Hooked
Published on 12. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-00-875383-2 (ISBN)
Description
THE MILLION COPY #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BUTTER IS BACK WITH A NEW NOVEL OF OBSESSION
'Tender and thrilling it's Yuzuki at her best'
ELLE
'Deliciously satisfying'
iPAPER
'Enjoyable and addictive'
INDEPENDENT
'Fantastically dark' ERIN KELLY
The thrilling new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global sensation Butter.
Eriko really wouldn't mind being savaged, if it was her best friend doing the savaging ...
Eriko's life appears perfect - devoted parents, pristine apartment and a high-flying job in the seafood division of one of Japan's largest trading companies. Her latest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile perch fish into the Japanese market, is characteristically ambitious. But beneath her flawless surface she is wracked by loneliness.
Eriko becomes fascinated with a popular blog written by a housewife, Shoko. Shoko's posts about convenience-store food and her messy home are the opposite of the typical manicured housewife. When Eriko tracks Shoko down at her favourite restaurant, Shoko is at first charmed by her new companion. But soon Eriko's obsession with Shoko begins to spiral out of control. How far will she go to hold on to the best friend she's ever had?
Beautifully translated by Polly Barton, Hooked is a delicious exploration of food, loneliness and womanhood in contemporary Japan.
A most anticipated book in Vogue, Guardian, New York Times, The Times, Sunday Times Style, Elle, Stylist, Grazia and more.
'Expect to see this distinctive pink cover everywhere'
GRAZIA
'A psychological thriller with a social commentary bite'
INDEPENDENT
'Unsettling, compelling, richly written' JODIE HARSH, author of You Had to Be There
'Translated with crackling verve'
GUARDIAN
'I couldn't stop reading' COSTANZA CASATI, author of Babylonia
'Stayed with me for weeks'
IRISH TIMES
'Tremendous - an elegantly written ... dissection of female friendship'
THE GLOSS
'You can't fail to be reeled in'
SERVICE95
'Will leave you gasping' TOBI COVENTRY, author of He's the Devil
'No one writes about the lurking monstrosities of womanhood quite like Asako Yuzuki' ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller
'Tender and thrilling it's Yuzuki at her best'
ELLE
'Deliciously satisfying'
iPAPER
'Enjoyable and addictive'
INDEPENDENT
'Fantastically dark' ERIN KELLY
The thrilling new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global sensation Butter.
Eriko really wouldn't mind being savaged, if it was her best friend doing the savaging ...
Eriko's life appears perfect - devoted parents, pristine apartment and a high-flying job in the seafood division of one of Japan's largest trading companies. Her latest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile perch fish into the Japanese market, is characteristically ambitious. But beneath her flawless surface she is wracked by loneliness.
Eriko becomes fascinated with a popular blog written by a housewife, Shoko. Shoko's posts about convenience-store food and her messy home are the opposite of the typical manicured housewife. When Eriko tracks Shoko down at her favourite restaurant, Shoko is at first charmed by her new companion. But soon Eriko's obsession with Shoko begins to spiral out of control. How far will she go to hold on to the best friend she's ever had?
Beautifully translated by Polly Barton, Hooked is a delicious exploration of food, loneliness and womanhood in contemporary Japan.
A most anticipated book in Vogue, Guardian, New York Times, The Times, Sunday Times Style, Elle, Stylist, Grazia and more.
'Expect to see this distinctive pink cover everywhere'
GRAZIA
'A psychological thriller with a social commentary bite'
INDEPENDENT
'Unsettling, compelling, richly written' JODIE HARSH, author of You Had to Be There
'Translated with crackling verve'
GUARDIAN
'I couldn't stop reading' COSTANZA CASATI, author of Babylonia
'Stayed with me for weeks'
IRISH TIMES
'Tremendous - an elegantly written ... dissection of female friendship'
THE GLOSS
'You can't fail to be reeled in'
SERVICE95
'Will leave you gasping' TOBI COVENTRY, author of He's the Devil
'No one writes about the lurking monstrosities of womanhood quite like Asako Yuzuki' ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Hooked: 'Deliciously satisfying' iPaper 'A psychological thriller with a social commentary bite ... an uncomfortable yet strangely gripping read ... enjoyable and addictive' Independent 'Translated with crackling verve by Polly Barton ... The unrolling suspense compels, as does the deep dive into both characters and their motives' Guardian 'A story I could not put down' Standard 'I was practically reading through my fingers' Daily Mail 'Subtle, original and thought-provoking ... stayed with me for weeks after I had finished it' Irish Times 'Hyper-compelling ... Yuzuki pinballs between the glib and the strange with arresting intensity' New Statesman 'Tender and thrilling it's Yuzuki at her best' Elle 'You can't fail to be reeled in by Asako Yuzuki's luminous prose' Service95 'Tremendous ... stays in your head long after you close it' The Gloss 'A must read for fans of smart, twisty fiction' Sheerluxe 'Very good ... you turn the pages' Front Row, BBC Radio 4 'I'd recommend adding it to your reading lists immediately' Daily Express 'The kind of book you press into your friends' hands, desperate to dissect it' Erin Kelly, author of The House of Mirrors 'Had me in a headlock. No one writes about the hidden depths and lurking monstrosities of womanhood quite like Asako Yuzuki' Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller 'A brilliant, shocking, unforgettable page turner ... I couldn't stop reading' Costanza Casati, author of Babylonia 'A razor-edged story about women, appetite, and what we'll do to feel chosen ... Safe to say, we're already hooked' Oprah Daily 'A thrilling and deliciously sharp examination of the extremes of female friendship' Edel Coffey, author of In Glass Houses 'Dark, tender and unforgettable' Jane Casey, author of The Secret Room 'The most stressful fun I've ever had reading a book' Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface 'This haunting tale of loneliness and longing in the modern age will leave you gasping' Tobi Coventry, author of He's the DevilMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
With flaps
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
412 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-875383-2 (9780008753832)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Asako Yuzuki is the author of Butter, her first novel translated into English, which became a no.1 Sunday Times bestseller. It won Waterstones Book of the Year 2024, the Books Are My Bag Breakthrough Author Award and Fiction Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, among other accolades.
She won the All Yomimono Award for New Writers for her story, 'Forget Me, Not Blue', which appeared in her debut, Shuuten No Anoko. She has been nominated multiple times for the Naoki Prize, and her novels have been adapted for television, radio and film.
She won the All Yomimono Award for New Writers for her story, 'Forget Me, Not Blue', which appeared in her debut, Shuuten No Anoko. She has been nominated multiple times for the Naoki Prize, and her novels have been adapted for television, radio and film.