Book Review: Tiger Lily


"It turned out that my curiosity did not outweigh my courage after all. 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.”


I can't stop reviewing books for 25 Days of Christmas Baking.  Just isn't happening.  So, here's a book review for y'all!



Why does Peter find it necessary to save Tiger Lily?  Well, this book claims that it's because Wendy isn't his first love.  An intriguing prequel/retelling of the tale of Peter Pan, this book delves into the character of Tiger Lily as well as Tinkerbell.

I read this book feeling completely mixed until the end. Because, here's the situation: It's gorgeously written. The entire book is like one never-ending poem about so many beautiful things. But, at first, I had some reservations. I mean, first, Peter Pan prequels and stuff are really popular right now, but, does Peter Pan need prequels? Where did Peter Pan come from? Doesn't matter. How did Tink get to meet Peter? She didn't. She's his fairy. She exists because she does and because he believes in her. Why is Peter Pan always a boy?  Because he is. Why does Hook hate Pan? Because he does. Etc. On top of that, for awhile reading it, I was angry. The story seemed to be trouncing all over the ideas of Peter Pan. Peter Pan has like...sexual attraction? (they kiss and cuddle. Don't worry.  Nothing explicit, but let's face it, the Peter Pan of the story wouldn't passionately kiss or cuddle) And the Lost Boys grow up? And Smee isn't a bumbling idiot? Etc. Etc. Etc. I kept on thinking "I love this!" and then the next moment "I hate this!"

Then, I had a realization. This isn't a Peter Pan prequel. This is a Peter Pan retelling. It's a Peter Pan where people aren't just good and evil. And people have many motivations for why they do what they do. And magic isn't real. Only children see the world as Peter Pan originally was--and that's the point of it. And that's gorgeous in its own right. J.M. Barrie was a genius, and I don't mean to say that he wasn't. But this is the story that got retold as Peter Pan by Wendy. The author kind of argues that the story isn't so child-like because Peter is always a child, but because Wendy is a child. And, in the end, if you are thinking about what the story of Peter Pan actually is and means, this is so beautifully faithful to the original in such a different and unique way that it was beyond beautiful.

5 stars and another quote: 

"Peter loves to make promises.  He has the best intentions of keeping them.  It makes it worse, somehow, that he doesn't know how to."

 

Comments

Amanda said…
I love your reviews. This has been on my list for AGES, but I can't ever seem to bring myself to read it.
December 12, 2014 at 7:24 PM
Evelyn said…
I just finished this book. (I went looking for it after I read your review.) It is a beautiful heartache of a book.
February 7, 2015 at 10:32 PM
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