Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Bradbury Press
Pages
206
Description
Resettled in the "Bomb City" with her mother and brother, Davey Wexler recovers from the shock of her father's death during a holdup of his 7-Eleven store in Atlantic City.
Description
Davey has never felt so alone in her life. Her father is dead (shot in a holdup) and now her mother is moving the family to New Mexico to try to recover. Climbing in Los Alamos Canyons, Davey meets mysterious Wolf, who seems to understand the rage and fear she feels. Slowly, with Wolf's help, Davey realizes that she must get on with her life. But when will she be ready to leave the past behind? Will she ever stop hurting?
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1981
Physical description
206 p.; 9.2 inches
ISBN
0878881859 / 9780878881857
Similar in this library
Deenie by Judy Blume
Lexile
590L
User reviews
LibraryThing member sweetie_candykim
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
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 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!!!
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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 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!!!
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LibraryThing member the_hag
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
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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 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
LibraryThing member NataliaLucia
Personal Response: I found that I was very interesting in how things would end for Davey. I kept reading because I wanted to make sure that she ended up okay. I also empathized with her anger toward the adults in her life.
Curricular Response: Ninth graders could read this book and keep a journal
Curricular Response: Ninth graders could read this book and keep a journal
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throughout their progress. The class could discuss the conflicts Davey is facing. Students can make predictions on what will happen to Wolf, what is in the brown paper bag, and whether or not the Wexler family will return to New Jersey. Show Less
LibraryThing member mikethomas
After Davey's father is killed in a hold-up, she and her mother and younger brother visit relatives in New Mexico. Here Davey is befriended by a young man who helps her find the strength to carry on and conquer her fears.
LibraryThing member MsNikki
I loved this book. It was like my first adult book, and I could read it without worrying about upsetting my mother.
Davey's father dies, and they all thrown into mourning. Actually he doesn't just die, he was killed. Davey sleeps with a bread knife under her pillow and gets panic attacks in school.
There fear and hopelessness Davey felt after her father is killed stayed with me. I refernced her sleeping with the bread knife under her pillow, and almost forget where I got thast image.
I haven't read this in years, I'm due for a re-read.
Davey's father dies, and they all thrown into mourning. Actually he doesn't just die, he was killed. Davey sleeps with a bread knife under her pillow and gets panic attacks in school.
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Her mother can barely function and remains in a drug induced supour in the months following her husband's murder.There fear and hopelessness Davey felt after her father is killed stayed with me. I refernced her sleeping with the bread knife under her pillow, and almost forget where I got thast image.
I haven't read this in years, I'm due for a re-read.
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LibraryThing member madhamster
15-year-old Davey's life is shattered when her father is murdered. As the first person on the scene Davey has vivid memories of the night but has no one to talk to about it. Davey's mother withdraws into herself, to the extent that she accepts the offer of her in-laws to stay with them. Thus begins
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a long road to acceptance for Davey and her family. Davey is helped along the way by Mr Ortiz, who is dying of cancer, and his son. Show Less
LibraryThing member lhicks5
Judy Blume was my favorite author when I was young. It was nice to read a book of hers that I had never read before. This was one of her more serious books. I feel that it accurately portraits a family coping with the loss of a loved one.
LibraryThing member jessicariddoch
Set typically in america this is a young person's book, I would suggest aimed at girls. Well that is when I first read it. The fact that this book of the many that I purchased over the years is still in my posession says much about the staying power of the story and the quality of the writing, the
What I remember the most, here I have to admit that I have not actual;ly reread the book for years, is the echoing lonleness and desolation that judy manages to give the character, Yet still managing to have a little simple joy, like jumpin up and down to break in new walking books.
Judy blume is a good writer, not just a good writer for teen's.
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is not the babbysitters club franchise. (books that you read only in teen years)What I remember the most, here I have to admit that I have not actual;ly reread the book for years, is the echoing lonleness and desolation that judy manages to give the character, Yet still managing to have a little simple joy, like jumpin up and down to break in new walking books.
Judy blume is a good writer, not just a good writer for teen's.
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LibraryThing member ACleveland
This book has been around for a long time and that doesn't surprise me at all in the least bit. I read this book when i was in grade school but I will still read this book now. Actually I think Im going to.
LibraryThing member Tootsweet89
I love how Judy Blume deals with the main characters issues in this book. It's a tough topic and she deals with tough topics so delicately but so realistically that it makes it easy to identify with her. I just love this book and I read it in an hour. Enough said, huh?
LibraryThing member bplteen
Review by: Lisa
A wonderful book about loss and friendship. It shows what a girl in high school is going through after her father is shot and her mother is having a nervous breakdown. It is a story that I will never forget.
Review by: Shanna
That's going to make things a lot easier from here on out.
A wonderful book about loss and friendship. It shows what a girl in high school is going through after her father is shot and her mother is having a nervous breakdown. It is a story that I will never forget.
Review by: Shanna
That's going to make things a lot easier from here on out.
LibraryThing member Angi_L_Rodriguez
Loved it thats all i have to say. i recommend this book to teens.
LibraryThing member Omrythea
Davey Wexler’s father is shot and killed at his 7-Eleven Store. Her, her mother and her brother Jason move to New Mexico to stay with relatives and try to recover from shock. Never feeling more alone, Davey discovers a private place in the depths of the Los Alamos canyon. There she meets Wolf,
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who seems to understand the rage and fear she feels at her loss. He, too, had faced tragedy but is persuing life and encourages her to do the same. Slowly Davey realizes that she must hold on to the memory of her father’s love for her rather than dwell on his death. But is she ready to leave the past behind and step toward the future? Show Less
LibraryThing member JoeCottonwood
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member StefanieGeeks
Great coming-of-age story about a teen getting over the horrific murder of her Dad. Her family packs up from Atlantic City to move to Los Alamos, NM and her vivid descriptions of the culture there is wonderful. The narration of the audiobook is superb and I highly recommend listening to rather than
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reading this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member satyridae
I'm sad I never picked this up when I was a kid. I would have loved it desperately then. I liked it a lot reading it now, but it wasn't the same. Dated in parts, but in a good way.
I found myself analyzing the adults' actions a lot, and finding them for the most part believable. And Wolf. Mmmm,
Also I wondered if perhaps Dewey from A Green Glass Sea owes her name to Davey? An extremely subtle tip of the hat, or my overactive imagination?
I found myself analyzing the adults' actions a lot, and finding them for the most part believable. And Wolf. Mmmm,
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love those dramatic and mysterious boys, still. Also I wondered if perhaps Dewey from A Green Glass Sea owes her name to Davey? An extremely subtle tip of the hat, or my overactive imagination?
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LibraryThing member eilawest
Davey is a teenage girl who has just lost her father during a shooting at the local convenience store. Davey, her brother, and her mother all move to New Mexico to see family to help cope with the loss. Here, Davey begins to see a therapist and gets a job at the hospital as a candy striper. She
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still spends much of her time alone riding on her bicycle until she meets a boy, Wolf, at the bottom of a canyon. The two get along very well and Davey meets Wolf's father who is battling cancer at the same hospital she works that. She is inspired by these two new friends as she mourns the loss of her father. Show Less
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I've just re-read this book after 30 years and I'm surprised at how well it's stood the test of time. Still an excellent read that covers grief, and guilt while also touching on racism, teen-drinking and pressure to conform. Judy Blume still rocks.
LibraryThing member ginawilliams
Fifteen year-old Davey is overcome with grief and loneliness. Her father was murdered during a robbery, and as a result of the tragedy, her mother insists that they move in with relatives in New Mexico. Davey is now also mourning the loss of her school, friends, and her familiar way of life. While
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coping with grief and managing this new existence, Davey develops a friendship that ultimately helps her to realize that despite tragedies, life does go on. Written over thirty years ago, the novel’s basic themes are still relevant today. Recommended for your young adult collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Narrated by Emma Galvin. After Davy’s father is murdered during a robbery of his 7-11 store, Davy, her mother, and brother Jason move to New Mexico to live with Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Walter. Narrator Galvin is a good pick for voicing a teen narrative, capturing the essence of a teen just trying to
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get through the day and understand what’s happening in her life. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
An issues book, about issues I couldn't empathize with. Too didactic for me, sorry. Probably young teen me would have liked it better - but not loved it.
LibraryThing member FennecGirl
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
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.
While I had yet to
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member anacskie
It's a good story. I borrowed the audio book so I can knit while listening to it. It's definitely an engaging story and Emma Galvin is my favorite narrator ever since I listened to her in the Divergent Series. She definitely makes the story more interesting.
LibraryThing member anacskie
It's a good story. I borrowed the audio book so I can knit while listening to it. It's definitely an engaging story and Emma Galvin is my favorite narrator ever since I listened to her in the Divergent Series. She definitely makes the story more interesting.
LibraryThing member ReadersCandyb
I thought this book was pretty good... It was fast paced and held my attention the whole way through.
It was about a family who lost a loved one and struggled to get back on their feet. They move to recoup and though there were struggles along the way, they slowly get their lives back on track.
It
There was a hint of romance, but it was more of a friendship. I loved wolf. He was caring, mysterious, and definitely sweet.
Go read this book... It is short and enjoyable!
It was about a family who lost a loved one and struggled to get back on their feet. They move to recoup and though there were struggles along the way, they slowly get their lives back on track.
It
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is a Young Adult book, but I recommend it to readers of all ages. It's an inspirational read that will leave you hugging your loved ones a little tighter. It makes you appreciate life and opens your eyes to how fast things can change.There was a hint of romance, but it was more of a friendship. I loved wolf. He was caring, mysterious, and definitely sweet.
Go read this book... It is short and enjoyable!
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Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Children's Fiction (Paperback) — 1983)
Soaring Eagle Book Award (First runner-up — 1990)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 4-8 — 1983)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Winner — Grades 4-8 — 1983)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 1983)
Iowa Teen Award (Winner — 1985)
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Winner — 1985)
California Young Reader Medal (Nominee — 1983)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — 1983)
Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominee — 1984)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1981)
Call number
YA A Blu