“the one who caves first, loses”
I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but a cover can certainly get a book on my radar that may not have otherwise shown up. Such was the case with Azako Yuzuki’s Hooked (translation by Polly Barton , HarperCollins 2026). I haven’t read Butter and was unfamiliar with Yuzuki, but when I saw that cover, I immediately added it to my holds. And I’m glad I did.
Eriko’s life looks perfect. She is from an affluent family. She has a good job. She’s ambitious. She’s beautiful. But she’s lonely. She has a hard time making friends, particularly female friends, and a track record of obsessive behavior. She’s been following a popular blog, Diary of Hallie B, the World’s Worst Wife, for two years, her morning breakfasts consisting of the pastries “Hallie” features on the blog. She decides that Hallie and her would be the best of friends and sets out to meet her.
Hallie, Shoko, is a laidback, go-with-the-flow sort. She’s the opposite of Eriko in nearly every way. She’s fabricated a stalker to make herself seem more important. The first time she meets Eriko, she believes it happenstance. Then Eriko starts messaging her, texting and posting comments on the blog. And then Eriko shows up at her house, having used the blog to figure out what building she lives in. Eriko is obsessed, and Shoko doesn’t know how to shake her. Eriko’s obsession with Shoko leads to a spiral for both women.
I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t tell you what happens, but this is truly a novel of obsession, female friendships, and the hunger for connection.
A Girl Named Tommi 