Pulsing with life
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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. The novel cleverly describes Cameron Kelsey's heart-problems that lead him onto opting in for heart transplant surgery, where his own failing heart will be replaced with that of a genetically modified one from a pig. As a result of this major surgery, the young boy's life is dramatically changed, not only including a tough recovery, but upsets with friends and family and relentless media and protest bombardment.
This book is a good example of Malorie Blackman's pure-novel work and has similar themes that make it clear it is from the same author as `Cloudbusting'. Friendships are never clear-cut, and describe falling out and disputes that cut close to the bone.
There is great potential for cross-curricular work in Science (investigating the heart and how real life surgery would be) and PSHE (why Cameron felt as he did and similar experiences felt by pupils). This is a high calibre read for Year 5 and 6 and can no doubt be thoroughly enjoyed by any age onwards, but also meets sometimes taboo subjects head on. The only issue I feel is necessary to point out is that ethical and moral beliefs may cause some readers to take offence; the clearest area for debate is the manner which the author's own views on animal testing may influence a young reader to believe the same. Despite the sensitivity and great skill Malorie Blackman shows in discussing this, it is perhaps a subject that will never be welcomed by all.
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Classy!
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this book is amazing i couldnt put it down, i even shed a teear for the boy!
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Discusses the pros and cons of animal organ transplants without sugar coating it
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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. Cameron knows that there's little chance of a donor becoming available to replace his heart so when his father tells him that he's contacted Dr Bryce, a former heart surgeon who's currently working on engineering pigs for organ donation, you understand why Cameron wants to go for it. Cameron's parents voice the pros and cons of such an experimental operation but Blackman also shows how Cameron's condition has taken a toll on the parents' marriage.
Blackman gets across the science of using animal organs for human donation and sets up the ethical issues. She doesn't shy away from the actions of animal rights extremists and she uses the hyperbole of the media reaction to feed into those attitudes. My favourite scenes in the book are those between Cameron and Julie after the operation where Blackman highlights the changes in both characters as a result of the procedure.
I was less convinced by the relationship between Marlon and Cameron, mainly because I didn't quite buy into Cameron's willingness to forgive Marlon's actions (no matter how understandable those were) - but again, it's a good way of showing how the procedure changed things for Cameron, things that he wasn't really prepared for.
Blackman's decision not to sugar coat her book extends to the ending - she leaves it pretty open and yet the reader is in no doubt as to what Cameron's fate will be.
The scenes with the grandmother didn't work for me and seemed far too artificial a device for what Blackman wanted to achieve and I wasn't wild about the baby element, but it did give Blackman the chance to have Cameron monologue his inner-feelings about events, which worked for me in terms of fleshing out his character.
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Disappointing
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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. Secondly, it couldn't hold his interest.
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ow come on! DEPRESSING!
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I think that this book started off well but it just dragged on and was soooooooo depressing! i have read noughts and crosses and thought that it was amazing but this book has quite dissapointed me. I think her other books are much better. This book tells the story of a boy with a heart problem and who gets a pig heart transplant instead of a human one. He endures many friendship problems and animal rights campaigners. Dont read it if your looking for a light-hearted read!
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