Tiger Eyes

"You have sad eyes, Tiger," he says. "A bright smile but sad eyes."

This was a very very well done story. Loss of a parent shouldn't be easy for any family. It should be messy and angry, full of secrets and tantrums and a lot of days spent NOT leaving your bed. I thought that was the best part of this book - that Davey was never perfect and she never tried to be. She didn't go through stages and she didn't handle things right.

Shuffled off to live in a strange area, Davey tries to find a new world without her dad.

I'm so sad that this is being banned, even so many years later. I don't think the language, drinking (not by Davey) or depression are anything we should dodge or avoid in teen books. It doesn't glorify it or make it seem "cool" show more (and I could name NUMEROUS other YA books that do!). This is a great cautionary tale but also a REAL story, that shows we are all human.

My only regret in this book was the absence of Wolf. I would have liked to have had some closure there. But my regret/sad part are just too true to life that I can't fault the book for it. show less

I remember reading Tiger Eye's when I was a wee bookworm, loving it then, as it made a lasting impression while other books have long since been forgotten. I wanted to walk down memory lane this weekend with a re-read, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed this time around either. Blume does an excellent job portraying the life of a troubled fifteen year old girl and her family when this tragedy strikes.

The different reactions of each age group seems realistic: the mother, a generally dependent woman now feeling hopeless, Davey, the oldest child who has to struggle not only with her father's death but with puberty and new friends, and Jason, the youngest child who has trouble understanding the concept in death in general, let alone show more that he's not going to see his father again.

Pacing is slower and not action-filled, leaning more toward psychological impact. Emotions appear genuine and grief runs deep; I found myself weepy more than once. The focal point always remains Davey, even when it's showing someone else grieving through the teen's eyes. I especially appreciate how Blume has the temporary 'parents', the aunt and uncle', move them to a town where the major employer deals with creating weapons, and how the uncle designs bombs. The conflict of his employment with what Davey is going through adds a complex touch.

The addition of Wolf as a character was a good move too, as it gives Davey something more to do than mourn and be angry. He doesn't appear too often but enough to work his magic. I still would have liked to see him more before they left, however, as it seemed bittersweet and without a wrap-up.

Surprisingly this book has been banned by many schools, and I can't fathom why. There is no nudity and no foul language. It does deal with the loss of a parent and grief - I'm sure many in school are dealing with what Davey does on a day to day basis. Alcohol is mentioned but as a negative issue. Davey's new friend has a drinking problem, which Davey encourages her to get counseling about. This in itself is another positive outlook on a common teenage problem. I suppose schools just don't wish to deal with real life issues that our children go through and need the most help with.

Maybe they find the book too depressing. Perhaps, then, they should see that many kids are depressed and finding people in books going through similar situations should be encouraged, not 'banned'. For all I know it is because the friend with the drinking problem ends up making out with a guy in the backseat of a car. Yeah, like teenagers don't do that either. The book makes an issue out of this happening as a result of the drinking and is in no way glorifying alcohol. In fact, any romantic involvement the main character deals with is hope of a chaste kiss. Ohhhhh well, I'll fret about this again another day.

I'll wrap up by saying that as always Blume is creative with her story, genuine with her characters, and to the point with her writing style. I'm sorry to see that not only this one, but most of her work, is banned. She is actually an activist on reading freedom. You'll find something to like in all her work, but this one in particular is quite special.

It doesn't earn the five rating award, but it was close. Most angst and action, both psychology and perhaps from outside forces, would be welcomed to spruce it up slightly. Davey feels the characteristic numbness and emotional acceptance, but I feel Blume could have explored it a little more, maybe with more "oomph." show less

I'm writing this after some wretched little scumbag murdered 20 schoolchildren in Connecticut, and that tragedy gives added dimension to this book: Davey, a 15-year-old white girl in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has to face something no child should have to deal with: the murder of her father. The situation could be another maudlin weeper, but in the hands of Judy Blume the story is concise and honest. Davey and her family go to Los Alamos, New Mexico, for recovery from the trauma.

Davey never dwells in self-pity. It's refreshing to watch Davey try to cope with her feelings while adjusting to the somewhat weird (to her) cultural landscape of New Mexico, which Blume captures nicely. Davey attends the local high school and meets a nice show more conventional white boy named Reuben. Davey hikes in a wild canyon and meets an unconventional Hispanic boy named Wolf. Wolf is attracted to Davey's "tiger eyes," as he calls them. Will there be romance?

Blume, by the way, is great at mixing culture and race into the story with a naturalness that seems entirely unforced. She resists her usual urge to teach Important Life Lessons and lets the story unfold briskly, smoothly. We like Davey because, as Wolf recognizes, she has a tiger spirit: a strength, a grace, a clear eye.

Davey is a splendid character, a middle-class girl with whom I can easily identify (and I'm a 65-year-old male).

This is Judy Blume in full bloom. Even the minor characters are deftly drawn and step off the page. The author keeps the focus on Davey, where another writer might be tempted to follow what could be fascinating subplots such as Davey's high school friend, Jane, who has a drinking problem. While I'd love to know more about Jane — there are hints of deep secrets driving her to drink — and I'd love to read more about Wolf, who becomes somewhat more conventional while still intriguingly different — Blume exercises ruthless economy and sticks with Davey. Ultimately, it's the right choice. Always leave the reader wanting more. And trust the reader to connect the dots, of which there are plenty. Reflecting on the story after I finished reading, I could see the hints of where Jane and Wolf were likely to go.

Here is the senseless gun violence of the USA shattering another loving family. The ending isn't exactly happy (how could it be?), but Davey keeps growing, and the family starts healing. How she grows, and how they try to heal, is great reading. show less

I probably wouldn't actually have given this four stars if this were my first time reading it...but there is a ton of childhood nostalgia wrapped up in this one. Now that I'm a Christian mother, I can see how much Judy Blume influenced me, opened doors that didn't need to be opened at my young age. I guess I sort of resent her for that. I don't get adults who purposefully take away kids' innocence. Seems abusive to me.

Anyway, back to 1988 or so... I always loved this story and that's saying something because I've never really been into the setting (American Southwest) and setting played a big part in this one. Weirdly, I was also obsessed with Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees---similar setting. Anyway, I always felt for Davey. I show more thought it was pretty messed up that she had the worst experience of all the family members on the night her father died but no one thinks to get her help for months. She just sort of drifted, having to find healing in her own way. Blume makes that out to be ok. As a mother, I think that's a pretty messed up thing to do to your kid. At the time I read this, I was having my own issues with a self-absorbed mom so I guess that's why I found Davey relatable.

Reading this today, I figured out what's always bugged me about Judy Blume's writing (besides the crudeness)... She writes choppy thoughts. Like Dr. Seuss for teens. Trying to imagine her characters' conversations in my head makes them all sound really robotic.

Other annoying flaws that I didn't pick up on the first time include the "nowhere" character of Wolf. That went nowhere...what was the point of bringing in that character? I can't even see how he caused Davey to grow or change. Same with Jane, really. I mean, it gave Blume a chance to preach at her readers about the issue of teen alcoholism but we find that Davey has her own reasons for not drinking so why bring her in? Better yet...why not flesh these characters' stories out and make them a little more important to the storyline.

You know what? Now that I wrote all that out, I'm more annoyed than I was when I started. This book is getting three stars instead. Ha! show less

I read this because it's on the ALA's list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books (1990-2000) and I'm slowly working my way though the list. This is one of the few Judy Blume books I managed to miss when I was younger and I have to say, I'm quite surprised that it's on this list at all. I found absolutely nothing objectionable about the book at all. I agree that the subject matter might be unpleasant to some, but for anyone who's experienced (or might experience) the sudden (and possibly violent) loss of a loved one (and everyone does at some point in their lives) this book is an exceptional read. Not only does it deal with one families struggle to deal with the sudden, violent death of their father/husband it also deals with other show more types of loss and grief issues. Included in this book are the difficulty of being childless for a couple that wants children (the aunt and uncle), Wolf's experiences with the inevitable loss of his father to cancer, Jane's drinking to cope with the intense and often unrealistic expectations of her family and her own fears about wanting to live her own life but being afraid to at the same time. Tiger Eyes manages to convey an intensity of emotion with regards to each family members fear, grief, anger, and depression...and manages to do it without being depressing or having the main character wallow in it. The struggles of Davey and her Mother are very real, they "feel" authentic, you get a depth of emotion in the reading and I think that is what makes this an excellent book. I think it's a shame anyone would try to censor this, to pretend that death doesn't occur or that there aren't difficult issues in families that lead to children and/or parents making bad/self-destructive choices. I think it's a very good thing that there are books like this that allow readers to enjoy a good story and realize that we are each human and must come to terms with our problems as best we can. I give Tiger Eyes five stars and two thumbs up...highly recommended!! show less

This was easily the most read book on my shelves during my teen years. I have recently had the pleasure of watching the film based on this book, and can happily say that even after 20 years, I can still relate to Davey as I did back then...only for different reasons now.

While I had yet to experience loss at that age, I can still recall relating to Davey's loneliness during my own awkward teenage years. Now as an adult who has since lost her father, I can now relate to Davey on an entirely different level. In the book and movie, Davey not only loses her dad, but also feels a temporary loss of her mother as she is emotionally absent during her own grieving period. I did not lose my own father until my 30's, but still experienced the same show more feeling of losing not one, but two parents at while we all worked through our own grief.

If you haven't yet seen it, Amazon has the online film available. It is my understanding that Judy Blume's son, Lawrence Blume, was the director, thus allowing mother and son to retain rights of the production and final output. This obviously worked, as it stays as true to the book as possible. show less

I love Judy Blume, there's just something about her. She really writes a good story. I read this quite recently after I read 'P.S. I Love You' by Cecila Ahern because I was really disappointed by that book and I wanted to compare the two books as they both have the theme of death and grieving. I was NOT disappointed by this book. Whereas I didn't feel sorry for the main character in 'P.S. I Love You', I really felt empathetic towards Davey, the main character.
This book was so much more realistic. It starts with 15 year old Davey grieving, but still acting confused about the death of her father. The dialogue is written in a different way to 'P.S. I Love You', is simply states 'I just felt like sleeping so I got into bed. I stayed there show more for 11 days'. Whereas the other book described each day by moaning 'I am so sad' etc.
Davey's emotions aren't as clearly written in stone, however they are described by the symptoms. I.e. she faints and doesn't know why and it is revealed she is hyperventalating due to grief. This matter of factness and symtoms of grief rather than straightforward 'I am so sad' is what makes the book so much more mature and well written.
I also found the story much more realistic by the fact that she went to school only about a week after, and then moved as they found it too hard. This is much more realistic as people want to get on with their lives but just find they can't, rather than taking an entire year off. The fact that there are sub-plots show how the grief affects Davey's life in other ways, like her disrespecting her Uncle.
A great read!!! show less