Toxic friendships, pigs (natch) and a dash of hope
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Vale has a lovely life working in a bookshop. A little shy, a little introverted, too much into pigs, she appears to be fine. At home, however, she’s dominated by her flatmate and friend Clara, who makes all of Vale’s decisions for her; but woe unto Vale if she steps out of line. The only thing that centres Vale in times of stress, such as when Clara is mean and horrible to her, are her pigs, a litany that she recites like a prayer, or a mantra. Could pigs be her ultimate saving?

Look, this isn’t for everyone, and I include myself in that assessment. However, there’s so much good stuff in here that you hang around waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Vale to assert herself, for the next thing to happen; and it does, but glacially, subtly, like water wearing at a stone. And then you think: who was in control in the relationship, really? I waited for this to go into a higher gear or two, but there’s enough internal drama in miniature to draw you to the end of the book.

Three and a half stars

Haunting, bold, and deeply thought-provoking 🐖💭. Pig is a raw, literary exploration of identity, morality, and the human-animal connection. Matilde Pratesi’s prose is rich and lyrical, pulling readers into a story that challenges, provokes, and stays with you long after finishing. It’s dark yet fascinating, blending unsettling imagery with poignant reflections. This is one of those rare novels that gets under your skin and leaves you reflecting on society and self. A unique, daring read for lovers of literary fiction.

Pratesi’s debut novel kept me hooked from the start & I read this in 2 furious, hooked sittings, hoping that Val would realise that Clara was bad news.
The novel was brilliantly written & Val felt fully formed and fleshed out, but I do think there needed to be a bit more light to her relationship with Clara to contrast against the shadows of their relationship - just a hint of positive to keep Val thinking it was worth it - those suffering in abusive relationships often have just enough of the light from their abusive partners to convince them that the relationship is worth it, whereas Pig didn’t have that.
I also would have preferred an epilogue to show that Val definitely escaped Clara’s grasp rather than just the hope of escape, although I was very glad to see everything adding up for Val as the book progressed.
I enjoyed reading this and will definitely pick up the next book Pratesi writes, as it was well-written and gripping. 3.5 stars.

This is a rather unsettling story about a young Italian woman who uses her obsession with pigs to deal with social anxiety. She was raised in rural Italy before moving to Rome with her family, where she struggled to fit in, preferring to be in nature, farms and around pigs. After a while, a glamorous classmate takes her under her wing and advises her on how to dress, what to eat and how to act (basically, not to talk about pigs) in order to be accepted by her peers.

Years later, the two women meet up in London and share a flat. However, the advice is still there and takes the form of sticky notes, which become rather nasty (have nothing for lunch today, only wear one sock) and becomes oppressive and controlling. Everyone can see what is happening except for the victim who still believes that her friend is acting in her best interests.

This a slow read that doesn't progress in the dark way as expected. Also, as the two closest workmates are non-conforming (one is gay, the other is non-binary) the theme of being different or not fitting in could have been explored further using these characters. Similarly, the stereotypes and negative image surrounding pigs would enhance the story.

An easy to read book about obsession, conforming, self-esteem, control and exploitation. Pity there aren't more pigs, but worth a read.

If you like a realistic story that makes you feel uncomfortable for the main character throughout, this does the job.

We have an ASD-coded main character, who seems to have gone completely undetected by any support system or even her parents (I don't know whether that's more linked to her Italian origins or what) under the increasingly tight and uncomfortable control of her manipulative flatmate. There's an undercurrent of unidentified queerness, and obsession.

There's a flashback section in the middle, taking you away from the main story (although building context) that dragged a little.

The ending was abrupt - in some ways we didn't need any more for the story to end, but in other ways it would have been nice to have a little something extra. By the last 5% you're still not certain that there will be a satisfactory ending.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A quirky read,not like anything I've read before. Dragged a little in places but overall a good read

This seemed to be a book where the also rans did much better than the favourites . Unfortunately but not surprisingly most of the tale was taken up by the two main characters who to me were the least interesting so I didn’t enjoy the whole experience very much.

Wow what a debut. "Pig" is an incredibly tense and gripping novel. It delves into a deeply toxic, even abusive, friendship that traces its origins from childhood in Rome through to young adulthood in London.

The protagonist, Valentina, holds a fondness for pigs, nature, and her friend Clara. What she tragically fails to recognize is that one of these three, to put it mildly, is profoundly detrimental to her well-being. I immediately connected with Valentina, and my empathy for her grew exponentially as the relationship spiraled downwards. Matilde Pratesi has crafted an exceptionally realistic portrayal of this dynamic, with some scenes proving genuinely difficult to endure.

At times, the writing felt somewhat repetitive, particularly in the final thirty pages or so, where Valentina's thought processes occasionally lacked complete comprehensibility. While this might have been intended to illustrate the dichotomy within her, I believe it could have been articulated with greater clarity.

Nevertheless, "Pig" exerts an undeniable and powerful pull that is hard to resist. I wholeheartedly recommend this debut novel to everyone.

I think this is my pick of the year for cover design - I absolutely love it!

This is a great and quirky read for anyone who wants to broaden the scope of their reading. It centres around Italian Valentina and her obsession for old school friend turned housemate Clara. Without giving away too much of the plot, it opens with clear signposts that Clara is in control of Val’s life, while Pratesi’s narrating on the history of these two women is a compelling dissection of power, obsession and control. The plot is simple: Val works in a bookshop, and spends her life focused on two things, her friendship with Clara and her love of pigs. As she begins to blossom within the world of the shop through a chance encounter the sinister force of Clara comes more and more into the fore.

I think what’s fantastic about this book is the psychological insight that Pratesi has for her central character in Val. You can see the seduction that a world free of choice and tightly controlled has for Val, along with her own history of love sickness for Clara, that make this a compelling story about power and coercion within relationships. Val’s ignorance about what is happening to her makes this a tense and tightly plotted novel that makes you really see through the eyes of Val and the world around her. Her liberation is a gradual freedom and I particularly like that it’s very much about slow self-discovery rather than any sweeping act of independence or romantic assertion.

I'm not sure how to rate this. There was a lot I liked and a lot I disliked. So, I guess an average score.
What I didn't like were the two main characters. Vale, an autistic code, pig obsessed woman. And, her housemate Clara. Both are weirdly obsessed with each other. Vale, despite knowing everything about pigs doesn't work with them but in a bookshop. Out of the blue she is asked to write a book about pigs. This is because all the young and cool hipster types are taking up farming.
Clara is very controlling in the relationship but Vale can't see that.
What i did like were the supporting characters who were looking out for her. And, also, the way that you could clearly see how the situation had come about.

This is the second book about coercive control I've read this year. Pig is a little slower in nature and does drag a little at times but otherwise it is an excellent read that I'd encourage anyone to read.

Vale (Valentina) is a solitary girl who struggles to fit in with classmates and peers but she loves to be in natural surroundings and adores pigs. When her family move from rural Italy to Rome, Vale has to give up her visits to a local pig farm but not long after she is "adopted" as a friend by the vivacious and beautiful Clara.

Once Clara marries, however, the friendship is broken until years later when Clara gets in touch with a happy Vale, now working in a bookshop and visiting her local city farm.

The main part of the book centres on this time as Vale finds herself once more in thrall to Clara. But as Clara's marriage breaks down her hold on Vale becomes stronger and Vale has to resort to deception to keep Clara happy. Because, after all, isn't Clara the only one who cares about Vale? Isn't everything Clara does to control Vale's life just for her own good.

The relationship between Vale and Clara is key to this book's success. Vale is shy, unsure, lacking in confidence and ripe for a controlling Clara to abuse.

It's quite upsetting to read but nonetheless an important description of how easy it is to slip into an abusive relationship without realising it.

As I said, somewhat slow in parts but that may be it's triumph as Vale's personality becomes eroded over the years.

Definitely recommended reading.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

I was hooked right from the start. This book held my attention, shocked me with recognition, taught me interesting facts about pigs and most of all, moved me deeply.

It is narrated in the first person, from the perspective of Vale, an Italian born woman who now lives and works in London. She has an unusual special interest - pigs and their lives. she speaks up for pigs and often has to deal with the disinterest of others who not only don't share her curiosity but actively reject it. And reject her. Yes she is a little strange but right from the start we feel a bond with her - she is a good person and an intelligent and kind one. What's not to like?

However, as she has lacked social skills she was vulnerable to being taken up by and manipulated by a glowing, bright, seemingly popular girl who takes her under her wing and utimately takes over her life.

This book every so gently takes you behind the scenes of an extreme bullying and coercively controlling relationship. And, as you are always so close to Vale, inside her head, you can understand how it happens and how hard it is to escape.

I was glued to this book. So grateful to Net Galley for an advance copy freely given in exchange for an honest review. This is a book I may ready again and will gift to others.I will suggest it to my book group.

I am no stranger to low self esteem and to how easily this can tempt you into making poor choices with friends. It is easy to become prey to a narcissist. Vale questions herself all the time and when things go wrong, she takes on all the blame. Speaking of another healthier friendship she says, "I don't know why is it so hard; it's like there is a barrier that I can't break.I need to try and be a better friend". And in so doing, she moves even further away from her natural self, her inner guiding star, and loses her ability to know when she is being badly treated.

I don't want to spoil the book for you. It needs to be read and shared. I loved it.

A thoroughly unsettling story of toxic friendship. Valentina (Vale) spent her early childhood in the Italian countryside. She became obsessed with pigs since her introduction to neighbour Angela's farm. There isn't a pig fact Vale doesn't know. When the family move to Rome during her teenage years, Vale is bullied and laughed at for being different. Until the cool Clara befriends her. Always a one sided relationship, Vale worships Clara, and her parents are glad when life separates them after school. In the present day, Vale and Clara live together in London. Clara is divorced, relies on Vale to take care of her, while Vale works in a bookshop she loves and has no outside life. Vale is the only one who doesn't recognise the controlling nature of the relationship. She sees Clara helping her by telling her what to wear and what to have for lunch while she's at work. We see Clara spiralling with serious mental health problems. When Vale receives an unexpected offer in the bookshop her life expands and the reader can only hope she sees things for what they are. A story that pulled me in while making me very uncomfortable. We hear about coercive control in relationships, it is interesting to see it in action in a friendship. #netgalley #pig

This little piggy went to market and left me in a dissociative fugue in a field of pigs. What a disappointment.

The premise teased a dark, weird girl descent into toxic female friendship, but what I got felt more like a crash course in pig husbandry. Repetitive lists of pig names, endless ethical farming tangents, and dense paragraphs on modern agriculture made this a serious slog. I signed up for emotional rot, not artisanal pork discourse.

And the central relationship? Who exactly is the toxic one? Valentina – Vale (who reads like Eleanor Oliphant’s lesser-known cousin) or Clara, who is clearly mentally unwell and simply labelled “toxic” while everyone watches her unravel without intervention. It’s uncomfortable, and not in an interesting, deliberate way, more like careless discomfort with a dash of misdiagnosis. In the end, this doesn’t feel like a story about toxic friendship at all. It read to me more like a portrait of co-dependency, two unwell people circling the drain – less weird girl lit, more lukewarm normcore, with the emotional stakes blunted by unclear intent.

336 pages of dry toast with the bacon trimmed of fat, no sauce. It's left me a little salty because I had been practically salivating waiting to eat this one up. Could someone bring me a glass of tepid water?

Thank you NetGalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

2.75 rounded up to 3 stars, this little piggy did not bring home the bacon.

I really liked the way this book highlighted the intricacies of a toxic friendship. I warmed to the story as it went on, but I felt the first half of this book was too slow paced for my preference.

It took me a while to not eye roll at the 'autistic-coded' main character that seems so prevalent in literature today (Eleanor Oliphant, The Maid etc). Representation of different neurotypes is always welcome, but I'm ready for it to be owned now, instead of pussy footing around with these characters that people find 'strange' and dont feel like they fit in.

It got less jarring as the story went on though, and I did warm to Valentina and her plight. I think the ending was too neatly tied up as well, I would have liked more there than at the beginning.

thanks to Netgalley and the Little Brown Book Group for the ARC

This was an interesting read. Valentina who finds solace in nature, especially pigs, is autistic coded, works in a bookshop but lives with her childhood friend from Italy, Clara. We quickly realise that Vale is in a toxic friendship and her life is literally working in the bookshop and rushing back to Clara to cook for her and tend to her needs.
Vale is so coercively controlled, that Clare leaves notes out for Vale on what she is to wear each day and what she is to eat. It’s insane!
However, one day things change for Vale when she gets to talk passionately about her beloved subject of pigs to a certain customer.
The customer turns out to work for a publishers who are looking for someone to write a book on what Vale is so passionate about.
This book covers female toxic friendship and how it affects the person who just can’t see that they are in a trapped situation.
The book ends with us rooting for Vale to get the happy ending that she deserves.

A young woman, Valentina, autistic with OCD tendencies and a passion for pigs, is entrapped (enslaved!) by a dominating and selfish friend, Clara, with mental issues of her own. I found the entire book beguiling and beautifully developed, and veered between rage with Vale for not telling Clara to sling her hook, and rage with Clara for being controlling and cruel.
The exploration of friendship and support from unlikely places is heartwarming: Vale’s lightbulb moment had me rooting for her. Original, fresh, a delight.

I really hate not raving about a book pre publication but also want to make sure I’m giving honest reviews and sadly this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I skim read a lot of the chapters as I feel like the book could have been much shorter, the book felt like it dragged for quite a while and then the ending was so abrupt (with Vale finally realising everything that was wrong) it didn’t feel real to me. As always I’m super grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this early and there are a lot of other reviews raving about this book so I think I may be in the minority here.

Quirky and gripping.

Vale works in a small independent bookshop. It’s quiet and occasionally allows her to indulge her passion, talking to customers about farming and - particularly - pigs.

However, Vale’s home live is not as peaceful. Locked into a coercive relationship with her so-called ‘Best Friend’ Clara, she lives in fear of anger and retribution if she’s not home in time, if she cooks the wrong dinner or if she wears the wrong clothes.

One day, Vale’s life changes. Someone walks into the bookshop and sees the value of her encyclopaedic knowledge of pigs. Suddenly she’s trying to squeeze in writing and meetings. Too scared to admit to Clara what she’s doing, Vale must write in her lunch breaks, at night and any other moment she can hide from Clara.

But can she find the strength to break away from Clara and start again?

This book was an incredible read!
I was constantly worried and agitated, but still a great read. And it was written beautifully. It really is a great book but I can’t seem to find the write words to describe it.