Pig Boy

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It may attract some controversy but it also raises awareness of the issues of bullying and boys Burke doesn't hold back with Damon's narrative.

It's hard-hitting, shocking and brutally honest Burke captures the emotions of a victim being pushed to the edge and lets the readers make up their own mind about him. You won't be forgetting Damon in a while A riveting book that's hard to put down. Highly recommended for ages 15 and up. JC Burke has created an absolutely unforgettable cast of characters in PIG BOY, and I have no doubt that this confronting book will appeal to everyone who has ever felt like the world is against them.

Pig Boy by J.C. Burke

There were moments when I was put in mind of Robert Cormier, as the reading journey grew darker. There was never a moment when I wanted to put down this taut story about small town perceptions and prejudices JC Burke is at her best writing challenging, thought-provoking novels for older readers.

Find your local bookstore at booksellers. Pig Boy By J. An unmissable novel from the award-winning author of The Story of Tom Brennan. Even though they were friends Moe would always laugh at Damon. He is the only highlight of the novel for me. I can never predict what he is going to do. He was a very smart man, he had learnt from the past and he gave Damon good advice as a result of his prior experiences. There were many times that I had to reread passages so they could make sense to me. At the moment this novel is very average, but I am looking forward to seeing what happens at the end.

I had high expectations, for this book, but I was defiantly let down.

Pig Boy by J.C. Burke - Penguin Books Australia

The secret plan which I thought would be the highlight of the novel was dull and boring. To me the book just did not flow. So in that aspect I disliked the book. I also picked this book up because it was in the Australian section of our library. I thought that there would be many more connections I could make to the book about Australia because I am from there. There was something I liked. It was the pig man. I believed he added humour into the story and a bit of a twist.

But I do understand why people like this book. Jun 13, Sheenah Freitas rated it really liked it. This novel is dark and gritty. You only got bits and pieces of his paranoia. In the beginning of the book I hated him. I thought he was a terrible person who wanted nothing more than revenge. About half way through the book, things began to pick up at a tremendous pa This novel is dark and gritty. About half way through the book, things began to pick up at a tremendous pace.

Secrets were being revealed and little by little, you got to know the truth of the entire plot. Damon, as much as I wanted to hate him, was the victim of bullying. This novel is honest and confusing at first, but everything gets ironed out at the end where he becomes a likable character. By the end of the book, I had mixed feelings about everything.

But the writing is superb and gripping and wonderfully raw. Jul 18, Gretchen rated it liked it Shelves: Damon Styles is an angry kid - he turns 18 and the same day he gets expelled from school. All through school he has been bullied for being a loner and being overweight. He makes lists of people he hates and that he wants to see dies. In the beginning of the book, you get hints that he has something hidden in his wardrobe - possible a gun of some sort. The author sets up the book so that you think Damon is planning some type of revenge - possibly a school shooting of some sort.

Then as the book d Damon Styles is an angry kid - he turns 18 and the same day he gets expelled from school. Then as the book develops, you discover the real reasons behind Damon's actions. He befriends a man - nicknamed the Pigman - because he hunts pigs. Finally having a real friend helps Damon come to grips with his demons a bit. The book ends without really tying up anything but you get the feeling that Damon will end up all right. I have to say it takes a while for the reader to like Damon and even when you know some of the reasons behind his actions, I still felt like he was quite a jerk to his mom at times who he lives with.

You sympathize with him a bit for sure because of what he went through - the bullying, etc. I wish the book has tied up a few more ends at the end of the book. I received this copy free from one of the Goocreads giveaways. Jun 13, Kasia Hubbard rated it really liked it Shelves: I won this from Goodreads. This was not exactly how I expected it would be. Starting this novel, for me, was very hard to do. Don't get me wrong, I like dark and twisted thinking, but this book started out even darker and more twisted than my personal taste allows.

Even though it was a rough start, I will tell you that it's not what you would expect. Don't give up just yet! This is a coming of age novel about Damon, who gets kicked out of school for his anger, on his 18th birthday, no less. He g I won this from Goodreads. He goes home and gets even more depressed as he wallows in his anger, until something happens.

He finds out from his friend Moe that the Pigman has a job opening. Everyone is afraid of the Pigman and Damon thinks that if he gets to work for Mr. Pigman, he will become braver AND learn how to shoot guns. What he doesn't expect is the friendship that develops between them and how much the Pigman and Damon help each other in the process.

I do recommend this book, but with a strong warning that it is not for younger teens. Amazing turn of events and even more amazing is the way the novel turns from dark and destitute to one of unexpected kindness. Kudos to you Burke! Nov 11, Shelley rated it really liked it.

Although a little slow moving to begin with, this book embraces what it is like to be the boy who is picked on and yet the prime subject of prejudice from everyone, including the teachers. Not only is Damon harassed by other students, but the adults have him pegged for being a behavior problem and a threat to society. In the beginning, I also believed that Damon could very well be a danger but the more the book moves along the more you find out about Damon. He goes to work for the Pig Man who is Although a little slow moving to begin with, this book embraces what it is like to be the boy who is picked on and yet the prime subject of prejudice from everyone, including the teachers.

He goes to work for the Pig Man who is also seen as a danger to society and Damon is afraid of him as much as anyone. But they soon build a friendship which can only grow by sharing their secrets with each other. This is great book about two outsiders finding comfort with one another as no one else can provide for them. I would suggest this for readers 14 and up due to language and some violent scenes.

Oct 19, Komal rated it liked it. I decided to read this novel because the title was intriguing. My favourite character in the novel was Miro or "Pig Man" as he is known by.

He is a wise man and gives good advice to Damon through out the novel. His past made him a better person and he is underestimated and judged by everyone. People give him a bad name but he's actually a good person if you get to know him which Damon discovered. This book made me think deeply about the relationships we make and choose and grow. If you don't nurture them properly they will fall. Jun 13, Reesa rated it did not like it Shelves: The premise of this book was interesting, but I just couldn't get into it.

The main character's viewpoint was just so I'm not sure how to phrase it, but trying to see things from his perspective made me feel dirty inside. I wanted to empathize with him and understand where he was coming from, but I just couldn't stomach it. A blogger I follow coined the term "unlikeable people making unfortunate choices" to describe a genre of tv show that seems to be on the rise, and I found The premise of this book was interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. A blogger I follow coined the term "unlikeable people making unfortunate choices" to describe a genre of tv show that seems to be on the rise, and I found "Pig Boy" to fall squarely within that description.

I wish I could find something nicer to say about the book, but I'm afraid it just wasn't to my tastes. I received my copy of this book for free through the First Reads program. Jun 06, Katie rated it liked it Shelves: This is very much not what I was expecting. I thought Damon was going to go on a killing spree or was going to whisk his mum off someplace new. I expected him to get revenge on all the people who dragged him through Hell. Both outsiders with plenty of skeletons in their closets, they were thrust together for all the wrong reasons but stayed together for all the right reasons.

Finally Damon found his connection. Jun 18, Guy Salvidge rated it really liked it.

This won the Ned Kelly Award last year, hence my interest. It's a young adult novel featuring a dropout with anger management issues and an AK 47 in his cupboard , his overweight and depressed mother, and a Serbian dude The Pigman who is a veteran of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. I read this in one day, so it's very readable. I thought that the relationship between the protagonist and Miro the Serbian was the highlight of the book. The crime aspect is perhaps a little weak, and the This won the Ned Kelly Award last year, hence my interest. The crime aspect is perhaps a little weak, and the book ends a tad early in my opinion but otherwise this is impressive fare throughout.

Jul 02, Heather rated it it was ok. This book never really captured my attention. Violent at times, I found eighteen year-old, Damon Styles an obnoxious protagonist. Angry, rude, surly and with a huge chip on his shoulder, his only redeeming quality is his kindness to animals.

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However, I did find the Pigman an interesting character. Struggling with memories of war it is the Pigman who has a beneficial influence on Damon. This will probably appeal to boys but I really struggled to reach the end of this book. Apr 15, David Edgren rated it it was amazing. I've never had a book involve me in the way that Pig Boy involved me.

An avid one, but merely a reader. Then I became a character in the story. I could feel the transition. I had become one of the key players but I wasn't sure which character I was. Finishing the book, wiping tears from my eyes, I still didn't know. I hoped to be the Pig Man — for my children, at least. A gripping and challenging read. Sep 23, Christine Bongers rated it it was amazing Shelves: A confronting and compelling read that confounds your expectations.

An unlikeable outsider becomes the boy most likely to commit a Columbine-style massacre when he is expelled after being bullied at school. He teams up with a Bosnian pig shooter so that he can learn to shoot. Feb 01, Laura rated it really liked it. Unfortunately, I didn't actually finish this.

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Not because it was boring or badly written of anything. Actually, I was really enjoying it. The truth is I get restless when I take too long to read a book and I'd been reading this for almost a week and I wasn't even halfway through so I needed to move on.

Jul 02, Sue rated it liked it. Pig Boy is a rather confronting book about a boy who is being bullied at school and by people in the country town he lives, but is not a character you instantly warm to. He makes friends with the 'Pigman' who is also a loner and is a pig shooter. An interesting was of showing how appearances are not always as they seem.

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