Hooked
(Autor) Asako YuzukiA STYLIST MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 ‘Yuzuki has become the poster girl of a British boom for Japanese fiction’ THE TIMES The unmissable new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global bestselling 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, spotless apartment and a 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 eating convenience store food and her untidy home are the opposite of the typical Japanese housewife’s manicured lifestyle.
When Eriko tracks Shoko down at her favourite restaurant and befriends her, Shoko is at first charmed by her new companion. But as Eriko’s obsession with Shoko deepens, her increasingly possessive behaviour starts to raise suspicion. As Eriko’s carefully laid plans begin to unravel, how far will she go to hold on to the best friend that she’s ever had? Beautifully translated by Polly Barton, Hooked is a thrilling and unsettling story of the line between friendship and dangerous obsession.
A delicious exploration of food, loneliness and womanhood in contemporary Japan, Hooked brings together all the ingredients for which Asako Yuzuki is so adored.
Asako Yuzuki
Asako Yuzuki was a Japanese novelist and poet known for her minimalist writing style and poignant exploration of human emotions. Her most notable works include "The River of Time" and "The Sound of Silence," which delve into themes of love, loss, and memory with lyrical prose and subtle symbolism. Yuzuki's works have had a significant impact on Japanese literature, inspiring a new generation of writers to explore the complexities of the human experience. Her most famous work, "The River of Time," is considered a modern classic in Japanese literature for its nuanced portrayal of relationships and the passage of time. Yuzuki's contributions to the literary genre have solidified her as a master storyteller with a unique voice that continues to resonate with readers worldwide.
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