Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Release date: July 3rd 2012
Published by: HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

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.

Tiger Lily was one of the books I was most looking forward to in July. I mean, seriously, a book about Tiger Lily and Peter Pan? The synopsis looked interesting enough, and after watching the book trailer, I was eager to get my hands on this novel. I've always been a fan of Peter Pan, and though it always made me happy to see Peter with Wendy, a love story with Tiger Lily, of all people, was a differente experience altogether. 

Jodi Lynn Anderson took a lot of risks in this book. Not only because of the romance, the setting, and the mythology behind it, but because of the narration, as well. Tiger Lily is narrated by Tinkerbell, our most beloved faery, and while I found that curious, and more than a little weird, her point of view was perfect. Tink isn't an active character, exactly, but she's not entirely passive either. She likes to watch what happens around her, and her sensibility about other people's emotions let us know exactly what Tiger Lily was feeling (most of the times, that is). The writing is unique, filled with observations, and Tink's thoughts on the matter. It fit the book perfectly, and though I didn't like it at first, the narration grew on me.

Since most of what happens is told instead of shown to us, the story is slow-paced, which can be pretty boring, if you don't like the characters and the setting itself. However, the descriptions were enthralling, even without action scenes or anything significantly fast-paced, and that made me appreciate all the details in Neverland, as well as the characters' personality. Speaking of the characters, they're unique, just like everything else in this novel. Tiger Lily herself was a mystery to me during the whole story, and though her quiet behavior grew on me, and I found myself loving her more and more, I still didn't quite understand her. Peter Pan was just as criptic, but for once, this didn't anger me. When their feelings for each other deepened, so did my love for them. It was a delicate balance, but it worked. 

I can't say I loved this novel, but I did like it. Perhaps it's because I didn't connect with the characters the way I use to when a read a stand-alone, perhaps it's because of the heart-breaking ending, but I enjoyed the story, overall. Tiger Lily is a quick read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves Peter Pan, and a light, yet full of meaning, love story. Jodi Lynn Anderson is a talented author, and I look forward to more of her work in the future.