Review Detail

Tiger Lily is a gem of a book. I went into expecting just anther Peter Pan retelling, but it's SO much more than that. It's really not a retelling at all, but instead something completely new and different.

You might think you know Tiger Lily, Pan, Tink, Wendy, and all of them, but Anderson spins everyone in a new light. Peter is the boy who plays at fearlessness, Tiger Lily is the girl with a hardened heart, and Tinker Bell is the fairy with a heart bigger than herself.

At times I felt it difficult to like Tiger Lily and connect with her because she's just so stoic and hardened by life. I knew she'd had a difficult childhood and life in general, but it didn't help me connect with her. Tinker Bell, however, did. The fact that's the story is told through the eyes of Tink, who cares deeply for Tiger Lily, makes it easier to connect with the story. I loved how completely loyal to Tiger Lily Tink was even though she loved Peter too. Even though Tiger Lily never seemed to notice her. Even though being with humans is no place for a fairy. I mean, it really seemed like everything was against her and yet she stuck by Tiger Lily through everything.

I've hated Peter Pan in pretty much every version I've read. He's selfish, rude, and usually incredibly sexist. Anderson's Pan is so much more, though. I found myself really warmnig up to him. He still wanted to be the best at everything and made a fuss when things didn't go his way, but Anderson added a layer of depth to him as well. You start to understand why Peter acts the way he does.

I thought I might be bored by the way Anderson tells the story of Neverland so realistically. There are Native American tribes on the island, there's no magic pixie dust, and people come to the island by way of ship. I was very skeptical of the fact that there was no “magic,” but Tiger Lily amazed me all the same. I liked reading about the ways of Tiger Lily's tribe, the Sky Eaters. I actually kind of liked thinking of Neverland as a realistic thing.

The Nutshell: Tiger Lily is more than your average Peter Pan retelling. It's full of heart and I'm not going to lie, I teared up at the end despite knowing how it had to turn out. Anderson has created a beautiful “before” story for the life of Peter Pan and Tiger Lily.

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