Book Review/Blog Tour: Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry

Hey friends!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the new paperback edition of Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry. It's being released tomorrow (March 30, 2021) by Algonquin Young Readers. Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book so I could participate in the blog tour and give my honest review.

Image provided by Algonquin Young Readers

Summary

The Torres daughters are known in their neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas for being each unique in their own way but all dreaming of escape. In age order, they are: Ana, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa. However, when Ana passes away, the other three find their dreams of escape not coming to fruition. As they're stuck in their house and San Antonio with their absent father, Rafe, they are each dealing with their own struggles and the possible return of Ana.

About the Author

Image provided by Algonquin Young Readers

"Samantha Mabry credits her tendency toward magical thinking to her Grandmother Garcia, who would wash money in the kitchen sink to rinse off any bad spirits. She teaches writing and Latino literature at a community college in Dallas, where she lives with her husband, a historian, and a cat named Mouse. She is the author of A Fierce and Subtle Poison and All the Wind in the World. Visit her online at samanthamabry.com or on Twitter: @samanthamabry."

-Algonquin Young Readers

Review

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.

I gave this book 4 stars! Thanks again to Algonquin Young Readers for reaching out and providing this book to me; I'm so happy to be participating in another of their blog tours.

Kyra