Synopsis (From Goodreads):
A wickedly funny and life-affirming coming-of-age roadtrip story – winner of France’s biggest prize for teen and YA fiction. Awarded the Gold, Silver and Bronze trotters after a vote by their classmates on Facebook, Mireille, Astrid and Hakima are officially the three ugliest girls in their school, but does that mean they’re going to sit around crying about it?
Well… yes, a bit, but not for long! Climbing aboard their bikes, the trio set off on a summer roadtrip to Paris, their goal: a garden party with the French president. As news of their trip spreads they become stars of social media and television. With the eyes of the nation upon them the girls find fame, friendship and happiness, and still have time to consume an enormous amount of food along the way.
Reasons:I can’t wait to read Piglettes:
- It has similar themes to Editing Emma, for example self-worth. The Trotters? How mean does that sound? Perhaps taking off on a hiking trip will give the girls new things to aspire to. I hope a little distance from the people who judge them will give them space to rethink their priorities.
- Social media – again, this follows on from Editing Emma. Will their new-found following go to their heads, and distract them from their initial goal? Will it bolster their resolution and help them spread their message? In Editing Emma, there was interesting exploration of the impact social media has on mental health. I want to find out whether the girls in Piglettes find their online life has a positive impact on their real lives.
- Personal one – as a young woman, I wrote a story about a girl taking off on a bike journey through post-war Europe. Looking back, it was pretentious and poorly written, but it got a distinction at that level of my degree.
- Look at the cover! Pink! Pretty. It screams summer read.
Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais
Pushkin Press
Published 6th July 2017
Book Murmuration 