Tiger Lilly

I've just finished reading Tiger Lilly by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I selected the book because I enjoyed reading the Peaches series, but I quickly discovered that this book was nothing like the previous series I had read. Instead of the story being about southern women growing up, this is a retelling of a children's favorite in a more adult way.

In this case, the narrator is Tinker Bell and she has a small obsession with Tiger Lilly, the strong Indian girl from the Peter Pan classic. There are a few differences between this tale and what one might expect from a retelling of Peter Pan. First, the story focuses on Peter and Tiger Lilly's love story. There is more of a focus on what life is like in Neverland for the different groups of people who live there. Tiger Lilly is a Sky Eater, a tribe of people who grow to a certain age and stop growing.

I liked this book for several reasons. I had to keep adjusting what I knew about the story of Peter Pan. Anderson changes a few details. For example, the flying is a myth, mermaids are evil and will drowned you, and Smee is a crazed serial killer.

The book also tackles important issues. For example, Tick Tock, Tiger Lilly's adopted father, believes that each person has parts of man and women inside them. When the tribe, prompted by an Englisher who is visiting the village, turns against him because he is "displeasing" God, issues of acceptance and kindness are addressed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who had previously enjoyed Jodi Lynn Anderson or was a fan of the dystopian fiction a few months ago. I see several different retellings of classics coming about.