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tashtasher's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Classism, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia
juffnstuff's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Body shaming
Moderate: Eating disorder and Toxic relationship
cozyscones's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy
scarlettreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
abreadsbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Eating disorder
syellico's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When I first saw the cover of this book, and the title, I was immediately turned off. I didn't even know what it was about, but my assumption was that it would be laced with fat shaming, which is a hard no for me.
I couldn't have been more wrong and I am so glad I decided to pick up the audio.
I would never have imagined I would be riveted to a 20-minute scene describing the suspense of assembling a Crouquembouche, or that I would be so invested in the lush and beautiful food descriptions that are woven by Hazell. But this story is so much more than that.
I couldn't help but think of the FX series The Bear as an adjacent recommendation to this, because of the food, but also because of the emotion and heart behind the story. I'm being vague because I just want everyone to go in blind and enjoy it as I did.
Cheers to Piglet and for her standing up for herself, I think this will be one of my top books of the year.
I couldn't have been more wrong and I am so glad I decided to pick up the audio.
I would never have imagined I would be riveted to a 20-minute scene describing the suspense of assembling a Crouquembouche, or that I would be so invested in the lush and beautiful food descriptions that are woven by Hazell. But this story is so much more than that.
I couldn't help but think of the FX series The Bear as an adjacent recommendation to this, because of the food, but also because of the emotion and heart behind the story. I'm being vague because I just want everyone to go in blind and enjoy it as I did.
Cheers to Piglet and for her standing up for herself, I think this will be one of my top books of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Eating disorder
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
another_dahlia's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Classism
drmathews777's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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
2.75
Disclaimer: I am not an English major college graduate - Science for me, I do not look further than what I read in a novel I receive - no deep dives on authors, my reviews are for consumers and not for authors.
I happily received an ARC of Piglet by Lottie Hazell estimated release 02/27/24 (March 2024 on the print).
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Spoiler Review with Trigger Warnings
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I don't feel that this is good for anyone who has any issues with food. Trigger warning for anorexia athletica, binge eating disorder, anyone with an unhealthy relationship with food, and people with poor boundary setting/ poor impulse control.
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Piglet is a melancholy tale of a cookbook editor who is in the throes of a scandal right before her wedding. It's like a mix of the great British bake-off and the full train wreck meltdown of the subject's personal life and love life. Heavy elements of classism and eating disorders.
Many people are describing this as a masterpiece because it's tale of someone who likes to perceive themselves a certain way coming to grips with the truth that their perfectly curated life isn't so perfect. And maybe they themselves aren't the person they think they are when it all falls apart. True vulnerability doesn't come through until its too late and clamming up, eating feelings, isolating herself got Piglet into matrimonial hell.
Page 197-198 choked me up though. The struggled through the daughter father relationship when your child knows about your past indiscretions. I had waited on baited breath on what advice her father would give her. I was swiftly reminded that there was a history of infidelity in the past so he felt some measure of requirement to back up her mother's own decisions to stay and work out out long ago.
I appreciated the self awareness of the pretense and posture of keeping up with the Jones' at this point of the novel.
I found the food element evolving from very descriptive at first to less descriptive of the actual food but more so of the volume of it a subtle way of highlighting the binge eating aspect.
What resonated with me most was page 239, "he was pulling her forward and I had to fight the urge to yank back twist my arm out of his, a child refusing, the beginnings of a tantrum". I felt the exact same with first fiancé years ago. You just want to run as soon as you know it's not right but for some reason you don't ever do it soon enough.
The transition between Piglet and Mrs. Edwards was the fever pitch of the novel. Her brother-in-law shows up for her in a great way towards the end and you can really see the family come together to be in her corner at this point.
It concluded a little abruptly but in a perfect way in my opinion.
Overall a good read. Very melancholic, very reflective on society today. If recommend it to anyone who likes reading slice of life and downward spirals.
I happily received an ARC of Piglet by Lottie Hazell estimated release 02/27/24 (March 2024 on the print).
...
...
...
Spoiler Review with Trigger Warnings
...
...
...
I don't feel that this is good for anyone who has any issues with food. Trigger warning for anorexia athletica, binge eating disorder, anyone with an unhealthy relationship with food, and people with poor boundary setting/ poor impulse control.
...
...
...
Piglet is a melancholy tale of a cookbook editor who is in the throes of a scandal right before her wedding. It's like a mix of the great British bake-off and the full train wreck meltdown of the subject's personal life and love life. Heavy elements of classism and eating disorders.
Many people are describing this as a masterpiece because it's tale of someone who likes to perceive themselves a certain way coming to grips with the truth that their perfectly curated life isn't so perfect. And maybe they themselves aren't the person they think they are when it all falls apart. True vulnerability doesn't come through until its too late and clamming up, eating feelings, isolating herself got Piglet into matrimonial hell.
Page 197-198 choked me up though. The struggled through the daughter father relationship when your child knows about your past indiscretions. I had waited on baited breath on what advice her father would give her. I was swiftly reminded that there was a history of infidelity in the past so he felt some measure of requirement to back up her mother's own decisions to stay and work out out long ago.
I appreciated the self awareness of the pretense and posture of keeping up with the Jones' at this point of the novel.
I found the food element evolving from very descriptive at first to less descriptive of the actual food but more so of the volume of it a subtle way of highlighting the binge eating aspect.
What resonated with me most was page 239, "he was pulling her forward and I had to fight the urge to yank back twist my arm out of his, a child refusing, the beginnings of a tantrum". I felt the exact same with first fiancé years ago. You just want to run as soon as you know it's not right but for some reason you don't ever do it soon enough.
The transition between Piglet and Mrs. Edwards was the fever pitch of the novel. Her brother-in-law shows up for her in a great way towards the end and you can really see the family come together to be in her corner at this point.
It concluded a little abruptly but in a perfect way in my opinion.
Overall a good read. Very melancholic, very reflective on society today. If recommend it to anyone who likes reading slice of life and downward spirals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Classism
torturedreadersdept's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Body horror, Classism, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Excrement, Grief, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Abandonment
fleeno's review
4.0
Piglet is in her early 30s, unable to shake a childhood nickname given to her by her family, and is set to marry Kit. Piglet can't help compare their families, hers poor, Northern, thinks viennetta ice cream is the high of luxury (they're not wrong), while Kits family are proper, Tory, provide a significant deposit for their home in Oxford and are paying for a lavish wedding. Piglet works for a publishing house that specialises in books about food and her life revolves around hunger. But Piglet is convinced once she is married, she will be fully immersed in her new life and she will finally be satisfied. Then Kit reveals a secret 2 weeks before the wedding which threatens to shatter her perfect future. How do you cancel a wedding when the invitations have been sent, the guests are coming from out of town, and you've told everyone you're making your own croquembouche wedding cake?
This was such a beautifully written novel, what isn't written is just as powerful as what is. Like Piglets real name, which no one calls her, the secret Kit tells her is never spoken of and this gives it even more power. Piglet's appearance or weight is never described in detail but how Piglet views herself, the things she says to herself, how she views herself, and how others treat her is very telling - and honestly familiar. Although Piglet doesn't have an eating disorder (unlike her favoured sister) she does have a complex relationship with food and poor coping mechanisms. Piglet's family are awful. They laugh about her childhood "greediness", pick on her wedding dress, judge her house and career. Kits family similarly are awful in a different way, his mother buys Piglet a PT voucher as an engagement gift!
The writing in this book is simple, largely dialogue and descriptions of food (which serve as a metaphore) but it is so emotional. Although Piglet wasn't a particularly likable character I felt for her. The unnamed betrayal was cutting, her shame, embarrassment, fear, anxiety, were dripping from every sentence without ever being uttered. Hazell has been so clever with her choice of words and writing style, I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel.
This was such a beautifully written novel, what isn't written is just as powerful as what is. Like Piglets real name, which no one calls her, the secret Kit tells her is never spoken of and this gives it even more power. Piglet's appearance or weight is never described in detail but how Piglet views herself, the things she says to herself, how she views herself, and how others treat her is very telling - and honestly familiar. Although Piglet doesn't have an eating disorder (unlike her favoured sister) she does have a complex relationship with food and poor coping mechanisms. Piglet's family are awful. They laugh about her childhood "greediness", pick on her wedding dress, judge her house and career. Kits family similarly are awful in a different way, his mother buys Piglet a PT voucher as an engagement gift!
The writing in this book is simple, largely dialogue and descriptions of food (which serve as a metaphore) but it is so emotional. Although Piglet wasn't a particularly likable character I felt for her. The unnamed betrayal was cutting, her shame, embarrassment, fear, anxiety, were dripping from every sentence without ever being uttered. Hazell has been so clever with her choice of words and writing style, I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Eating disorder