Forever judging books by their covers, and this one lived up to the hype.

If something is too good to be true, it probably is.
We follow Piglet, a wife to be to her fiancé, Kit. They have just bought a new home together, and are preparing for the extravagant wedding that Kit’s mother is commandeering.
Piglet is already having pre wedding doubts, but Kit tells her something one day that puts her mind completely on the fritz. How can she marry someone who has lied to her? And after this realization, Piglet is left to decide if the life she planned out is the correct path to take. Is comfortability and routine - what everyone thinks she should do - the life she should be destined to live?

I have never read anything that takes food and turns it into a complete dialogue. The meals, snacks, desserts in this book are passive aggressive, nurturing, angry, delicious. Have you ever put your anger and desires so selflessly into a choux? Have you ever dipped your finger into a pastry and thought, “This. This is me. I am you”? It’s truly a work of literary art.
The fears of marriage, motherhood, friendships changing, your family living without you as you dip into your new home, life moving on while you’re standing still all doled out onto a dinner plate… I have never been more terrified and seen in my entire life. Reading this was like gagging on a raw oyster, only to realize that it goes down smoothly if you swallow hard enough.
Loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, this book was SO British. Like, I can’t find a better way to describe it but it was so completely, entirely British.

I think the writing was gripping and the story flowed well, at parts there were times I did not want to pause the audiobook (The morning of the wedding? My god) for there was simply too much going on for me to stop. Piglet is trapped in a life she built for herself - and she’s hungry for more.

Overall, I wouldn’t say I liked any of the characters but the author did a fantastic job of making sure I didn’t - I could tell everyone was crafted with care and Piglet’s backstory was well developed for me to better understand why she is the way she is in present day. To be honest, the writing was so visceral that I got literal second hand embarrassment for her at some points (the restaurant, the dress..). Not a lot of books can pull a physical reaction out of you like that, so cheers to Hazell’s debut!

None of the food descriptions were appealing to me, personally? It didn’t make me hungry but more made me want to gag, as Piglet’s over gluttonous attitude towards food was just a scream for help or an act of desperation for control. I would say there should definitely be a trigger warning for disordered eating, and by the premise/cover alone (That burger cover is so chef’s kiss, literally) it’s obvious food is central to this narrative, so please be mindful going into this!

My final thought: none of the characters were likable, it was honestly difficult to empathize for Piglet (our main character.. the fact that she allows people to call her Piglet? Moving on), and the food/cooking scenes were borderline too descriptive for me - this was all done very purposefully, and that deserves 4 stars from me even if this didn’t personally satisfy me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co, and MacMillan Audio for both the e-arc and audiobook arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

From the cover to the description and characters, this story is like a food companion to comfort the readers through the hardship we find Piglet going through. The author did a wonderful job with the meals that Piglet would make and you felt her seek comfort though eating through her feelings.

While eating your feelings can provide short-term relief and distraction to our character's emotional pain, we find it does not address the underlying issues. Piglet's life is changing so fast as we get introduced to her complex relationship with her family to her even more complex relationship with her future in-laws. Piglet tries to cope with her upcoming wedding as a looming secret from her fiance is revealed leaving one choice for Piglet - to cook.

Big thanks to NetGalley, author and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC.

This book completely caught me off-guard. I was expecting a pretty average read, maybe 4 stars, and then Piglet immediately annoyed me and I was like oh man, this is going to suck, but that quickly changed. Piglet is a trainwreck who self-sabotages and eventually becomes self-aware. I had a good time accompanying her on that journey. My only issue is that the ending is a bit too on the nose and that lack of creativity just wasn't forgivable.

This is a well written book but I found the story quite frustrating. The protagonist faces a difficult situation fairly early on in the story and then spends the majority of the book self-sabotaging. I did enjoy the descriptions about Piglet's cooking, and her love of good food. However, Piglet seems to be a stress eater so the food descriptions often went along with the parts when she's self-sabotaging.

What a delightful debut. I loved the unnamed betrayal, I loved getting to see Pippa’s struggles and pain through her relationship with food, I loved the complex social structures. Very strong and exciting piece of art!

Well written, I did enjoy the food descriptions. However, too many questions unanswered, especially the biggest one. That really made me like the book less. Solid debut but ultimately left me confused and frustrated. Thank you #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When the novel opens, we are introduced to Piglet (whose parents bestowed the nickname because she “can’t leave a table until every bite has been hovered up”), an assistant cookbook editor at a London publishing house, and her fiancé, Kit, who are hosting their first dinner party at their new home. It’s the run-up to their wedding, and Piglet experiences the usual jitters - last minute dress fittings, a bridesmaid who could give birth at any moment, and the embarrassment caused by the class distinctions between Kit’s upper-class parents and Piglet’s working class parents.

Despite the evocative name “Piglet” the reader is not given much in terms of physical description. We know that Piglet is tall because “[h]er size seemed to invite men who didn’t know her to ask if she played basketball.” We also learn that Piglet was taller and larger than her sister, Franny, who had an eating disorder as a teenager and is married to Darren whose business, “fitting furniture in coffeehouse all over the Midlands,” has tanked and is asking Piglet for a loan.

When Kit reveals some undefined betrayal 13 days before the wedding, Piglet has to make a choice — proceed with marriage, or start her life anew. Her pregnant bridesmaid, Margot, who she entrusted with this information, urges Piglet not to proceed, “You deserve more than this!” Piglet was obstinate insisting that she could “decide if it’s OK.” “No you don’t,” Margot said, her voice raised. “Not if you make decisions like this.” Piglet reacts by withdrawing from Kit and eating copious amounts of food.

Although Hazell’s description of her characters is spare, and we never learn the real nature of Kit’s betrayal, the descriptions of the elaborate meals that Piglet creates, or the food that she is consuming, are lush, evocative and unctuous. Although it is difficult to classify this novel, I kept propulsively reading it — with quite a few snack breaks — until I was finished and fully sated.

𝘗𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘵 is one of the most darkly comedic books I’ve read in a long time and will definitely be among my favorite books of 2024. I’m literally obsessed. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Our main protagonist has the unfortunate nickname of Piglet and we don’t actually learn her real name until the end of the book. We meet Piglet as she’s preparing for her upcoming wedding to the upper-class Kit, while also juggling the increasing pressures of her job as a cookbook editor. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
After an unexpected confession by Kit, things really take on a frenetic pace, and tensions rise to a fever pitch in the days leading up to their wedding as Piglet is still determined to make her own wedding cake, a towering croquembouche. All the while Piglet is stuffing her own emotions down with increasing quantities of food. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
I devoured this excellent book. The luscious food descriptions are dazzling. The wedding dress and croquembouche scenes, while quite disturbing, were incredible. The author’s sharp observations about the expectations placed on women - and that we place on ourselves - are quite relatable. As Piglet described herself, “𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴.”⁣⁣
⁣⁣
This acerbic tale is absolutely delicious. Highly recommend! ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Many thanks to Henry Holt Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this one. I alternated between reading the egalley and listening to the audiobook. I was immediately caught up in the narrative, and the audio version artfully captured the mood and characterizations. My heart broke for Piglet as I read, and by the end, I was utterly invested in her story. Highly recommended for literary fiction fans.

Two hours to assemble the croquembouches. Three hours to assemble herself.

Oh. My goodness. The perfect book club book as you gather and discuss, what would be terrible to almost call off the wedding, but not quite… but really, it’s just the underlining symptom of something else already going on.

3.5 rounded down

I really struggled with how to rate this. I read the first 50% relatively quickly, but then it took me a week to get to 75% and then another five days to finish the book. That’s not to say this was a bad book. The writing itself was lovely, the premise interesting, and the plot expertly unsettling. Piglet learns something about her fiancé less than two weeks before their wedding. The first part of the book follows her as the clock ticks down struggling to be okay with his betrayal and maintain this perfect image of her life that she’s tried to cultivate. Piglet is not necessarily a likable character but of her slow descent into derangement and loss of control make her sympathetic, if not frustrating due to her inability to communicate. The descriptions of food and the tension built up in them were really really well done.

But then I got to the second part of the book, and if you suffer from second-hand anxiety like I do, it will be TOUGH to get through. I was so tense waiting for the shoe to drop. I would read a page then put the book down for a day or so until I just forced myself to finish. I mean that’s probably a sign of great writing, to evoke that kind of response. I didn’t enjoy it necessarily, but it was great writing and I NEEDED to see how it played out. The very ending of the book was easy to get through, hopeful and a little sad.

So after going through all that, I’m left wondering how to rate it. It was not a relaxing reading experience, but it was a solid debut with very talented writing. Besides all the tension, there did seem to be something missing in the exploration of Piglet’s backstory that made me not connect with her fully. And after two weeks of reading it I’m struggling to really recall details of the first half and how I felt about it, so that’s a sign that it didn’t stick with me enough to give it four stars.

Piglet (a childhood nickname she doesn’t seem to mind) is consumed by her relationship and upcoming wedding to Kit, her handsome, affluent boyfriend who has just divulged his regretful(?) behavior that lasted years. In the weeks leading up to her wedding, Piglet makes head-scratching and uncomfortable decisions. The shame is palpable, behaviors embarrassing, and every bit is realistic.

We start 98 days before the big wedding. Piglet, the bride-to-be is shopping for the perfect meal to serve with her perfect fiance in their perfect new house to their perfect friends. Sense a theme?

Piglet, Pig, P, Piggy - the nickname of our protagonist is troublesome for many reasons, the least of which being that her world revolves around food. Planning, preparing, plating, eating...and she's a cookbook editor. The food writing, with every egg cracked and sauce deglazed, with every pepper cracked and salt sprinkled, is divine. It builds and builds as we get closer to the wedding day.

However...two weeks before the big day, perfect fiance drops a bombshell that changes everything. Will they go through with the wedding? More food, more wallowing as Piglet's perfect life starts to unravel.

This is a weird book. It's horror (the wedding dress scenes alone are nightmare inducing), it's humor, it's got rom-com vibes, it's commentary on class differences (fiance's parents are posh, Piglet's are not). Whatever it was, I couldn't put it down. I devoured it in one sitting and it left me wanting more.

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC.

How much of our life is lived just for the people watching?

Piglet was a uniquely clever read that I flew through. The food imagery and metaphors were sublime. It broadens a women’s definition of appetite and redefines hunger in a way that will stick with you.

What does it mean to be satisfied?
Why do we settle for a portion that doesn’t suit us?

It’s messy, character-driven and you can almost smell the garlic seeping off the pages.

I will need to compose my thoughts before I can adequately write a review of this but I annihilated this book.

2.5 stars. I have come to realize this year that books in which none of the characters are likeable and relatable are not for me . . .

I thought I would enjoy this book based on the blurb about the female MC, who has the awful childhood nickname "Piglet." Despite this, her life is on track with a posh fiance (Kit) and good job, until her plans are derailed a fortnight before her wedding when Kit discloses an unforgivable act of discretion. Piglet begins to struggle with her mental health, and turns to binge eating as a negative coping mechanism, while she wrestles with whether to blow up her life by cancelling her wedding vs. attempt to forgive, forget, and forge ahead.

Unfortunately, I did not connect with Piglet, and I was annoyed that it is never revealed to the reader what Kit's actual transgression was, making it harder to empathize with her. The mental health aspect was interesting, and I don't think I've ever read a book with a MC who has binge eating disorder, but the psychological elements of this behavior were never flushed out and only superficially explored in the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Henry Holt and Company for an e-book in exchange for my opinions.

I liked Piglet. I didn’t love it. The writing was gorgeous. The food descriptions were amazing. The story just feel a little flat for me. I wanted more.
I think many people will like this and I may go back and revisit it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Company, and Lottie Hazell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: disordered eating, body shaming

Honestly? It was the cover that drew me into Lottie Hazell's Piglet. The enormous burger on the cover is consistent with the food descriptions throughout Piglet - detailed and over-the-top.

This is a story of excess, a sort of horror story about a woman who wants it all.

But, Piglet left me unsatisfied. The descriptions of body shaming from Piglet's family and Piglet's binge eating may have been comments on the pressure society puts on women about food and their bodies, but the satire left me feeling disturbed and unsettled. I didn't find the characters particularly likable. And, frustratingly, the details of the mystery of the story were never revealed.

Piglet was fast-paced and sometimes bizarrely charming, but, overall, it's not a book I'd whole-heartedly recommend.

“”it’s just greed,” he said, his eyes averted to the ceiling. “what is it about you and more, more, more?””

2.5 stars, rounded down.

i’m not gonna lie, this one pissed me off. it had me in the beginning, and then right around the 30% mark is where it fell off for me. coming into piglet, i knew it would be a weird book but i’ve historically been a fan of a weird girl literary fiction so it seemed right up my alley.

we meet piglet before her wedding. everything revolves around food with her, she’s a cookbook editor and constantly cooking up absurdly mouthwatering feasts. everything is not as it seems though, she is so preoccupied with what everyone thinks and what she thinks her life should look like that she ignores (or rather doesn’t even know) her own feelings and trudges forward blindly. in the 2 weeks before her wedding, we learn of a huge betrayal from her fiance - well, learn is a strong word because Hazell never tells us what he did. what comes to follow is a binge-eating spiral where she alienates herself and becomes truly insufferable.

i wanted to love this. i really did. i understand how some people will, but it’s just not for me.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an advanced copy through Netgalley.