What a great novel! Best book I have read in a long time. I loved the characters and so many parts made me laugh! This is a book that I hope my friends read so I can discuss. A great new author!

Cookbook editor Piglet has always had a good appetite, and when I first started reading this book I thought, surely she cannot be called by this nickname she received in her childhood. But, seriously, she does in her professional life, and after a while, I think I got over it because Lottie Hazell’s writing was so delicious and gorgeous that she could be called absolutely anything and I would go with it.

In 98 days, Piglet will become a wife. But when her husband-to-be drops a bomb on her two weeks before the wedding, she becomes insatiable. Her life begins spiraling out of control and her cooking becomes more elaborate and ambitious to the point that we find her baking and frantically constructing her own croque en bouche the morning of her own wedding.

This was such an incredible character study and provided an interesting commentary on women. Although it was her fiancé Kit that committed a shocking act, it is ultimately up to Piglet to determine their future. And for many women, this is often the case. We shoulder the burden of men’s indiscretions and are expected to continue on without rocking the boat. Like many women Piglet turns to food. In her indulgences and engorging herself with food, Piglet ultimately finds herself.

This was my first five-star read of the year. I absolutely loved Piglet. It was clever, well thought-out and gorgeously written. I had no idea going in that I would love this book so much, and I am so happy that it is getting such great hype. I am looking forward to indulging in the author’s next book for sure.

Thank you to Lottie Hazell Henry Holt & Co, NetGalley for an early e-copy of the book for an honest review.

I've seen this categorized as literary fiction and horror, and to be honest I can see how it safely falls into both. Piglet is an extremely well-written book that takes on major topics like commitment, eating disorders, classism, and public image. The pacing was superb and I loved how the narrative toggled between flowery writing and simplistic writing to help build tension and emulate Piglet's mindset. While Piglet herself isn't a particularly likable character, I was fascinated by her and immediately wanted to find out where this would all go. I'm looking forward to whatever Hazell publishes next.


Minor Spoiler Ahead:

Lottie Hazell's decision to keep Kit's secret hidden from the reader was a big risk that ultimately subtracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I presume the reasoning behind it was so that the reader wouldn't be able to judge if Piglet was 'overreacting' or not since we don't know what it is that's pushed her over the edge. Thereby keeping the focus on her internal struggle and how this affects her relationships/interactions with other characters. Which I do respect. But for me, this choice ultimately clouded out Piglet herself due to all the necessary vagueness.

This was probably a 5-star read for me, until the ending. The end wasn't bad, but it left me feeling unsettled. Pippa, called Piglet by her family, is engaged to Kit and, they've just moved to a brand new house. They're planning their wedding, Piglet is up for a job promotion, and she's on her way to living happily ever after. Two weeks before they're set to marry, Kit reveals a terrible betrayal, and it throws Piglet for a loop. She now has to decide whether or not to marry Kit, and she's feeling increasingly out of control. The story kept me reading faster and faster, because as Piglet became more unhinged, I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I initially liked how the author didn't reveal exactly what Kit had done, but rather showed Piglet's (and her friends') reactions to it. It really didn't matter what the specific betrayal was; it was enough to know it was awful. Because Kit's a cookbook editor, there's a lot of detailed description of cooking (and eating), which I didn't mind - sometimes I read every word, and sometimes I skimmed those passages. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Hazell, and Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC of this title

What an astonishing debut. Piglet is the story of a woman who yearns for success, acceptance, and admiration. You follow her during the weeks leading up to her wedding as she experiences a betrayal that unravels her reality and causes her to confront what she truly desires.

This novel built tension so well, at times it was almost unbearable, and the food writing made my mouth water several times. The ending felt a bit over explained to me. But overall, I think Piglet is a thoughtful exploration of the demonization of women’s hunger for more in life and the confining, cruel nature of society.

I’m looking forward to what Lottie Hazell writes next! Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the advanced reader’s copy.

Oh, Piglet ... How did it all get this far? Where did you lose yourself so completely? Or did you ever even know yourself?

Piglet is the main and titular character of Lottie Hazell's culinary relationship trauma novel, a woman unable to shake a childhood nickname bestowed by her family, even is she tries to outrun it with a carefully cultivated - Pinterest-worthy, even - personal brand. She is a consummate hostess, a beloved fiancee, a close friend, and a rising cookbook editor. Set to get married to a handsome, doting, and wealthy young man, she is constantly pushing back voices of self doubt, a fragile relationship with her body image, and resentment over her working class upbringing. Everything in her life is curated to be the idea that she has dreamed of since childhood, down to the most elegant wedding for which she herself will be making a centerpiece dessert: a towering croquembouche, which is a pyramid of little cream puffs drizzled with sugar syrup. But then a betrayal is revealed weeks before the wedding and all the imperfections and doubts push through the carefully built up facade, leading to a great unraveling. PIglet cracks and all of it comes oozing out like creme patisserie from a broken cream puff smashed on the floor.

The novel has sumptuous, detailed descriptions of food and I am shocked to say, as someone who loves cookbooks and food writing in general, that I actually felt that the level of culinary detail overwhelmed the plot. I wanted to know more about Piglet's childhood and the ways she forced herself to squeeze into the claustrophobic, wedding-dress-corsette-like personality she's built up. I also felt like the tension simmering beneath her relationship with her best friend, a queer woman about to give birth to her first child, needed more exploring. While I certainly sympathized with Piglet as the stress built in and around her, I felt like I didn't emotionally connect with her. On the other hand, both the self-imposed and the societal pressures that churned within her were very emotional and often relatable. When the novel reach its end, I felt a sigh of relief for Piglet, but overall the novel left me somewhat unsatisfied, like looking at a photo of a beautiful meal without getting to taste it. I will definitely keep an eye out on Lottie Hazell's future novels, however.

This is a solid 3 to 3.5 stars and I thank NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for providing me with a reviewer's copy. Piglet is out as of February 27 and available online and from all your local booksellers.

This one wasn’t for me. None of the characters were relatable. I wouldn’t recommend it to friends. I did, however, enjoy the writing style of the author. I would give a second chance to a future novel.

Piglet introduced us to a character trying to find her place in society after her plans for the future begin to unravel. Hazel obscured the main scandal, placing the focus solely on Piglet so the audience wouldn't bring their own judgments to the table. I thought this was an interesting narrative choice, but I could see how some readers might be frustrated or want more detail. I do think it worked because it connected to what Hazel was trying to do: giving her main character the opportunity to decide what she wanted outside of societal expectations or others' preconceptions. I was surprised by the level of suspense Hazel created---my heart was racing when she was making that final dessert---and I was completely captivated by the descriptions of food. Overall, well-written and engrossing.

What a beautiful books. Don't let the title sway you, it's intriguing, stirs up so many emotions, and was a book I could not stop reading.
When you lose the future you'd hoped. How do you start again? Lovely book.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Compelling and unputdownable. I wasn’t sure I would like this book, but I ended up reading it in a day. And I kept thinking about it for a while after. This is a study on desires and motivations and the choices we make, and the courage it takes to begin again. Beautiful.

The balance of what we want vs what we think we want is the push and pull that seems to guide Piglet as she navigates her relationships with both people and food.

Piglet is a story about a relatively calm and collected woman becoming unhinged.

She is in her mid-30’s, is a successful cookbook editor, and has an uninhabited passion for cooking and food. She was given this nickname from her family to explain her excess as a child, and unfortunately for her, it remains as she is an adult. The author creates a story around Piglet (versus her real name and identity) and plays on her insecurities and self-proclaimed deficiencies as this character.

While she anxiously contemplates her existence, her life is full. She has an affectionate family, loyal friends, and a loving fiancé. One day, he interrupts their routines with a revelation about his infidelity. Piglet deals with this betrayal by quietly moving on with their lives, which slowly starts to unravel as she becomes more on edge with the wedding.

I am loving these types of stories where seemingly normal people become unhinged after being tested, and this one is no different. Piglet has done everything right, including staying in control of her emotions. She can no longer compose herself the more stressed she becomes. She is ashamed as her real self is revealed to the world, yet she can’t help becoming undone. It speaks to those who feel superfluous and have immense feelings of taking up too much space in this world.

The uniqueness of the story lies in the Piglet’s moments of peace and calm while cooking, Hazell’s scrumptious food description that dances on each page, and Piglet writing her own ending. It’s tragic, it’s hilarious, and it’ll be the best wedding you attend this year.

such a strong and interesting debut! this book was clever, suspenseful, and also made my mouth water. i was so stressed throughout so much of the book, especially in the chapters building up like an unsettling crescendo to the wedding. hazell writes piglet in a way that feels like a close and personal connection is being forged with the reader.

There's a love/hate going on with this book. I thought this had such an interesting premise. The beginning was going so well. However, I'm not a fan of the ending. I know the way the book ended made the story better, but I need some answers. The dialogue was so clever. The character development with our main character is a chief kiss. The details of the food were so well written, it made me hungry. Lastly, my biggest question is what did Kit do?? This was a really thought out debut novel.

“Such a special day.”

Piglet is an offbeat novel that marks the debut of author Lottie Hazell. The protagonist is a young woman named Pippa, but everyone calls her Piglet. This author has me before I open the book, because with a nickname like this, I have to see what’s behind it, and where it’s going. My thanks go to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the review copy; this book is available to the public now.

Piglet lives in London, far from the working class area where she was raised, and where the rest of her family still resides. She’s a cookbook editor for a publishing company, is engaged to marry Kit, who is handsome and comes from a well to do family, and they have recently purchased a gorgeous home. Her star is clearly rising.

It’s a tightrope walk, to be certain. People with money have expectations, and so it’s not easy for Piglet to advocate for herself in the presence of his family. But she genuinely likes them, and so she works with them—which generally means that they get their way. Her own family mildly embarrass her when the two families meet, but her folks won’t often cross paths with these people once she and Kit are wed.
Then, two weeks before the wedding, Kit confesses a terrible, terrible betrayal, and Piglet has to decide whether she is in or out. As she unravels, I watch in horror. Piglet, you see, is an emotional eater.

In many ways, Piglet is the protagonist I have been wanting to read all my life. So often female main characters respond to stress by not eating. The lesser characters around them cluck over how pale, how thin they’ve become, and I sit back on my ample behind and say, “Yeah, right.”

But Piglet’s stress eating is epic in scope, and I also worry that the resolution will involve therapy, a new diet and a wedding gown in a size smaller than anything she’s ever owned. And since this much comes from my own imaginings rather than the book, I’ll go ahead and tell you, no. That doesn’t happen, and I am so grateful.

For most of this novel, I feel an intimacy with the protagonist that is rare. I can’t wait to find out what happens next, but I also can’t tolerate interruptions, and so I choose my reading sessions carefully. I am fortunate enough to receive both the digital review copy and the audio galley, and at the outset, I do what is my usual routine in such circumstances, listening to it while I am doing something else, but with the DRC nearby so that I can make notes or highlight likely passages for quotes. But by the time I am about thirty percent in, that’s over, and instead I am listening while reading also, because how can I think of anything else?

There are two things that I am dying to know. First, does she stay with Kit? And more importantly, what terrible thing did he do? Piglet keeps this information close to her vest, but the few people she tells are uniformly horrified, and so I know it’s bad. But what is it? Just what the hell did he do?

The ending feels incomplete to me. There are so many things that Hazell could have done and didn’t that I am disappointed by what feels like a slightly bland resolution. This is a good book, but it could have been a great one.

Hazell’s word smithery skills are stellar, and when I was done, I found I’d highlighted over 150 passages. Obviously, I won’t use them all here. Most of the novel’s tone is quite serious, but there are a few moments of dark humor that leave me shaking my head in admiration. In particular, there’s a wedding photographer that makes me howl!

The narrator is outstanding.

One way or another, Lottie Hazell is an author to watch. I look forward to seeing what she produces next.

Piglet! My latest read. This is Lottie Hazell's debut novel and I loved the writing - it's so good! I also really appreciated her take on women's desire and the ways we so often deny ourselves. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the ARC!

Really enjoyed this one -- what a strong debut! The food writing in this book is sublime, probably the best description of food, eating and cooking that I've read in a fiction book maybe ever. No wonder it's the topic of Hazel's PhD thesis!
Piglet is a story of a young woman who builds her life around the needs and expectations of others. I found myself rooting for Piglet the entire time, and even though sometimes her choices frustrated me, I also kept finding myself reflected in Piglet over and over again.
This wasn't a 5-star read for me because I thought that something was missing. The pacing was slightly off though I don't necessarily think that the books needed to be shorter. I can't quite put my finger on it but I didn't think that Hazel quite 'landed the plane' either, again something about the ending felt off. With a stronger ending this would have been an easy 5 stars. I would definitely read Hazel's next book!

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the ARC!

I requested to read “Piglet” because the premise sounded intriguing. I struggled with name-calling and weight issues from a young age and though I am in a wonderful relationship with my significant other, I can only imagine the shock of discovering a betrayal from the man I have pledged to spend my life with.

Do not be hungry while reading this book because the author’s descriptions of food will make your mouth water. I also can sympathize with the plight of having the rug pulled out from under you a few short days before your wedding. The author does an awesome job of really putting you into the moment. Hence, I should have liked this story a lot more than I did, but I had a hard time putting myself into the narrator’s state of mind. But simply because I didn’t like her narration didn’t mean this was not an evocative read.

Three and a half stars.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for this memorable tale.

I loved this book! It’s all about expectations for the perfect life, disappointment, class and hunger.
The dialogue is clever and smart and the book also has the best wedding meltdown ever.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4
The main character, who we only know by her childhood name, "Piglet", seems to have it all. A good job, her fiance Kit with a well-to-do family, a new apartment to host their friends and whip up meals, and a wedding just around the corner. Piglet's life is packaged up prettily until she receives a startling confession from Kit a few weeks before their wedding.
They decide to go through with it, and both her appetite and sense of control spiral. Some passages were so incredulous and train wreck-like, I hoped they weren't real.
Everything we learn about this story, we learn from Piglet's perceptions. Appearances matter more than anything to her, and we see this facade breaking down the closer we get to the wedding. Initially I found Piglet insufferable. Her attention to other people's bodies and criticism of her family's lack of sophistication made her so unlikeable to me. By the end of the book, I could sympathize with this character who seemed to be struggling greatly with self worth but has ambition and just wants to fit in.
While this isn't a book about an eating disorder, some descriptions of bodies and binge eating may be triggering for those struggling with their relationships to food and body dysmorphia.