Pighearted

Jeremiah, 12, is a cued-white Houston boy born with a bad heart; his need for an imminent transplant becomes apparent after a soccer field collapse. Jeremiah 6 (known as J-6) is a lab pig chimera injected with human DNA and growing a human heart, who doctors believe can save Jeremiah's life. When, three months before Jeremy's scheduled surgery, he receives J-6 as a gift from his parents, claiming the pig is a therapy animal, the boy has no idea of the newfound pet's fate. Predictably, the two soon bond and become loyal brothers as Jeremiah learns some of J-6's remarkable skills, including understanding human language, spelling, and reading. By the time Jeremiah realizes his beloved pet is going to die on the day he receives a new heart, he's willing to do anything to save J-6's life--even if it means risking his own. The parents' behavior feels a bit callous, but debut author Perry, exploring the ethics of animal experimentation, offers two compelling first-person perspectives, alternating between a dying boy and an anthropomorphic pig and providing a sweet, if slightly farfetched, resolution. Back matter includes an author's note and resources. Ages 8--12. Agent: Melissa Nasson, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Oct.)

A boy faces heart transplant surgery and losing the friendship of the pig that could save his life. The two main characters of this story are both named Jeremiah. Jeremiah the boy is a 12-year-old who suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart defect. Jeremiah the pig, or Jeremiah Six, also known as J6, is a chimera--beings engineered in a lab from the genetic material from two animals. In this case, he is a pig with a human heart. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the two. Following an episode in which his heart stopped on the soccer field (fortunately he has a device that functions like a defibrillator), Jeremiah is hospitalized, and when he returns home, J6 comes to live with him. Both believe that J6 is intended to be Jeremiah's therapy pig. Once they learn the truth--that J6 is growing a heart for transplantation into Jeremiah's body--the fight for their lives begins. Throughout, the narrative discusses the use of stem cells and the ethics of breeding animals for humans' medical purposes. While the pig's repeated references to his fear of being turned into a pulled-pork sandwich detract from the flow, the novel offers much material for discussion and contemplation. Jeremiah and his family present as White; his two best friends are cued as Latinx and Muslim. A heartwarming (and unsettling) reminder to never stop fighting for those you love. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.