Tigers, Not Daughters
National Book Award nominee Samantha Mabry weaves "a shivery, magical exploration of the power of sisterhood" (People) in this otherworldly Latine ghost story about three sisters shadowed by guilt and grief over the loss of their eldest sister, who haunts their house. The first time Ana Torres came back as a ghost, her sisters weren't there. A year after Ana's death, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, still consumed by grief and haunted by her memory, start noticing strange things around the house: laughter without a voice, shadows cast by nothing, writing on the walls. None of them have seen Ana, but they know she's trying to send them a message--or maybe it's a warning. Tigers, Not Daughters is an aching, lyrical novel with a whisper of magic, that is one part family drama, one part romance, and one part ghost story. "A moody and unflinching examination of the gritty, tender, and impossible parts of people that make them unforgettably whole. . . Ferocious and gorgeously crafted." --Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie Writers League of Texas Book Award Winner * MPIBA Reading the West Award Winner * Indie Next pick * Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book * SLJ Best Book * Shelf Awareness Best Book * BCCB Blue Ribbon List title * A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick * A White Ravens List pick * NEA Read Across America title * A Must-Read Novel According to BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Magazine, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Tor.com, and D Magazine And don't miss Samantha Mabry's next book: Clever Creatures of the Night!
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Community Reviews
This YA Contemporary addresses themes of domestic violence, grief, family dynamics, love, and friendship.
Stories that are written with bits of magical realism are some of my favorite and most powerful reads. This one is definitely one of them.
This book includes different points of view from each sister left behind after the death of their sister Anna. You’ll get an inside view of how each one is grieving with her loss and Mabry does a good job of making you feel what they feel.
There are some scenes that include levels of domestic and emotional abuse that may be difficult for some people.
Stories that are written with bits of magical realism are some of my favorite and most powerful reads. This one is definitely one of them.
This book includes different points of view from each sister left behind after the death of their sister Anna. You’ll get an inside view of how each one is grieving with her loss and Mabry does a good job of making you feel what they feel.
There are some scenes that include levels of domestic and emotional abuse that may be difficult for some people.
Hauntingly beautiful story about three sisters each struggling with the grief over the death of Ana, their oldest sister, and coming to terms with their identities as individuals and as sisters.
Jessica - the angry one who tries to become Ana to the point that she loses her identity. She also cleans up her father’s drunken messes, takes care of her sisters, and longs to escape.
Iridian - the introspective loner who sees everything but hides from the world. She spends most of her time writing in notebooks and re-reading the same tattered Anne Rice novel.
Rosa - the youngest sister with an affinity for animals. She questions everything and is the strongest (emotionally) of the three. She becomes almost obsessed with finding a hyena that has escaped from the local zoo.
The format is quite different from other multiple viewpoint books I’ve read. The section begins with a title (e.g., “The Night the Torres Sisters Tried to Runaway from Southtown”) narrated in first person from one of the boys across the street at Hector’s house who frequently watch the Torres sisters from their upstairs window. These chapters serve to set up the events of that day.
The remaining chapters in each section are all dated the same, but titled for one of the sisters. These subsequent girls’ chapters are written omnisciently about that same day but from each sister’s perspective.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the narrator of the boys’ chapters (the ones with the titles) is Peter, as he is the only character of the “we” in those sections who isn’t named. I find it interesting that the only first-hand view of the Torres sisters we get is from a group of teenage boys spying on the girls from across the street. Such a clever trope!
I read the first chapter, put the book aside for two days (distracted by a project), and picked it back up on the third
day consuming the rest of the book within an hour and a half.
I can’t fully explain what it is about the story that sucked me into their world, but I couldn’t put it down until I reached the end. I have to admit that I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. I felt that it ended too abruptly - that there was more to reveal about Ana’s ghost, her unfinished business, and John. What happened to John? I suppose it’s up to the reader to make those inferences.
Jessica - the angry one who tries to become Ana to the point that she loses her identity. She also cleans up her father’s drunken messes, takes care of her sisters, and longs to escape.
Iridian - the introspective loner who sees everything but hides from the world. She spends most of her time writing in notebooks and re-reading the same tattered Anne Rice novel.
Rosa - the youngest sister with an affinity for animals. She questions everything and is the strongest (emotionally) of the three. She becomes almost obsessed with finding a hyena that has escaped from the local zoo.
The format is quite different from other multiple viewpoint books I’ve read. The section begins with a title (e.g., “The Night the Torres Sisters Tried to Runaway from Southtown”) narrated in first person from one of the boys across the street at Hector’s house who frequently watch the Torres sisters from their upstairs window. These chapters serve to set up the events of that day.
The remaining chapters in each section are all dated the same, but titled for one of the sisters. These subsequent girls’ chapters are written omnisciently about that same day but from each sister’s perspective.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the narrator of the boys’ chapters (the ones with the titles) is Peter, as he is the only character of the “we” in those sections who isn’t named. I find it interesting that the only first-hand view of the Torres sisters we get is from a group of teenage boys spying on the girls from across the street. Such a clever trope!
I read the first chapter, put the book aside for two days (distracted by a project), and picked it back up on the third
day consuming the rest of the book within an hour and a half.
I can’t fully explain what it is about the story that sucked me into their world, but I couldn’t put it down until I reached the end. I have to admit that I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. I felt that it ended too abruptly - that there was more to reveal about Ana’s ghost, her unfinished business, and John. What happened to John? I suppose it’s up to the reader to make those inferences.
4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads!
Wow. This is my third book by Mabry and I’m always so impressed. Her writing is poetic and powerful and haunting. I knew this book was about a ghost but I didn’t expect it to be chilling. There were moments that it crept over into the horror genre. And I loved it. The first 80% of this book was perfect to me, but so much happened so quickly in the end, it almost felt like too much. But the ending ending was very satisfying! Mabry is an author I’ll continue to pick up.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2022 (prompt #4 - A book with a tiger on the cover or “tiger” in the title)
Wow. This is my third book by Mabry and I’m always so impressed. Her writing is poetic and powerful and haunting. I knew this book was about a ghost but I didn’t expect it to be chilling. There were moments that it crept over into the horror genre. And I loved it. The first 80% of this book was perfect to me, but so much happened so quickly in the end, it almost felt like too much. But the ending ending was very satisfying! Mabry is an author I’ll continue to pick up.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2022 (prompt #4 - A book with a tiger on the cover or “tiger” in the title)
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