As a child, watching Disney’s Peter Pan was an exciting past
time full of adventure, pirates, mermaids, and magic. It was an easy world where pirates were
vanquished and Peter Pan was good and kind.
Things weren't complicated and they always made sense.
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And then we grew up. Sorry, Peter.
Jodi Lynn Anderson’s Tiger Lily, however, offers a more in
depth, adult look at the love story of Peter Pan
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This story follows the ups and downs of Tiger Lily’s
relationship with Peter. It is a fresh
and exciting look at a story most people have been familiar with since
childhood, but with a focus more on Tiger Lily Anderson has created dynamic
characters who will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
This story’s strength really lies in its ability to
successfully turn a childhood story into something exciting and captivating for
both young adults and adults. This
connection to childhood could really help readers relate to the story as they
strive to find out more about beloved characters from their childhood.
Another strength this story possesses is its ability to
appeal to both male and female readers.
Despite being mainly about Tiger Lily and Peter’s relationship, this
story offers enough action, adventure, and humor to appeal to both male and
female readers.
The only weakness I could find with this story is something
that can't really be helped. Anderson
spends a good deal of time in the beginning of the story explaining each
character’s in depth story line as well as redefining who each character
is. It is definitely a necessary part of
the story, but it does drag a bit which may turn reluctant readers off before they've really given the story a chance.
There is little evidence floating around the internet about the author herself, but I'm definitely looking forward to what she's up to next. She does offer this soundtrack as the one she listened to while she was writing Tiger Lily.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this book and I think it
would be a great piece to share with both high school and junior high students.
I like that fact that "Tiger Lily" is both a story that everyone has heard of before and how it appeals to both sexes. The last couple of reviews I've read have been on books primarily centered on girls and its just nice to have one that could gain both parties' interest; not saying that it's anything wrong with novels told from a girls' perspective. Despite the characters' in-depth story part you mention that was in the beginning, I would still give this book a shot. This story is one that could span across generations and leaves it up to the reader to interpret.
ReplyDeleteTiger Lily could be an interesting look into multicultural voices. The voice of the Native American has been marginalized in the media and in literature. The most popular representations are of exoticism, or otherness, completely misappropriated through a Western White lens. Just think about it. Disney's Pocohantas is a complete retelling of the historical events, made more palatable to the child viewers, but that is what sticks in our minds. The reason Peter Pan hasn't been remade nearly as many times as other disney movies is the flack the corporation has recieved over the racist stereotypical portrayals of the Native Americans in the movie. While I do not hold incredibly high hopes that this book will present a more accurate portrayal, I do think it's a step in the right direction to give this character a voice instead of a position as an exotic tertiary character.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who grew up watching a VHS recording of one of the original stage performances of Peter Pan (Peter was played by a woman interestingly enough) I would be so excited to read this book. The story is one that everyone knows, and consequently I see young adult students instantly being interested in this story. I love how character development seems to have taken more of an adult form with additions to the characters past's such as serial killing, alcoholism, and daddy issues. It all fits in with the original characters so well, but really does manage to give the book a more adult edge to it. Awesome review, Based off of this I would definitely read this book!!
ReplyDeleteAh, Jessica, you took all the good books! I thought this novel sounded fascinating from the get-go, and am very glad to see you've given it a positive review. I was a bit surprised when I read the premise of this story, because I never really pictured Tiger Lily as a love interest for Peter Pan. Reading the story, I wonder if you were convinced of their feelings, or if you thought that perhaps they weren't really intended for one another?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the issue of power plays into the novel quite a bit, which I am assuming makes it more interesting than your typical adolescent love story, although I could be wrong. I would be interested in knowing what other themes Anderson examines in the novel.
I suppose I will have to read to find out!
I think the whole revisiting of classic fairy tales trend is very interesting. This seems to be no exception. Tiger Lily really wasn't a well developed character from what I remember from the Disney movie; it would be really interesting to see how her have more of a character besides a racial stereotype or damsel in distress.
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