Tiger, Tiger (Collins Modern Classics)

by Lynne Reid Banks

A swashbuckling tale set in Ancient Rome.

The setting of this novel is Ancient Rome, where Caeser is all-powerful, Christians are heretics who must die, and animals are mere playthings, to be baited, challenged and destroyed…

Two tiger cubs are transported on a frightening voyage from their home to Rome. One (Boots) is tamed, his claws removed, to be an amusing and prestigious pet for Aurelia, Caesar's daughter. The other is mistreated, made even more brutal, and trained to fight and kill in Caesar's arena.

Aurelia becomes more and more fond of Boots, and even more fond of his keeper, Julius. When a childish prank goes awry, Boots escapes. Caesar is furious and punishes Aurelia. He sentences Julius to death in the arena… and Boots, should he return, is to face the same fate.

The climax to this novel sees Aurelia forced to watch her beloved fight for his life, at the mercy of the very beasts he trains. We see two brothers reunited, one a cosseted pet, the other a vicious predator.

This is Lynne Reid Banks at her very best. She has written a hugely powerful and moving story, which boys and girls from 10 years onwards will love. The animals' thoughts seem eerily perceptive. Utterly captivating.

• ISBN13: 9780007190416
• Publish Date: 4 October 2004
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 6 May 2008
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Amber]

This book was an absolute pleasure to read and overall I thought it was absolutely outstanding.

The book is about - as you may have guessed - two tiger cubs, who are captured by hunters and taken to Rome. Once in Rome they are separated, one (Boots) becomes a pet in the house of Caesar and the other (Brute) is caged underneath the Colosseum and trained to fight in the arena.

After a while, the story starts to focus more on Auriela - Caesar's daughter - and her cousin Marcus, who play a prank on Boots the tiger's trainer, Julius. They hide Boots and claim he has escaped. Their plan backfires when the tiger really does escape, and Julius must find him again or he will be put in the arena against the very animals he trains.


The books goes on, and we see the two tigers - now fully grown - reunited, one tame and the other a vicious beast.


The character development is brilliant, Aurelia turns out to be a very brave girl and the rest of the characters are just as engaging, much like the plot.

If you like animals and historical fiction then this book is for you - although it is guaranteed to make you cry!


Rating: 5/5