13 year old Cameron is dying of heart disease. Two years earlier he caught a viral infection which affected his heart, now his life is on a countdown. He wants to be normal, to run all the way up the stairs at once, to win the daredevil dive at the swimming bath. But there are no human donors, so when Dr Bryce approaches Cameron's family with the possibility of a heart, how can he turn down the chance to live? There's one small catch, they still haven't found a human donor. The heart will be from a pig. This is a risky operation, one never done before. It's a hard decision for Cameron, but one he must make. The chance to live, or to definitely die.
For Cameron, hearing his parents arguing over the operation becomes a daily occurrence. His mum is against the operation, his dad for it. Cameron becomes a piggy in the middle; only his gran knows how he feels. Cameron asks Dr Bryce if he can see Trudy, the pig who is about to give his life up for him.
Seeing Trudy makes Cameron question the operation.
Does he really want another being to die just for the small chance that it could save him?
Cameron is sworn to secrecy but tells his best friend, Marlon. This is a big mistake. The story of the operation appears all over the front page of the newspaper and Cameron begins to feel betrayed.
Cameron's mum is not the only one against Cameron having a pigs heart, there's the RSPCA and other groups who believe that what they are doing to this pig is wrong.
Whilst reading it, the moral question that haunts Cameron hangs in your mind.
Is it right to kill an animal for a human?
I really enjoyed this book and once I'd started reading it I realised that I could not stop. It is a well written and moving tale that makes you stop and think. You join Cameron in his fight for survival.
I think this book is for older kids, mainly because of what it's about. I, myself was moved by it and I'm sure you will be too.
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