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!!!

"Piglet" captivated my senses with its mouthwatering food descriptions, transporting me into a culinary journey. The exploration of post-betrayal uncertainty in relationships felt raw and authentic, resonating deeply. The author's adept writing skillfully wove these elements together, creating a rich and engaging narrative. A solid 4-star read that left me craving both more words and delicious dishes.

Piglet is a fantastic novel, and I kept finding myself shocked that this is a debut novel -- it is incredibly well-crafted and the characters and storylines just feel so real. The characters are flawed and at times unlikeable, which I think made them feel like real people that I could know.

The descriptions of food were definitely the standout of this book; there would be paragraphs upon paragraphs describing the food that Piglet is making, but even though it was really long and really detailed, it never felt like too much; it was gorgeously written and still captured my attention.

I really enjoyed this book -- what other book has the build up to a wedding kind of feel like a horror movie? -- but all in all, it really left me wanting more. More in depth about Piglet's childhood, more details surrounding her relationships with her coworkers and her friends, just more of everything.

The writing in this novel was stellar, but the characters were so wholly unlikable and irredeemable that I had trouble connecting to the story. It felt very modern and yet also outdated in the anti-feminist tropes that were all over the place. I really did love the writing, the descriptions of food and cooking were excellent, but it was difficult to enjoy overall, given the way Piglet was treated by her family, her fiance, and most of all, herself.

Sometimes there’s a hole inside of us so big that no amount of food will fill it.

Piglet (an unfortunate childhood nickname) is a cookbook editor and an avid cook and baker. When the story opens, she is three months away from her wedding to Kit, an event that will jettison her into the upper class and allow her to reinvent herself from her middle-class upbringing.

Everything in Piglet’s new life illustrates how far she has come in building a golden life for herself: her beautiful house, her posh in-laws, her wonderful fiancée, and the gorgeous meals she cooks. Kit is so loving towards her, as evidenced by the way he cringes and jumps to her defense when her family regales them with stories of how Piglet earned her nickname as a child

When Kit drops a bombshell on Piglet two weeks before the wedding (which is never expressly mentioned but is understood to be infidelity), Piglet can no longer pretend that she has the perfect life. Unable to push down her feelings of inadequacy, tension builds and she slowly unravels.

Food plays a big role in this book and is a huge part of Piglet’s identity. There are mouthwatering descriptions of the dishes Piglet prepares and serves, and it’s evident that food is both a way for her to prove her considerable skill (she even plans to make her own wedding cake to impress people!), but also something destructive that she turns to when she feels that she’s losing control.

Piglet is not an especially likable character, but she is also deeply flawed, and I was touched by her fragility and deep pain. By the end of the book, I just wanted to give her a big hug and help make it all better.

This darkly funny work of literary fiction won’t be for everyone, but I’m impressed by Lottie Hazel’s debut and enjoyed it a great deal.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @HenryHoltBooks for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Piglet, a childhood nickname that has stuck, is getting married. She lives in Oxford with her fiancé, Kit. She is a passionate cook, who puts a bit of herself into whatever she makes. At the start of the novel, Piglet has made an intricate meal for her pregnant best friend Margot, who only wants to eat bread, a hint of changes to come in their relationship. When Kit reveals something that he’s done thirteen days before their wedding, Piglet is sent into a tailspin. The book moves forward, counting down the days until the impending nuptials; each chapter ends with foreboding italicized lines. The book explores Piglet’s relationship with her parents which is both familiar and fraught, as well as her complicated relationship with her sister involving a secret they’ve been harboring. This all makes for a rich novel about family dynamics, loyalty, memory, coping mechanism we each have and employ in order to survive life’s trials and tribulations. And of course, it’s a book about food. The writing is fresh, funny and full of life’s wide range of emotions. Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and to Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

“piglet” is lottie hazell’s debut novel, which invites readers to watch how our narrator, piglet, navigates her life leading up to her wedding day, after her soon-to-be husband confesses a betrayal to her.

i’ve seen people refer to this novel as a nod to women’s appetites, which, i can see and agree with to a point. as someone whose fav genre has to do with woman and eating and agency, i didn’t find the claim of appetites to be compelling. yes, at times, “piglet” ate as much as she could and discussed her appetite for more and more, but we didn’t see as much consumption as i thought we’d see.

overall, it was a pretty fun read. i’ve been looking forward to reading this since last year! i’m curious to see what else hazell has written or will write.

I think this is 3.5 stars for me. There are some excellent lines in here; lines unlike any I've read before. "She felt shame fill her like soup," was a favourite.

This book is a deep, satisfying look at relationships, familial and romantic. I just get the feeling that the author wanted to push some boundaries towards the end, but she didn't. Nothing was a surprise, ultimately, and I think I wanted to be pushed or surprised a little bit more by any of the story, the characters, or the choices.

The food descriptions, as others have said, were perfection, and this book is responsible for me taking my laptop out to a burger place to continue reading there.

If the choice not to reveal the betrayal was so that we could imprint some of our own experiences onto it, I don't think that worked. The book would have benefited, in my opinion, from a fly on the wall scene showing every gruesome detail of whatever was confessed. (I'm trying really hard not to make an "I wanted more to chew on" pun, so be glad I resisted.) Something about the narrative voice kept us at arm's length away from the action and the emotion at all times. A purposeful choice, but one I think I question.

I think at its heart, this is a book about a woman ashamed to want more, more, more, when really all she ever wants is "enough." To be satisfied, to be seen, to have what she deserves. As a food lover, I wanted to feel the pain of the shame, and the eyes of judgement, but I just don't think I did. (I'm not going to say that I was left still feeling hungry. I'm not going to.)

Really enjoyed this book. Feels a bit like a fever dream, but with really beautiful descriptions. The character of Piglet was super relatable and the story felt quite unique.

Caution: woman on the BRINK. I picked Piglet up and I devoured it in practically one sitting. It's a relevant and incisive meditation on passion, marriage, hunger, and choosing between true happiness and the veneer of it. Subtle and oh so hungry, I loved the food descriptions and the countdown that sets the stage for some sort of show down or break down.

I would recommend Piglet if you love written depictions of food. I think the author does an amazing job with this throughout the book. However, I wish the book delved more into these characters and the background that got them there, specifically Piglet. I think the reader would benefit from this information, as it would offer more insights into the behavior of the characters and their motivation. Since this is lacking, I had a hard time connecting with and caring about anyone in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

There was so much to like about this book but I found myself wanting for well, more!
The food descriptions were scrumptious but I would have loved to seen that much attention shown to the details of (what I assume to be) the affair. There was a lot of build up with little pay off. The jump from being all in with the wedding to ousting her husband at the reception felt less unhinged than simply underdeveloped.