Reviews

This was a really hard read for me, but overall I did appreciate the story and what it was saying.

Having struggled with overconsumption and binge eating habits as emotional coping mechanisms, it was difficult to see parts of my experience reflected in Piglet. I didn’t want to see my own self-hatred or shame or judgements reflected in a story, even if I wouldn’t have made the same choices as Piglet.

It was also hard to connect with any of the characters. No one was likeable or sympathetic. I wanted to find compassion for Piglet, but there was so much seething anger in her perspective.

Content Warnings

karamears's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

madiswanreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

plutosorbit's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

If it’s any indication, it took me over a month to finish this dragged out one

sarahhtoast's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

I'm not sure how I feel.

gothradiohour's review against another edition

Go to review page

I didn’t care anymore. Piglet would rather shrink herself to fit in the perfect box rather than have a f*ing backbone. I’m over it. They’re all terrible people

notoriousesr's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Our narrator, nicknamed “Piglet” by her family, has the picture-perfect life: a sweet, rich fiancé, a beautiful home in Oxford, and an in-the-bag promotion at her cookbook editing job. But when her fiancé Kit reveals a betrayal two weeks before their wedding, she starts to spiral out of control. Most of all, she’s hungry. Really, really hungry.

Piglet is a solid 3.5 stars for me. I don’t think it did anything revolutionary, but it was a good, solid book about women, eating, and how women+eating=revolutionary desire. It has the satisfying structure of a runaway train that had me genuinely stressed, and I was invested enough that Piglet’s shames and defeats churned in my stomach (especially if I was eating). The commentary on class was particularly sharp, and emphasized beautifully by the Rebekah Hinds’s great accent work in the audiobook. My one big obstacle to giving this four stars is (mild spoiler)... we don’t know what Kit did. Everybody in the goddamn world finds out how this man betrayed her... but the reader! It was a huge distraction for me, as it’s literally the fulcrum on which the entire plot hinges. Overall, 3.5 out of 5 croquembouches.

More...