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Hazelwood High #1
Tears of a Tiger
After a car accident kills Robert, Andy's best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers, Andy doesn't know if he can go on. He's consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Sharon M. Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the wake of a devastating tragedy.
207 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
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About the author
Sharon M. Draper
52 books3,875 followersSharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,557 reviews
June 10, 2008
"Tears of a Tiger is one of my favorite books. It’s about a boy who blames himself for the death of his best friend after a basketball game. From the very beginning it had me hooked. The book had me in tears within the first couple of pages. This continued through out the book, like an emotional roller coaster. I Loved the plot of the story because it was realistic and their was no story book ending. The author did an amazing job of writting the story and planning out the plot, the plot was amazing. The book is also one of my favorites because it was very realatable. It also was an easy book to relate to because it deals with the normal things of a teenager living in violent Philadelphia. Many teen s deal with death in the " City Of brotherly Love".
Within the first couple of pages a great victory occurs, however it is followed by a horrible tragedy. A high school basketball team wins a game, great victory. The star players are excited and wanted to go out and celebrate. They end up drinking and driving. They get into a car accident and three of the boys escape the car before it catches fire. However one friend is stuck in the car and the boys stand there helplessly as they watch and hear their friend burning to death. I was in tears, and it had me hooked. I couldn’t put the book down because I just had to finish reading and find out what would happen. The author grabbed my attention in the very beginning and never let it loose throughout the book.
I love the way the author tells the story. She doesn’t just tell the story through narration. She tells it through phone conversations, letters, and newspaper articles. She even includes the high school newspaper and the student’s personal essays they had to do for homework. Each element tells the story, and each has a different point of view. This really added to the book because you just weren’t told a story you were shown the story through every way possible. This book it also part of a series of books that tell the same story but through different people.
Finally, I loved the book because it was easy to relate to. As a teenager who has lost both of her parents to natural causes. I am really well with death so all the death that occured in this book really triggered a lot of emotions for me. It was about teenagers dealing with school, relationships, the streets, and just everyday life. It really touched me when their friend was kilt. They all talked about how they thought they would live forever because they were young. Especially Robbie Washington, the won who was killed because he was the star basketball player and had a bright future ahead of him. It really goes with the saying we have today, “da good die young”. Especially today because it seems like every young person knows at least one friend that was kilt at a very young age.
To conclude, this is a very good book and I would recommend it to all teenagers to read. It is a very touching book. You can also actually learn from this book, and it teaches you a good life lesson. The book is very engaging, especially the way the Author writes. I think all young people can relate to this book and learn something.
Within the first couple of pages a great victory occurs, however it is followed by a horrible tragedy. A high school basketball team wins a game, great victory. The star players are excited and wanted to go out and celebrate. They end up drinking and driving. They get into a car accident and three of the boys escape the car before it catches fire. However one friend is stuck in the car and the boys stand there helplessly as they watch and hear their friend burning to death. I was in tears, and it had me hooked. I couldn’t put the book down because I just had to finish reading and find out what would happen. The author grabbed my attention in the very beginning and never let it loose throughout the book.
I love the way the author tells the story. She doesn’t just tell the story through narration. She tells it through phone conversations, letters, and newspaper articles. She even includes the high school newspaper and the student’s personal essays they had to do for homework. Each element tells the story, and each has a different point of view. This really added to the book because you just weren’t told a story you were shown the story through every way possible. This book it also part of a series of books that tell the same story but through different people.
Finally, I loved the book because it was easy to relate to. As a teenager who has lost both of her parents to natural causes. I am really well with death so all the death that occured in this book really triggered a lot of emotions for me. It was about teenagers dealing with school, relationships, the streets, and just everyday life. It really touched me when their friend was kilt. They all talked about how they thought they would live forever because they were young. Especially Robbie Washington, the won who was killed because he was the star basketball player and had a bright future ahead of him. It really goes with the saying we have today, “da good die young”. Especially today because it seems like every young person knows at least one friend that was kilt at a very young age.
To conclude, this is a very good book and I would recommend it to all teenagers to read. It is a very touching book. You can also actually learn from this book, and it teaches you a good life lesson. The book is very engaging, especially the way the Author writes. I think all young people can relate to this book and learn something.
May 24, 2021
I enjoyed this quick, piercing novel about Andy, a Black teen who feels plagued with guilt after his involvement in a car accident that killed his best friend, Robert. Sharon Draper uses several forms of media such as essay assignments, news articles, and letters to show how different members of Andy and Robert’s communities try to cope with Robert’s death. I appreciated Draper’s honest, direct portrayal of Black masculinity and mental health, as well as the racism that Black teens face (e.g., guidance counselors assuming they are not smart enough to apply to law school, teachers stereotyping Black kids as strong or tough instead of recognizing their humanity and nuanced emotions). It’s a heavy read and one that I can tell Draper invested a lot of emotional energy into.
I only give this book three stars because some of the writing felt a bit obvious to me, like the characters often engaged in long speaking turns in which they’d state their full range of emotions and thoughts which came across as a tad unrealistic. Still, a book I’d recommend for those interested in a fast and painful-yet-necessary read. Trigger warnings for death, grief, and suicide.
I only give this book three stars because some of the writing felt a bit obvious to me, like the characters often engaged in long speaking turns in which they’d state their full range of emotions and thoughts which came across as a tad unrealistic. Still, a book I’d recommend for those interested in a fast and painful-yet-necessary read. Trigger warnings for death, grief, and suicide.
March 15, 2008
Another YA novel for class. This concerns Andy, who is trying to overcome depression in the aftermath of a terrible car accident that claimed the life of his best friend. Andy was driving drunk, and while he escaped unscathed, his best friend was trapped in the wreckage and burned to death.
I'm not hugely enthusiastic about this novel. It's definitely a "problem" novel, designed to teach kids something, in this case both about drunk driving and depression. It is told almost entirely in dialog, which makes it a fast read, but because it's all in dialog the characters often say things that ring false -- often much of what is spoken aloud struck me as more likely to be an internal monologue. Also, it forces the author to cover any exposition in either dialog or in the journal entries and letters that pepper the book, which also can seem contorted. Sometimes it reminded me of bad science fiction novels where one character explains a technology to another character when both know how it works. You know, "As you know, Dr. Smith, the thingenometer receives waves from the ploozlewhatsit, and..."
Still, I think the book would be great to recommend to relunctant readers, since it's almost like a movie script or something, and looks very non-intimidating on the page.
I'm not hugely enthusiastic about this novel. It's definitely a "problem" novel, designed to teach kids something, in this case both about drunk driving and depression. It is told almost entirely in dialog, which makes it a fast read, but because it's all in dialog the characters often say things that ring false -- often much of what is spoken aloud struck me as more likely to be an internal monologue. Also, it forces the author to cover any exposition in either dialog or in the journal entries and letters that pepper the book, which also can seem contorted. Sometimes it reminded me of bad science fiction novels where one character explains a technology to another character when both know how it works. You know, "As you know, Dr. Smith, the thingenometer receives waves from the ploozlewhatsit, and..."
Still, I think the book would be great to recommend to relunctant readers, since it's almost like a movie script or something, and looks very non-intimidating on the page.
December 15, 2021
I read this in preparation for a reading workshop with my remedial students. It seems like something that would interest them; we shall see. They are already intrigued by the cover and the fact that basketball is involved in some way. I'm curious to see whether they will share my opinion, which is that I feel like the author is trying too hard to sound like a street kid.
Her chosen issues and the messages she sends are good and well-intentioned--especially the one about drinking. I didn't buy the suicide message as much. I guess not being privy to Andy's thoughts for more than a couple of pages here and there wasn't enough to convince me of the depths of his depression. I found his actions seemed to be rather abrupt and unnatural.
I'm curious to see how my kids react to the story. I feel like there is a real possibility that they will also think Draper is trying too hard. Then again, they may love it and be totally engaged. That is definitely the outcome I'm hoping for!
Her chosen issues and the messages she sends are good and well-intentioned--especially the one about drinking. I didn't buy the suicide message as much. I guess not being privy to Andy's thoughts for more than a couple of pages here and there wasn't enough to convince me of the depths of his depression. I found his actions seemed to be rather abrupt and unnatural.
I'm curious to see how my kids react to the story. I feel like there is a real possibility that they will also think Draper is trying too hard. Then again, they may love it and be totally engaged. That is definitely the outcome I'm hoping for!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2017
I'd LOVE to read an updated version of this book (written pre cell phone era). Kids may have trouble "connecting." Good writing style - love the different formats in ea chapter. Good message about how news to ask for help. Good story - just needs an update.
June 7, 2007
This story really is told in a cool way because it incorporates all different genres. It begins with a newspaper article saying that a high school student was killed while his friend was driving drunk the night before. Then the author uses conversations, letters, journals, homework assignments to talk about how the driver (Andy) how his friends either cope and heal or drown in grief. I really enjoyed Tears of a Tiger and thought it gave a good perspective of what life is like for teens after such a horrible tragedy.
November 14, 2024
Sharon you got me CRYING !!!! I read this in middle school and don’t remember it being this emotional . I’m upset with his parents , guidance counselor , & just any adult in his life . Andy they all failed you , it was a mistake .
July 8, 2016
To start off, this book was mandated by my middle school. I didn't pick this book off of a shelf, and I wasn't sold by another reviewer raving about "a story you'll never forget" either. I read it because I had to. I read it with low hopes to be fair. It seemed so short, so clean cut, for something that was intended to be raw. Much like some of my other book reviews, we have mixed emotions on my part.
To start off with everything, I must say that this book deals with drunk driving, resulting depression, and an even more aforementioned suicide. Yes, in this book we get a special '3 for 1' offer!
I hate including spoilers in any review, because if people were interested in such details they would read a summary instead. In this case, I am willing to provide an exception. Therefore you are hearing an unfiltered, unadulterated rant from a 13 year-old girl, in the flesh.
Ready? Got it.
Andy, our main man here, was driving under the influence with three of his buddies (alcohol amiright?), one of them dies as a result of their carelessness (this guy is named Rob, although I pretty much forgot about him whilst reading), Andy suffers from depression (because he was the driver that killed his best bud), he eventually kills himself around 20 pages before the book ends.
There.
I just told you the whole premise of this book.
I hate the glorification of suicide. Although I may not be suicidal myself, there is one current person in my life that gives me fear because of their tendencies. To this day, this unnamed person is still alive, but I cannot say they are well. I read "Tears of a Tiger" almost immediately after reading another school mandated book called "Thirteen Reasons Why". I hope I'm not the only one that has noticed this eighth grade reading trend. Killing yourself seems to be really popular with the school administrators. Books like these DO NOT belong in a middle school classroom full of reluctant readers. It DOES NOT belong in such a curriculum.It doesn't belong with a room full of people who can't even begin to form an understanding of hating oneself or one's life so much they are willing to end it. Most of them don't even know what it's like to love someone who does. Or at the very least know them. A majority of my peers don't even have an interest in broadening their knowledge on mental health, or other issues. This type of literature isn't going to enrich lives this way. Just to make it clear, this book isn't even the right way to present suicide period. It fails miserably at its job.
Andy seemed like someone who took the easy way out, and killed them self based on the most selfish reasons possible.
This isn't a good message for impressionable 13 year olds.
(Neither is Hannah Baker's choices in 13RW, but that review is yet to come.)
Much like Hannah from 'Thirteen Reasons Why', they both exit this world leaving those around them to fend off their own pain. They both blatantly ignore those that love them.
These two teens didn't live with abuse, didn't live with mental health issues before their lives were stunted with problems. Hell, Hannah goes through things MOST TEENS have to deal with.
They kill themselves based on their personal interest, willing to leave behind a world of hurt. Andy committed a mistake, but he never learned to deal with said repercussions. He never thought of what his deceased friend would want for him. He never gave a second thought about his younger brother, arguably the person he showed the most love towards throughout this book. I didn't shed a tear while I was forced to read through the terrible writing style presented by our one and only Sharon M. Draper. The only point of this book that I could give two shits about is when I read the last two pages of it.
When I had to read about a 6 year old missing his older brother because he was gone, gone forever.
The writing was boring, and I hated the prose it possessed. Figurative language was bland. Everything seemed meticulously calculated, and the dialogue suffered as a result. That was not how people spoke, even if it was 2 decades ago. I'm sure we could go back to the 1920's and get something more reasonable than the shit these characters were spewing out of their mouths or onto paper.
The way Draper portrayed the speech of most of our characters made me clearly cringe. Their purposefully poor grammar at times made me question where the racial equality of this book was supposed to shine. Race was underlying in this book, and it was introduced and implemented in the worst way possible. Sub-par is a wonderful way to express the entirety of this novel. Not once was I able to empathize with the thoughts of anyone in this book. I could SYMPATHIZE with them. I felt sorry for those that suffered loss, and those with conflicting emotions. But I could never truly place myself in someone's shoes happily. I was unable able to say: "Wow, I understand what you mean, I'd say the same thing. Or maybe someone I know would say the same thing. Bottom line I get where you are coming from."
Maybe it's because I'm white, I'm a female, I have no clue. But if one is to truly give a topic justice, you focus on that one topic solely, and present it in a way that's worthy. This book wasn't bad. The general idea of presenting information in various ways (offhand conversations, letters, newspaper articles etc.) was a success in its own right. Some characters seemed interesting, such as Andy's friend B.J (Side Note: Why couldn't he be the main character instead of Andy. That way we could've chopped off the whole DUI thing and made it a religious book. At least there we would have stuck to some sort of main idea *scoff*).
The fact that there are two sequels begs to differ if there is some underlying promise in the series.
As a result I give this book 2.5 stars, for the sliver of clarity it offered, and moreover, the respect I give anyone who is even willing to write about such a taboo topic in the first place.
I recommend this for anyone who can resonate with suicidal tendencies, depression, drinking and driving, or the loss of a friend.
And since I might as well turn this into a PSA, remember that "ending it" isn't the answer. Do some people end it? Yes. But they are wrong. They are not cowards per se, if anything, they are blinded. Blinded by underlying emotions that can only be dissected with love, care, and support.
If you or anyone you know suffers from suicidal tendencies, never hesitate to call a toll free suicide hotline. Help a life, save a life.
[Any more thoughts will be edited in by yours truly.]
*EDIT* This has been demoted to 2 stars. Screw my kindness towards it!
To start off with everything, I must say that this book deals with drunk driving, resulting depression, and an even more aforementioned suicide. Yes, in this book we get a special '3 for 1' offer!
I hate including spoilers in any review, because if people were interested in such details they would read a summary instead. In this case, I am willing to provide an exception. Therefore you are hearing an unfiltered, unadulterated rant from a 13 year-old girl, in the flesh.
Ready? Got it.
Andy, our main man here, was driving under the influence with three of his buddies (alcohol amiright?), one of them dies as a result of their carelessness (this guy is named Rob, although I pretty much forgot about him whilst reading), Andy suffers from depression (because he was the driver that killed his best bud), he eventually kills himself around 20 pages before the book ends.
There.
I just told you the whole premise of this book.
I hate the glorification of suicide. Although I may not be suicidal myself, there is one current person in my life that gives me fear because of their tendencies. To this day, this unnamed person is still alive, but I cannot say they are well. I read "Tears of a Tiger" almost immediately after reading another school mandated book called "Thirteen Reasons Why". I hope I'm not the only one that has noticed this eighth grade reading trend. Killing yourself seems to be really popular with the school administrators. Books like these DO NOT belong in a middle school classroom full of reluctant readers. It DOES NOT belong in such a curriculum.It doesn't belong with a room full of people who can't even begin to form an understanding of hating oneself or one's life so much they are willing to end it. Most of them don't even know what it's like to love someone who does. Or at the very least know them. A majority of my peers don't even have an interest in broadening their knowledge on mental health, or other issues. This type of literature isn't going to enrich lives this way. Just to make it clear, this book isn't even the right way to present suicide period. It fails miserably at its job.
Andy seemed like someone who took the easy way out, and killed them self based on the most selfish reasons possible.
This isn't a good message for impressionable 13 year olds.
(Neither is Hannah Baker's choices in 13RW, but that review is yet to come.)
Much like Hannah from 'Thirteen Reasons Why', they both exit this world leaving those around them to fend off their own pain. They both blatantly ignore those that love them.
These two teens didn't live with abuse, didn't live with mental health issues before their lives were stunted with problems. Hell, Hannah goes through things MOST TEENS have to deal with.
They kill themselves based on their personal interest, willing to leave behind a world of hurt. Andy committed a mistake, but he never learned to deal with said repercussions. He never thought of what his deceased friend would want for him. He never gave a second thought about his younger brother, arguably the person he showed the most love towards throughout this book. I didn't shed a tear while I was forced to read through the terrible writing style presented by our one and only Sharon M. Draper. The only point of this book that I could give two shits about is when I read the last two pages of it.
When I had to read about a 6 year old missing his older brother because he was gone, gone forever.
The writing was boring, and I hated the prose it possessed. Figurative language was bland. Everything seemed meticulously calculated, and the dialogue suffered as a result. That was not how people spoke, even if it was 2 decades ago. I'm sure we could go back to the 1920's and get something more reasonable than the shit these characters were spewing out of their mouths or onto paper.
The way Draper portrayed the speech of most of our characters made me clearly cringe. Their purposefully poor grammar at times made me question where the racial equality of this book was supposed to shine. Race was underlying in this book, and it was introduced and implemented in the worst way possible. Sub-par is a wonderful way to express the entirety of this novel. Not once was I able to empathize with the thoughts of anyone in this book. I could SYMPATHIZE with them. I felt sorry for those that suffered loss, and those with conflicting emotions. But I could never truly place myself in someone's shoes happily. I was unable able to say: "Wow, I understand what you mean, I'd say the same thing. Or maybe someone I know would say the same thing. Bottom line I get where you are coming from."
Maybe it's because I'm white, I'm a female, I have no clue. But if one is to truly give a topic justice, you focus on that one topic solely, and present it in a way that's worthy. This book wasn't bad. The general idea of presenting information in various ways (offhand conversations, letters, newspaper articles etc.) was a success in its own right. Some characters seemed interesting, such as Andy's friend B.J (Side Note: Why couldn't he be the main character instead of Andy. That way we could've chopped off the whole DUI thing and made it a religious book. At least there we would have stuck to some sort of main idea *scoff*).
The fact that there are two sequels begs to differ if there is some underlying promise in the series.
As a result I give this book 2.5 stars, for the sliver of clarity it offered, and moreover, the respect I give anyone who is even willing to write about such a taboo topic in the first place.
I recommend this for anyone who can resonate with suicidal tendencies, depression, drinking and driving, or the loss of a friend.
And since I might as well turn this into a PSA, remember that "ending it" isn't the answer. Do some people end it? Yes. But they are wrong. They are not cowards per se, if anything, they are blinded. Blinded by underlying emotions that can only be dissected with love, care, and support.
If you or anyone you know suffers from suicidal tendencies, never hesitate to call a toll free suicide hotline. Help a life, save a life.
[Any more thoughts will be edited in by yours truly.]
*EDIT* This has been demoted to 2 stars. Screw my kindness towards it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
This book really sparked my attention as soon as I read the back. I honestly enjoyed this book because (*SPOILER ALERT*) this is the first book with suicide and it is a very overwhelming book. Something really interesting about this book is that it gives different aspects on the main characters. What I mean by that is, you will see different characters’s letters and reports. This shows their emotions and how they feel about different situations that happens. Another thing that's very interesting about Tears of A Tiger is that the antagonist isn't a human-being instead it's a internal force. In most cases the antagonist is an external force instead of a internal which makes this book more engaging. Moreover, Tear of A Tiger is very exciting book. This book is definitely a must! I definitely give this book 5 stars! I don't know how to end my book review in a funny way so BOOM.
Me when I found out the book was over.
:|
Me when I found out the book was over.
:|
December 13, 2007
This book was about a boy named Andy, trying to live through life normally the way when his best friend was still alive. His best friend died in Andy's car while it was burning up in to flames. Things might of been better for Andy if he didn't see his best friends death, but now he has to forget about the past, and live his present while it lasts for a while.
August 22, 2016
Sharon Draper was an English teacher at my high school and I was one of the lucky students that she had read her early drafts. At the time I just thought it was amazing to read a story on typed paper by a hopeful author to be. I felt like I was a part of this book because she took all of our feedback seriously. I love that she included her students in her writing process. What a way to inspire a teenager! I think that was the moment when I knew reading and writing were always going to be important to me. I became a reading/language arts teacher myself and if I can instill a love of reading into just one child, like Mrs. Draper did to me, then I feel satisfied. The book is also great, as are her other books. However, I know that I am biased....I just love her!!
The book is based in a fictional high school where an African American student, Andy, blames himself for the death of another student and friend in a car accident. After a winning a big basketball game and to celebrate they go drinking. Bathed they make the deadly mistake of drinking and driving. After the accident, the car catches fire, three of the boys escape to watch Robert, who is stuck, be engulfed in flames. Andy feels terrible guilt and is suicidal. Andy feels like he has no one to turn to with his hopeless feelings of remorse. This book often had me in tears.
The story is not only told in narration but in diary entries, student essays, school newspaper articles, and telephone conversations. This definitely adds to the appeal of younger readers. The issues discussed in this novel are close to Mrs. Draper' heart. She did teach at my high school and was the advisor of the student group SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving). She is passionate about this issue. She is also passionate towards her students and her writing shows the empathy she would feel for Andy. Definitely a 5 star book!
The book is based in a fictional high school where an African American student, Andy, blames himself for the death of another student and friend in a car accident. After a winning a big basketball game and to celebrate they go drinking. Bathed they make the deadly mistake of drinking and driving. After the accident, the car catches fire, three of the boys escape to watch Robert, who is stuck, be engulfed in flames. Andy feels terrible guilt and is suicidal. Andy feels like he has no one to turn to with his hopeless feelings of remorse. This book often had me in tears.
The story is not only told in narration but in diary entries, student essays, school newspaper articles, and telephone conversations. This definitely adds to the appeal of younger readers. The issues discussed in this novel are close to Mrs. Draper' heart. She did teach at my high school and was the advisor of the student group SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving). She is passionate about this issue. She is also passionate towards her students and her writing shows the empathy she would feel for Andy. Definitely a 5 star book!
May 12, 2017
I just read this new addition to the classroom "coming of age" book clubs. It is a raw, honest look at the possible outcomes of what happens when adolescents make terrible decisions. Many young adults say that they would never put themselves in a situation such as 17 year old Andrew Jackson, basketball prodigy and scholarship athlete. As a community and society we know that sometimes this is not the case. Sometimes young adults do succumb to peer pressure to drink alcohol when they are not ready. Sometimes young adults do drink and then try to drive. Most of the time this turns into a tragedy. This is a story about what can happen when terrible decisions are made. Because this novel deals with mature themes such as drinking, depression and suicide I recommend for more mature readers.
October 5, 2017
This book is one of my favorites. It’s so emotional and just powerful. I haven’t read it in years but I could never forget it. Will definitely be picking it up soon.
April 25, 2022
This was terrible. I would’ve stopped reading it if it wasn’t for school.
February 27, 2015
When my class was told of the books that they were to pick from and read, Tears of a Tiger honestly was not my first choice. The summary we had to read really didn't interest me, and it was far from the books I usually read; however, a voice in my head just wouldn't let me leave until I choose this book. Frankly, I’m glad it didn't. Going into this novel I was very weary for the fact being that I was always one for sad-romance, but this book didn't fail to leave me in tears a few times. Tears of a Tiger’s well structure style of writing and multiple perspectives made the book more interesting to read and far more touching. Seeing a situation three to four different ways makes you change your opinion many times and understand why each character did what they did.
Tears of a Tiger was quick to get to the main idea, and that was one night of drinking and driving can cause a ripple effect of pain and suffering. The novel branches off of this idea and the reader is able to see how the decisions of a few high school teens affects everyone around them. Tears of a Tiger was good for showing how the decisions we make today do affect the lives of those around us; even the lives we fail to acknowledge or the lives that we think would be better off without us. Sometimes life becomes too hard to handle and we as humans forget that we were put on this earth for a reason and we need time to figure that reason out. One mistake, no matter how big it is, does not define us as people. Life is full of mistakes but they are never something we should regret, just something we should look back on as a lesson.
Tears of a Tiger wasn't just fictional, it was realistic in the sense that everything that happens in the novel happens in real life too. High school is filled with misunderstood teens, drinking, crushes, and death; we may not experience all of these things, but we are all affected by them. A high school is a community with in itself and when something tragic happens it affects the students and staff as a whole. Students, staff, and parents will come together for support while a few start to feel hopeless and overwhelmed by whatever is going on. Tears of a Tiger does a good job of describing each of these elements to the core and is a good representation of no matter how much you try to help yourself or how much others try to help you, the decisions you make can be major obstacles stopping your from overcoming what needs to be overcome.
Over all I felt that Tears of a Tiger was a fantastic novel and I absolutely recommend others to read it. This book has taught me a few things and one of them I would like to share with anyone who reads this review; please don't be afraid to ask for help. No matter how hard it may seem or how much you feel like no one will understand, I promise that someone out there will. You just have to give them a chance. Think about the consequences of each action as you make them and know its never too late to change your mind. You are better than you think you are, and you’re stronger than you know.
Tears of a Tiger was quick to get to the main idea, and that was one night of drinking and driving can cause a ripple effect of pain and suffering. The novel branches off of this idea and the reader is able to see how the decisions of a few high school teens affects everyone around them. Tears of a Tiger was good for showing how the decisions we make today do affect the lives of those around us; even the lives we fail to acknowledge or the lives that we think would be better off without us. Sometimes life becomes too hard to handle and we as humans forget that we were put on this earth for a reason and we need time to figure that reason out. One mistake, no matter how big it is, does not define us as people. Life is full of mistakes but they are never something we should regret, just something we should look back on as a lesson.
Tears of a Tiger wasn't just fictional, it was realistic in the sense that everything that happens in the novel happens in real life too. High school is filled with misunderstood teens, drinking, crushes, and death; we may not experience all of these things, but we are all affected by them. A high school is a community with in itself and when something tragic happens it affects the students and staff as a whole. Students, staff, and parents will come together for support while a few start to feel hopeless and overwhelmed by whatever is going on. Tears of a Tiger does a good job of describing each of these elements to the core and is a good representation of no matter how much you try to help yourself or how much others try to help you, the decisions you make can be major obstacles stopping your from overcoming what needs to be overcome.
Over all I felt that Tears of a Tiger was a fantastic novel and I absolutely recommend others to read it. This book has taught me a few things and one of them I would like to share with anyone who reads this review; please don't be afraid to ask for help. No matter how hard it may seem or how much you feel like no one will understand, I promise that someone out there will. You just have to give them a chance. Think about the consequences of each action as you make them and know its never too late to change your mind. You are better than you think you are, and you’re stronger than you know.
October 17, 2014
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper was a fabulos book. This multi-genre book is a must read! The characters we truly interesting. Andy, Keshia, Rhonda, and Robby the main characters in my opinion. Andy is the star basket ball player of Hazelwood High school, the captain. Rhonda is the girlfriend of Tyrone and help Keshia out along the way. Keshia is Andy's girlfriend and helps out Andy through the rough times and is very important to Andy. Robby was on the basketball team along with his mates Andy, Tyrone, and Gerald. But unfortunately Robby was killed in a car crash with his friends Andy, BJ, Tyrone, and Gerald. Now the setting was hard to figure out because there was no evidence of where the book took place. After a while looking back through the book I started to brain storm ideas of where it might take place. What I believe would be the most reasonable setting would have to be Florida, Ohio, Because while reading the book you can find clues. In the beginning Andy, Robby, Tyrone, Gerald, and BJ went for a drive drunk and crashed on the highway, everyone made it our of the car before it went up in flames but weren't able to get there friend Robby out. Robby was burned to death in the flames. After the accident the four boys weren't the same, Keshia and Rhonda felt bad for the boys and tried to do anything they could to make them feel better (mostly their boyfriends). Even student and teachers who didn't know Robby still cried for his death. At the end of the book Andy makes decision to commit suicide. Everyone wrote letters to Andy saying how they'll miss him and how he was stupid, and how the hate him for what he did. Andy's problem was depression and the way he solved his depression was to commit suicide, he ran away from his problem instead of bringing strong and facing them. Keshia's problem was Andy. He was to clingy for her and the way she solved her problem was for her to break up with him. Rhonda and Robby didn't quite have a problem to be solved because Rhonda wanted what everyone else wanted, for everyone to be happy and wish the pain everyone was feeling would go away. Robby's only problem was that he was dead, and there isn't anything he can do about that. The most interesting thing about this book was when Andy made the decision to leave the world. I dislike how Andy and Keshia broke up , If they would have stayed together just a little longer Andy probably would have killed himself because Keshia would be there for him but instead she was selfish and only thought about herself. I would recommend this book to readers who like realistic fiction because this book was something that happened in real life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2015
this is my second time reading the book tears of a tiger by Sharon Draper,i don't remember finishing it the first time around but i remembered getting into the story and that it was a touching book. The book is about a group of basketball players in highschool who are all friends and one night after a game they decided to have few beers and drive around town after a big win. that night andy jackson, the main character of the book was driving intoxicated and got into a bad wreck, killing one of his best friends/ teammate robert washington.
throughout the book it is about how andy jackson is living with himself after the accident that happened. people can tell how much he has changed and how it has affected his life in high school. it also shows hoe has been going to a therapist and he gets a lot of help from him. throughout the book you can still tell how it is killing him inside and he doesn't really talk much how he feels unless its to his therapist or his girlfriend. towards the end of the book him and his girlfriend end up breaking up because all of the stress he was going through and she felt attacked by it all. so he loses one of the people he talks too and when there was no one else to talk to he tries to call up his therapist but he was unavailable do to a family emergency so andy feels lost and didn't know what to do. later that next day his family comes home to see that andy has killed himself. he took his life because he felt like it should have been him that died instead of robert washington and he had no one that could understand him and listen to him.
i think that this is a great book to read, it is not that difficult of a book and it is easy to get into especially if you like sports. it hops around a little from like journal entries and shows what other peoples input, it shows what other kids that andy hangs out with got to say about the things that are going on around school and what is happening with andy during the hard times he is going through.
throughout the book it is about how andy jackson is living with himself after the accident that happened. people can tell how much he has changed and how it has affected his life in high school. it also shows hoe has been going to a therapist and he gets a lot of help from him. throughout the book you can still tell how it is killing him inside and he doesn't really talk much how he feels unless its to his therapist or his girlfriend. towards the end of the book him and his girlfriend end up breaking up because all of the stress he was going through and she felt attacked by it all. so he loses one of the people he talks too and when there was no one else to talk to he tries to call up his therapist but he was unavailable do to a family emergency so andy feels lost and didn't know what to do. later that next day his family comes home to see that andy has killed himself. he took his life because he felt like it should have been him that died instead of robert washington and he had no one that could understand him and listen to him.
i think that this is a great book to read, it is not that difficult of a book and it is easy to get into especially if you like sports. it hops around a little from like journal entries and shows what other peoples input, it shows what other kids that andy hangs out with got to say about the things that are going on around school and what is happening with andy during the hard times he is going through.
February 27, 2015
In english class we had to pick a book that we wanted to read for 6 weeks and me being a huge sports fan I decided if I was going to be forced to read I was going to read something sports related so when I saw Tears Of A Tiger had a little to do with basketball I picked Tears Of A Tiger in a heart beat. After reading it and getting more in depth with the book I realized it was much more than a basketball book.
In the beginning of the book the author shifts our attention to four young african american boys in a locker room after a varsity high school basketball. They all have high spirits because they just blew out a team by 50 points and are full of joy. Andy (one of the four basketball players) discusses to one of his good friends about the cold brew that he left in his trunk and how much fun they were going to have. During the car drive they were all drinking and having a good time until they ran into a brick wall and the car caught on fire.
I feel like if you are looking for a book that is going to be straight to the point and you will understand the concept or purpose of the book that this isn’t the book for you. But if you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat I would go to my local library and check out Tears Of A Tiger.
I recommend this book to any young person in high school based on the fact that it talks about the aftermath to how his loved ones responded to Andy taking his own life.
In the beginning of the book the author shifts our attention to four young african american boys in a locker room after a varsity high school basketball. They all have high spirits because they just blew out a team by 50 points and are full of joy. Andy (one of the four basketball players) discusses to one of his good friends about the cold brew that he left in his trunk and how much fun they were going to have. During the car drive they were all drinking and having a good time until they ran into a brick wall and the car caught on fire.
I feel like if you are looking for a book that is going to be straight to the point and you will understand the concept or purpose of the book that this isn’t the book for you. But if you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat I would go to my local library and check out Tears Of A Tiger.
I recommend this book to any young person in high school based on the fact that it talks about the aftermath to how his loved ones responded to Andy taking his own life.
May 27, 2012
Tears of a Tiger is about Andy, who went through a difficult time because of an incident. Andy and his friends were partying after they won a basketball game. To celebrate, they decided to drink alcohol. A car accident occurs and Andy's best friend, Robert died while everyone else survived. After his death, Andy was going through depression. He blamed everything on himself. He stopped talking to his friends and family and felt so guilty because he thought he caused Robert's death. Friends try to help him, but nothing helped. His girlfriend started to get mad at him for not being himself anymore and decided to stop seeing him for a while. Andy felt like nothing could save him and decided to take his own life.
When I read the first few chapters of this book, I already got caught up into the book. It made me want to read on. Although, I can't relate to this book, I can make a connection to Andy and an actor in a show I watched. Andy is like the actor because they both blame themselves that someone close to them died even though it's not their fault. Both characters went through similar experiences but they solved it in different ways because the actor in the show eventually realized it wasn't his fault and lived on because he knew his wife would want that. On the other hand, Andy couldn't see past the whole accident. This was a great book that's worth the time to read.
When I read the first few chapters of this book, I already got caught up into the book. It made me want to read on. Although, I can't relate to this book, I can make a connection to Andy and an actor in a show I watched. Andy is like the actor because they both blame themselves that someone close to them died even though it's not their fault. Both characters went through similar experiences but they solved it in different ways because the actor in the show eventually realized it wasn't his fault and lived on because he knew his wife would want that. On the other hand, Andy couldn't see past the whole accident. This was a great book that's worth the time to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2010
Andy Jackson and three other friends had just won an important basketball game at their local high school. They planed to get together and go and party with friends. They had started drinking, every body except for B.J. who had never drunk in his life. They heard cars honking, but just laughed and blew it off because of the alcohol. All of a sudden, a wall is in front of them and before they know it, they slammed right into to it. Three of the boys get out, but Robert Washington caption of the Hazelwood basket ball squad, Andy's best friend is pinned inside of the car. Two guys rush over to help him out, but as soon as they get on the hood, they are thrown off after a loud bang. The gas tank bursts with Robert still inside the car and he burns to death. Now, months later, Andy can't stop blaming himself for Robert’s death. As he turns away from loved ones, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he is losing the most precious thing of all his ability to face the future. When he tries to go to sleep, Robert comes into his dreams and tells him it is his entire fault, but he forgives him for everything. One night Andy starts thinking about suicide and he can't get hold of any body to talk to. Will Andy ever find someone or will it be too late?
February 10, 2013
Alright, So this book is good, for what it is. It tries to throw in everything that a traumatic high school story can have: Therapy, Drunk Driving, Relationships, death, suicide, etc...
That being said, the quality of writing leaves something to be desired. There are major inconsistencies with the quality. It will feel very organic one page, and the next page will feel like one of those "after school special" clips students are forced to watch in health class.
The multi-genre aspect of writing is really awesome, however, and for that reason it could be good in a classroom. It also is what kept me reading.
Another great part of the book, is that it does focus on African American students, which is rarely done in a book like this, at least from what I have perceived.
That being said, everyone is kinda racist in the book, and I think that is a bit harsh. The teachers come across as EXTREMELY racist, and it kinda bugs me. Also, there is something about the end that really kills me. Basically, I left the book mad at every character.
I would recommend it, but I would do so with a bucket of salt. You may not care for the book, but it seems to be worth a read. I just wish it was done a bit more quality.
That being said, the quality of writing leaves something to be desired. There are major inconsistencies with the quality. It will feel very organic one page, and the next page will feel like one of those "after school special" clips students are forced to watch in health class.
The multi-genre aspect of writing is really awesome, however, and for that reason it could be good in a classroom. It also is what kept me reading.
Another great part of the book, is that it does focus on African American students, which is rarely done in a book like this, at least from what I have perceived.
That being said, everyone is kinda racist in the book, and I think that is a bit harsh. The teachers come across as EXTREMELY racist, and it kinda bugs me. Also, there is something about the end that really kills me. Basically, I left the book mad at every character.
I would recommend it, but I would do so with a bucket of salt. You may not care for the book, but it seems to be worth a read. I just wish it was done a bit more quality.
September 30, 2015
3.5 rounded up
October 17, 2020
Absolutely as brutal and hard-hitting and devastating and poignant as when I read it at age 12. RTC.
May 17, 2022
This was a very powerful, touching, thought-provoking story.
February 25, 2019
This book is 100% worth reading. I feel like it is an amazing book for anyone dealing with regret or blaming yourself for something. It is in a weird order because the second one is basically the first book and the first one is the second one continued. Andy was driving the car that ended up killing his best friend because they were intoxicated. It was late at night and they had been drinking a lot. After it happened, he goes into a deep depression and shuts out his family, friends, and even his girlfriend Keisha. He feels as though he doesn't have a future after the event and he is even convincing people he is fine when he isn't. I feel like this book will help anyone with depression to not make a choice they will regret because like shown in the book there is always someone there to help you. I am going to compare it to another book about coping with depression, 13 Reasons Why. 13 Reasons Why tells you about it in a way where it says, if no one wants to help you then there is no other solution then suicide, however Tears of a Tiger tells you in a way that says there is always someone who is willing to help you, and there are people who do care about you and would be heartbroken if you did something to yourself. This book has a much, much better message and it gets 4 stars from me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2021
(+) podizanje svjesnosti o opasnosti voznje u pijanom stanju, rasizmu, depresiji i sucidalnim mislima/sucidu, ulozi skole, vjere i okruzenja na zivote mladih (crnih) ljudi; knjiga je lako citljiva
(-) tvrdoglavo odbijanje koristenja tehnike pripovijedanja od strane autorice 》 nedostatak strukture i povezanosti radnje; sporedni likovi vrlo slabo do nikako opisani
...
- Keisha can rot in hell. (mislim, na kraju se "kaje" i sve to, ali nemrem preci preko toga kak se odnosila prema Andyu i kaj je o njemu mislila dok on, OCITO, nije bil dobro)
- sporedni likovi su tu, ali to je manje-vise to cemu sluze, najvise znamo o Andyu i njegovoj obitelji
- tigrove suze su divna metafora; na kraju, ono kaj me rasplakalo je bil je Montyev oprostaj od Andya
- highlight su oprostajna pisma ucenika; pokazuju emocije kroz koje se prolazi kada netko blizak pocini strasan cin samoubojstva - ljutnja, pa cak i bijes, poricanje, zbunjenost, tuga
(-) tvrdoglavo odbijanje koristenja tehnike pripovijedanja od strane autorice 》 nedostatak strukture i povezanosti radnje; sporedni likovi vrlo slabo do nikako opisani
...
- Keisha can rot in hell. (mislim, na kraju se "kaje" i sve to, ali nemrem preci preko toga kak se odnosila prema Andyu i kaj je o njemu mislila dok on, OCITO, nije bil dobro)
- sporedni likovi su tu, ali to je manje-vise to cemu sluze, najvise znamo o Andyu i njegovoj obitelji
- tigrove suze su divna metafora; na kraju, ono kaj me rasplakalo je bil je Montyev oprostaj od Andya
- highlight su oprostajna pisma ucenika; pokazuju emocije kroz koje se prolazi kada netko blizak pocini strasan cin samoubojstva - ljutnja, pa cak i bijes, poricanje, zbunjenost, tuga
September 14, 2022
*4.75. yeah, this was really, really good. It was as if I could actually feel the characters’ feelings come right out of the pages. And I love a book that makes me think, like honestly. I feel like this book does a good job of portraying what could happen if you do drunk drive, and the aftermath of it. The author did an amazing job of writing pain, expressing the characters’ pain over the conflicts that happened. I love when an author takes real-life situations and writes what-ifs. This was definitely a nice book to reflect on.
January 7, 2018
A fast read. Probably best for the 10-14 age group. Touches on issues like driving under the influence, depression, suicide, etc
December 6, 2018
Touchy subjects in this book. Glad I picked it up and read it. Good insight into the minds of teenagers, some striving to succeed, others not so sure about the future. Will recommend this to some of my students.
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