.png)
Releasing April 9, 2019 Written by Kathleen Glasgow Pages: 432 Publisher: Delacorte Press
(I won this free ARC from a giveaway on Goodreads, my opinion is unbiased and my own)
The feelings that I have for this book are complicated, so I will tell you the good things first and then tell you the rest. This book follows the story of a young girl named Grace (Who prefers to be called Tiger) the story behind the nickname is quite funny so I will let you find out about that one on your own. Whose mother dies of a brain aneurysm, one day she's there and the next she is gone. So now Tiger is left to deal with a huge black hole in her heart and she has to figure out how to make friends with the dark in order to continue living. Not only did her mom die, but her mom is all she had so she is now an orphan. That is a lot to take in.
The concept is heartbreaking, I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose your mom so suddenly, so seeing her trying to do her best to continue on kept me reading. The book is not shy about depicting a grieving teenager, Tiger is not perfect, and it shows, which I appreciated because it made her feel real. She didn't get over it quickly, she didn't suddenly find happiness. She fought through all the mud and the dirt that was dragging her down to see the light.
A lot of topics that I normally don't encounter in a book where touched upon in this book, which is what I think makes this book a worthwhile read.
Foster Care- sometimes the way the foster care system is portrayed in books is kind of idyllic, but not here. Kathleen really does an amazing job at showing the good and caring people in the foster system as well as showing the ugly side and glimpses at stories of abuse. It may be hard to imagine some of the backstories that we get a glimpse into but for many kids, this is the reality, every single day and I like that it was portrayed that way.
Grief- Tiger is in it, all the way, no shortcuts. You see the repercussions of her sadness, the rebelliousness, the utter helplessness that she finds herself in sometimes, and the situation that occurred before her mother passed abruptly did not help either. You will have to read the book to find out what this is. However, when you do, you will find yourself even more broken hearted, because you will picture yourself doing the same thing in some alternative scenario and feel as guilty about it as she did.
Real Characters (Humanity) - Sometimes, when it comes to death, humans have a limit on how long they will accept you grieving until they begin to say you should just move on. Even the most
well-intentioned characters in this book reach a point, where they think they have done all they can and they shouldn't be responsible for it anymore. It's hard because Tiger hears this conversation happen from people that have known her all her life, and it hit me in the core. The fact of the matter is that this is true, it happens all the time, thoughts and prayers, we are here for you, but in the end, Tiger really has herself and she has to learn to live with that. I just love that all the characters in this story are flawed in some way, that makes them unique and human.
Rating 3/5 ❤❤❤
I rated this book a three because I do truly believe this book should be read, but I don't think this person was me. I struggled through 300 pages of Tiger's grief, to find out things that had been hinted at the beginning of the book. I can honestly say the first time I cried was when I got to page 306. I know in real life grief is never-ending, and I won't pretend to understand it, but to me as a reader stretching it for that long made it a bit exhausting, I kept wondering what turn the story was going to take. However, I think this book is great for other people, readers who are looking for a character to relate to in grief, for students, family members who have lost someone dear to them. Seeing a character on page feeling like you do can validate what you are going through, not make you feel so alone, this is why this book is important. Like Kathleen says herself towards the end of the book, there isn't a manual written on death or how to get through it, but that she at least hoped that her book would provide solace and that I really think she did.
You can find this book here : Amazon and Book Depository!