Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
I think I have a hole in my heart now…
I might have cried too hard for the book. I don't even remember when was the last time I cried this hard after reading a book.
First of all, it’s a Peter Pan retelling. If you’ve watched/read Peter Pan, you would have known something about Neverland where the lost boys never age. In contrary, this book focuses on the other side of Neverland (darker and sadder) and revolves around a particular tribe on the island, where Tiger Lily belongs to. However, Tiger Lily doesn't fit in her tribe. She was raised by Tik Tok, the shaman of the village.
It tells the tale, from the perspective of Tinkerbell, that Peter Pan, before he met Wendy, once loved a girl called Tiger Lily in Neverland. It might have appeared to be a cheesy love story, but I can tell you, it’s more than that. In fact, it’s about loyalty, friendship, loneliness, afraid of change and fear to lose anything. I’m impressed because the author even included some sensitive topics like religion, bullying, domestic violence, forced marriage, rape and transgender in the book. All in all, the story has offered so much more than it appeared to me at first.
One of the best dedications I've ever read
I love this love story, from the beginning till the end of it. Halfway through, I had a feeling that it is going to end tragically. I just knew it. This book, in many ways, is predictable and unforeseeable at the same time. It is predictable in the sense that, you just know that Peter and Tiger Lily aren’t going to stay together, but it is unforeseeable because you wouldn’t be able to guess what was it that led to their separation. In other words, you will know how it ends, but you will not be prepared for the ending.
The story started slow but interesting. The first 180 pages, the author did very well in building up the characters, the settings from the perspective of Tinker Bell and where the story might head to. I didn't get bored at all because the story is very clear and captivating. After that, buckle up and be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride.
Also, I think it’s more intimate to hear a tale telling from a third party’s perspective, in this case, from Tinkerbell’s. I love the writing style and the characters. It’s beautifully written. Unlike any other books, all the characters in this book have their weaknesses. They are complex but significant.
Tiger Lily is very independent, confident, strong and brave but just like any other human, she has her weakness; she is vulnerable. She isn’t always nice, but she does the right thing at the right time. She doesn't know how and that she has to express her feelings. She is real. She makes mistakes. I like her very much, more than I like Peter, Tinker Bell or anyone else in the book.
I enjoy reading this book very much. It has so many types of emotion that I have yet to fathom. The story is so real that it has love, betrayal, naivety and jealousy. It’s definitely not the kind of story I expected to read.
Every now and then, you will get to read a book that is different from any other books you’ve read. It captures your heart until the last page and it leaves you a hole in your heart when you finish the story. For me, this is the book.
'Tiger Lily' captivated me, making its way into my heart, and haunt me for a long time. It might not be something you would usually be interested in, but I highly recommend this book for you to give it a try.
"Sometimes love means not being able to bear seeing the one you love the way they are, when they're not what you hoped for them.”
---Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily
Rating: ★★★★★
Spoiler-free review ends here.
Previously, I've mentioned that this book is about Tiger Lily's relationship with Peter Pan. And yes, they are not going to stay happily ever after in Neverland. Her relationship with Peter failed because Peter was afraid that Tiger Lily was too tough and braver than him; Peter felt like he was not needed by Tiger Lily. Also, there were too much quietness between them even though they loved each other so deeply.
"Of all the things Tiger Lily had thought she might have to be for Peter - strong, brave, to be big and to keep up - she had never thought that the one thing he wanted most from her was simply to show that she believed in him, always and without fail."
--- Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily
I found the relationship between Tiger Lily and Peter to be very relatable. The person we choose to be with shall love us for who we are. However, there is a moral I derived from this fictitious relationship and that is:
Sometimes, especially as a girl, we need to be flexible; we have to know when to be strong and independent, when to let him know we need him to take care of us and when to support and believe him truthfully.
"For three days, she kept on studying the horizon, even speaking to it, as if a ship that had already disappeared could hear her. "Choose me." And Peter did choose. But he chose something else."
---Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily
I never expected Peter to leave Neverland forever. I started crying here. I hoped so badly that Peter did not board the ship but he was just hiding in the forest to give Tiger Lily a lesson. Until I confirmed that he and the lost boys are truly gone for good, that's when the real betrayal kicked in. I loved the lost boys when they looked at Tiger Lily like she is a goddess and when Peter told Tiger Lily he really loved her. But now, I hate them for leaving when Wendy offered to take them. I hate Wendy for ruining it.
Eventually, Tiger Lily moved on, but not completely. I don't think anyone will ever move on completely after loving someone so deeply. You may have the heart and courage to love again but somehow, the wound or, at least, the scar remains.
"She goes up on the cliffs from time to time and stands there for hours, continuing her long goodbye. It's not lack of loyalty to her husband. It is just that she was fifteen once for the first time, and Peter walked across her heart, and left his footprints there".
---Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily
If you 'ship' Peter and Tiger Lily, obviously, you would have thought the ending is a sad one. Yet, I think it's both a sad and happy one. At least, Tiger Lily is with someone who loves her unconditionally and most importantly, he doesn't want to and wouldn't leave her. She can be with him without fear, even though she may not love him as much as she loved Peter.
Sadly, sometimes, the one you love so dearly might not be the one who stays with you for the rest of your life.
