Pig-Heart Boy
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Malorie Blackman's brand of weighty, topical novels has proved immensely popular and won her several top book prizes, including the Smarties and Young Telegraph book awards (the latter twice). Her reputation as one of the best and most prolific children's authors writing today is founded on her intelligent handling of contemporary issues of interest and concern to children--Hacker, Thief! and A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E, her first three novels, dealt with time travel and computer hacking.
Pig-Heart Boy picks up another topical issue, that of xenografts or animal organ transplants. Cameron Kelsey has only a few months to live, and is no longer able to play sport, swim or live a normal life in any way. With no suitable human heart donor available, he agrees to try the revolutionary new process and is given a new heart, from a pig.
Through his tribulations he learns about the meaning of friendship, and how much he loves life and doesn't want to let go. This is a cracking read. Malorie Blackman has a particular skill of getting inside the mind of a thirteen year old. Highly recommended. (Ages 8 to 12) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
‘A very thoughtful provoking book for young readers, a difficult subject tackled very well.’ Geoff Fox, Cascades Consultant
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Cameron is a boy who loves sport, but a virus has left his heart weak. Increasingly unable to do the things he loves, and with a new baby in the family on the way, he must have a heart transplant. No human donor is available, so he has the choice of having a ground-breaking operation: a pig's heart will replace his own. It may sound weirdly like something out of Snow White, but the operation works, at first, and suddenly he's able to live a normal life again.
Then his best friend's father tells a newspaper, and Cameron has the horror of living with tabloid journalists calling him Pig Heart Boy. How a brave but normal kid copes with this, the possibility of dying and losing his best friend Marlon is described in very readable, fast-paced prose.
My 10 year old daughter read this recently as a class text. It's a terrifically good book, and one of the things we both like about it is that it describes the life of a black family without any of the usual politically correct stuff you so often get. Cameron is just a kid, one whom you get to know and care about a lot. In a quiet way, Blackman is a real revolutionary for insisting on this.
I also thoroughly recommend Blackman's 'Noughts & Crosses' for older readers of 12+ as a brilliant SF novel about a world in which black people rule and white people are the underdogs.
Then his best friend's father tells a newspaper, and Cameron has the horror of living with tabloid journalists calling him Pig Heart Boy. How a brave but normal kid copes with this, the possibility of dying and losing his best friend Marlon is described in very readable, fast-paced prose.
My 10 year old daughter read this recently as a class text. It's a terrifically good book, and one of the things we both like about it is that it describes the life of a black family without any of the usual politically correct stuff you so often get. Cameron is just a kid, one whom you get to know and care about a lot. In a quiet way, Blackman is a real revolutionary for insisting on this.
I also thoroughly recommend Blackman's 'Noughts & Crosses' for older readers of 12+ as a brilliant SF novel about a world in which black people rule and white people are the underdogs.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Pig-Heart Boy is about a young boy called Cameron who basically couldn't do anything. For example he had difficulties breathing in the swimming pool because his lungs felt like they would burst. His dad got in touch with a transplant doctor named Dr Bryce who tried to help Cameron. One night Cameron overheard his parents talking about him, saying that he had to have a heart of a pig. Cameron was shocked.
When Dr Bryce came over he had bad news, he only had one fine pig but there were two desperate people who needed a new heart. Dr Bryce was going to give Cameron the heart. After the operation he still had problems swimming and at school. Most people thought he had germs. Dr Bryce wanted him to have another pig transplant but Cameron didn't want to. On the other hand he wanted to see his soon to be born baby sister/brother.
I think this book is great because there is a cliffhanger in each chapter, so you want to read on and on. It's mysterious and exciting. I love the plot because it's unusual - a boy having 2 transplants from a germ-spreading animal. Cameron thought he would get better after the operation and he didn't. I think the book is amazing because it's mainly about friendship and family.
The characters are fantastic! Cameron is sensitive because he thinks he's different to everyone else. He doesn't forget things, like Marlon telling his parents about the transplant and then the news being leaked to the press. On the other hand he is loving and he is determined to see his new baby brother/sister. He tries to stop his parents from fighting and he succeeds in that goal. Marlon is Cam's best friend. He did a bad thing by telling his parents about the transplant secret but he is loyal. Cameron's mum and dad fight a lot. However they suddenly stopped after the operation.
Overall I think this book is awesome because of the plot.
When Dr Bryce came over he had bad news, he only had one fine pig but there were two desperate people who needed a new heart. Dr Bryce was going to give Cameron the heart. After the operation he still had problems swimming and at school. Most people thought he had germs. Dr Bryce wanted him to have another pig transplant but Cameron didn't want to. On the other hand he wanted to see his soon to be born baby sister/brother.
I think this book is great because there is a cliffhanger in each chapter, so you want to read on and on. It's mysterious and exciting. I love the plot because it's unusual - a boy having 2 transplants from a germ-spreading animal. Cameron thought he would get better after the operation and he didn't. I think the book is amazing because it's mainly about friendship and family.
The characters are fantastic! Cameron is sensitive because he thinks he's different to everyone else. He doesn't forget things, like Marlon telling his parents about the transplant and then the news being leaked to the press. On the other hand he is loving and he is determined to see his new baby brother/sister. He tries to stop his parents from fighting and he succeeds in that goal. Marlon is Cam's best friend. He did a bad thing by telling his parents about the transplant secret but he is loyal. Cameron's mum and dad fight a lot. However they suddenly stopped after the operation.
Overall I think this book is awesome because of the plot.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read the book over 6 years ago now, and I remember it like I read it yesterday; it is an incredibly gripping story and I would highly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thought provoking read for young teens
My 12 year old and I both enjoyed Malorie Blackman's book. It lead to some interesting chats about animal rights, the media, identity and trust in friendships. Read more
Published 6 months ago by wombat
Pig Heart Boy Book Review
This is a really good book. It could be based on a real life experience from someone. I only got this book the night before I finished! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Natalie Foster
The emotional and thrilling novel you will never want to put down!
What will Cameron do when he finds out he needs a new heart?
READ THE BOOK AND SEE.
The first chapter really makes you think someone may be dying but if you don't... Read more
READ THE BOOK AND SEE.
The first chapter really makes you think someone may be dying but if you don't... Read more
Published 9 months ago by big haired reviewer
Pig Heart boy review
I recently read this book to my Year 6 class as part of the new literacy framework. They didn't want me to put it down and were desperate to get to the end. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mrs M Stallard
Year 5 Hornchurch
Pig Heart Boy was a wonderful book because at the end of every chapter it held you in suspense. By CA and JA
Pig Heart Boy is a brilliant book, it is mysterious and exciting. Read more
Pig Heart Boy is a brilliant book, it is mysterious and exciting. Read more
Published 22 months ago by K. Blake
Interesting read
My 11 year old son read this for school and he didn't enjoy it. So I picked it up and while I liked things about it I can understand where he is coming from. Read more
Published on 8 May 2009 by L. Kenney
Pulsing with life
Delicately addressing matters such as disability, death, peer pressure, self-esteem and the school/family balance, `Pig Heart Boy' is a very real and very tidy book. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2008 by G. Munday
Classy!
this book is amazing i couldnt put it down, i even shed a teear for the boy!
Published on 25 Oct 2007 by Ms. M. Whiteley
Discusses the pros and cons of animal organ transplants without sugar...
Cameron has a credible voice, helped by the use of the first person and Blackman perfectly captures the envy he feels for his healthy friends. Read more
Published on 4 July 2007 by quippe
Disappointing
My 11 year old son found disappointing book. Firstly he, among most other children, love animals, and so was appalled by the fact of killing a pig to save someone. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2005 by Robin Clarke
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