'Tender and thrilling it's Yuzuki at her best' ELLE

'Deliciously satisfying' iPAPER

'I couldn't stop reading' COSTANZA CASATI

'Fantastically dark' ERIN KELLY

The unsettling 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 of 2026 in Vogue, Guardian, New York Times, The Times, Sunday Times Style, Elle, Stylist, BBC, Grazia and more.

'Expect to see this distinctive pink cover everywhere' GRAZIA

'Unsettling, compelling, richly written' JODIE HARSH, author of You Had to Be There

'You won't be able to put down' RADIO TIMES

'Gripping ... exposes how far we're willing to go' ELLE CANADA

'You can't fail to be reeled in' SERVICE95

'Dark, tender, unforgettable' JANE CASEY, author of The Secret Room

'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

'Achingly tender and wickedly funny' EDEL COFFEY, author of In Glass Houses

'A razor-edged story about women, appetite and what we'll do to feel chosen' OPRAH DAILY

the thrilling new novel from the author of global sensation BUTTER

About the Author

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.

Reviews

Praise for Hooked:

'Deliciously satisfying' iPaper

'Set to be one of the hottest publications of 2026' Guardian

'An exciting new thriller that you won't be able to put down' Radio Times

'Tender and thrilling it's Yuzuki at her best' Elle

'Gripping ... exposes how far we're willing to go for the sake of companionship' Elle Canada

'You can't fail to be reeled in by Asako Yuzuki's luminous prose and Polly Barton's brilliant translation' Service95

'Tremendous ... stays in your head long after you close it' The Gloss

'Another page-turner ... I'd recommend adding it to your reading lists immediately' Daily Express

'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. Achingly tender and wickedly funny' 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 ... Another gripping, singular slice of contemporary life from Asako Yuzuki' Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface

'The kind of book you press into your friends' hands, desperate to dissect it' Erin Kelly, author of The House of Mirrors

'I loved this intense and claustrophobic story of loneliness, identity and obsession' Lucy Diamond, author of The Island Getaway

'Dark, spiny and slippery, this haunting tale of loneliness and longing in the modern age will leave you gasping' Tobi Coventry, author of He's the Devil

Book Information
ISBN 9780008753832
Author Asako Yuzuki
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Fourth Estate Ltd
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 420g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 36mm