A powerful story about friendship, loyalty and family around this topical and controversial issue’ - Guardian

’An engrossing story’ - Daily Telegraph

’That’s all I ever did - watch and listen. I was always a spectator, never a participant. I didn’t call that living. I was alive - but that was all.’

Cameron is thirteen, and all he wants is a ’normal’ life - friends, swimming, school, family.

But his life is far from normal. Not every thirteen-year-old desperately needs a new heart because theirs doesn’t work properly.

Finally, one doctor offers hope.

Cameron could - if he and his parents agree - take part in a radical and controversial procedure involving the transplant of a pig’s heart into his human body.

It’s risky. And it’s never been done before . . .

While Cameron comes to terms with the idea, he finds the world around him is much less accepting.

But surely everyone will understand that it’s better to have a pig’s heart that works than a human heart that doesn’t - won’t they . . .?

’A sensitive and informative story that provides a vivid insight into transgenics and xenotransplantations and still manages to squeeze in the inevitable guinea-pig and piggy in the middle jokes’ - Independent

MALORIE BLACKMAN

Malorie Blackman has written over seventy books for children and young adults, including the Noughts & Crosses series, Thief and a science-fiction thriller, Chasing the Stars. Many of her books have also been adapted for stage and television, including a BAFTA-award-winning BBC production of Pig-Heart Boy and a Pilot Theatre stage adaptation by Sabrina Mahfouz of Noughts & Crosses. There is also a major BBC production of Noughts & Crosses, whose soundtrack was curated by Roc Nation (Jay-Z’s entertainment company) as executive music producer. In 2005 Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children’s books. In 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature, and between 2013 and 2015 she was the Children’s Laureate. Most recently Malorie wrote for the Doctor Who series on BBC One, and the fifth novel in her Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, was published by Penguin Random House Children’s in summer 2019.