Pig by Matilde Pratesi

This is a rather unsettling story about a young Italian woman who uses her obsession with pigs to deal with social anxiety. She was raised in rural Italy before moving to Rome with her family, where she struggled to fit in, preferring to be in nature, farms and around pigs. After a while, a glamorous classmate takes her under her wing and advises her on how to dress, what to  eat and how to act (basically, not to talk about pigs) in order to be accepted by her peers.

Years later, the two women meet up in London and share a flat. However, the  advice is still there and takes the form of sticky notes, which become rather nasty (have nothing for lunch today, only wear one sock) and becomes oppressive and controlling. Everyone can see what is happening except for the victim who still believes that her friend is acting in her best interests.

This a slow read that doesn't progress in the dark way as expected.  Also, as the two closest workmates are non-conforming (one is gay, the other is non-binary) the theme of being different or not fitting in could have been explored further using these characters. Similarly, the stereotypes and negative image surrounding pigs would enhance the story.

An easy to read book about obsession, conforming, self-esteem, control and exploitation. Pity there aren't more pigs, but worth a read.

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Published by Corsair on 1 May 2025.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.

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