Tigers, Not Daughters

Writers League of Texas Book Award Winner * MPIBA Reading the West Award Winner * Indie Next pick * Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book * SLJ Best Book * Shelf Awareness Best Book * BCCB Blue Ribbon List title * A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick * A White Ravens List pick * NEA Read Across America title * A Must-Read Novel According to BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Magazine, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Tor.com, and D Magazine

“A moody and unflinching examination of the gritty, tender and impossible parts of people that make them unforgettably whole. You don't read Samantha Mabry’s books so much as experience them. Ferocious and gorgeously crafted. I loved it.”

* “Mabry speaks gracefully to the transformative power of grief and the often messy (even violent) road to letting go.”

* "Borrowing elements of magical realism and Latinx folklore, this is a story that is often uncomfortable; in its quest to explore grief, family, and the traumas inflicted by each, it lays its characters utterly and unforgettably bare.”

* "A lyrical contemporary YA with a dose of magical realism, Tigers, Not Daughters is an empowering portrait of grief, sisterhood and resilience."

* “Mabry's third novel has echoes of The Virgin Suicides . . . The evocative language and deft characterization will haunt—and empower—readers.” 

* “Little Women meets The Virgin Suicides with a magical realist twist in this evocative and lovely novel . . . An engaging, heartfelt exploration of the multifaceted inner lives of teen girls and sisterhood.”

* "This is quietly searing tale of sisterly love and family secrets, of a grief so big it swallows its mourners up, blotting out the future and distorting the past . . . an appealingly unsettling infusion of ambiguous faith and unexplained miracles.”

“Move over, Louisa May Alcott! Samantha Mabry has written her very own magical Little Women for our times. This is no family of tamed girls but a clan of fierce and fighting young women who will draw readers into their spell. A celebration of the bonds of sisterhood and of the ways we heal by reaching beyond our losses, our brokenness and fears to the love that holds and heals.”

"Samantha Mabry is just a beautiful writer. You should definitely read it."

“The National Book Award-nominated author spins another hauntingly moving tale of teenhood with this story of sisters mourning one of their own, only to realize she might still be walking among them . . . somehow.”

"Like Mabry's previous books, I found that Tigers, Not Daughters is all about the atmosphere and feelings. The small town where the Torres sisters dwell feels so real . . . Mabry's language and tone are both lush and poetic, but that doesn't stop these tiger girls from having teeth.”

"A shivery, magical exploration of the power of sisterhood.”

"One of the most crucial voices in young adult literature."

"Samantha Mabry gives us paranormal magical realism at its best with her latest YA novel."

“Mabry’s moody writing paints a picture of a grief-stricken family mired in grief and seemingly doom to stay there. The descriptions are sensory, visceral, and weird… The story’s climax is chaotic and cathartic—and it ultimately presents a path forward for the sisters.”

"The kind of story that digs its claws deep into you. Though just under 300 pages, Mabry crafts a profoundly character driven plot that explores grief, depression, and sisterhood . . . A powerful story, filled with impactful characters and realistic depictions of grief and depression. Paired with its eerie paranormal elements, Tigers, Not Daughters will haunt your thoughts long after you’ve finished reading.”

“This fierce, unforgettable whirlwind of a novel, a wondrous mix of ghost story and drama of sisterly rebellion, holds the reader in thrall from the first sentence to the final page.”

"This book is as if you took The Virgin Suicides, mixed it a with Little Women, and weaved it all together with King Lear. Read it, if you are a fan of any of these titles."

“Samantha Mabry blends elements of magical realism, moments of connection and grief, and genuinely eerie scares to create a story exploring the ‘magic in small things,’ as well as a timely ode to sisterhood and feminism.”

"Mabry is one of our of city’s finest writers.”