lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
A few months or so ago my boyfriend and I had a conversation, I can't even remember what it was about or how we came to the topic of pigs, but I remembered seeing a story about two men who adopted a pig and we somehow landed on the facebook page of Esther the Wonder Pig. It quickly became one of my favourite facebook pages to follow and every day I am looking forward to seeing Esther her adorable pictures show up on my timeline. She is so adorable and has so much personality and it's fun to see the pictures and videos of her and her family.
Eventually I heard about the book and my boyfriend bought a copy for me. This book is about Steve and Derek their journey and how their lives changes from the moment they met Esther. I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't read a lot of non-fiction books, but I am glad I read this one. Esther the Wonderpig is a heartwarming and uplifting story that shows the power of kindness and how a pig can change lives. It's inspiring to read about how Esther changed their lives and how many hearts she touched, simply by existing and by having given a chance to live by Steve and Derek.
There are some difficult times they go through, some sad and more happy scenes. Chapters where Esther makes a mess of the house or something without intending too ofcourse and those type of stories always remind me of the pet rats we used to have and how sometimes they could cause trouble without intending to, like peeing on unfortunate places. Which Esther does as well, but Esther is a pig and a lot larger than most pets. It's interesting to read about how they deal with now having Esther in the house and how they have to adjust things, like placing things out of reach and taping things shut because Esther would be able to open them else.
The book tells how they got Esther, but also their thought processes behind some things, the struggles they went through and how they eventually got the Happily Ever Esther farm. The book is humorously written, even though there are some sad scenes the overall tone is humorous and uplifting. There were some moments where I laughed out loud or had to stop reading and read a part aloud to my boyfriend.
I think it's awesome how these two decided to take in a pig and fell in love with her and how she in turn changed their lives. It's quite impressive to see what an impact Esther has had on their lives. There are some mentions of how they became vegan and in the end of the book are some vegan recipes, but the tone is never preachy. It just tells their story and their experience. In the middle of the book are a few pages with pictures from Esther, which were fun to see. And every chapter starts with a small adorable pig under the chapter heading.
I just had wished this book would've been even longer, I would've liked to read more about their daily lives, more funny stories and stories that gave us a feel for Esther their personality. But this book is quite linear and it tells the story of how they got Esther, some big hurdles they had to overcome, how the facebook page started, the fundraiser, how their lives changed till the moment they arrived at their new farm. I really enjoyed reading this story and I had a lot of fun reading the book. It was just as engaging as fiction books and I just wanted to keep reading. Even knowing how things would end it was still exciting to see it all play out. And I visualized how everything looked in my mind, just as I would do with fiction books.
To summarize: Esther the Wonder Pig is a great heartwarming and uplifting story. It makes you believe in the power of kindness and shows how two people their lives changed because of the addition of a pet pig named Esther. I really enjoyed reading this book! It was humorously written and also had some scenes where I laughed out loud. Also some parts that were a bit sad or showed some trouble they had to go through, but overall it's a very uplifting book. There are some vegan recipes included at the back of the book and some pictures of Esther and her family in the middle. I just had wished it was even longer and showed even more of Esther and their daily lives. But that's just because I enjoyed reading this book so much! I would recommend this book to animal lovers or anyone who enjoys a good heartwarming story that makes you believe in the power of kindness!
Eventually I heard about the book and my boyfriend bought a copy for me. This book is about Steve and Derek their journey and how their lives changes from the moment they met Esther. I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't read a lot of non-fiction books, but I am glad I read this one. Esther the Wonderpig is a heartwarming and uplifting story that shows the power of kindness and how a pig can change lives. It's inspiring to read about how Esther changed their lives and how many hearts she touched, simply by existing and by having given a chance to live by Steve and Derek.
There are some difficult times they go through, some sad and more happy scenes. Chapters where Esther makes a mess of the house or something without intending too ofcourse and those type of stories always remind me of the pet rats we used to have and how sometimes they could cause trouble without intending to, like peeing on unfortunate places. Which Esther does as well, but Esther is a pig and a lot larger than most pets. It's interesting to read about how they deal with now having Esther in the house and how they have to adjust things, like placing things out of reach and taping things shut because Esther would be able to open them else.
The book tells how they got Esther, but also their thought processes behind some things, the struggles they went through and how they eventually got the Happily Ever Esther farm. The book is humorously written, even though there are some sad scenes the overall tone is humorous and uplifting. There were some moments where I laughed out loud or had to stop reading and read a part aloud to my boyfriend.
I think it's awesome how these two decided to take in a pig and fell in love with her and how she in turn changed their lives. It's quite impressive to see what an impact Esther has had on their lives. There are some mentions of how they became vegan and in the end of the book are some vegan recipes, but the tone is never preachy. It just tells their story and their experience. In the middle of the book are a few pages with pictures from Esther, which were fun to see. And every chapter starts with a small adorable pig under the chapter heading.
I just had wished this book would've been even longer, I would've liked to read more about their daily lives, more funny stories and stories that gave us a feel for Esther their personality. But this book is quite linear and it tells the story of how they got Esther, some big hurdles they had to overcome, how the facebook page started, the fundraiser, how their lives changed till the moment they arrived at their new farm. I really enjoyed reading this story and I had a lot of fun reading the book. It was just as engaging as fiction books and I just wanted to keep reading. Even knowing how things would end it was still exciting to see it all play out. And I visualized how everything looked in my mind, just as I would do with fiction books.
To summarize: Esther the Wonder Pig is a great heartwarming and uplifting story. It makes you believe in the power of kindness and shows how two people their lives changed because of the addition of a pet pig named Esther. I really enjoyed reading this book! It was humorously written and also had some scenes where I laughed out loud. Also some parts that were a bit sad or showed some trouble they had to go through, but overall it's a very uplifting book. There are some vegan recipes included at the back of the book and some pictures of Esther and her family in the middle. I just had wished it was even longer and showed even more of Esther and their daily lives. But that's just because I enjoyed reading this book so much! I would recommend this book to animal lovers or anyone who enjoys a good heartwarming story that makes you believe in the power of kindness!
book_sniffer's review against another edition
1.0
I found this book to be poorly edited and too cutsie. If you want a quick, no-substance, somewhat annoying in places afternoon read then I suggest borrowing it from the library; don't pay for it.
adeledelion's review against another edition
I am still astonished that I did actually finish this book. The writing style annoyed me, but the situation (a guy brings a pig home to live with him and his husband without asking said husband) kept me reading. By page 150 or so I was still waiting for them to realize that having a 650 lb pig living in their house with them was not a good idea. Spoiler: They never do come to this realization.
sally1's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wonderful story, beautifully written, that had me laughing until I cried.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but there's this little thing I have about language that kept me from doing that. But it was easily overlooked and the rest of the book was just so uplifting and hopeful that it almost didn't matter if "that" kind of language was used here and there.
Esther, Steve and Derek have made our world a better place and I'm so happy that they shared the story with all of us.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but there's this little thing I have about language that kept me from doing that. But it was easily overlooked and the rest of the book was just so uplifting and hopeful that it almost didn't matter if "that" kind of language was used here and there.
Esther, Steve and Derek have made our world a better place and I'm so happy that they shared the story with all of us.
crissyhope's review against another edition
5.0
I have followed Esther and her dads for quite a long time on facebook and was so happy to see this book come along. The story of Esther is so heartwarming and full of love! This book was funny and endearing!
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
5.0
Book #83 Read in 2016
Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter
I follow Esther on Facebook. She is a pig with a lot of personality. I enjoyed reading about how Steve and Derek came to be owned by a pig...a huge pig...not the mini pig that they thought they were getting. The book is written in a conversational tone that flows well. A must for animal lovers!
Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter
I follow Esther on Facebook. She is a pig with a lot of personality. I enjoyed reading about how Steve and Derek came to be owned by a pig...a huge pig...not the mini pig that they thought they were getting. The book is written in a conversational tone that flows well. A must for animal lovers!
emp1234's review against another edition
1.0
I know I'm in the minority here, but I hated the author's writing style. It grated enough that I stopped halfway through the book. .
chefalicereads's review against another edition
5.0
OMP! (Oh my pig) Such a wonderful book to listen to! I learned about Esther on social media and have been following them for awhile now and couldn’t wait to listen the beginning. Steve Jenkins narrates the story of how he and his partner, Derek, adopted a “mini pig” and the controlled chaos that she brought to their lives. With kindness and understanding, they bring to life an Esther-approved (vegan, for those who don’t follow them on social media) lifestyle. I, myself, am not vegan nor do I plan on adopting the lifestyle, but it definitely changes your views on how we treat the animals that are commercially raised. It has made me change how I look at food, and what choices I make when I go grocery shopping. (And I think that just that knowledge would make the authors and Esther so proud). If you like animals, if you like humor, if you like a heartwarming story, this is a book you need to read. Peace, Love, Esther.
indydriven's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this book in audiobook form and it was a really quick read. The basic premise of the story is that someone was trying to get rid of Esther, who was a baby pig at this point, because they had come to the realization that she was not a miniature pig but a commercial pig. They were not truthful to Steve and told him that she was a miniature and he agreed to take Esther because he had fallen in love with her at first sight. At Esther's first vet visit, Steve was advised that there was a very good possibility that Esther was a commercial pig and could grow up to be 1000 pounds. By then however it was too late because Steve and Derek loved Esther. There is no doubt when reading this book you start to see animals as whole beings rather than just individual cuts of meat. Someone said to me a week or so ago when I was listening to this book that they were planning on having a pig roast where you cook a whole pig on a spit. My first thought was "you can't cook Esther" and I was rather appalled by her plan. However, if she had just said to me "I'm thinking about having ham for supper tonight" I wouldn't have had such a strong reaction. There is no doubt the reader will look at meat differently after reading this book. The stories that they told about Esther were very humourous and I give this book a four star rating.