Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Piglet: A Novel

It took me a while to gel with this book but about 120 pages in it all clicked into place for me as I realised what it was doing. Lottie Hazell makes such a bold creative decision which will no doubt piss people off, but in my opinion is what makes the book as good as it is. This paired with some truly stomach-churningly uncomfortable scenes makes Piglet what will no doubt be one of my favourite books I read this year.

The central conflict of this book revolves around our titular character Piglet learning a terrible truth about her fiancé Kit two weeks before they're due to be married. However, the reader never finds out what it is that he did. I'm sure this makes a bunch of people who read this book mad but it's what brings the whole book together. This decision makes the reader project their own anxieties and insecurities and worst case scenarios onto the big secret - this provokes far more intense feelings, and makes the reader more involved in the story than any definitive answer to the question ever could. I got an inkling that that's what the book was doing just over a third of the way through and spent so much of the rest of it hoping I was right. I'm so so glad that it delivered

Content Warnings

elebjones's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.25

Worst ending ever, wanted to know what happened but the ending gives no clues. Also a problematic and unbelievable portrayal of binge eating disorder.

Content Warnings

liliantreacy's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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spf2f's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Incisive commentary on the boxes that women are put into and what the process of breaking through some of those boxes might look like. Told in a story I couldn't put down with detailedly-drawn characters. And the food writing was so beautiful!

Content Warnings

jacss's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

A little bit of body horror, a little bit of female rage and a lot of delicious sounding food.

Also, dad needs some therapy.

Content Warnings

raynbow3000's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

This book made me uncomfortable. It also made me think and consider life, so I powered through the uncomfortable.
The characters seemed very real, with real problems and responses to each other. Some of the reactions of the main character don't seem to align with her character. They call her Piglet, but she seems to have a healthy relationship with food and there is not a time in the past when she had issues. Then, suddenly, she does have issues. It seemed to come out of nowhere.
One of the characters does something, but rather than tell us at the beginning, the author just gives us reactions. It was an interesting way to tell the story that I've never seen before.
I may read more books by this author.

Content Warnings

milliebrierley's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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