to "educate" the tribe.  I found the character of Tiger Lily's "father" to be wonderful. Tik-Tok, the shaman of the tribe, wheres dresses and is more "feminine." His ending is heartbreaking to read.

I won't touch on all the characters but I will say that she describes and develops them well. 

I would recommend this book to lovers of re-tellings. Do be prepared for some major differences between Disney's Peter Pan and this book.