Bestselling author J.K Rowling’s latest novel, The Christmas Pig, is a fantastic fairytale to read in wintertime when you’re getting cosy next to a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. Divided into nine parts, it is the story of a boy’s love for his lost toy, one of his most prized possessions, and his search to find it. The remarkable developments towards the end will make anyone’s heart bleed for The Christmas Pig, one of the characters in this heart-melting novel, in which unexpected events happen suddenly. The protagonists of the story are a boy named Jack and his toy pig called Dur Pig (DP). The reason for the latter’s weird name is that when Jack had started to talk, he had addressed it as ‘dur pig’ instead of ‘the pig’. The reason Dur Pig is called the main pig is that the Christmas Pig (CP) becomes his replacement later on in the book. My favourite characters are Jack and CP because the turn of events at the end made me like both of them. 

One night, Jack’s mother and father were fighting over something. In the end, his dad became so furious that he slammed the door and left for somewhere else. Soon, they both started living separately. When Jack sometimes went to his father’s place, he took his son on airplane rides to wherever his work took him. Some days ago (in the book’s time, of course), Jack’s father promised that he would gift him a big box of Lego. Later, his Mom asked, “Do you want to move to Gran and Grandpa’s new house? It is two streets away.” He didn’t want to leave this house where he and DP had so many adventures; but he eventually had to move to a new house because of his Mom’s new job.

Jack’s first day at his new school was not as bad as he had expected because a big, very famous girl, who was once on television and twice in the newspaper, ended up being his partner. That seemed to make him gain a lot of popularity, and from being a new, silent kid in his class, he became his classroom celebrity, being known as My Mate Jack and made a very nice friend called Rory. Jack cuddled up with DP and slept as they both saw the leaves swaying down, one by one. Before school closed for the summer breaks, Holly, Jack’s partner, was on TV for a second time. Soon, everyone went away for the summer break. Jack went with his family to Greece. When Jack resumed school, Holly had moved to the big school. Jack was sad but he went on to make a lot of friends.

One evening, Jack’s Mum went out and he played with his grandparents. She would have to step out once every week to meet somebody. Soon, Jack got a surprise; the daughter of Brendan, the person his Mom had been going out with, was none other than Holly. After a year, she would get angry easily because a new girl nearly as good as Holly had come in her area. When Holly had to go abroad to visit her relatives, she chose not to go because she had kept on missing her practices and had lost a big gymnastics competition; she instead came back and stayed with her father for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Jack thought of the new cycle he was getting the next day when he remembered Holly was still here. Just when Jack was wondering what would make Holly angry, he heard a crash and saw Toby-the-dog running around, looking for chocolate decorations. He saw an overturned chair, the Christmas tree on the floor. Apparently, all this had happened when Holly was trying to put her decoration on the tree. When the toilet-roll angel could not be found, Gran suggested buying a new one. They went out and bought one lovely angel. While they were coming back, something terrible happened. Holly threw DP out of the window. Jack was furious about it. Holly and Grandpa went out and got its replacement called Christmas Pig, but Jack nearly tore his head off.

At night, when Jack was trying to sleep, he heard voices. Thinking that it was his grandparents coming to check on him, he tried to sleep but the voice was unfamiliar and Jack felt scared. Soon, he realized that all his stuff like his slippers, his trousers and matchstick car, cupboard — all except his blanket and bed — were alive and talking. He went out with Christmas Pig when it suggested that they could bring DP back. Then they got lost in the crevices between gifts.

Once, Jack felt himself descending slowly as if he was sinking — as though the floor was never there — and while doing so he also saw thousands of other things that too were descending. He felt weightless and waited until he reached the ground of the warehouse, where thousands of lost and mislaid objects were scattered around. When Jack finally got on the ground, having left the Land of the Living, he looked around and saw a tin opener with a hat on her head, saying, “Come here and get your tickets, newcomers.” Jack and CP got their tickets and headed to the north wall on a skating shoe. After they exchanged their tickets with two action figures, they headed out to ‘Disposable,’ a place for cheap things where least-loved objects can be replaced with newer versions. Since CP is a Replacement, he is sent there, along with Jack. But, since Jack was a human, an alarm rang and a loss adjuster (scissors) said, “Someone (meaning Jack) hasn’t been allocated. All of you have been allocated right and proper, haven’t you?” They nodded. Subsequently, they continued their journey towards ‘Disposable’.

Jack and CP entered the saloon with Sheriff Specs, a loss adjuster. They chit-chatted a bit, when they heard a scream from the Wastes of the Unlamented. When everyone went to bed, Specs noticed Jack and CP; they talked a bit when Specs suggested that he would walk them to their room. Jack asked Specs about DP. He said he didn’t ever see a Pig except CP. Soon, they clambered inside ‘Lunchy’, a lunch box. She didn’t agree but they forced her to because she was being adjusted to Bother-it’s-Gone. They soon clambered out because a loss adjuster said they would be reaching Bother-it’s-Gone soon.

Jack and CP jumped out and ran behind a tree. They reappeared only when the cart was safely out of sight. They headed on a walking tour. When they reached the mayor’s place, he burst out saying that a cuddly pig and action figure were the description of the surplus people. Jack and CP ran out and into a dumpster. A hobnailed boot called Crusher nearly squash them, but he was found by the humans up above. They headed to Poem’s Place and went down an old tunnel that led to a cracked compass called Compass and they headed down the mountain and past the Loss Adjuster to the Wastes of the Unlamented, a hunting ground for Loser. 

They headed across Wastes of the Unlamented until they met broken angel and Blue Bunny, a toy. They all went forward when they saw the Bad ’Abit gang. They, they were chased by the Loser. They lost the broken angel, blue bunny and compass. They met blue bunny again and found train tracks. They walked to the east and found the gates of the City of the Missed. The blue bunny became Jack’s decoy and was found as she was trying to persuade the Loss Adjuster to let her in. At the time she was found, a huge commotion had happened in the realm of the living; as Loss Adjuster was staring at the blue bunny, they didn’t notice Jack and CP passing through the gate.  

Jack and CP went through the gates and hid under a red velvet blanket in a gondola. When a woman entered, they felt hot. The woman took the red velvet off them because she heard them speaking and said, ‘I am not a burning coal. I am Happiness.’ They clambered out because Happiness said that she would glow extra bright to not let anyone see them. A person called Ambition was sent to collect Jack and CP and bring them to a castle. They agreed and followed her and entered the castle. They met Optimism, Beauty, Principles and Memory. Then the king named Power entered and shouted that he would trade them to the Loser. Then when Ambition started a vote, Happiness and Hope appeared and joined. At the end the vote was 7 against and 6 for (there were 6 principles). When Power said that the Loss Adjusters should catch Jack and CP, Hope carried them and flew through an unlocked door, wrapping a tapestry around them. They slept and Jack jumped out.

Jack swam to the island and saw DP as he was; nothing had changed. When DP said that he could take him to the Land of the Living, he turned to look and congratulate CP. But he didn’t see CP anywhere. He asked, “Where is CP?” DP explained that CP had to be caught by the Loser so that DP could come with Jack. Jack wanted to rescue CP, but he asked if he could keep both of them. DP said that only one could come with him; he still wanted to rescue CP. He met Santa Claus and flew on his sleigh back to the mainland. He followed the compass to Loser’s lair and jumped in.

Jack looked for CP but found nothing related to him. At last, he found him; CP was in a giant cage at the topmost of the lair. He climbed up the rocky ledge and jumped on the cage. Jack and CP argued a bit and Loser finally found Jack. He was excited and asked a few questions about why he loved a cheap pig. Jack said that CP was the bravest toy ever. They were sucked out of the Land of the Lost and brought back in the realm of the living.

Jack kept his eyes closed but he couldn’t smell the Loser anymore. He heard a familiar voice, calling his name. “Hope?” he asked. In turn, Jack heard a voice saying, “Jack, here you are. We have been so worried for you. Brendan, he’s here.” That was his Mom. Jack finally opened his eyes. Brendan came and said, “Here you are. We thought you were lost, buddy.” “I was. I was in the Land of the Lost,” Jack said. They didn’t believe him. So, he narrated his tale to Holly. He mentioned everything (except Bullyboss of the Bad ’Abit gang). Brendan had got Jack and Holly gifts and asked them to open one present each. Jack ripped off the ribbon on his cycle and Brendan said that Holly should open the one in black and gold wrapping paper. Holly opened her biggest present and inside was a sleek and shiny guitar. Brendan helped Jack adjust his seat while Holly learnt her first chord. Mum got hot chocolate and they drank their fill. They said a friendly goodnight and went to bed. 

(The review is by a fourth grader who is an admirer of JK Rowling and the worlds she creates in her books.)