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Book Review of The Pigman

The Pigman
The Pigman
Author: Paul Zindel
Genres: Children's Books, Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
havan avatar reviewed on + 138 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


This is a coming of age story told from a young adult perspective with the narrative split between John Conlan a young good looking rebel who one day hopes to be an actor and Lorraine a not very attractive girl who lives with her single mom.

Both kids are up to no good when they make the acquaintence of the Pigman, an older Italian man who's lonely enough to let these two teens invade his life and somewhat take advantage of him.

Set in New York City in the mid sixties, this story doesn't feel dated at all and deals with issues that are just as current today as then.

The story is a quick read and is expertly told with all three main characters becoming more and more real and more and more understandable the more you read.

At 149 pages this is a fast read but, as with any good book, some of the ideas will stick with you longer than that. The author asserts in an afterword that everyone has a Pigman. I'll be contemplating that one a while...