“Move over, Louisa May Alcott! Samantha Mabry has written her very own magical Little Women for our times.” –Julia Alvarez, author of How the GarcÃa Girls Lost Their Accents In a stunning follow-up to her National Book Award-longlisted novel All the Wind in the World, Samantha Mabry weaves an aching, magical novel that is one part family drama, one part ghost story, and one part love story. … and one part love story.
The Torres sisters dream of escape. Escape from their needy and despotic widowed father, and from their San Antonio neighborhood, full of old San Antonio families and all the traditions and expectations that go along with them. In the summer after her senior year of high school, Ana, the oldest sister, falls to her death from her bedroom window. A year later, her three younger sisters, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, are still consumed by grief and haunted by their sister’s memory. Their dream of leaving Southtown now seems out of reach. But then strange things start happening around the house: mysterious laughter, mysterious shadows, mysterious writing on the walls. The sisters begin to wonder if Ana really is haunting them, trying to send them a message–and what exactly she’s trying to say.
In a stunning follow-up to her National Book Award-longlisted novel All the Wind in the World, Samantha Mabry weaves an aching, magical novel that is one part family drama, one part ghost story, and one part love story.
more
My Review for
TIGERS, NOT DAUGHTERS
By Author, @samanthamabry
Gifted & Published by @AlgonquinYr
Now in Paperback: 3/30/21 – Link in Bio
******
This was a really quick and extremely enjoyable; almost addictive read. The bonds of sisters are tested not only after being raised by their temperate father after their mother died giving to the youngest daughter, Rosa. The writer has never really comes out and says everything the girls have gone through with their father in their Mexican family but it becomes blatantly obvious he doesn’t have healthy priorities or relationships with his daughters. With them continually trying to run away; only to be caught and brought back to the unhappy life they are living. Each girl is so finely and uniquely portrayed. It’s a bitter pill to swallow watching the girls not even being close and not having a bond you’d expect from four sisters going through life together.
It all changes when one night when Ana once again makes an attempt to escape by climbing onto the branch of the tree outside her window. This time disaster strikes and the branch breaks leaving Ana to fall to her death. This tragedy ironically leads the remaining three sisters to learn things about each other, their sister Ana and about the night Ana died. There are things happening, could they be messages from Ana? Read the magic and power that this book will bring along with emotions that will have you wanting to read the Author’s other books.
Tigers, Not Daughters is a contemporary young adult coming of age story of three teenage girls growing up in a chaotic home in San Antonio, Texas.
After losing their sister Ana the previous year (and their mother a decade before) Jessica, Iridian and Rosa are aimlessly drifting through a life of mourning and confusion. Jessica is stuck in a toxic romantic relationship, Iridian is hiding at home with her books and writing journals and young Rosa is sneaking out on her own determined to get to the bottom of the hyena sightings around town. Each sister will have her own disturbing interaction with both her father and what she believes to be the ghost of her sister. The tension builds as each Torres sibling realizes the only way out is through and that they have to stick together if they are going to make it.
Samantha Mabry does an excellent job with both the characters and beautiful imagery of Tigers, Not Daughters. Each sister is fleshed out, complicated and relatable in her own way. The paperback includes a beautiful illustrated sketch of girl along with a bit about her personality. I found myself referring back to it as I read as both it and the cover are stunning. The plot managed to be both gritty and have that magical dream-like quality you don’t see often in young adult contemporary. In between the layers of their fraught relationship with their father are moments of impossibility like fireflies that stop glowing at once, a hyena that wanders a city undiscovered and a sister that leaves messages a year past her death. By using the POVs of each sister plus the neighbor boys that can’t look away the reader has a 360 degree view of this family of girls in crisis.
I highly recommend this contemporary novel for fans of all ages looking for a lyrical and beautiful story full of resilience, sisterhood and the often claustrophobic feeling teenage girls can have when it feels like all eyes are on them but no one is reaching out. This talented author is one to watch.
5 stars
My review copy was provided by the publisher for the Spring 2021 blog tour
I never got the chance to read ‘Little Women’ by L. M. Alcott, and when I saw that ‘Tigers, not Daughters’ is beloved among Little Women readers, I was over the moon to give it a try. I’ve been waiting to read the novel since it was published, but last month I finally got the chance to try it. To my disappointment, it wasn’t as good as I expected it to be, and it pains me to write this review.
There were some things that I loved and some things that made me pull my eyes off my head. Sadly, there were more things that I disliked, then the things that I liked. First off, the characters. Their stories were well developed, and their portraits were well contoured. I especially liked Iridian’s story because I found myself in it. She didn’t have the happiest relationship with her father and created her world by writing stories. She was scared of sharing her thoughts with the people around her, and she was an introvert. Rosa was also a remarkable character. Her way of thinking and behaving gave me the hope that I can do better in life. The way she sees the word and the ways she acts in it and unique. I will not easily forget about her. I wasn’t quite fond of Jessica and Ana. Everybody seemed to love Ana, but I didn’t understand why.
Now let’s talk about the things that I didn’t like as much. The storyline was kinda boring and a bit superficial. When I read the synopsis, I was eager to read the book because it all seemed action-packed and mysterious, but as soon as I dove deeper into the novel, everything seemed dull. Many things were going on at once, and not everything was clear enough for me to enjoy. The ending seemed to be on the bright side, and everything came together. Honestly, I can’t see what turn will the sequel take.
There is a slight chance I didn’t quite like this book because I had such high expectations for it. I expected something deeper and a bit more magical, but all of these are just my opinions. Many people seemed to like Tigers, Not Daughters, and it seems like I am part of the minority.
Overall, even if I wasn’t quite fond of the action and the story itself, that does not mean you will not like this book either. Give it a try and tell me what you think. I might come back for the next book in the series.
Haunting and lyrical, Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry is an experience that everyone needs to have.
Tigers, Not Daughters is dark, gritty, and full of grief. I loved the sisters and the author really brought them to life for me. She wrote them raw and real, and even though there is magical realism the book will also be relatable. There is so much hurt and pain in this book, but it also leaves you with hope and reinforces sisterly bonds.
I listened to the audio and I thought the narrator, Luis Moreno, did an amazing job, although I kind of wish it had been a woman since all the main character viewpoints are female. I mostly listened on 2.25 speed, but I could have listened to it faster as well, the narrator’s voice was just really conducive for high speeds for me. I probably should have savored the book more, but I couldn’t help wanting to know how everything would come together, especially about whether Ana was in fact haunting them or not.
For a while I wasn’t sure what to think of Tigers, Not Daughters, but by the time I got to the end it was really resonating with me. I especially loved the very end, and even though I’m not exactly sure where the author will go with the next one, I’m definitely here for it! The book made my heart ache for this family, and I think it will appeal to both teenagers and adults as well. Get ready for an emotional roller coaster if you decide to pick this one up!
Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for my advance listening copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Haunting and beautifully written, Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry is a raw, empowering, and deeply moving story about grief, self-discovery, and the unbreakable bond between sisters. It’s a tragic, painful, and dark story, but it’s also wonderfully healing, hopeful and filled with so much love.
The Torres sisters are dealing with their own battles and grief over losing their eldest sister, Ana. Rafe, their father, has demons of his own and isn’t the easiest person to live with. They’re all struggling and hurting in their own ways and when Ana’s ghost starts to haunt them, the sisters come together and find the strength they need to overcome their fears and finally move forward.
I took a while to get through this book not because it wasn’t amazing cause it’s definitely that in so many ways. I just felt like I had to get to know the Torres sisters really well, be with them, and experience whatever they feel. Their pain was so palpable and watching the sisters deal with their grief made my heart ache. They’re flawed and not always easy to relate with, but there’s something so magnetic, genuine, and real about them. I definitely have a soft spot for Rosa, but all the sisters affected me. Jessica frustrated me cause of her relationship with her boyfriend, but I also felt her anger and anguish the most. Iridian’s insecurities made me hurt and I just wanted to protect her. And even though the sisters are in their own little world searching for something to ease their pain of losing Ana, I loved that they’re always there to protect each other no matter what happens.
This story is breathtakingly mesmeric, unique, and touching. Samantha Mabry’s writing is gorgeous, riveting and had me enthralled until the end. The plot is filled with aches and pain, but also joy and hope. I enjoyed the magical realism, the few lighthearted moments, the thrills, and the surprises that had me turning the pages. I loved the Torres sisters and the side characters are quite interesting too. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more from Mabry. Tigers, Not Daughters is truly a beautiful and engrossing story and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, in exchange for a fair and honest review and for participating in the Book Tour. All thoughts are my own.
Samantha Mabry has quickly become one of my favorite authors as I loved this haunting atmospheric tale about sisterly love, and their struggles to protect each other as they discover themselves, that is weaved into this paranormal magical story.
The Torres sisters Ana, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa try to escape unsuccessfully from their miserable life in San Antonio, and from their despotic father. One evening, Ana the oldest sister, falls to her death from her bedroom window. The year following Ana’s death, we see how the sisters mourn her death – each with their own way of handling the loss. All the while, mysterious ghostly and haunting events begin to consume their lives.
Mabry wrote in vivid and poetic prose, giving these sisters their own voice through their unique personalities. The characterization was well thought out and their stories so captivating.
The writing was gracefully executed through this dark and messy turbulence in the lives of these sisters after a violent death. I was so drawn to this distinctive style of writing by Mabry and read this book slowly not wanting it to end.