I love books with vibrant, detailed descriptions of food and cooking and the beauty of working hard to prepare a meal. I love reading about the fresh ingredients and the care taken to properly wash and slice and season. PIGLET included lovely prose that scratched that itch for me. This is a book about a woman, "Piglet", who is engaged to be married. We learn about her life and her unusual name and the sacrifices she has made to be arrive where she is in life. I appreciated the story but it had a few hurdles I wasn't able to jump including her nickname, Piglet. This is a quick read and one where you'll root for Piglet which is always a tension I love in a book. Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy. I'm grateful.

I really enjoyed the novel Piglet! It is beautifully written and every single character reads as a fully-drawn human being. The family dynamic between Piglet and her Derby-based family feels especially convincing and authentic. I found Piglet’s character arc and journey incredibly compelling.

Piglet by Lottie Hazell was a fascinating study of one woman's growth and stagnation amidst challenging family, friend, and romantic relationships. The book was full of as much delicious drama as it was descriptions of tasty food. One of my favorite things about it was the fact that Piglet was really flawed as a person and made some selfish choices, but it made her feel real and believable. I also wonder if she was just living up to the role that her parents seemed to have cast her in during early childhood, and it made me think about the way I want to raise my own daughter.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of Piglet from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

What a fantastic read! My only complaint was that the ending felt rushed - I could have stayed with Piglet and her wonderfully weird family for ages.

I absolutely devoured this book (pun intended). Ever since she was little, the narrator of this book has gone by the nickname Piglet, due to her always wanting more—more food, more things, more wealth. She becomes engaged to Kit, the son of a wealthy family from Oxford. She leaves her life in Derby behind, moving into a lovely new home while preparing for her wedding and dreaming of a promotion at her cookbook editing job. She takes on the task of preparing an elaborate dessert for her own wedding, but days before the ceremony, Kit confesses to betraying their marriage. Piglet must grapple with whether her new life is merely pretense or if it’s what she truly wants.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have pretty mixed feelings on this book. I really liked the first 30%, but when it became clear where the plot was going, I lost a little bit of interest. I thought it would be about a woman rebuilding, and it was not - to try to avoid spoilers, the timeline is only the two weeks before the wedding date.

While I really enjoyed the writing and the way the author wrote the characters, the descriptions of food were a little too much for me. Not that they weren't good, just a little excessive and I began glossing over them. The focus on the food is clearly a device for the author, and I understand, it just wasn't for me.

Overall I appreciate what the author did, but it wasn't a book I really loved.

Loved it. I recommended this book to my audience here. Thank you. https://downtime.substack.com/p/tortured-poets-department-joe-alwyn-emma-stone

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Henry Holt & Company, for an ARC of PIGLET by Lottie Hazell in exchange for my honest review.

PIGLET tells the story of a woman, called Piglet by her family for her ability to eat, during the lead up to her wedding after her fiancé reveals a secret. I found the writing very compelling and interesting, and loved the characters and setting, but the plot ultimately fell a little short for me. The food descriptions were indeed well-written, but were maybe less enjoyable for me than for some readers. I will absolutely look for other books written by Hazell in the future, but in the end did not love this book.

Featuring vivid food descriptions and intense feelings, Piglet tells the story of a woman who is on the verge of feeling settled and married and cared for, who has always cared for others and put her happiness second. And then, her fiance tells her something that upends her entire world. When you can't control the things you want to, what can you control? The lush and detailed food descriptions draw the reader in and bring you along for her ride, but all of the feelings that food brings are transmitted through the pages. This little book does a lot, in a subtle and gentle way, all while shoveling food down your throat.

Striking debut novel concerning a women undone by societal standards, marital obligations, career expectations, and beauty shaming. I don't think I've read a book quite like this before. Very British, which I found compelling, but others might sense remove from that. I marveled at the sumptuous food descriptions, not a surprise coming from an author with a Ph.D. in creative writing, specifically food-writing in 21st-century fiction. All kinds of cringe-inducing storylines follow, and I wavered in believing I was the right audience, or if only female readers could fully appreciate this content. Our main protagonist, problematically nicknamed "Piglet," was quite inscrutable as a character, though I did root for her to work through childhood traumas and find some kind of peace within herself and her life. I was fully annoyed by the author's refusal to convey a key plot point, but I gathered what had to be the big, bad secret. The simmering tensions leading up to the "big day" and beyond were palpable, and I loved the foreboding conclusions to each chapter (in italics). Somewhat overlong, and by the ending, I was left with a nonplussed feeling, an inevitability of sorts that I'd wished arrived sooner. Another editing pass might have been beneficial. Regardless, I'll gladly seek out what Lottie Hazell writes next.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company & NetGalley for ARC access.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think there's more good than bad here, so I'm going to try to focus on that. This book will not appeal to everyone. It's a slow sort of crawl towards the actual point. But once it gets there - if you've chosen to work through the haziness - there is a bit of payoff.

The protagonist, Piglet, has been assigned this somewhat unflattering nickname since childhood and, between friends and family, hasn't managed to shake it. This is very much an indication of who she has been conditioned to be: a pleaser. Even at her own expense.

When her fiance, Kit, confesses to a betrayal of sorts (infidelity makes the most sense, but it's left a little ambiguous) just two weeks before their wedding, she has a decision to make: call it off and disrupt the plans they've made. Or, unhappily see it through. The latter is obviously the more convenient of the options. And yet, at what cost?

I enjoyed the frequent descriptions of food layered throughout the story. Just as poignant was this image of a woman trapped by the wedding industrial complex. There's so much external pressure involved in planning a wedding, most of which involves the exorbitant cost. I sympathized with Piglet's plight. To walk away from this relationship she's invested so much time and energy into would be a huge risk. And yet, to stay would be an even deeper betrayal to herself.

While I can't say I enjoyed every minute of reading this, it did have its moments.

A strange, feminist book that made me extremely hungry. The food writing in this book is exquisite. Everything about this novel has shock value, including the striking cover. I really enjoyed it and it made me think.

I loved Piglet! I appreciated the food writing and even the hiding of what type of betrayal occurred. I loved the main character and thought it was a really insightful novel.

As a plus size woman , this was such a fun and whimsical exploration .
I loved it ! Thank you for the Arc .

Piglet by Laura Hazell is an emotional rollercoaster. The story follows a 30-something protagonist, known only by her childhood nickname "Piglet," which was originally meant to be derogatory. This nickname paints her as a certain type of individual, based on actions she protectively made for her younger sister. Piglet seems to be living a perfect life and is preparing for her wedding when, two weeks before the big day, her fiancé delivers devastating news.

As Piglet's carefully constructed façade unravels, the book takes the reader on a journey through a whirlwind of emotions: anger, embarrassment, apprehension, tension, shock, and even amusement. Piglet is a mostly unlikeable character, but I found myself questioning whether this was due to her true nature or the expectations and pressures imposed on her by others.

The novel is powerful in its exploration of how our protagonist is forced into boxes she didn’t choose and the negative reactions from those who placed her there when she tries to break free. Many readers will relate to Piglet's feelings of shame, anger, and resentment as she struggles to defy the expectations placed upon her and to carve out her own path.

One of Hazell’s genius moves is never revealing the exact news Piglet’s fiancé shares with her. Readers are left to interpret the news based on the reactions of the other characters, adding layers of speculation and insight into their value systems. The ambiguity forces readers to consider their own fears and values, making the reading experience deeply personal and thought-provoking.

Additionally, the food writing in this book is exceptional. Hazell’s research into food writing in 21st-century fiction shines through, adding a rich, sensory layer to the narrative. The vivid descriptions of food not only enhance the story but also reflect the protagonist's emotional state and journey.

Piglet is a book that will stay with me for a long time. Its complex character study, the genius narrative techniques, and the immersive food writing make it a compelling read. This novel is perfect for book clubs and discussions, as the conversation about its themes and characters could go on indefinitely.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story made me want to cook first of all. I looked up and saved a few of the recipes mentioned. I loved the writing as it successfully made me uncomfortable and at turns anxious.
The cover is gorgeous. My main complaint is I wish that Piglet would have went more off the rails and that this story would have been more unhinged. This isn't a feminine rage story.

I had such an easy time reading this book. Not only was the length appealing upon request, the writing style was accessible and drew me in. I enjoyed being in Piglet’s head, even if it was a dark and strange place. The feeling of compulsion, of being stuck in the wrong timeline in the wrong dress at the wrong wedding, is palpable and unerving. I’ll never forget the croque embouche, that scene is forever burned into my brain.

This debut was on many most anticipated books of the year lists, and I’m so glad I picked it up. The story follows Piglet (so nicknamed in childhood for her love of food) in the lead up to her wedding. Piglet has left the working class background of her childhood, finding an idyllic relationship with handsome and successful Kit and a job she enjoys as an assistant editor at a cookbook publisher. But when Kit confesses to a betrayal two weeks before their wedding, Piglet becomes absorbed with her deepest desires and true wants, and she must decide if the life she’s been making for herself is the right one for her. This is a beautiful and moving book about hunger and desire, and the way women are taught—implicitly and explicitly—what we do and don’t deserve. One thing to note here is that Hazell leaves a lot off the page and I know some of these lingering questions will bother a lot of readers. I found it to be a useful technique for keeping the focus on Piglet—what she wants and needs and is not getting, rather than the specific failings of her partner. I found much of the book to be spectacularly sad, but there was also a note of redemption and hope for Piglet. Finally, as much of this story revolves around food and characters’ relationships to food, I would be cautious around this if you have sensitivities to reading about disordered eating, but also know that the food writing here is spectacular. Hazell’s PhD in literature focused on food writing in fiction and she certainly excels at capturing the visceral experience of eating on the page.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book particularly the scenes and prose used to describe food. I think it perfectly captured the feeling of having a complicated relationship to food. The author did a great job of showing the inner workings of someone who utilizes food as a reward/outlet/ destructive choice all in one. What I wanted to from this book was more. A book that is supposed to be the embodiment of gluttony I think could have pushed the limits further. This book was very tame. The cover is beautiful and it did make me want to cook.