Tiger Eyes is a book written by Judy Blume about a girl name Davey. Davey is dealing with her own normal growing-up issues as well as grief from her father’s senseless murder.
Blume is an American author that has wrote popular novels such as: Are you there God? It’s me Margret, Tale of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Deenie, and Blubber. She is known to address the taboos of puberty and nascent sexuality. Blume was born and raised in New Jersey living here until her children graduated from elementary school. Then moving to New Mexico like her characters do in Tiger Eyes. Despite her having critics she has sold 82 million copies in 32 languages. Blume was recognized as a Library of Congress Living Legend and she was awarded the 2004 National Book Foundation medal for distinguished contribution to American letters.
Davey Wexler is a 15 year old girl just starting the 10 grade. Her father Adam was shot to death in a hold up at their 7-11 store in Atlantic City. This situation has been causing her not to eat and have extreme anxiety. It came to the point where she has to sleep with a bread knife under her pillow. On the first day of the new school year Davey ends up passing out from having many panic attacks. Davey’s mother Gwen decides that the whole family needs to get away for a while, so they go live with their in-laws Bitsy and Walter in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Bitsy and Walter were two scientists. The two were unable to have children so when Davey and her little brother Jason came to live with them, they were very overprotective. This did not sit well with with Davey because she wanted her freedom, especially at a time like this. In order to get away from this environment she takes her aunt’s bicycle and rides up to the canyon to climb.
One day while climbing Davey met an older boy who goes by the name Wolf. She introduces herself as Tiger and the two immediately get along. Wolf helps Davey get through her father’s passing. It turns out Davey helps Wolf’s father to who is suffering from cancer. Davey is a candy striper at her local hospital and one of her patients happened to be Wolf’s father.
After meeting with her therapist Miriam and Wolf, Davey finally is ready to let go of her past. Davey and her family are ready to go home to begin their new life. Although Davey will never be the same, she has changed for the better.
Book Review
My favorite book written by Judy Blume happens to be Tiger Eyes. I am a fan of her work because I enjoy reading realistic events rather then stories with happy endings. According to https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/tiger-eyes is a powerful and emotional novel about grief and recovery.
Judy Blume has the perfect balance of creating a visual story for the young readers without giving them information they can’t handle. The novel deals with important issues such as grief, murder, sexuality, alcoholism, and drug abuse. This novel can be graphic so it is not the best idea for children under the age of 15 to read this book.
Overall, Judy Blume does a great job conveying realistic nature in this book and I definitely recommended this novel.
