Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Release Date –  July 3, 2012
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 304 pages
My Rating- All the stars
**obtained from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

A heartbreaking, spellbinding, stunningly written novel. Tiger Lily tells the story of the girl with the crow feather in her hair, her Peter, and the many facets of love.

The writing in this novel is simply stunning. It flows with an almost lyrical quality that is highly engrossing and addictive. The plot points, and story arcs are plotted masterfully and the pacing is pitch perfect. Jodi Lynn Anderson’s talent is simply awe inspiring. There are so many highly quotable passages in the novel, but this line "Sometimes love means not being able to bear seeing the one you love the way the are, when they're not what you hoped for them” stayed with me.

The characters are so richly developed and fleshed out. They seem like living, breathing people rather than just characters in the story. The complex motivations for many of their actions, and continuous growth make them especially captivating.

The Peter Pan we meet in this story is haunted. He doesn’t exactly like himself, or what he is becoming. He wants to make better choices, and struggles with it. He wants to protect everyone he cares about, and grapples with what this entails. It’s a Peter that you want to protect, and yet fall in love with all at once. His vulnerability and brokenness is compelling.

Tiger Lily is independent. She pulled at my heart and made me ache for her. I wanted her to have a ending that was happy; no matter what that entailed. Her ability to remain steadfast in the face of pretty unpleasant circumstances was something I admired. At the same time, the fragility she displayed suited her character as well. Her bravery, tenacity and heart make her someone you will embrace.

The star of the novel, for me, is our narrator, and resident pixie Tinkerbell. The fiery tempered, fiercely loyal, and jealous pixie was exactly what I wanted her to be. From the moment she tells you that she fell in love with Peter Pan upon meeting him I fell in love with her. Her voice and character shine even without it being her story.

The story takes the known plot of Peter Pan and twists it a bit. The story is much more ground in reality than the previous adaptations. I liked that the author based it more in reality. The feelings that it invokes work so well because the novel feels so achingly real.

The many different forms of love play a large part in the story. Unrequited, consuming, possessive, patient, unconditional, the type of love that saves you, and even the kind that can destroy. The love Peter shares with Tiger Lily is very different from the love that grows between he and Wendy. It’s the differences that make it so heartbreaking, real and raw and make this story have the impact it does.

The ending is bitter sweet and brought both tears and a sad smile. The story packs an emotional punch. A vividly written tale about growing up, falling in love, and finding your own path in the world.  A tale for all those who have fallen in love with Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the idea of Neverland. Just don’t be surprised when you fall just as in love with the girl with the crow feather in her hair.