Piglet is a brilliant story about a woman struggling to find herself and it was 100% for me.

The descriptions of the food were both beautiful and sometimes haunting and anxiety-inducing (who thought it was a good idea to make your own wedding cake?). The novel is also propelled forward by such cutting, clever, and accurate dialogue. We are rooting for Piglet, commiserating with her, and sometimes scratching our heads with her. I loved this book and congratulate the author on such a great debut.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Piglet is the main character and she is a Type A perfectionist. She will do anything to keep up appearances, including sacrificing her own sanity and happiness. She’s living the picture perfect life that many people would admire… until it all comes crumbling down.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. If you enjoy descriptions of food and watching cooking shows, you may enjoy this book. Do not read this while you are hungry! This book is not for you if you don’t care for food and cooking descriptions/terminology. This book is not for you if you need everything spelled out for you, and if you dislike ambiguity. I personally had a good time.

So much dialogue and so, so many descriptions of food. This will work for some and not for others. The cover is also sort of off putting from a bookseller perspective, but once you get past that, the content is clever and quick. The characters are easy to envision and I laughed out loud a few times. Such a unique book.

Piglet fell short for me. I did not particularly like any of the characters. I was peeved that we never found out what Kit’s big secret was. While the food descriptions were wonderful, sometimes I just wanted there to be a real story. Definitely don’t read this book if you are planning a wedding. You will be questioning everything.

First things first, I am truly obsessed with this cover. I think it is perfect, I think it is inviting, I think it is one of the most true to form book covers I’ve come across. So now let’s chat about what’s beyond the cover…

As many of my close friends know, one of my favorite genres of book is “the angry woman” and. let. me. tell. you. This book does this trope so incredibly well. In some cases, Piglet’s anger in justified, in other’s it’s a reflection of her own shortcomings. She uses her anger for good, evil, and everything in between. This book tackles issues like class, norms, and societal expectations all while being themed around Piglet’s sincere passion for food.

What impressed me so much about this book is how paramount the discussions of food were. So much of this book was dedicated to detailing her actions as she made different meals, descriptions of each individual ingredient, and sometimes even plans to create food or discussion of menu items. While if you told me this at face value I might turn my nose up and think ‘how fun can reading about food possibly be,’ it was so enthralling. The author used these cooking scenes as a highly effective way of expressing emotion and tension and it created a perfect storm for me as a reader.

The only thing I had hesitation about in this book was that, at the end of each chapter, there was somewhat of a “big picture” moment written in italics where another perspective was considered or deeper feelings were addressed head on. I felt that this sometimes took me out of the moment, but as I got further into the book I felt that it became more appropriate just due to the way it was being used in those later chapters.

All in all, this book was really great and I do recommend you check it out!! Thank you to NetGalley and Lottie Hazell for the ARC. Congrats on a fantastic debut!

The writing itself was very good, and for that, I would give this author another chance. However, completely subjectively, I just didn't love the story itself. I could even relate to Piglet in a number of ways, but I just don't think that this story will stick with me long-term. It was perfectly okay, just not something I'd rave about.

Piglet is a successful cookbook editor, has a lovely group of friends, and just moved into a beautiful home with her wealthy fiancé, Kit. When Kit makes a devastating confession weeks before their wedding, Piglet’s world is turned upside-down. They choose to proceed with the wedding but as they get closer to the big day, Piglet becomes locked in a spiral of self-destruction. As Piglet’s behavior becomes progressively unhinged, it’s up to the reader to decide if she is experiencing a complete collapse or a radical transformation. Full of mouthwatering food descriptions and dark humor, PIGLET is a brilliant take on social class, marriage, and the pressure of perfection. 🍔

First of all, let's talk about an attention-grabbing cover! I saw that burger and I knew I needed to read it. I enjoyed that the entire book was either dialogue or eating/preparing food. The food was the closest thing you got to Piglet's inner dialogue. I found it very engaging and fun to read.

Piglet made me want to shop for high-end groceries, take my time cooking, and EAT - damn this book made me hungry! The food descriptions in this book are decadent - I was not surprised at all when I got to the end and saw the author has done research in food writing in modern literature.

I loved Piglet as a character and enjoyed watching her uncomfortable path of self-destruction in search of happiness, not just the shiny facade she'd created with her well-to-do fiancé. This is a beautifully written, feminist novel about a flawed weirdo who tries and fails to eat her way through the grief of learning her fiancé has betrayed her and I loved every page. Will be buying a hard copy (that cover!) for my shelf the day this comes out.

THANK YOU NetGalley and Henry Holt for the advance copy!

I was really excited to pick up Piglet by Lottie Hazell. It had a very original and creative description and I was looking forward to it but unfortunately, it fell short for me. I'm assuming that the lack of revealing some information was intentional but it felt incomplete? The problem with that was that I felt like I didn't understand the reasoning behind why certain things played out the way that they did. It felt like it lacked substance.

I was excited to delve into Piglet, the debut novel by Lottie Hazell, because I don’t always judge a book by it’s cover, but if the cover is a painting of a huge cheeseburger, I will read the book every time. I did not know anything about the story before I started, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story is about Piglet, a woman who edits cookbooks, has moved to a great house with her finance, and is getting married to Kit in 90 days. Two weeks before the wedding, Kit reveals a secret that shatters all of the life that Piglet has carefully constructed, and with days to go before the huge wedding, she has to decide whether or not to go through with the marriage.

Hazell uses food, cooking and eating, as a metaphor throughout most of the novel. While Piglet makes a living with cookbooks, has a large arsenal of cooking tips and tricks, and makes delicious food for everyone to enjoy, food is also something that she can hide behind. Piglet’s life changes and she uses food to cope, food to mourn, and food to try to prove herself worthy of not only staying in the relationship, but as a means of value in herself. There are moments when I salivate at the dishes that she prepares, and I found myself stopping and getting snacks more than once while reading. The writing in these passages are expert level, and it is easy to see some culinary experience and skill behind Hazell’s writing.

I liked Piglet as a character, and even though some of Piglet’s decisions are not the right decision, they are the decision that makes sense in the world that Hazell has built. Kit comes from a family with money and Piglet comes from a working class family who sees marrying into Kit’s family as an great opportunity. I found Piglet’s family remarkably endearing, even though her father is not the most supportive. Piglet seems embarrassed by her upbringing and the family that raised her, and she uses food to bridge the gap between her upbringing and the family she is marrying into. Both of the families, from Kit’s rich upbringing, to Piglet’s more modest upbringing, are written like people that I want to know off of the page. I would genuinely grab a beer with Piglet’s dad and Darren, her sister’s partner.

People say that you should not judge a book by it’s cover, but if it has a picture of a food, the chances of it being worth reading are high. Piglet is a good story, and I get hungry just thinking about reading it again.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars ⭐️

This was a fun and strange read! I very much enjoyed it!

Piglet (a nickname her family gave her) has everything going for her. She is engaged to the ideal man, Kit, they just bought a beautiful new home together, and she is excelling at work and is being considered for a promotion. She very much enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. Her life has stepped up from the shabbier one of her childhood. She feels like she has really made it.

The book counts down the days until Piglet’s wedding to Kit, starting at 98 days out.

There are two things we don’t know throughout the book: Piglet’s real name and what Kit has done.

On the 13th night before their wedding, Kit reveals a secret to Piglet in the darkness of their bedroom. Piglet is shattered to pieces. What he has done in particular is not explained then. More and more characters discover the secret as the book goes on. Us readers left with small clues on the severity.

The countdown to the big day continues as Piglet begins to unravel. She starts hallucinating. She begins to overeat and obsess about food. She doesn’t know if she wants to marry Kit. Her wedding dress is too tight and she starts to question her weight and her appearance. Her maid of honor and best friend is now not coming to the wedding. She is trying her best to hold it all together until they say, “I do.” This is the day she has always dreamed of, it has to be perfect. But things will start to crumble and crap hits the fan come wedding day.

** Opinions with slight spoilers start here **

I really really enjoyed this book. At first, I thought it might not be for me. But then I began to relate to Piglet. Her obsession with perfection and overdoing it. Her not wanting to ask for help or receive help. Piglet turning to food for satisfaction. Her eating to comfort herself as eating was something she could control and the fullness helped her anxiety and the void she was experiencing. Her left to do mostly everything on her own without assistance. The amount of birthday parties or events I have been rushing to bake and decorate for and my family, like Piglet’s is sleeping in or not even offering to help. I felt her frustration many times while reading.

Being a debut novel, especially, I felt this was a great book. The writing was wonderful and descriptive. I didn’t want to put it down. It was funny, it was a little weird (I thought Piglet may turn cannibal and eat Kit out of anger), it was cringeworthy (I was practically screaming reading the last few chapters at the wedding). The wedding dress scene with Piglet’s father made my skin crawl. Being a wedding photographer myself, Madeleine was driving me bonkers and I wanted to throw her in a broom closet. The entire wedding reception had me shrieking. When she had seven burgers in front of her in the restaurant and her coworkers walked in…I almost died. Her parents and their rants about money in public. I wanted to run away for Piglet multiple times throughout the book!!
I also almost threw my tablet when the ending came and we didn’t find out what Kit did!! I loved it all! It was a crazy ride and finishing it, I was as satisfied as Piglet after a meal.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, Henry Holt & Company for allowing me access to the ARC copy of this book. I am extremely grateful and I appreciate it.

Sigh. I really really wanted to love this. The cover is absolutely stunning and the description sounded so unique. A story told through food descriptions? Sign me up! However, it just did not work for me.

Pippa, aka Piglet, is getting married soon to the love of her life. Both she and her husband live a successful lifestyle although they each come from very different backgrounds. When Piglet's fiancé confesses a secret he's been keeping 2 weeks before the wedding, Piglet's world comes crashing down and she's suddenly very hungry.

This one truly had so much promise! The descriptions of the food were so rich and had my mouth watering. What bothered me though, is the lack of full conversations. The miscommunication really drove me nuts. I just wish it had gone deeper. I also thought it was strange how it was never acknowledged until very very close to the end how all of it was strange behavior. I don't want to give anything away so I can't quite explain what I mean, but it took a very long time before someone called it out. I also did not like most of the characters, their responses were just always wrong from how you would hope. I wanted her dad to be mad, her mom to hate Kit, her sister to stand up to them, her mother-in-law to voice her distaste, and for Piglet herself to voice her true opinions. None of which really happened.

Overall, the insanity of it is what kept me reading and the general idea of the book was great, but I just kept finding myself hoping for more when it fell flat.

Pub. date: Feb. 27, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for my early copy!

This book wasn’t for me. “Piglet” by Lottie Hazel follows a young woman nicknamed Piglet who seems to have it all, including an engagement to a handsome, well to do man Kit. Her life gets turned upside down when he admits to a wrong doing, and she finds herself turning to food for comfort 2 weeks before her wedding.

This book fell short for me in so many ways. I can appreciate the author’s attempt at ambiguity, but not knowing what Kit actually did to betray Piglet made the story feel hollow and lacking. I couldn’t have sympathy or really care about the story with this vital piece of information being held from us. We watched Piglet’s actions spiral, but I never really understood the underlying reasons why. This whole novel was really disappointing, I wouldn’t recommend it.

To quote the King of Bravo, there is a lot to unpack here. Piglet has a charmed life; a job she loves, a swoon-worthy fiance, an upcoming picture-perfect wedding and friends who adore her. But, when her finance confesses an undisclosed betrayal two weeks before the wedding, she struggles to reconcile her perceived reality and actual reality. And that makes her… hungry.

This book is a marvel. Hazell’s subtle characterization work is impressive and the themes of family trauma, female ambitions and friendship are thoughtfully layered. This is a short read and not a single word is wasted. And many of those words are descriptions of food, so do not read on an empty stomach!

While this was a simple, quick read, I didn't enjoy it much. There was a lot of style here - strong descriptions, a foreboding tag on each chapter, building irrational behavior- there isn't much substance here. While it is flirting with some different themes, none of them really solidify or hold much weight when faced with contradicting parts of the novel. I don't really know what it wanted to say, or if it actually wanted to say much at all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co. and the author for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions below are my own.

Piglet is a deliciously dynamic debut novel about desire, greed and control. The crafty storytelling is told mostly through dialogue and descriptive food preparations that illuminate the protagonist’s complex relationship with food. Food is supposed to be comforting and nourishing, but as Piglet’s carefully curated life begins to crumble, she finds that no amount of emotional eating can satisfy her and fill the void inside.

I really enjoyed how the author gave readers the space to infer their own conclusions behind the characters’ motives. I liked that there were many subtle metaphors that examined issues such as class and privilege. What is considered ‘enough’? It also explores the evolution of friendship as we grow up and our lives often diverge, which is a very relatable issue. The book made me really think about the dichotomy between how society views those as hosts as opposed to those who consume. There is a sense of pride when we prepare and serve food for others to enjoy, but shame and perceptions of gluttony when we choose to imbibe. We are only ever given glimpses into Piglet’s childhood but we know from her egregious nickname that trauma likely influences her decision to surrender to her darker impulses. She wasn’t always the most likable character but I did feel empathy for her and wanted her to find happiness. The magpie symbolism at the end was a nice touch.

If you are a staunch devotee of unhinged woman literary fiction such as myself, you should definitely pick this one up. If you are triggered by disordered eating, you may want to tread carefully but otherwise, It’s okay to judge this one by its cover.

As a foodie and someone who loves to cook the premise of Piglet drew me right in. The descriptions of the food had me salivating!Hazell did a perfect job of creating a main character you want to root for despite any wrongdoings or misguided actions she may have. Piglet’s downward spiral was swift and had me stressed out for the poor woman. The ending of this book was fantastic, really pulled everything together, and finally let Piglet have some peace.

This was a great debut for Hazell and such an easy read! I will definitely recommend to anyone, but especially those who love a good story with some feminine rage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the eARC.

I really enjoyed the first half of Piglet and liked what Hazell was setting up in terms of Piglet’s domestic life and her relationship with food, but the rest of the book ended up disappointing me and ironically leaving me unsatisfied and hungry at the end.

Piglet follows a young woman who seems to have it all, including a loving fiance, but there are cracks early on in the book that signal that her life isn’t everything she pretends it is. Immediately, there were beautiful descriptions of food and I loved how Hazell was very aware of food as a class moniker–Piglet cooks only the most delicious and high brow food and is embarrassed by her family’s lower-class diet.

Food is also gendered and the work of preparing it is given to Piglet while her fiance, Kit, waits for it to arrive in front of him. On top of being expected to cook at home, Piglet’s job also revolves around food as she edits cookbooks. Despite being surrounded by food pretty much 24/7, Piglet doesn’t seem passionate about food. She cooks mechanically and her life and relationships are placid…until a confession from Kit thirteen days before their wedding.

I want to say right off the bat that if you go into this book expecting to know what the confession is and to get this explosive, cathartic and in-your-face reveal, it isn’t here. Piglet is much more subdued than you’d expect from a book that seems to slot itself in the “good for her” category. I can definitely respect that intention to write a story that doesn’t revolve around the male love interest and that is quieter, but there wasn’t enough in the characterization of Piglet, her other relationships, and the food to still hold my attention.

There are so many women surrounding Piglet, from her best friend to her strict but razor-sharp boss to her sister, who has problems of her own and a relationship to food that mirrors Piglet’s. Yet none of these characters are utilized well, challenge Piglet or force her to grow, or seem to have interior lives of their own. There are hints there but it all feels ultimately bland and limp as they fade into the background.

I love books that talk about our relationships to food and I think that Hazell mostly nails the way we use food to connect with each other but also how what food and how we consume it reflects where we are emotionally and mentally. I wish Hazell had pushed the envelope a bit more and created a more interesting arc in terms of Piglet’s relationship with eating.

Overall, I enjoyed the first half of Piglet but didn’t like the other half. If there had been more focus on Piglet’s relationships with others outside of Kit or the story veered much weirder (it tried a bit), I think I would’ve enjoyed the ending much more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on February 13, 2024. It will be published on Amazon on the pub date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the early copy :’) I was looking forward to this book sm and died when I got approved for the copy

Anyways, I have never felt more tense or stressed reading any book ever. I had to stop reading at certain points bc the embarrassment was way too much (in a great way). The beginning was a little slow for me, but once things picked up, I was beyond hooked. The definition of watching a car crash in slow motion. I was so immersed and gripped in the second halfish of the book. it felt like I was having and out of body experience. As in, it felt like I was piglet looking on as everything fell apart— insane sensation

Author did a seamless job of paralleling problematic relationships with self and others with problematic relationships with food. Overall it’s a great depiction of what it means to pour into others without pouring yourself first. There’s some class commentary in here too that didn’t mesh as seamlessly for me but when you relate class w consumption or lack thereof it kinda makes sense?

Couple of minor things that I didn’t like that are also just bc I’m ignorant lol: sometimes the descriptions of food and prep methods were super lost on me bc I’m no where near a chef + sometimes the British lingo threw me off😭 but these weren’t impactful enough to have this book not be 5 stars😌

This should be a release day (feb 27) purchase for anyone reading this!!!