Tiger Eyes

Blume, Judy. Tiger Eyes. New York : Dell Pub. Co., 1981.

Plot: After the brutal murder of her father, Davey and her remaining family are locked in deep sorrow. Seeking assistance, her mother takes her two children to the safety of her brother's New Mexican home. Davey, with the help of Wolf, a young hiker, eventually faces her grief. Her journey through the mourning process faces challenges, as she faces her depressed mother, overprotective relatives, alcoholic friend, paranoid community, and racist neighbors. Life without her father will not be easy, but Davey may learn to grow into a woman capable of handling sorrow without losing herself in the maze of fears and escapism surrounding her.

Genre: Edgy, Coming of Age, Society, High School

Reading Level: Ages 10-13

Similar Titles: It's Not Summer without You: A Summer Novel, A Time for Dancing, Wrecked

Personal Thoughts: As an adult, I thought the novel portrayed the stages of grief in a clear and sympathetic manner. However, I hated the novel as a tween. To me, the story seemed to offer a mish-mash of alcohol, teen angst, rebellion, and anger issues, not a story of grief.  I am not entirely sure why I like the novel more as an adult than as a tween. Perhaps learning about psychology helped me understand Davey's actions better. Maybe age gave me the maturity necessary to recognize the logic behind the protagonist's responses. Experiencing some grief of my own may allow me to appreciate the story. However, the answer may be much simpler. Perhaps, despite the popular insistence that tweens are emotionally mature, they just do not understand things the manner way an older reader will.

I do not think I would recommend this book. For someone experiencing grief, the novel seems like a parody of sorrow under layers of social issues. If someone has not experience loss, an actual biography may be more beneficial. Overall, the book is good, but not particularly useful.