16 Sep / Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry [in School Library Journal]
*STARRED REVIEW
A year has passed since the oldest Torres daughter, Ana, fatally fell (jumped?) from her bedroom window. Her sisters have endured their loss behind rigid defenses: Jessica assumed Ana’s life, including claiming Ana’s boyfriend; Iridian assuages her loneliness with Ana’s books and writing; Rosa seeks solaces in Sunday services and animals seen and unseen. Their widowed father’s onerous mourning looms as both threatening abuse and absent neglect.
From across the street, a group of boys – once Ana’s voyeurs – continue to watch the shattered family, bearing witness with an obsessive mixture of judgment and awe. Despite attempts to escape, the sisters cannot seem to break the oppressive male gaze – even Samantha Mabry withholds narrative control from the daughters, at least until dead Ana returns with a vengeance to set her sisters free.
Enhanced by his bilingual background, actor Luis Moreno assumes the San Antonio family’s sprawling dysfunction with impressive nuance. Effortlessly modulating tone and delivery, he seethes as the Torres father losing control; cowers, cajoles, and growls as Jessica challenges her boyfriend’s violence; longs, shields, and shouts as Iridian finds her voice; dreams, hopes, and searches as Rosa seeks connection.
Verdict: Regardless of format, savvy audiences will demand this tale.
Review: “Audio,” School Library Journal, September 1, 2020
Readers: Young Adult
Published: 2020