The Vine: August 22, 2014
I (and my sister!) need your help finding a book from my pre-teen years. This would be the early ’90s.
It’s a young adult horror novel. Here are the basic plot points I remember:
– There is a boy with a Deep Dark Secret and a girl who falls for his mysterious, brooding ways.
– There is a school dance involved somehow. Maybe prom?
– There also is a tiger. This is the fuzziest part for me and my sister, but there was a white tiger in it in some way.
– The big plot twist/reveal is that the boy thought he murdered his mother but, in fact, his father had murdered her and convinced the boy he was crazy and had killed her.
I’ve already looked through plot descriptions of the Point Horror series and I know it wasn’t a Christopher Pike novel. Google has failed me so far! I’m hoping some Vine readers might have shared mine and my sister’s obsession with young adult horror novels and can point us in the right direction.
Thanks!
E
Tags: Ask The Readers popcult
I’m really sad that I don’t know this because “There also is a tiger” is something that sounds right up my alley.
I like to imagine the tiger was the murder weapon. “It was the Father…in the conservatory…with A TIGER!”
this sounds similar to the move “Cat People” if it were only partially remembered.
It was based on a movie with the same title from the 50s, i believe. I have no idea if there was a book or even short story. In the movie, it was black panthers, not a tiger.
This is definitely not it (published too late, not horror) but it has some similar elements and was what I immediately thought of. Perhaps it got smushed with something else in memory?
http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/tiger.html
Thanks for the suggestions so far!
I know it’s not a book version of Cat People. Especially since, if I remember correctly, there was something about them turning into cats when they’re turned on? I could be misremembering though.
Maggie- I’ve definitely not read that book.
If I remember correctly, the book goes back and forth from his and her perspective. I called my sister to double check with her about what I had written, and we remember all the elements listed above. It was definitely in the crazy, horror, melodrama vein that was so popular in the late 80s through the 90s. ARGH!!
I feel like I read this one, but I’ve got NOTHING beyond a spark of recognition. Sorry. :(