Book Review: The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

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BOOK review

Started on: 20 October 2021
Finished on: 25 October 2021

 

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

 

Title: The Christmas Pig

Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Pages: 288 pages
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 398,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 5/5

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"Whatever happened to jack, DP was there, understanding and forgiving, and carrying with him that comforting smell of home, which always came back, no matter how often Mum washed it off."

Jack love his childhood toy, Dur Pig (DP for short), who've been with him through the good times and the hard times. Until one day, something terrible happens on Christmas Eve—DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night of miracles and lost causes, a night when all things come to life... even toys. And Jack's newest toy, Christmas Pig—who's supposed to replace DP, has a daring plan: together the two of them will embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known.

"The night for miracles and lost causes won't last forever. Once it's over, finders keepers."

"But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes. If you love DP enough to risk your life, then I'm ready to take you with me into the Land of the Lost, and we'll see whether we can bring him home again."

I was super excited when I found out that J.K. Rowling is coming up with a new book; because last year I really enjoyed reading The Ickabog—which is also a children's book like this one. The book cover was the first thing that caught my attention because first of all, the Christmas Pig looks so adorable, and second, it's a story about toys and things that comes to life. This magical, heartwarming story is truly a perfect book to read for Christmas. It also has a meaningful moral message which is great for children to learn while reading. Even though it is meant to be a children's book, I found myself relishing Jack's thrilling adventure with the Christmas Pig in the Land of the Lost.

At the beginning of the story, J.K. Rowling introduced our main character, Jack, and his relationship with Dur Pig (DP for short). The author managed to build such a deep connection between them both, which made us understand how much DP meant to Jack. At such a young age, Jack also had to witness his parents got divorced—and during that difficult time, DP brings him the comfort that he needs. So when DP was suddenly lost, the reader would certainly be able to sympathize with Jack as he was so heartbroken that caused him to throw a huge tantrum. Although he's given the Christmas Pig as a replacement (which is the exact same kind of toy as DP), Jack was not happy because he feels like the Christmas Pig is not DP. Therefore, when the Christmas Pig comes to life on Christmas Eve and offered Jack to go on an adventure to find DP, he didn't think twice about doing what needs to be done to get his dearest and closest friend back.

"I had a friend who always understood me, but then I lost him and it ruined everything..."

"These two came bravely into the Land of the Lost in the hope of achieving the impossible and tonight, the night for miracles and lost causes, they have a chance."

The real story begins when Jack and the Christmas Pig arrived in the Land of the Lost—where everything that's lost in the world are sorted to different areas according to their significance. The two of them went on a journey through the Land of the Lost, trying to find clues about where they will be able to find DP. During their adventure, they came across many different Things—which will either help them or hinder their journey. One of my favorite Things in this book is Blue Bunny—an unwanted toy that was won in a raffle at the fair, which then was thrown out of the open window into a muddy flowerbed. His story was really sad because all he wanted was for someone to play with him 🥺. After a very heroic moment (which I won't go into detail in this review), I'm glad Blue Bunny got the happy ending that he deserves.❤️

Along the way, Jack and the Christmas Pig also met other 'Things' like Happiness and Hope. I truly did not expect them to be in the Land of the Lost, but I think it's a nice addition to the story. I was suddenly reminded that some people can feel like they lost their happiness or hope due to a certain circumstances; and because people are eager to look for them, they live in The City of the Missed. Happiness and Hope truly played a huge role in assisting Jack and the Christmas Pig to escape 'the bad guys' and finally find where DP is located. Another interesting 'Things' that exist in the Land of the Lost are Bad Habits—which includes chewing nails, smoking cigarettes, bullying, and many more. I think it's a really fun way for children to learn that those behaviors are considered as something that should be avoided. There are more fascinating Things that Jack and the Christmas Pig met in the Land of the Lost; and I absolutely love how J.K. Rowling give them all distinct personality and background story which made us sympathize with the things that have been broken, lost, or discarded. Reading this book actually made think about the things I've lost and ended up forgetting, and how those 'Things' would feel about being forgotten—it makes me feel a bit sad and wants to treasure my things better in the future.

"I may not shine as brightly as my friend Happiness, but my flame is harder to extinguish."

"And then something extraordinary happened—something simply magnificent. It could only have happened on the night for miracles and lost causes, and only then because Jack had refused to give up hope, because nothing can be lost for good until all hope has gone..."

There are so many heartwarming moments in this book that made me go "Awww~" many many times and I even teared up a little bit towards the end. I find the Christmas Pig especially cute whenever he hold his belly tight to muffle the sound of the beans inside of him. Those moments are supposed to be intense because they're sneaking around, but imagining the Christmas Pig hugging his belly is just way too adorable 😆. I also love how the story managed to keep me on the edge until the very end. Considering this is a children's book, I expected it to have a happy ending; but I just can't help feeling the tension and constantly hoping for Jack and the Christmas Pig to survive this journey.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish; the beautiful illustrations by Jim Field definitely helped me imagine what the Land of the Lost looks like. J.K. Rowling successfully played with my emotions; I felt sad when the characters are sad, and happy when they're happy. As I've said earlier, this book is great for children to read because it allows us to imagine that Things also have emotions and the story has a really good moral message as well. After finishing this book, I find the Christmas Pig so endearing and I want to give him the hug that he deserves. Hopefully J.K. Rowling will continue publishing new books in the years to come because I've been loving them so far! Can't wait to read more of her writing 😊!

"He was a Replacement, and Replacements, once Alivened, understand all about their owner from the very start. All that I know about you, he knows, and he's always loved you, just as much as I do."

by.stefaniesugia♥ .