A review by karahildebrand
Piglet by Lottie Hazell

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story is… truly unnerving. For a plot that doesn’t contain anything too unusual actually taking place, everything is described with this gruesome, scathing, pointedness. It makes a stomach-churning, harsh spectacle out of awful (yet commonplace) experiences that we’ve MADE mundane in the way we talk about them (processing a failing relationship, binge eating and other compulsions that attempt to fill an inner void, the identity-unraveling performativity we wield to attract the life we believe will finally satisfy us, the tightrope act of femininity where you struggle between trying to take up the literal and metaphorical space you deserve and trying to shrink yourself down to not become “greedy” or “overbearing”). In fact, the intensity of the writing itself (within a female perspective) demanding to be seen and felt, demanding to occupy space in your mind, unafraid of how it’s “largeness” might be off-putting or offensive, is really the most impactful way the novel tackles our impulsive feminine conformity. This is why the “everything falls apart” scenes are so fantastic, because of the severity of the emotions that Piglet finally allows to surface and be confronted, but the story is so much weaker when Piglet is “in denial” or “performing” within her own mental processing. While the contrast between the two is certainly part of what drives the themes at play home, I think the way passivity is expressed in her inner dialogue is used too frequently and hinders the actual intrigue of the story. I really really was not hooked by the first half of the book for this reason. It’s chapter upon chapter of monotonous, routine action and shallow conversations and there’s so much depth that COULD be there if Piglet’s stream of consciousness was less aggressively avoidant of acknowledging anything unpleasant around her. I understand, of course, the fundamental role that denial plays in clinging onto a relationship that you shouldn’t, but I don’t think it had to be expressed the way it was. A tactic I noticed being used a lot to navigate this was focusing on Piglet’s physical reaction to things (her stomach dropping, feeling nauseous, etc. gut reactions, essentially) which I do like, but I wanted more of how she rationalizes her denial, WHY certain  comments strike a nerve the way they do (even if she doesn’t confront them too profoundly), tying in memories or patterns from her life that give context to her visceral reactions AND what her past was actually like, the internal mechanics that would show the effort required to ignore certain truths. I think these are more realistic ways that we respond to confusing situations and would also just create a more engaging book. It’s a lot to ask of a reader to connect enough with a main character that started off as pretty unlikeable and shallow (both in her values/goals and her actual lack of characterization) enough to appreciate the artistic vision behind the lack of nuance or plot and stick around for the more impactful scenes that come later. That being said, I do think the second half is striking enough to almost make up for it (especially the unsettlingly prolonged scenes like the croquembouche baking or putting on the dress that really nail the psychological horror element). SO much to say about this book, I’m really happy I pushed through and finished it (especially at this specific time in my life), and it really got under my skin. The messaging gets a bit messy and untethered at times (especially because of the specific point of view we’re in), but I could definitely still appreciate the ideas even when the execution was a little odd. It’s a very very weird and very very challenging book, but I definitely think there’s a lot of valuable stuff here that make it worth the effort. I can totally understand why it’s pretty divisive, but I, personally, would love to see more books like this: intensely emotional and relentlessly unsubtle. 
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