How to rate this book? It’s magical and I mean that with my whole heart. Tyger immediately makes me think of the poem “ Tyger, Tyger burning bright.” It’s a beautiful work that embodies the qualities of perseverance, perception, imagination, and creation, which it glorifies , quite well both as abilities all Humans possess and as supernatural forces of will. Adam and Zadie, two children of foreigners who have immigrated to London in an alternative universe where slavery and bigotry are at a higher level than ever, find themselves faced with helping and hiding a mysterious immortal being that has taken the form of an exstinct tyger but is in fact a luminous godlike force sent to teach them the powers within themselves. The tyger is being hunted by a man..or is he? Whom will stop at nothing to capture it and extinguish its light. Adam and Zadie show tremendous courage as they fight for their dreams, their families, their futures and the fate of their powerful but wounded friend. This book is a little bit like the His Dark Materials trio logo mixed with the Muslim culture and heritage and very much enthralling, deep, and harrowing. It both inspires and brings one to tears, seeing the children put through such tests and feats. Excellent.

Set in an alternate 21st century timeline where slavery is still legal in the British Empire, Adam Alhambra is a courier. His Middle Eastern Muslim parents have a Soho alterations shop. He makes deliveries for them to white patrons in the wealthier parts of the city. While fleeing from a robber, Adam escapes through a doorway and meets Tyger-an immortal animal thought to be extinct. Tyger asks for his help finding the Guardians who can reopen gateways to other worlds, so that the oppression of Urizen will be stopped. Adam agrees to help. Teaming up with Scheherazade “Zadie” True, a black Muslim girl from Timbuktu, the two set out to find the guardians. As they go along on their adventure, they are stalked by forces determined to destroy Tiger. Will they succeed?

The plot is well written, engaging, and full of adventure. The illustrations are black and white detailed sketches that complement the story. The characters are well developed, engaging, and believable. The world building is well drawn and draws the reader into the story. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, and alternate universes will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 4 stars, Gr 5 to 9.

I concur with other reviewers who stated that this has the potential to become a middle grades classic. Important themes are tucked within a beautiful story, accompanied by magical illustrations. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy A Wrinkle in Time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful, semi-spiritual fantasy novel set in an alternate universe version of (Victorian?) London where slavery was never abolished and the British Empire expands over nearly the entire planet. Two young Muslim teenagers accidentally come into contact with a supposedly extinct tyger (the spelling used in the book) who is revealed to be the mortal embodiment of a god who has been in conflict with another immortal deity across timelines and universes since providing humans with a "spark" of infinite power. The children must quickly learn to use their new found powers to save the tyger while, inspired by the demonic efforts of the other deity, London begins to burn and fall into mob rule around them.

An extremely timely read, and a beautiful telling of what can happen when you hone your powers of perception, imagination and creativity. This book longs for and deserves classroom discussion and to be written about in essays.

Positives for this middle grade book:
Sparks imagination in the reader
Black and white illustrations throughout are amazing
The length will be appealing to readers of this age.

Areas that didn't hit home for me:
The simplicity of the tyger at the beginning being in danger and able to hide
I like the concept and the obvious societal differences, but the characters didn't really grab me.