Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Piglet: A Novel

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

bridgetpeach's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.0

Like, I get it....but I hate it....but I'm supportive of it....but I wish it wasn't the way it was and I dislike all the characters.

Content Warnings

gemloukay's review

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challenging emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Piglet works as a successful cookbook editor, she has a gorgeous, posh fiancé and a huge new house in Oxford. On the face of it, everything is perfect. But in the countdown to their wedding, Kit reveals a secret and from there on, everything starts to fall apart. Her maid of honour goes into labour, her family are embarrassing but then her future in-laws are snobby and controlling, and to top it all off, she’s decided to make a croquembouche as a wedding cake for her own big day, which may have been more than a little foolish.

Lottie Hazell writes fantastic descriptions of the food Piglet is making or savouring, but the rest of the plot is fairly predictable and straightforward. I was really hoping for a big showdown where someone gets the croquembouche (which is mentioned so often that it almost becomes a character for a few chapters) thrown at their heads or shoved down their throats. But what we get is parents who don’t get their daughter at all, don’t really know how to support her aspirations, and stick to judging her right back. We get body shaming. We get binge eating to feel whole again. And we get upper class tosspots who think they’re better than working class ones, but actually have all the same problems really.

It had a good premise, some great food descriptions and a whole heap of the exploration of wanting to be better than your upbringings but just finding yourself with new problems. And lot of trips to Waitrose.

Content Warnings

ladylofthouse's review against another edition

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emotional 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? Yes

3.0

I was begging into the pages for Piglet to do something, anything. Her parents were awful so it was easy to understand why she was awful and picked an awful partner but it still made me want to scream.

I was so hopeful for a big Christina Yang moment, but even that was anticlimactic at the author's insistence on not fully sharing the secret.

On a positive note, it seemed to do a decent job of highlighting some psychological aspects of eating disorders and the food scenes were a gluttonous but artsy experience - I kept thinking this would probably make for a better movie

Content Warnings