A year ago, Ana Torres fell out of her bedroom window to her death. Her younger three sisters, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, are dealing with their grief in different ways. Jessica acts out and has a dangerous relationship with her boyfriend. Iridian finds comfort in books and writing. Rosa tries to help animals. Strange things begin to happen in their house, and the girls decide that it must be Ana’s spirit communicating with them. They have to figure out what Ana is trying to tell them.

This was an intense story. The sisters were grieving for their sister, but their dad had other ways of dealing with the pain. He checked out of their lives, so they had to look after themselves. They had to grow up quickly, but they each had their own ways of coping.

I really liked the magical realism aspects of this story. Ana’s ghost appeared to her sisters and to the neighbors next door. She didn’t always appear as a person, but she would do things around the house to let them know she was there. There were also some storms that happened around her appearances, which added to the spooky atmosphere.

This was such a beautiful story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tigers, Not Daughters was a beautifully told story of 3 teenage girls coping with the death of their sister. It has a hint of magical realism as the sister's spirit surrounds them after death. Normally I find it hard to connect with magical realism but this book emphasized the realism and read as a novel of a family first and foremost. The ghost element was gently weaved in and completely non-scary, which was refreshing. The author portrayed the sisters' differences so well and each character came alive. I adored her writing. Certain sentences or turns of phrase made me pause and smile and how well they were written. There was nothing so big as a twist, but elements like learning that Rosa was looking for her sister's spirit and not just the hyena, or that John was the one who saw Ana fall and he was involved with her before Jessica, were wonderful little surprises tucked into the story that I loved. Reviews mentioned comparisons to Little Women and The Virgin Suicides and this made me immediately want to pick up both stories, along with How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and even King Lear that the author references in her afterword/acknowledgments. Any book that captivates me enough to read more about its inspiration is a winner in my mind.

In February I was contacted by Algonquin Young Readers and invited to be a part of the Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry blog tour. The book came out last year but on March 30th the paperback was released. My blog tour date was originally April 3rd but we had to take an emergency trip to Memphis, TN that week so I didn’t get a chance to get my review in by that time. I did get a chance to listen to the audiobook and it was sooo well done.

Description
The Torres sisters are well known, especially the oldest sister Ana. Ana is beautiful, boys want to be with her and girls want to be her. The boys next door are pretty obsessed with her. So when she falls out of her bedroom window and dies it shakes the whole community. The sisters that are left behind miss her more than she will ever know. They don’t know how to deal with their father that is horrible to them without her. The Torres sisters are lost without Ana. A year after her death they all experience paranormal events that all point to it being the ghost of Ana. They aren’t sure why she is back but they will find out, and it may just bring them closer together.

Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going into, especially with the talk of ghosts, but I’m glad that didn’t scare me away. Books about siblings are some of my favorites, especially since I have 5 children.

I loved how this book was told in all the sisters POV’s. We really got to know them through their POV’s. There is also a POV of the boys next door. We only get it a few times, but it really added to the story.

At times this book was hard to read. There are some weighty topics but they are all very important and Mabry does such a good job addressing them. This story is beautifully written and will have you cheering at the end, I know I was.

I just saw that this is the first book in the series and I cannot wait to read the second book! I’m curious to know what it will be about since this first book could have easily been a standalone.

Character Love
Ana- We didn’t really get to know her personally very well, but she seemed like a really good sister. She dealt with a lot, especially because of her father, but she seemed like a strong female who loved her sisters.

Jessica- I liked Jessica. There were times where she really annoyed me and made me mad, but the more I got to know her the more I understood why she was that way.

Iridian- I loved Iridian. She is an introvert and loves to write. I felt bad for her so many times in this book, but I love how she grows throughout.

Rosa- Rosa might have been my favorite of the sisters. She is just so unique and different. I also really love how she cares of her sisters and will fight for them no matter what.

Conclusion
I totally recommend Tigers, not daughters. You will love these sisters and feel for them as they navigate life without their oldest sister.

“She was so mad all the time, but instead of striking out, she would do nothing or reach out with tentative, tissue-paper fingers. She had to do better. An angry girl was allowed to be angry”
.
.
.
The Torres sisters live in San Antonio, but dream of escape from their incapable father and their neighbourhood who watch, but don’t interfere. Ana, the oldest sister, got them all as far as the bus station once until they were found and brought home. When Ana dies after her senior year of high school, falling out of the tree outside of her bedroom window, Jessica, Iridian and Rosa are lost with seemingly no way out


Each of the girls find a different way to keep their sister close. Jessica goes out with Ana’s old boyfriend. Iridian surrounds herself with Ana’s books and Rosa, the youngest, searches the streets for an escaped hyena because Ana always told her she had an affinity with animals. Divided in their grief, it’s only when Ana’s laughter is heard, her writing seen on the walls and her anger felt that the girls find the strength to work together and fight their way out


Thank you so much to the Publisher for my eARC of this book and for my spot on the blog tour!
This was my first Samatha Mabry YA novel and I enjoyed the combination of a rather bleak reality with elements of magical realism. I was puzzled by the title until I found out it comes from King Lear which is so fitting when thinking about the character of Rauf, the girl’s father. He has given up any parental responsibility and yet wishes to be cared and provided for. He tests their love and plays his daughter’s off against one another in true despotic fashion


Coming so soon after The Green Witch by Susan Cooper, there were parallels in terms of the silencing of female anger and also an examination of its power when unleashed. This is one for YA lovers of magical realism and melodic prose with teeth!


TW: Physical abuse, grief and death

This novel tells the story of four sisters who lose their mother at a young age and who have grown up with an unstable, mercurial father. When the eldest sister dies (this happens in the very beginning of the book, so it’s not technically a spoiler), the remaining three sisters are left behind trying to deal with the loss. Instead of this book being solely about grief and the struggle that comes with being a teenager, there’s a wonderful thread of magical realism that runs throughout (including the addition of some paranormal forces).

“Tigers, Not Daughters” was written with such rich language that I often forgot it was supposed to be in the YA genre. There are thankfully no YA tropes in sight, which made the text feel original and fresh. I loved how each chapter is told from a different sister’s point of view, with some sections being told from neighborhood boys who admire the sisters from afar. I loved getting different perspectives on the same events – this allowed the book to feel really mature and developed (even though the majority of the characters are all teenagers).

The only downside was that the pacing felt a little off to me. The book starts off with a bang but then loses a little steam about halfway through. I also wished for an ending that was a little more thorough. It felt kind of rushed, which left me wanting to learn more about the sisters’ future.

I would definitely recommend this to readers who are interested in a haunting story about the desire to break free from unhealthy environments. I think it’d be great for YA readers who want a story with a little more substance to it and that don’t mind some pretty dark subject matter.

Tigers, Not Daughters is a hauntingly beautiful story about sisterhood that will keep you thinking long after the last page.

I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and structure, but most of all the essence of each sister that the reader got to live through.

We love celebrating a good paperback release - especially when it’s a beautifully-written and emotional piece!

TIGERS, NOT DAUGHTERS by Samantha Mabry is a beautiful novel about the Torres sisters mourning the sudden loss of their eldest sister, Ana. Each of the three younger sisters are impacted differently - but they all start notice mysterious things happening around the house. Ghost laughter. Mysterious laughter.

With elements of magical realism, this is YA novel really focuses in on one family, their grief and how that ultimately can drive them apart or together. With multiple narrators (the sisters) and less than 300 pages, there is so much action and emotion packed into this lyrical story.

Both the hardback and paperback of TIGERS, NOT DAUGHTERS is out today! Thank you to @algonquinyr and @samantha_mabry_tx for the copy to review, and for sharing such a beautiful story!

CW // death; alcoholism and drug use; child abuse; toxic relationship and interpersonal violence; car accident; death of an animal; fighting

"If I was the ghost of someone who had always, in life, looked out her window with an expression on her face like she was desperate to escape, and I had come back to send a message, it would be to tell her sisters to get out of this house and never look back."

Peter may be right but these three teen sisters have so many emotions to deal with that running away won't necessarily resolve anything. In one of the most raw and honest books about grief and family Tigers Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry will bring all the feels to its readers both young and old.

Aimed at 14 years and up this story is about four sisters who are very different but share the pain from the loss of their Mom and living with a Dad who is unequipped to deal with teenager girls and the loss of his wife. Things only get worse when eldest sister Ana dies early in the story.

Jessica, Iridian and Rosa each deal with their grief differently. Jessica, now the oldest, appears strong and responsible but is on a self destructive path. Iridian goes deeper into her introverted self and young Rosa looks for Ana in the spirit world.

Then weird things start to happen from shadows and writings on the walls to laughter echoing throughout the house. As the truth about Ana's death is slowly revealed the sisters each come to terms with their last interactions with Ana.

Despite the ghostly addition, which is fine but not essential, the author has written a very realistic book about a distressed family.

The writer has created a family drama that on the surface is about a time of change for this family but is so much more. It is life lessons on the grief process with the most valuable one being we must all grieve in our own time in our own way to get through it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Ana is, and remains, an enigma to the people in her life. So much so that even after death, every one of them believes her to be a different version of herself, clambering for a sense of ownership over her. Her death has left them broken to the point of destruction. If you notice nothing else throughout this book (and it's not all of the high key strange things that happen in their house) it's the threads of PTSD that her death has woven throughout all of the decisions that her sisters, her father and the boys who loved her make.

Her death was traumatic but living in that house, in the aftermath, is equally so. Is this book paranormal? Possibly. But more than anything else this book shows what happens when humans do not fully deal with their grief after the loss of a loved one.

I liked it, even if I wished that it were longer.

<!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":1452,"width":341,"height":512,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://letzbeereal.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/mabry_tigersnotdaughters_hc-rgb_hr-1.jpg?w=681" alt="" class="wp-image-1452" width="341" height="512"/></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>In San Antonio, Texas, the Torres sisters live with their father. Ana, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa are four beautiful roses blooming in the muck of death and decay that is their house. Unlike most roses, they have legs, and are desperate for escape - some day, some way - from the existence they are experiencing on a daily basis.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This existence doesn't necessarily end when they die.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":1444,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://letzbeereal.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/tigers-are-completely-blind-for-the-first-week-of-their-life.-about-half-do-not-survive-to-adulthood..png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1444"/></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The Torres sisters are spied on by the boy who lives across the street and his three friends. Stalkers who hesitate to interfere with the girls after their actions ruin an escape attempt, and so, they just watch. Filtering the lives and personalities of these girls through their male lenses:</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:list -->
<ul><li>Ana, the beautiful enigma</li><li>Jessica, the angry and slightly inept</li><li>Iridian, the introvert who brings a novel and a notebook with her wherever she goes</li><li>Rosa, the old soul</li></ul>
<!-- /wp:list -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Reflecting on their inaction after the fact, and realizing that they could have offered friendship to these girls, which may have been more helpful than obsessive semi-worship.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":1446,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://letzbeereal.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/tigers-are-like-deadly-snowflakes.-their-stripes-which-burrow-all-the-way-down-to-their-skin.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1446"/></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Because they are girls, of course, there is plenty of conflict and abuse to content with - their father is neglectful, their mother is dead, so these girls are mostly on their own. Boys suck. Most people suck. Add grieving to the mix, and these poor girls go through <em>a lot</em>. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Samantha Mabry's <em>Tigers, Not Daughters </em>is well-written and mysterious. The story is sometimes magical, sometimes realistic, and sometimes it is difficult for the reader to discern whether the events are occurring or being interpreted in an elevated way by the characters. If you like well-written fiction, multiple points-of-view, hot climates, stories that center around smart women, and magical-realism, I would highly-highly recommend.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":1450,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://letzbeereal.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/fun-fact_-tigers-urine-smells-like-buttered-popcorn.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1450"/></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Have you read this novel, or do you plan to pick up a copy soon? Let me know in the comments below!</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

This nearly mythical, slightly magical book has some incredible, and hauntingly beautiful parts...and some that still have me confused after finishing. Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry is a look into what happens to the three sisters who are left behind after the sudden death of their eldest sister, Ana.

The book takes us through how grief has manifested in and unravels each sister. Jessica desperately wants to become Ana and welcomes anguish. Iridian drowns herself in the pages of Ana's old books, and fills her time with writing. Youngest Rosa searches blindly for the "magic" Ana once said she had. Each sister's struggle is painfully messy, palpable, and yet genuinely human.

The resolution is the most magical and haunting aspect of the book!

I don't agree with the comparison between this and Little Women, and feel it's an injustice to both books. The only similarity between this book and Little Women is the fact that there were 4 sisters, all strikingly different in their characters, yet bound to each other.

Tigers stands on its own, and despite still having some unanswered questions, I'd recommend giving it a read! Nearly 3.5 stars for me :)

I really loved the writing style of this book. It was gorgeous and so easy to get lost in. I read it pretty quickly, over the course of just a few days. The structure of the book was also a something I really liked. Mabry switches between the point of view of each of the living sisters, as well as another outside perspective. It lets you really get into the frame of mind of the girls, but also examine how they appear to the outside world. It also examined the relationship of the sisters well.

Typically, I tend to be a plot first rather than character first reader. If you ask me about character driven books, my biggest criticism is the pacing. While this had the potential to get meandering, since it does only take place over the course of a few days, I was always interested in what was going on.

The magical realism was a nice touch for me. I was kind of hoping Mabry would explore it just a little more, but I understand why she kept it understated; as it stands, I would 100% believe the whole book had happened.

I also liked how for such a gorgeous, magical book, Mabry fit lots of important topics, such as familial and relationship abuse, death of a loved one, and religious questions. I thought each was handled well and in a manner teen readers will likely appreciate.

I would recommend this book to teen readers looking for real experiences depicted in fiction (paying mind to content warnings) with a touch of magical realism and anyone who loves books about sometimes difficult familial relationships.

This book was like Little Women + Virgin Suicides had a Donnie Darko baby.

The 4 Torres sisters are an intriguing bunch. When Ana falls to her death out a window, each sister processes their grief in different ways. Whether it’s trying to become the sister, hoarding their dead sisters things, or dating her boyfriend. These sisters slowly unravel and loose their sanity after seeing apparitions and ghostly messages from Ana. What is she trying to communicate?

These girls are all SO strong and go through SO much in this book. They struggle with bullies and just about every man in their lives. Their irresponsible father, Ana’s ex boyfriend John, and the neighborhood boys from school. This book does have some violence, domestic abuse, animal death and of course, teen death.

I really liked how this book was written. It was SO different. Each chapter alternates through the eyes of each sister. There’s also little vignettes through the eyes of the neighborhood boys who watch the sisters from afar. Because of these sections, the girls appear to be like wild animals. Like, the neighborhood boys are watching the girls like they are tigers. (Thus the name!!)

I enjoyed this book but I think it reminded me SO MUCH of the Virgin Suicides (which I love) that I just couldn’t see past that.

This book comes out tomorrow, March 31st from @algonquinyr. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this gifted copy. 🐯🐯🐯

Wow. Another one that snuck up on me. This happens when you don’t read the synopsis. 🤣
.
I was quite chuffed to be invited by @algonquinyr to be part of the blog tour for Tigers, Not Daughters. I had a very vague idea what it was about (and I mean vague), but I took one look at that cover and said - Yes please!
.
Well, this book was amazing. I loved it. Cried like a baby, and fell totally in love with the four sisters in the story. A bit of a mix between Little Women, The Virgin Suicides, and The Van Appel Girls are Gone. Think beautiful sisters with troubled pasts and home life.
.
It’s beautiful, tragic, sad, and haunting. I love the fierce love they have for each other and I really could have kept on reading about them for a lot longer. Brilliant!!!

I’ll be honest – usually I’m quite wary about comparing new releases to other books, especially well-known books or ones that I particularly love. Far too many times I’ve been disappointed that I’ve been “catfished”, because the comparison turned out to be completely inaccurate. But whoever said that Tiger, Not Daughters is like Little Women couldn’t be more right. Of course, it’s not a retelling, but the essence of Little Women is there – female empowerment, girlhood, and sibling relationships – all placed within a magical realism setting.

Via Goodreads: “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.”

I can’t believe this was the first time I read something by Samantha Mabry! It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with the author’s beautiful words as she thrusts you into this story of grief, identity, and human relationships. Though I couldn’t relate to some of the things the characters were going through, Mabry’s writing style – the lyricism and flow of it – certainly tugged at my hearstrings. It’s easy to immerse yourself in this book and feel all of the emotions pouring out of it.

I really enjoyed the clever use of different points of view in the novel. Each chapter begins with a recollection of some moment in the Torres sisters’ lives, but as it was seen by their neighbours – Hector and his friends – through a collective “we” narration. The story then returns to the present, with Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa as the main narrators.

Each of the three sisters has a unique personality, and each of them faces a different personal struggle – though ultimately, the thing that seems to connect them is Ana’s death. They are raw and far from being perfect girls and daughters. They are ruled by a range of emotions – anger, indifference, confusion, innocence, curiosity – which I think perfectly captures the idea of girlhood. And they all cope with loss differently, which seems to make them drift apart. Throughout the story, the Torres sisters go through a metaphorical journey of self-discovery, overcoming grief and rediscovering the meaning of sisterhood.

Animals play an important role in Tigers, Not Daughters and I could help but do a little research on the potential symbolic meaning of them. Though not explicitly mentioned in the book, tigers are (quite obviously) commonly associated with strength and courage – and there is no doubt as to how this animal relates to the Torres sisters.

A more interesting case is the escaped hyena that roams Southtown and spreads fear in the community. I don’t think any of us have good associations with hyenas – they indeed seem very cunning and frightening. In reality, hyenas are strong individuals who still value pack life. Hyenas can also symbolise the search for undiscovered potential. Could the hyena in the story be a representation of Ana – the most independent of the sisters – trying to get her siblings back together and make them realise who they are? Maybe I’m reaching, maybe I’m overinterpreting things, but I think this perspective is quite interesting.

Tigers, Not Daughters is a stunning novel that will stay with me for a long time. It successfully deals with many tough topics and underlines the importance of sisterhood. I honestly can’t wait to read more from Samantha Mabry!

TW: death of a sister (off page), death of a parent (off page), domestic abuse, parental verbal abuse, animal death
TIGERS NOT DAUGHTERS is about Iridian, Jessica, and Rosa Torres surviving a year after their sister’s tragic death. They are each coping in different ways.
I was really blown away when I picked up this book. You are really entranced in these sisters lives from the first chapter. Their personalities are distinct from the first page we are introduced to them before the tragedy happens. From there we jump into the present and it is clear how each sister has changed, and I loved that. It was such a good way to hook the reader into learning more about how everyone has been changed.
The sisters’ relationship to the other sister are also all unique. They all hold their own memories and guilt over her passing.
We get perspectives from the three surviving sisters, but we also get a fourth perspective from the boys who live across from the street. This might have been my favorite perspective because it’s such a unique one to give. Not only is it an outside point of view, but it’s also a collective point of view, as it’s written as if every boy who spends time looking out at the Torres house is speaking.
This is a very character driven book. The ghost plot really feels more like a subplot in the face of the greater plot of the Torres girls surviving after nearly a year past their sister’s death. Usually, I’m more partial to books with a firmer plot, but I was still able to enjoy this one!
I rated this 3.5 stars! This is definitely a book I’m going to be pushing into more hands because I didn’t hear much about it when it was released last year and it definitely deserves more hype.

Major thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with an eGalley!

If I had to compare Tigers, Not Daughters to any song, it’d probably be “seven” by Taylor Swift — more specifically, “I’ve been meaning to tell you / I think your house is haunted / your dad is always mad and that must be why.” Set a year after Ana Torres’ passing, Tigers, Not Daughters follows the three younger Torres’ sisters: Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, as they learn how to grieve, heal and recover. The four sisters had always wanted to leave Southtown; to be more and to find their freedom, but with Ana’s death, and with the strange happenings that keep occurring around their house, this dream seems more impossible than ever. As the story progresses, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa start noticing that the strange occurrences happening to them — witnessing hyenas, hearing laughter, writing on the walls — can only come from one person: Ana.

To be quite honest, I’ve been in the middle of a reading slump, but I found myself enthralled by Tigers, Not Daughters. Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t put it down. Tigers, Not Daughters is written in third-person with multiple POVs, allowing us to spend time with Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, as well as their neighbors. By doing so, we’re given the chance to better understand each sister, their motivations, and their feelings. I also really enjoyed the chapters that were told from their neighbor, Hector, and his friends' perspectives. I found it so fascinating to read about how people viewed the Torres’ family. I’ve always been curious to know how other people perceive me, and so being able to have that insight on how the Torres’ were viewed by their community was super interesting!

Throughout the course of the book, I was really focused on trying to figure out why Ana’s ghost was here, and what she wanted to say. The sisterly bond in Tigers, Not Daughters transcends death and is a true testament to family ties. One of the biggest strengths of Tigers, Not Daughters, was the characters. While it took me longer to connect with some sisters more than others, I truly found myself rooting for and relating to them all in different ways. I loved how much Rosa cared for animals, Iridian’s love for books and writing, and Jessica’s anger, but what I loved most was how strong they could be when they put their differences aside and leaned on one another.

With Mabry’s vivid imagery and lyrical writing, I could so easily picture the Torres’ sisters, their lives, and their surroundings. Mabry’s writing is incredibly atmospheric, and I felt like I was transported into another world. I kept highlighting passages in my Kindle, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about the beautiful prose of Tigers, Not Daughters for days to come.

If you know anything about me, you should know that I love stories that make me feel something — especially when that something is hurt. Tigers, Not Daughters felt like an eerie, magical realistic, darker version of Little Women, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tigers, Not Daughters is many things — an exquisite story about family, grief, and healing, a story about what it’s like to embrace your anger, about what it’s like to reach your breaking point and put yourself first, and to stand up for yourself.

The Torres sisters live consumed by trauma and guilt. Their mother died during childbirth, leaving them to take care of their grief-stricken and depressed father, Rafe. Then, tragedy strikes when the oldest sister, Ana, dies after falling from her window. A year later, the three sisters— Jessica, Iridian and Rosa— are consumed with grief, and their lives remain haunted by Ana’s memory. Jessica takes on the weight of keeping her family together, Iridian remains resentful toward their father and spends her days on the couch reading Ana’s old books, while the youngest, Rosa, is the most faithful and curious of them all. When strange events start happening—mysterious laughter and unexplainable shadows—the sisters begin to wonder if Ana is haunting them. The sisters must confront their trauma, put aside their differences, and come together, if they ever hope to figure out what Ana is trying to tell them.

Tigers, Not Daughters is a powerful and atmospheric story of three sisters whose strength and resilience shine through. From the first chapter, Samantha Mabry beautifully establishes the bleak setting of the San Antonio neighborhood and the palpable grief of the Torres family. Mabry’s language is poetic and lyrical as she uses interwoven narratives to explore Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa’s lives. This book is raw, as it doesn’t shy away from portraying and exploring tough topics like grief, depression, and abuse; but it’s also beautiful, as Mabry explores the meaning of resilience, love, and sisterhood. Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa are all strong, independent women, but above all, they are real. Are they perfect? No, but that is what makes their characters and arcs so compelling and thoughtful. Between the lyrical language and blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, this book is an amazing representation of the magical realism style and is honestly unlike any other YA novel I have ever read. This is an absolutely stunning book and should not be missed!

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry, 277 pages. CENTERING ME. Algonquin Young Readers (Algonquin Books), 2020. $11.
Language: R (31 swears, 39 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Ana and her sisters planned to run away together -- they almost made it once -- but Ana’s death changed her sisters. Without their leader, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa have retreated into new roles and parts to play in the house they are stuck in. But Ana doesn’t want her sisters to continue this way, and it’s up to the sisters to work together and figure out what Ana’s ghost wants for them.
Grief is difficult and different for everyone; Ana’s three sisters cope by retreating into themselves and playing the roles they perceived necessary. They struggle as individuals and then learn to rise together through both the weight of their sister’s death and their individual challenges. Mabry has written a story that feels significant. I can imagine English teachers asking their students to analyze what’s going on in this book, but I feel like I missed it. Something more is going on; the climax had more power than I understood. Maybe I’ll have to read it again to figure it out. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, groping, partial nudity, and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for mentions of death and suicide and for blood.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

“We’d always thought Jessica was mean because she was so full of life that it chafed at her from the inside out. She was always simmering, and it reminded us of a pot of stew on the stove. She contained so much beneath her skin, and when it got heated up, all those things tumbled and boiled.”

—————————————

Major Virgin Suicides vibes with this one!

Tigers Not Daughters is the story of a family that has broken by loss. We follow the story of three sisters as they navigate grief following the loss of their oldest sister, Ana. These girls grow up with their grief-stricken, abusive widower father navigating life without a mother figure. They struggle to fit in with their peers and each has taken a different tact to coping... none of which are the healthiest.

I love that each of the three sisters had a distinct personality and voice. Too often in YA, all of the characters have a similar angsty, immature vibe. Here these girls are trying to find away to both settle their grief and move on. Each unusual path of coping leads them to a better understanding of Ana’s life and death and all felt like real journeys to me. I like that the story was equally gritty and yet somewhat soft around the edges.

Pick this one up if you are looking for your emotions to be stirred. These girls will show you loss and sorrow; rage and revenge; love and loyalty - and most of all what it means to be a sister.

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for a copy of this one. All opinions above are my own.