Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Pages: 403
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Notes for Parents: Some mild language, violence, and mature themes

The Inside Cover

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Face-to-face with dark forces, spell-binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a series.

What’s good?

The beautiful and mystical country of India is the setting of this story that is rich with mythology and adventure, fuelled by an ancient curse that turned two princes into tigers. An ordinary girl is tasked with helping to break the curse and embarks on a quest with one of the tiger princes. It’s a truly original idea...and I love the cover art!
Best Part: Fanindra the Snake

What isn’t good?

Where do I begin?
The two main characters are impossible to like. Kelsey is immature and consistently annoying, while Ren is often pretentious and, at times, outrageously obnoxious.
The premise is unrealistic. What kind of foster parents would allow their ward to travel to the other side of the world with a stranger and a white tiger?
The story is pock-marked with awkward word choices, corny metaphors and similes, and clichéd moments that were downright uncomfortable to witness.
I could go on, but I think this is enough.
Worst part: Kells.

Recommendation þþooo

There was a good idea deep inside this poorly written and badly characterized story. I loved the setting, the mythology, and the promise of adventure, but I could not overlook all of the negatives. Sadly, I cannot recommend this book.

Houck, Colleen. Tiger’s Curse. New York: Splinter, 2011.