It’s the Eye of the Tiger, It’s the Thrill of the Fight

BOOK REPORT for The Tiger In the Well (Sally Lockhart Book 3) by Philip Pullman

BFF Charm: Yay! Yay! Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 9
Talky Talk: Ssssomething Ssssinister
Bonus Factors: The Immigrant Experience, Fighting the Good Fight, Suspense, Feminism
Relationship Status: True Love

SPOILER ALERT: Do not even continue if you don't want to know what happened in Book 2, The Shadow In the North, cos just the summary of this book contains more spoilage than Halloween candy before dinner (or a frat house fridge, pick your metaphor). Instead, check back here for the Book 2 review or here for a review of Book 1, The Ruby In the Smoke. If you DO keep going, don't say I didn't warn you.

This is your last chance! Go back now to avoid the spoiler monster!

The Deal:

Don't say I didn't warn you.

SO. OMG WTF FRED IS DEAD!!!! You and Sally and everyone else have cried enough tears to fill the Serpentine after Fred died in the fire trying to save Isabel Meredith, that selfish beyotch intent on committing suicide. After Sally killed Axel Bellman and tried to kill herself, and later found out she was knocked up, she spent the next several years raising little Harriet out in the country with Uncle Webster and Jim, and building up her investment business into a nice little partnership. One bucolic day, Sally, Hattie and Harriet's nurse Sarah-Jane are enjoying an afternoon in the garden when a stranger appears and serves Sally with court papers. When she opens the documents, she discovers she's being sued for abandonment and custody of Harriet by her husband, Arthur Parrish.

Who??

That's what Sally's reaction was, too. The thing is, she's never heard of Parrish, let alone MARRIED the man, and now he's after the only bit of Fred she has left -- their daughter. Soon enough, Sally's on the run with Harriet while she tries to figure out who's really behind the evil plot to take away her entire life and her sanity. Jim and Uncle Webster are off exploring in South America, and Sally has nowhere to turn until she meets Daniel Goldberg, a journalist and socialist agitator -- and so, SO much more.

BFF Charm: Yay! Yay! Yay!

Do I have to do this again? Of COURSE Sally and everyone else gets my bff charm. Special shout-out to my new bffs, Sally's business partner Margaret Haddow, Daniel Goldberg and organized crime boss Kid Mendel.

Swoonworthy Scale: 9

I know what you're thinking. How could there possibly be such a high number when Fred is gone forever? And that's what Sally thinks too, except she can't help but be attracted to the tough and electrifying Daniel Goldberg. He opens her eyes to all sorts of uncomfortable truths about herself and the world, and makes her truly think about her choices and beliefs. brains, fearlessness AND animal magnetism? Dead sexy.

Talky Talk: Ssssomething Ssssinister

Once again, Pullman delivers. This book is so full of tension and evil it had my heart pounding and blood racing from the moment I picked it up -- and I'd read it before and knew how it ended! No words are wasted, so all the action and emotion are distilled into a 200-proof shot of awesome.

Bonus Factor: The Immigrant Experience

London's in the middle of a huge wave of immigrants, mainly Jews from Eastern Europe. In true xenophobe fashion, people are clamoring to close the borders and immigrants are exploited, robbed and killed. It seems like the force behind a major con game ripping off immigrants is the Tzaddik, a shadowy underworld figure who is probably behind Sally's problems as well. Goldberg is part of a group fighting to help the immigrants and shut down the tea baggers xenophobes.

Bonus Factor: Fighting the Good Fight

Oh, Daniel Goldberg, will you marry me? You'll have to be but one in my stable of spouses, but you'll be a welcome addition. Goldberg risks his life to fight anti-semitism, xenophobia and violence against women more times in one day than I change diapers (y'all, that's A LOT), and all because it's the right thing to do. I do love a righteous cause.

Bonus Factor: Suspense!

Like I said earlier, even though I'd read this book before and knew how it would end, I still couldn't eat or sleep while I was reading it because I was so tense.

Bonus Factor: Feminism

You guys! it JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. Goldberg's a feminist, too! And there's a great little bit with Bridie, one of the Irish street gang leaders. I don't know how Pullman does it, honestly. I really don't.

Casting Call:

There are so many wonderful new characters in this book, it'd be impossible to cast them all. I have the perfect picture in my head of Goldberg, and can't bring myself to cast an actor for it (although the love-child of Clive Owen and Eric Bana could do it justice). But I did immediately go straight for Daniel Day-Lewis as Kid Mendel, thanks to Gangs of New York.

Daniel Day-Lewis as Kid Mendel

Relationship Status: True Love

As Sally shows us, it's possible to recover from romantic tragedy and find love again. As much as I adored the first two books, and will never forget them, The Tiger In the Well will always be my favorite. Of course, I'll never abandon the others -- they'll just have to make room in the harem for my number one.