Pig Tale

Rating:
Summary: Compelling but disturbing
Review: I admit from the get-go that I couldn't put it down. It is wonderfully written and the story line pulls you in right away. However, I found this book in the youth section, and there are parts of this book that are very adult. It is, simply, a coming-of-age book, complete with first mensturation, fondling, rape and finally sex (more than once). I tried to look over that because I was so drawn by the story, but then I was just frustrated by the end of the book. Many questions are left unanswered, and the reader is left to draw conclusions for which you're not prepared.
I commend the writer for the beautiful story-telling, but this story could have taken a slightly different direction with the ending, giving more hope. You feel just a little lost at the end, not sure if something good or bad just happened and the slightly uneasy feeling that the bad thing will probably happen again.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling but disturbing
Review: One day, a foundling is discovered on the edge of the village of Little Wicken, the night after a storm. The young girl grows up to be Mokie, which means "pig girl". Without a true family, Mokie feels safest when she is with the pig herd, especially when she's deep in Wickenwood, the mysterious forest that's nearby. It's not until Mokie bonds with Apple, the 13th baby pig of a sow, who also happens to be born during a storm, that Mokie experiences many emotions for the first time. A rape scene marks the turning point for Mokie, for she flees with Apple in Wickenwood and eventually meets up with a trio of supposed gypsies. The details in this book were great, and the whole fairy tale felt like it was written more for grownups. A couple of times I got a bit lost with what the "gypsies" were talking about, but for the most part, it was a good first book by the author.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling but heartbreaking.
Review: Powerfully spun tale, both compelling and unflinching in its portrayal of 'scapegoating.' The tale builds around the cruel abuse and treatment of Mokie, a young girl abandoned at birth. While beautifully written, each chapter compounds the injustices served on this likeable protagonist. The reader never enjoys a sense of equality for Mokie -- justice is never served -- hardships are not incurred for those who make her life so miserable. Tightly written with intriguing characterizations in an original voice, this novel is hard to put down, and even harder to forget. Vivid and graphically described assaults make this a book unsuitable for sensitive readers.

Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Dark and Beautiful
Review: This was a very good book. I highly recomend it for anyone that's into middle-age/celtic historical fiction. All the characters were believable, and by the end, it had you rooting for the main character. And even though you weren't expecting the end that happened, it was very interesting, and you were left thinking about it. It made me laugh out loud, and even cry a little. From the time I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The second that I finished it, I made my mom read it, and she loved it, too. Again, this books provides many fun-filled hours of reading. If you're looking for something to move you, read this book!

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful read
Review: Verlyn Flieger's fiction debut makes for a wonderful and moving read. The character of Mokie, the castoff child who is taken in by a band of mysterious gypsies, is beautifully drawn, and Mokie's story is consistently engaging. Flieger's knowlegde of mythology (the jacket sleeve says she is a professor of comparative mythology) stands her in good stead, particularly when she is dealing with the gypsies themselves, who seem somehow to be both real and not of this world.

I would also like to take exception to a previous reviewer's criticism of the book's rape scene. It is the obligation of good fiction to render the world it encompasses as clearly and honestly as possible. What happens to Mokie is terrible, yes, but such things do happen, and Flieger handles the scene with grace and sensitivity, particulary in describing Mokie's reactions during and after the trauma. The episode is in no way gratuitous, but allows the reader even greater insight into the heroine and her world.

Again, this is a fine, fine book -- I look forward to seeing what this author does next.