"Tiger Lily" Catches Readers' Hearts
Shelby Polk
Staff Writer
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 102 years, I’m sure you know the story of “Peter Pan”, written by J. M. Barrie. However, you probably don’t know too much about Tiger Lily, Pan and the Lost Boys’ friend from Neverland.
Written by Jodi Lynn Anderson, “Tiger Lily” is a tale of the love between her and Peter Pan, which all happened pre-Wendy. Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily is from the village of the Sky Eaters, and the village people have heard and told campfire stories about the Lost Boys who dwell in the forest. Tiger Lily is unlike the villagers, who have reserved, conservative and strict beliefs and customs. She is fierce, always hunting and discovering, never obeying rules of any sort. The townsfolk are wary of her actions, and they believe all she does is find trouble.
In Neverland, there is no such thing as age. When somebody reached maturity, they stop physically aging and marry somebody from their village or a nearby village. Tiger Lily’s caretaker, Tik Tok, has chosen a husband for her to spend the remainder of her life with, and she despises the boy he picks. Tiger Lily leaves the village and explores on her own to avoid the reality of what will happen to her.
Told from the point of view of the famous Tinkerbell, “Tiger Lily” is unlike any usual young adult book, mixing in some Disney with a more mature take. Though Tiger Lily is not an emotional girl, lacking the ability to express herself and instead turning to stone in intense emotional situations, this book left me heartbroken. Each time I read “Tiger Lily”, it’s a feat not to read it cover to cover in one sitting (usually into the early morning).
Everything about this book is entrancing, tragic and addicting. From the dedication that reads “For the girls with messy hair and thirsty hearts” all the way to the heartbreaking ending, I was in a daze, thinking of nothing other than how much I was falling in love with her and Pan’s story.
Now, I am a bit of an emotional hotspot and love stories, be it book, movie or reality, easily bring tears to my eyes. “Tiger Lily” was no exception, but it was different. Jodi Lynn Anderson did a phenomenal job triggering the reader with an array of emotions with this book, and I felt like I was experiencing the same love and heartbreak as each character.
“Tiger Lily” is a novel every teenage girl should read, in my opinion. A tale of a first love--let alone a forbidden one--is truly beautiful.
Beware, it will leave you in tears, it will leave you with a raw and broken heart and it will change the way you read and watch “Peter Pan” forever.
