Tears of a Tiger by Shannon Draper Book Review

 

Written by Shannon Draper

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2006

ISBN: 978-0689806988

Plot Summary: This story starts out with a very sad beginning with a boy dying in a car accident from his friend who was drunk driving. Andy was the driver and he starts therapy sessions with Dr. Carrothers to help process through what has happened. Andy starts a slow descent into grief and not being in the best place as he begins to disassociate from his life and not find interest in anything. He becomes more engrossed with death and wishing that he would have died in the car crash rather than Robbie. He writes a letter to Robbie's family and they do meet with him to help him know that he is forgiven. Andy reaches out to people in his life but no one is available. Andy commits suicide as he saw no way out and the high school is shocked. His brother visits his grave and wishes him peace. 

Critical Analysis: This book is not an easy read for anyone who has dealt with the pain of losing someone to suicide but it also brings hope as mental health is being taken much more seriously. Andy is the quintessential popular athlete and for him to want to end his life shows that the struggle can happen with anyone at any point in their life. Grief and guilt impact us all differently and this novel helps show the different ways that people reach out. Racism is also an undertone throughout the book and I'm sure that it will be explored further in the two following novels. 

Review: The Young Folks Review

It’s never an easy feeling to deal with when you’re practically responsible for killing your best friend. Especially because you couldn’t just say ‘no’ to that one last drink or just allow the sober guy to take the wheel for once. Now you’re not only faced with the fact  that your future is slowly slipping away from your grasp but also  that the seat where Robert Washington sat will now forever be empty.Welcome to the life  of Andy Jackson. Well, what’s left of it.

Death, a factor of life that confuses, saddens and scares the best of us, is one of the main themes Sharon Draper uses in her novel, Tears of a Tiger, to evoke heavy feelings from her readers as well as to get a certain message across; drunk driving destroys lives. Research undergone by the National Highway Traffic Safety Admission of Washington DC, shows that 211 children lost their lives in drunk driving crashes in 2010 alone and 62 percent (131 children) were riding with a drunk driver. Despite The myths of dunking oneself under a cold shower, drinking strong coffee or exercising to get sober, Michigan State University says that alcohol is metabolized by a person’s body at the rate of one drink per hour. So the myths are only just that. Myths. Only time can sober a person up. Just as how only time can heal scars.

Connections: Students can create a poster or other way of displaying how to reach out to mental health hotlines or resources that are in their area. 

Other Books by Sharon Draper

Forged by Fire (Book 2) ISBN 9781442489141

Darkness Before Dawn (Book 3) ISBN 9781442489158

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