Piglettes

Mirelle, Astrid and Hakima are voted the ugliest girls at school, but that doesn't stop them being awesome! They are of different origins, dealing with such serious issues like bullying, postwar trauma and abandonment, but an event that could easily tear their lives apart leads to the bravest bicycle trip ever. I totally enjoyed sarcastic sense of humour. I also loved all the dialogues between the characters, especially the ones between Mirelle and the Sun (Hakima's gorgeous older brother, Mirelle's crush). I would call the 'Piglettes' a healing bike trip full of sophisticated wit and educational value. I wholeheartedy recommend it!

This book really surprised me, its a wonderfully hilarious coming of age story about three teenage girls in France. The story follows the journey of three girls Mireille, Astrid and Hakima as they travel from their hometown to Paris by bike. I loved how the author tackled quite a few taboo subjects such as the war in Afghanistan and body image - whilst all the time managing to keep it light hearted. I also really liked how the author emphasised that the girls reasons for their trip was wholly for themselves and not motived at all by peer pressure and the 'Pig Pageant.'

This book overall is maybe a little young for me but its a great book for teens, with some brilliant role model characters. I would definitely recommend this book!

This is funny, coming of age YA book about today’s world where girls(or any person) are judged by their face, size and shape, It’s about 3 ugly girls facing bullies at school, their growing friendship, and travel of course.
I liked tone of the book, I was laughing right from the beginning.

I loved characters of this book especially Mireille. She was all charm of the book. She was confident and smart-mouth girl. I loved the way she fought bullies with her witty sense. Astrid was smart and soft at heart. Ohh, and Hakima, youngest of trio, was so lovely and innocent.

The idea of the trip was simple and yet brilliant. Another nice thing was the way influence of social media portrayed. And how 3 piglettes used the same media turning insults to praises. The conversation between characters and Mireille’s internal monologue was hilarious. I also like the pseudonyms used for name of character and place to give it lighter touch. This book was unique experience, a great way to display serious topic in comical manner and yet giving the lesson that required to reach audience.

The only thing that kept me from giving full star was in the end Mireille didn’t do what she decided. I mean she realized few things but still.

Overall, this is intriguing, light and easy read. Teens would love it.

Hilarious coming of age tale following three young girls through central France. After being named the winners of their school's unofficial "Pig Pageant", Mirielle, Astrid and Hakima become friends and plan a voyage that will change them.

Despite the humour that spills out on every page, Piglettes tackles hard-hitting topics like family acceptance, bullying, the trials of puberty, crushes, and even the fallout of war. While I loved Mirielle's character - so frank and matter-of-fact - I wished we did see more of the other girls too!

I'd recommend this to Tweens and young teens, especially any who may be feeling in an awkward stage.

A wonderful coming-of-age book for young adults! There is so much I loved about this book, I don't even know where to start: the wonderfully unique and extremely loveable protagonists; the beautiful friendship that develops between the three girls; the way they support each other in accepting and celebrating who they are, in a world that so far has only judged them by their physical appearance; the journey through the beautiful French countryside, the yummy food mentioned, and, and, and.

When Mirielle finds out that she is not the #1 selection for school pig in a rude bullies online website poll of ugly girls, she is surprised as she has been the winner two years in a row. She decides to seek out the two girls who were ranked above her, Astrid and Hakima. The three girls become fast friends, with a goal in common, to make it to Paris and gatecrash the President's gala. Each girl has their own goal, Astrid longs to see her favorite band who will be performing, Hakima longs to confront the General her brother served under and Mirielle wants to meet her birth father, the president's philosopher husband. With some bikes and a trailer of sausages to sell, the girls embark on a cycling trip to Paris accompanied by Hakima's amputee veteran brother. Along the way, they become social media sensations, as the media follows their trip, garnering the girls admirers and online trolls.

So funny and so lovely. Mirielle, the narrator is just so lively and I found myself cheering for her and her fellow Piglettes!

Hilarious. This one word sums up my experience of devouring this gem of a book.

The plot and the diverse characters as well as the crazy premise of the story were unique and amazing, something that made me want to go and see where all the characters ended up. The story captured the developing the friendship between the three girls realistically (much appreciated) and the glimpse into french culture and cuisine were an added treat. Although the narration of the book was juvenile and somewhat annoying but it was realistic in the sense that the protagonist was young so made sense.

However, the ending could've been developed more (but since it wasn't exactly the ending so I understand) and I would've loved to see more of the other leads - Astrid and Hakima.

Overall, an amazing, laugh-out-loud read!

Piglettes was a thoroughly enjoyable novel that shared a deep message. You don't have to be pretty to be happy. You find happiness in accepting yourself. Throughout the book, Mireille reminded herself and her other piglettes that they were more than ugly. Several times throughout the book, I caught myself almost cheering for the girls to become pretty. It seemed almost like it would be the Disney ending for them to suddenly become physically beautiful as well as emotionally beautiful. Beauvais revealed this prejudice of mine and corrected it. The girls are ugly, yes, but that is their life and not mine and it is their choices and life that they have to live with, not me. It is not my place, like Malo (the obnoxious teenage creator of the Pig Pageant) to judge them. It is my place to support and empower people who are different. This book revealed many hidden prejudices I had and corrected them, with its witty humor and honest tone. This is a beautiful novel of embracing who you are and learning to laugh through struggles and refusing to be put down by others. Also, the setting, from Bourg-en-Bresse to Paris is gorgeous to read about and the Piglettes biking adventure is not one you want to miss.

Piglettes is a charming and hilarious book that deals with a pretty serious issue. Bullying has always been a problem in schools, of course, but now with the anonymity and immediacy of the internet, it's easier than ever for those bullies to hit their mark and, as the headteacher at Mireille's school points out, it's very difficult for schools to deal with bullying that takes place online.

Mireille, however, has the perfect way of dealing with her tormentors. She just doesn't see them that way. Mireille has a wicked sense of humour that at times genuinely made me laugh out loud, and even she admits that it's a coping mechanism. She tries to teach the other girls that this is how they must deal with Malo and the others too, that they have to just laugh and make jokes and not let it get to them because it really doesn't mean anything. Hakima understands this, at least. When Mireille and Astrid meet her for the first time, she is the one who tells them there are more important things in the world, like the fact that the general who sent Hakima's brother into the mission that caused him to lose his legs, is about to be awarded the Legion of Honour.

So when they come up with their plan to cycle to Paris and sell sausages along the way, it really isn't about revenge, although that's what Malo assumes. It isn't about him or the pageant. It isn't really even about the fact that now, far from ignoring the three girls, the local paper is desperate to cover every leg of their journey. It's about these three girls becoming friends, having an adventure, helping each other to achieve their goals, and learning to really, truly, not care if other people think they're ugly. This is an uplifting story, guaranteed to make you giggle.

Beauvais handles the issues in this book with a light hand and an excellent sense of humour and I would definitely recommend it to all teenage girls and anyone else who wants a truly fun and funny read about friendship, growing up, and selling sausages in the French countryside.

The results are in – and for the first time in three years Mireille has not been voted ugliest girl in school, but only the third ugliest. When her replacement at that exalted low position comes calling for sympathy, Mireille is at first too hard-hearted to give a damn, for angry self-defence is her default mode. But soon all three medallists in the unwanted competition form a trio, and all three see a reason to go and gatecrash the 14th July Presidential Garden Party – one girl because her favourite band are playing there; another as her brother has been ignored for a major military honour in favour of his ex-superior, who should instead be getting hauled over the coals and not applauded; and for Mireille, the reason is that the President's husband is her natural birth father, and has never acknowledged her…

This unlikely and awkward situation for Mireille is, thankfully, only a small part of the book, but it is an important one, for as we see the whole story played out in her first-person narration it's what we first learn. That, and the fact that Mireille is gripey, snide, angry and very unlikeable, however quick-witted she may be. I really didn't like her at the beginning, her with her consummate attitude of being against everything to do with her step-father and mother. Luckily, however, she has an intelligence about her, and the three girls – all lumpen, mis-shapen, rheumy-eyed and bad-hair-year they allegedly are – have a great and worthy determination that makes for much more enjoyable reading when they're away from adults. It's a determination to make the journey to Paris, which it turns out is the entire other end of France, and to make it by the three being on pushbikes, towing a small stand whereby they can sell deluxe sausages to passing picnickers.

So, if the birth father status is only a small section of the plot, what else is there? Well, a pleasing amount, and a pleasing variety, all approached in pretty pleasing manner. There's Mireille's crush on the aforementioned soldier, even if he's a double-amputee. There's a lot that will resonate with a lot of teens about Internet trolling, and the whole ugly nature of the online vote that crowned the girls in the first place. The online aspects also include the way in which their notoriety and popularity – jagged always by trolling comments about their size and looks (and hygiene at the sausage grill) – gain momentum, with only us readers and the young women themselves knowing their final motives. There's even a bit about female teenager biology, which does go some to point out that this is going to win over the girl reader more than the lad, but not exclusively so.

I found this a rich and intelligent read, able to get away from the straightforward diary-of-the-journey format, willing to surprise us, and at least able to make us all (even me) fall in love with Mireille. It also has a story behind it to make one sit up and take note, for this was first published in 2015 in French, but this is the author's own translation and adaptation. You so seldom get anyone with the ability to present books in two different languages so fluently and fluidly as this example, and while it's asking too much of our author for her to bring her other books across the Channel herself (she is a lecturer as well, don't'cha know), it is certainly something to be encouraged that books this firmly clever, warm and freshly current give us what they have to say. Its life-affirming message is quite a distinctive one.

I'd rate this a PG, but still a teen read from mood, character and narrative topic – I certainly wouldn't want under-twelves to imitate the early Mireille.

I loved this book!

So funny, real and authentic! Having the story take place in France gives is more appeal to the average reader. The main character's complete sense of humor really gives her some depth. With a moral that is far beyond the "don't make fun of kids" this book has a lot of fun teaching a lesson while showing how "ugly girls" are fun too.

A breakthrough in YA reading! One of the summer's best reads!

Piglettes is about a group of girls in a provincial French town who find themselves the winners of a rather nasty little contest run by a boy at their school. They are voted as the winners of the ‘Pig Pageant’ – the ugliest girls in school. This is, obviously, out-and-out bullying but our main heroine, Mireille, isn’t going to give the bully the reaction he wants. She just laughs it off – although her internal monologue seems to show that she is not quite as happy with her life as she professes to be – but somehow, when she meets up with and talks to the two other ‘lucky’ winners, she decides that they will cycle across the country to Paris, selling sausages from a trailer, and gatecrash the President’s Bastille Day garden party. Like you do. The three girls, Mireille, Astrid and Hakima, are accompanied by Hakima’s brother (a disabled ex-soldier) and a wonderful friendship develops between them. Mireille is very much in charge initially – she is certainly the fiestiest of the three – but the others all come into their own as time goes by. There is a hint of love interest as Mireille has an instant crush on Kader (Hakima’s brother) but it is all very innocent – the main story is about the girls, how they learn to love themselves, to realise that they don’t need to change in order to fit in with other people’s ideals, and their refusal to accept that they are worthy of being bullied.

I really loved these girls and Mireille in particular. She is a girl who loves her food and doesn’t see why she shouldn’t – she loves cheese even more than I do (which I didn’t think was possible…) – but she also has her problems. As well as her body-image and developing feminism we are shown the complicated relationship she has with her mother and step-father. In the teenage mind, at least, the unknown father is preferable to the known mother but, in the end, Mireille is able to understand all the adults in her life a little better as she becomes a little closer to adulthood herself (but while never losing her ‘sass’. Who says you should?).

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais is one of the most funny and most charming books that I have read this year.
It centres round the lives of three girls: Astrid, Hakima and protagonist Mireille have all been the victim of a cruel high school prank. They have been named the three ugliest girls in the school. Whilst two of the girls are devastated by this, seasoned Piglet Mireille takes it in her stride. She befriends the other girls to make them feel better about themselves. Together (along with Hakima’s older brother Kadar) the girls travel by bike across France to get to Paris.

So, Piglettes is many things. It is a YA novel, it is a coming of age drama and it is an affirmative book about finding the good things and loving them. It is a brilliant novel.

Beauvais characters are wonderful. Mireille is a tonic. She reminded me of Georgia Nicholson from the Louise Rennison Angus Thongs series. So sure of herself and completely banging to the beat of her own drummer. She is a heroine for the 21st century. I loved her.

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais is available now.

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If more books like ‘Piglettes’ existed in the world then maybe I would have had more of chance as the gawky, dork of a teenager that I was. It’ has taken a very, very long time for me to feel comfortable with myself as I am. And even though I feel a sense of pride and appreciation for the person I have become, every single day there is one thought or another that threatens to ruin everything.

It is no exaggeration when I say that it all started in my teens. I was 14. I was in a very unhealthy relationship. I didn’t understand mascara like other girls my age. A good fitting bra was a mystery to me. I had big teeth, big glasses, a bum chin and a fringe in front of my face that split in the middle like curtains.

I just didn’t understand why “me” didn’t look like or fit in with “them”. Even my best efforts (including secretly stealing my mum’s Venus razor to shave my legs and arms and toes because I was too embarrassed to ask for one of my own) did nothing to elevate me above my “ugly” geek status.

‘Piglettes’ is the book I wish I had back then. When 3 girls are named the ugliest in the school they could have let it define them in a negative way. But instead they take on a different challenge, together, cycling from their little town in France, all the way to Paris. They each have their own reasons for that destination, but it really is about the journey.

Each character is beautifully flawed, but all beautiful and I was jealous of their adventure and of their friendship that was bringing them closer and closer.

Sure, proving the idiots who created such an “accolade” that it’s worthless, but more importantly that there are bigger things in the world to experience and to concern yourself with. Also that just because they’ve been labelled as “less than” it doesn’t stop them from achieving. That with hard work and determination you can do something truly amazing.

There is life outside of that microcosm of intense emotion and nightmares that is school.

Now, in my twenties, I still very rarely bother with make-up because, well, effort. I’d rather sit in my Harry Potter pjs reading a book or watching Netflix than go out at the weekend. I seldom straighten my hair. Instead I’m happy in my own skin, and the only standards I worry about are the ones I set for myself. Mostly, personal hygiene and positivity. Everything else is an additional extra. But it’s taken such a long time to reach this acceptance of myself.

‘Piglettes’ touched me. Poignant, clever writing that never forgets its humour nor does it lose its heart. Plus, sausages. Who DOESN’T like sausages?

This is a lovely YA about the power of changing the supposed "fate". Throw in some teenage dark humour, some friendship and some maturing, and you have a formidable book for any teenager in heart (and we all can remember the feelings from these formative years, when all was strong and new).
Mireille, Hakima and Astrid have been elected the three ugliest (read: fattest) girls in their school. Which will not stop thewm from having goals and dreams. Armed with their passions and with Hakima's older brother Kadir, young handicapped war hero, as their protector, the girls set off on a bike roadtrip to Paris. To meet justice, recognition and love.
Love has many (gentle) facets here, like the love amongst friends or maybe the tender first feelings towards the good guy). But what is the true satisfaction here is the growing love towards themselves.

I have enjoyed this book. The girls start as a bit rough creatures, but as they evolve and grow, I have started to love them for theselves, the true gems hidden under the facade of rudeness, fangirling and tears. And the ending is one of the maturest things I have read this year.

A well written coming of age novel, that is light hearted enough to be seen as a “witty and upbeat” novel, whilst hitting some tougher subject matter. After the girls are voted in by their peers as the three ugliest girls in their school, they decide to take a stand by attending an event in Paris - to make their voices heard.

All in all this book is articulated nicely and has an ending that ties together. I will say there are some parts that were a little ridiculous considering the premise, but all in all this is a novel that girls should read before continuing onto high school.