Piglettes

Description: A wickedly funny and uplifting coming-of-age road trip story of friendship, fun and setting yourself free-- winner of France's biggest prize for teen and YA fiction

"One of my favourite YAs of recent years... Very funny and totally original, idiosyncratic and generous, sardonic and that kind of intelligent that makes you relax immediately" -- Katherine Rundell, author of Impossible Creatures

Mireille, Astrid and Hakima have just been voted the three ugliest girls in school by their classmates online. But are they going to sit around crying about it?

...Well, yes. But not for long! Climbing onto their bikes, the friends set off on a summer road trip to Paris. Their final destination? The president's summer garden party. Because at this party there is something that each of the girls has been dreaming of - a secretly estranged parent, a much-beloved music sensation, and a long awaited chance for revenge!

There's only one problem - road trips like this don't come cheap! So, to fund their adventure, the three friends come up with a plan. At each stop along the way, they'll set up shop and sell mouth-wateringly delicious sausages to the locals they meet. But it's not long before this strange quest captures the attention of the nation. With the press on their heels, and the country in a frenzy to discover the real reason for their journey, can the three friends reach Paris in time?

With luck, they'll find fame, adventure and happiness on their journey, and still have time to scoff plenty of delicious food (and drink the odd glass of wine) along the way in this hilarious, beautiful and life-affirming story of friendship, fun and setting yourself free.

Review Quotes: "Witty, empowering and irresistibly bonkers, this is a treat for those dreading secondary school, or puberty"
--Amanda Craig, New Statesman, Best Children's Books for Summer

"This beautiful and funny book explores the troubles and triumphs of being a teen through the eyes of a witty, philosophical, and slightly awkward teen. Beauvais goes above and beyond to appeal to readers while addressing many relevant issues in society including cyber-bullying, racism, and self-image. Mireille's voice and character are wonderfully authentic with unflappable confidence and inelegant missteps mixed together for a potent storyteller on a journey of self-discovery. . . Love laughing and cringing? This book is for you!" --Melissa McCleary, Pembroke Public Library, via Youth Services Book Review

"The Piglettes keep trucking... Readers will rejoice in their sass, their celebrity, and their appreciation of French delectables . . . A wonderfully irreverent alternative to earnest claims about real beauty." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A unique voice--mordant, uncompromising and sophisticated . . . a superbly original reimagining of the road-trip novel, skewering societal obsessions with appearance." --Guardian

"Stands out for its humorous style, ridiculing cruelty, malice and obsession with physical appearance. The most beautiful novel of the season." --Elle

"Crammed with acerbic, affectionate, full‐blooded reflections on family, food, the glamorous toxicity of media attention and the difficulty of being an intelligent, outspoken teenage girl without the licence conferred by conventional attractiveness, Beauvais's novel is a strikingly satirical, outrageous tour de force." --Imogen Russell Williams, TLS

"The story of Mireille, Astrid, and Hakima made me cheer, cry, and cartwheel across the floor... One of the loveliest reading experiences I've had in years." --Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe

"Warm-hearted, uplifting and an excellent lesson in handling online bullies." --Sunday Express

"This book is a treasure--a tale about true friendship and standing up for yourself narrated by one of the wittiest, sharpest teen girl voices I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It made me want to pull my bike out of the garage and ride through the streets yelling about lady power. I absolutely adored this story." --Jennifer Mathieu, author of Moxie

"A triumph of a book; so funny, so original, so sharp, so warm." --Katherine Rundell, author of Rooftoppers

"Pithy, powerful, laugh-out-loud funny." --Cathy Cassidy, author of Chocolate Box Girls

"A jubilant novel that will make you smile. A true joy." --Le Monde