Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Goodreads Blurb

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

This book was incredibly emotional and mournful. Even with the warning at the beginning of this story, I couldn’t have imagined just how deep it would affect me.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. A retelling of Peter Pan? That just seemed so far-fetched since I’d heard it was an emotional rollercoaster. I should not have doubted it. Tiger Lily surpassed all expectations and honestly, made my eyes wet. Tiger Lily has always been one of my favorite Disney princesses since she was loyal, brave, and strong, but sadly was overlooked and only had one line that barely lasted 2 seconds. Her character traits were highlighted in this amazing book, making me love her even more. Tiger lily has been betrayed, hurt, lost, and was an outcast. That is, until she meets Peter Pan and falls in love with him and he with her. It was a beautiful, subtle, love story, but it was that subtle part that ripped it all apart.

Let me just say this now: I hated Wendy. She seemed shallow and uncaring, pretty much your average bitc*. I absolutely hated her with all my heart and wanted to tear out her pretty little hair just so Peter Pan would love Tiger Lily again. Sadly, I couldn’t and just had to keep reading, learning how things would play out, and leaving me heartbroken with tears in my eyes. Never has a Disney movie been so emotional, so sad, and so, so beautiful.

This story is told in Tinker Bell’s, that’s right Tinker Bell’s, point of view and that made this all the more worthwhile to read. This way, you can catch a glimpse what others are thinking, imagining, and you never have to second guess what a character is feeling. I almost felt like I was in the book, Tiger Lily, Peter, Hook, and Tik Tok in front of me. The writing was lyrical, the plot shocking, and the mood/tone sorrowful, mournful, despairing. No other book has made me feel that way.

My favorite part though, was the letter at the end of the story. Those last 2 pages ended this piece wonderfully, making you want to unread the book just to re-read it again, if that makes any sense. I don’t think, I honestly don’t think, that there is one book that comes close to this heartbreaking retelling.

All in all: Jodi Lynn masterfully weaves this story together so that both adults and teens will love this story and never want to put it down. Tiger Lily will keep you reading frantically until the very last page, the very last word. It was that amazing. Retellings always are, but this one touched me so much deeply than any other stories could. I recommend this book to everyone who watched and loved Disney movies and even to those who didn’t. Trust me, if you hated Disney before, this book will change your perspective. One thing I learned: sometimes, you have to let your feelings show or else you may just lose everything.

The quote for this review isn’t going to be one that raises your anticipation, but one of the most heartbreaking ones in the book.

 Pages: 304

Series: Standalone

Genre: Retelling/Romance/Fantasy

Rating: 5 stars (If possible, 10 stars)

“He stood up. ‘You’re worthless to me, Tiger Lily.” He said. He walked off into the woods. She sat on the ground, listening to the calls of the birds.”