Tiger Lily ~ Reading Skills

I'm almost finished with Tiger Lily, and over the course of the book I made a few predictions.  I'll wait to share my feelings once I have finished.  Here's what I've been doing for the past couple days!

Predictions
1.)  Phillip is going to tell off Tik Tok for refusing to dress and act like a man.  However much this angers me, I'm afraid it's inevitable.  This quote speaks for itself:
"'Tik Tok...' she looked around the room, feeling nervous. 'Do you think Phillip is right?  Do you think maybe it's better if you don't wear dresses?'
Tik Tok looked at her for a long time.
'I just mean, maybe it would be easier?  Then you don't have to worry about God.' She immediately felt like she had said the wrong thing.  Tik Tok nodded.  His smile returned, but it wasn't real."  (Anderson 186)

This quote shows that Tiger Lily wants to help Tik Tok, but soon realizes it's not in the right way.  The "god" they should be worried about was Phillip, because he often seemed angry that Tik Tok wouldn't listen.

2.)  Peter will go back with Wendy (NOOOOO not allowed don't do it Tiger Lily is 10x better are you stupid Peter sheesh).
"On the way home Tiger Lily talked with herself.  The Wendy bird was beautiful, but she was not for Peter.  She was a strange creature, another species-it was understandable that they were all fascinated.  But Peter belonged to her.
She reassured herself in this way.  And her noble nature wouldn't let her really believe Peter could ever betray her.  But no matter what she said to herself, in the pit of her soul she feared the Wendy bird.  From that first moment when she had set eyes on her, the English girl scared her more than ant other creature in the forest."  (Anderson 137)

This quote foreshadows that Tiger Lily's dread is for a reason, and the best reason I can think of is that Peter will leave and, ultimately, grow up.

Curse.  You.  Wendy.  Have I ever hated a fictional character more?  Probably not.

Questions
Over the course of the novel, I had several questions.  Here they are!

What is the author trying to set up with Moon Eye and Giant?  It would be a great subplot.
(Giant has his eye on Moon Eye but he's way older.  Yikes >_<)

How does Tiger Lily feel about nursing Phillip back to health, and then having Phillip disrespect her father, Tik Tok, like the way he did?

Why do I hate Wendy so much?
Oh yeah, I know the answer to that question, but no spoilers.

And most of all...

Peter.  Pan.  Why must you make terrible choices?  

Connections

Text to World

I can connect Tik Tok's struggles with society to the ongoing battle against the GLBT community.  For example, as I predicted (but not to this extreme extent!), the shaman was shamed by Phillip cutting off his prized hair and disallowing him to wear dresses.

"No one seemed to understand what they had done to him.
Phillip knelt next to him.  'You'll be happier this way," he said warmly.  'I promise you Tik Tok.  The women made pants for you.'"  (Anderson 227)

Much too often in this world, you find people who think they know what's best for others.  This is one of my largest pet peeves; people should be free to make their own choices.  If Tik Tok, or anyone for that matter, believes they're transgender, they had better go for it because that's who they are.  Nobody is in the place to dictate who someone else is.

As much as I hate to say it, there are many Phillips in this world.
For anyone who cared enough to read this whole blog, there's one message I'd like to send to you.

*************DON'T BE A PHILLIP!************

You'd better let people be who they want.
Or else.

You're the Wendy bird.
And.
Captain Hook will murder you.
You heard me.
Actually you didn't because I'm typing it.
You get the gist.












Text to Text

There's always been a very clear text to text connection with Peter Pan and Pan, the Greek mythological god of the wild.  They are both crazy, wild animals who love to live within nature.

Freedom is the priority of both, and they both foster people (in Pan's case, animals) around them.
The connection is undeniable, especially because Peter's surname is Pan.  :)

Text to Self

Ever since I was little, I've identified myself as extremely similar to Peter Pan.  All little kids say that they wanted to grow up; surprisingly, I never truly wanted to.  Since there's no Neverland in Ohio's proximity, I've decided to simply stay young on the inside.
This book though, has changed my whole idea as Peter Pan as a character.  I've learned that the tiny part of me that isn't like Peter is Tiger Lily.  An outcast to her tribe yet hardworking and undeniably different, I've loved to see her character progress and Tink's character grow fond of her.

The author's opening words exemplify this perfectly.

Even though my heart isn't metaphorically thirsty, it does need water occasionally.  And have you seen my hair?

Progress on Tiger Lily

So far, "Tiger Lily" hasn't surprised me yet.  The premis was promising, however the conflict is still setting up and, from the reading description, it's not even the main conflict!

However, I can say that I like the way that the romance is playing out in the novel.  The boy and the girl don't meet eachother and fall in love moments or days after.  It's nice to see something realistic: in Neverland, Tiger Lily and Peter are both highly guarded individuals, as they have the right to be.  In their first encounter, neither of them wanted to be seen: in fact, it was by chance!  Their curiosity pushes them, and soon Tiger Lily has been introduced to a whole different world with the Lost Boys.  Sneaking out as much as she can,

The author has done a very good job of setting up the scene and providing background stories that can be set up to create multiple paths for this story to travel down.  I have made quite a few predictions and asked a lot of questions so far: I'll be updating for you guys once I'm finished with the book!

Tiger Lily

For the past few days I've been reading "Tiger Lily" by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

While reading this book recommended to me by my friends who read it for summer reading, I remembered why I love prequel books so much.  They set up the story in ways you'd never expect and the author expresses and intensifies characters that you never gave a second thought to.

Tiger Lily is about the (not yet) princess of the Native American tribe on the island of Neverland.  It fabricates the love story of her and Peter Pan.  You may have hardly noticed her in any of the movie interpretations of Peter Pan, but so far this novel has made me appreciate her and her story to a whole new level.  Tiger Lily as a character is intriguing and well developed, despite the fact that it is narrated by Tinker Bell, which was offsetting but an interesting way to approach a story.

To find my favorite part of the story I didn't have to look far.  The opening line is this:

“Let me tell you something straight off. This is a love story, but not like any you've ever heard. The boy and the girl are far from innocent. Dear lives are lost. And good doesn't win.” (Anderson, 1)

Often I find these introductions cheesy, but Anderson pulled it off with a fine balance between casual and formal that it didn't strike me as annoying.  I really like how she makes it clear that this isn't just another love story: hopefully she's right.  In a world like this, it's hard to find a one of a kind book out there.  I already got lucky with "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" & I'm hoping this meets the expectation the author elaborately sets for the reader.

So far, Tiger Lily seems like a promising story.

The Fault in Our Stars

Somehow, in the midst of my reading, I forgot to blog about the Fault in Our Stars.  I read this book between Dash and Lily's Book of Dares and Paper Towns.  My Fault.  ;)

Anyway...
The Fault in Our Stars is by the author of the aforementioned Paper Towns: John Green.  If you want to know how I felt about John Green, check out Lizzy's Blog because she said it best: John Green just isn't as spontaneous of an author that everyone says he is.  Granted, he isn't a bad writer, but his stories concentrate on inner conflict and how a character sees the world, rather than the story itself.  The plot twists are interesting enough to keep you reading, but not quite surprising.  My favorite parts of the book were the quotes: John Green manages to capture thoughts into words that give them the most justice.

Often while reading this book I felt sympathy towards the characters, but not for the reasons and to the extent that I was told.  Hazel Lancaster is a cancer patient who's slowly progressing in her battle against her failing lungs.  Forced to go to a support group for depression formed by cancer, she meets a peculiar boy named Augustus Waters (eventually deemed as Gus) and they immediately form a bond, despite Hazel's inexperience with a strong friendship. 

As for the characters, this was a leap for John Green, and I liked it!  Instead of feeling inferior to his normal main characters who have crazy ( yet interesting ) quirks, you could relate more to Hazel and Gus, even though it's likely that you don't have cancer.  It's a great improvement from the characters that you know like Q or Pudge in which their IQ's and talents ( let's face it ) make you feel stupid.  As much as I enjoy his lighthearted characters, I was glad to see something fresh instead of repetitive.  

Overall, I  think this book was overrated, but maybe not by much. I would have liked it more if people hadn't built up my expectations for it.  I stand with no Fault in Our rating of 4 Stars.  < Oh I really like puns by the way.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

This Friday I completed "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King.



This novel was about an 18 year old girl, Vera, whose best friend turned bad, Charlie, died from mysterious circumstances.  It may just sound like another "boo-hoo-my-friend-died-what-will-I-do-now" book.  I'll clear that up right now: it's not.

I found myself realizing that Vera had it totally terrible, despite living in a somewhat safe suburb.  The novel narrates her life after the death of Charlie, however it doesn't give you all the details until the end, keeping you on the edge of your seat and wondering how on earth it will all turn out.  The way the author played out the information was perfect (and mischievous might I add).  

This story was plagued by intriguing yet realistic problems ranging from drinking problems to dealing with annoying recipients of pizza delivery.  Vera has to deal with everything from losing her best friend to a group of misfits to the domestic violence in the house next door.  The issues in this book cover just about every real world problem you could imagine: but it isn't overwhelming!

One of my favorite things about the novel is that there was no major conflict for the main character herself. She had multiple minor conflicts (if you'd dare to call them minor) that helped obscure us from the truth, and that was the real conflict: within the reader instead of the character.  Vera knew exactly what happened, but she can't just come out and say it because of all of the other problems she is facing.

My second favorite was that, while most of the story was narrated by Vera, you get the occasional word from Charlie (yes, when he's dead), her father (explaining his reasoning), and even the old, abandoned building that teens use for sneaking away.  The little notes from the other characters helped you piece together the story of Vera Dietz and how she takes charge of her own life.

The sheer realism of this epic story grips you and leaves you cast out into the real world with a whole new perspective.  I can't think of anyone who wouldn't appreciate the book, except, maybe Voldemort.  But I'm pretty sure he's no longer among us so we're good.  Ooh sorry I got sidetracked but that was kind of funny so I'll keep it there.  The characters are amazingly developed, the emotions real and understandable, and best of all, not your ordinary book.  It has earned is 4.5/5 stars respectably and with force as strong as the will of Vera herself.

Paper Towns ~ Characters

Characters

When I finished Paper Towns a week ago, I was completely astonished at how the characters developed, undeveloped, and redeveloped again.  This characterization could be found as absolutely flawless, or just plain lazy.  The dynamic characters of the book did not go through one major change.  Instead, they went through three or four major changes that left them completely different people.

"'You had been a paper boy to me all these years- two dimensions as a character on the page and two different, but still flat, dimensions as a person.  But that night you turned out to be real." (Green 292)

John Green, in this novel, doesn't give any definite characteristics: it's up to the characters to interpret the other characters based on their actions, and they never know if they're right or not.  The characters continue to create images and expectations of the others, rendering them two dimensional.  Once people get past their assumptions, they can find all three dimensions inside of other people and even themselves.

The character I will talk about is Margo Roth Spiegelman.  The most unique thing about this character is that every single person she knows sees a different version of her.  This blew me away because it displayed accuracy about how people see the world, instead of how authors or readers see characters: very two dimensional, or "paper", as Margo would say.  The novel emphasizes the fact that everyone is three dimensional when it comes to personalities, and nobody views you in the same way, no matter who you are.  Right as someone thinks they might have the slightest grasp on who you are, another dimension shows.  It even explains that sometimes, you don't even know who you are.

Margo's Development
The reason I chose to speak about Margo is that she barely develops in this entire story: it's the point of view of Q that gives the illusion of her changing.  Underneath what people see, Margo has been the same all along, changing when she wants to, not when others want her to or see her differently.

"The fundamental mistake  I had always made- and that she had, in all fairness, always led me to make- was this: Margo was not a miracle.  She was not an adventure.  She was not a fine and precious thing.  She was a girl." (Green, 199)

This quote explains that people build expectations of others based on what actions they make, however inside they're just a person and they are simply them, no matter what images come into your head when you think of them.

Margo's Interaction
"Maybe things would have been different if I just hung out with you guys and stopped caring about my, quote, friends." (Green 58)

Margo has never really known what to say, and know that she feels sure of herself she shares these feelings with Q, making him feel as if she preferred him over others.  This made him feel as if it were his responsibility to go after Margo once she went missing.

How Margo Enhances the Plot
Margo not only enhances the plot, but she is the plot.  The story is revolving around Q's adventures to find her and discover who the real Margo is.  

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares ~ Theme & Summary

Summary

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is a collaboration of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn.  The adventure begins at the brink of Christmas time in New York, in which Lily's parents have left her with her brother to go on an anniversary vacation.  Bored with Lily, Langston gives her the idea of leaving a book in her favorite shelf of her favorite bookstore, the Strand, to meet a new friend while missing her family traditions.  Little does she realize that the dares she has left on the pages will be quickly picked up by her ultimate match: Dash.  Lying to his separated parents about staying with each other, he is determined to spend the Christmas alone, browsing the Strand for new editions to his many favorite books.  After Dash follows the instructions and is admittedly amazed by Lily's dares, they exchange the book across Christmas time and find themselves struggling through wax figure viewers and going to the biggest Macy's in America... on Christmas Eve.  The question is, should they stay hidden behind the pages or ruin the expectations the pages have set by coming face to face?

Theme

The theme of this book is "You have to take chances."  I think that, at first, neither of the characters really ventured out of their comfort zone.  Dash was always just his snarky, book-loving self who just wanted to be alone: it was easier that way.  Lily was always traditional and loved festivity and books, though she didn't make much friends.  Both introverts become more extroverted, or maybe just more comfortable with people, in the course of this story.  Starting out with simple dares, Dash ventures to parts of the organized chaos of the Strand he's never been and Lily goes to see the cruelest Christmas movie of all time: Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.  As the dares go further, the characters seemingly find themselves doing stranger and crazier things that they'd never have thought of doing before, even scribbling secrets in the red notebook that takes them on the adventure of a lifetime.  If they never tried, they'd never have known what the world has to offer, and what they have to offer the world.

Rating

I'd give this book four & a half stars.  With a quirky plot, lovable characters, and a humor that kept me laughing throughout the novel, this book won me over fair and square.