I've had a look at other reviews on here, and it's not surprising to see how divisive this book is - I always think that's a sign of an interesting novel. Personally, I adored it, while also being completely able to see where people are coming from with their criticisms. All I can say is that the issues that people point out are things that hit differently for me: I found the book hugely engrossing; sharply observed; deliciously dark and blackly funny.

I flew through this book, however, it's not my favourite read. It's a good story, but at times I felt unsatisfied with the metaphors and the hidden meanings. I almost just wanted to know what was going on, rather than trying to desperately search for clues in the text.

An engrossing and grotesque story about a woman learning her own self worth. Piglet contorts herself into what she imagines everybody around her wants her to be, never feeling satisfied. Ultimately this is an exploration of self-control, class and ambition, appetite and the pleasures of eating. If you liked Anna Metcalfe’s Chrysalis and Melissa Broder’s Milk Fed, then you’ll enjoy this. The descriptions of food are extremely vivid and I can see it working for film/TV.

Piglet by Lottie Hazell
This is a quick and interesting read. Piglet has always been called Piglet by her family and it is not until the end of the novel we actually discover her real name. Piglet works for a publishing company which produces books about food, her life revolves around food and there are many descriptions of her cooking and shopping for food. She is preparing for her wedding and the creation of a croquembouche as her wedding cake. As the book progresses we learn more about Piglet and the reason for her current positon. It is an emotionally intense novel and is all about appetite and control.

Piglet works in editing – for food writers, and she often uses recipes she comes across to concoct sumptuous feasts for her lovely fiancé Kit and their guests. In fact, much of her life might be concocted- her fiancé, their perfect relationship with wedding 13 weeks ahead, their new home and her recent promotion. When events take an unexpected turn, Piglet is forced to weigh up what she is and where.
Piglet is a thought provoking read. Lottie Hazell widens the view over this blessed group to include Piglet’s family, now more or less left to one side in Derby whiles she moves upwards in Oxford and Kit’s devoted, Porsche owing mother and father who live close at hand. But the holes really start to appear when her relationship with Kit comes into question.
What makes this novel so good is that many of the reveals are by implication, some are excruciating and sweat-inducingly not, but all lead to the central question of which is the more important, what you are or what you are seen to be.
I absolutely loved and would recommend this, the croquembouche will stay with me forever

When I read the blurb I thought it was a fascinating premise. Confusion began when the author on my kindle says Steve Jones and the the actual author is Lottie Hazel.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters in the book. They seemed so cliched and stereotypical that they didn't feel real. Calling your daughter Pig/Piglet when they clearly have some sort of eating disorder seems unnecessarily cruel. The amount of detail concerning food and the croquembouche (which for some reason I just wanted it to fall down). seemed to dominate the narrative. A metaphor for fat women pretending to be something they aren't? Seems very unkind. The whole wedding dress fitting fiasco was cringeworthy. A sort of parody that could have been funny but somehow well missed the mark. The "secret"... well what was it? The reader is never told. Does that matter? Yes because it feels as though you're being cheated as a reader, as if you can't be trusted. Everyone else can know except you.
It felt like the author was saying that we should all know our place and social mobility is a myth.
Maybe I'm missing the point? I don't know but I was very disappointed

I found this debut novel quite compelling, the pace was propulsive as it led towards the ‘will she won’t she?’ denouement. There are some excruciating moments in Piglet’s story but while I squirmed, it did feel authentic.

The themes of disordered eating and mental health struggles were certainly more prevalent than I expected from the cutesy title, cover and blurb- so a trigger warning might be appropriate.

The writing was a lyrical and impressive

I'm not sure I'm the right target reader for this book. I struggled to connect to the characters because I found them so unlikeable. I did finish the book but I was left feeling that either I had missed something or something was missing.

I finished this in just a few days. It was a really easy read. That makes it sound a bit insubstantial but that's not the case. It's easy to read because it flows. The story also has a specific event that its working toward. Piglets wedding.
I loved the use of food to show how piglet was feeling. The scenes on the morning of her wedding really added to the sense of stress.
At the start piglets life seems perfect but the cracks start to show really quickly. I gobbled it up.

I thought the first reviews here were a bit harsh, so glad to see the star rating climbing. I *did* relate to Piglet - mind, I lived in Oxford for several years, work in publishing, love food and am from the North East rather than London, so that shouldn't be too surprising really.

Piglet is living with her posh fiance Kit in one of those identikit Summertown houses, commuting to London to work in a junior role at publisher Fork House. She expresses herself through food, and as the wedding day approaches her focus on it gets stronger. There are hints of Atwood's The Edible Woman here, except instead of not being able to eat, like Atwood's heroine, Piglet can't stop.

This book isn't perfect - Kit's secret is never spelled out (pretty clear what it is, but given how many pages are devoted to it, you'd think there might be a few details) and Piglet's feelings remain quite opaque, even towards the end of the book. I loved her lesbian friend Margot and how she manages to stay grounded amid all the craziness, even as she gives birth. Generally, there's a lot to like here and a really interesting take on women's relationships to food, food writing and the domestic goddess/bridezilla as you've never seen her before.

Moreish, this book is utterly moreish. That is the word that springs to mind, and if you read it, you'll understand why. The blend of wedding countdown and food-writing here is darkly delicious. The descriptions are decadent – I could taste the semifreddo, feel the lace corset of the bridal gown – and no, I could not put it down. I kept going, just like Piglet, working my way through the smorgasbord. A proper feast, to be sure, and I'll be looking forward to what Hazell serves up for the next novel.

I thought the premise of this novel was curious and compelling, but will admit that it took me a while to get into it, I might say, in the same way that it seems to take the protagonist, Piglet to fit into and cling onto the world she desired. I'm not sure that was the authorial intention, but I'm going with that. I like the way the characters are drawn and the quality of writing is very good. This isn't a novel for those who insist on 'likeable' characters. These are compelling in a different way. What I also liked about it was the sense of place and time. Waitrose needs to feature in more novels, I feel, after reading this. My thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC - much appreciated, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Possible spoilers

I started out being very glad I had eaten before reading this book, the descriptions of food are enough to make you hungry
But as we continued into the story, and things were no longer so rosy, the descriptions of food became desperate, and sad.
This book is a weird one, I found it uncomfortable that our main character was called Piglet by everyone, the characters were too much of a cliche, and I was frustrating at part of the story never actually being revealed, just hinted at.

Despite that, I enjoyed the writing style, and it did a beautiful job of capturing some great moments, mainly between Piglet, and ger sister and best friend.
I'm keen to see what the author does next.

I really don't know what to make of this book.

I really disliked the fact that not only her own family but also her fiancé and friends called the main character Piglet. Clearly she has an obsession with food given the luscious way it's described. Clearly she has an eating disorder but nobody offers any support.

The two families are irritatingly typecast northerners and southerners and it was difficult to believe that up to two weeks before the wedding Piglet and Cecilia had hit it off so well..

I got tired of Kit's misdemeanour being constantly hinted at, Piglet revealing what he'd done to her father and her friend, but it never being revealed to the reader. I can only assume infidelity, but was hoping it was going to be something surprising, but unfortunately not.

In it's favour there were scenes, for example the ordering of every burger on a café menu, and incidents at the wedding, that I could picture vividly, but somehow the novel as a whole didn't really appeal.

Its been 24 hours since I finished reading this and I'm still not entirely sure what I think of this. I found the "nickname" jarring and really wished it wasn't used throughout- although I do feel that was the author's intention.

There aren't any likeable characters and they do all feel a bit superficial and lacking in any depth.

The blurb felt so connecting and relatable, but I felt a disconnect with the book as a whole. I think something is maybe missing for me.

An inventive character study that explores the protagonist’s relationships and personal growth through the medium of her passions for food and cooking. Ideal for fans of literary fiction.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC I really appreciate it. I did enjoy Piglet, it was very well written and I really found myself in the world she was trying so desperately to not only fit into, but cling onto. The problem I had was nearly all the characters were shallow and pretentious, the supposedly wonderful Kit wasn’t at all wonderful and every time I thought she’d run away she didn’t. I feel like I need an update, just to see how she hopefully breaks free.

Piglet is marrying Kit in a couple of weeks. A perfect life. Or so it seems from the outside.

I really couldn't warm to any of the characters at all. Two diametrically opposite families, one lot typecast as down to earth Northern folk with common tastes, the other spoiled Southerners. And in the end, I really didn't care what it was that caused the meltdown