Yuzuki Asako
Ecco
17 March 2026
380
eBook - PDF
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via Edelweiss
Eriko’s life looks perfect—from her prestigious job at a Japanese trading firm to her spotless apartment and devoted parents. Her newest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile Perch into the Japanese market, is as ambitious as she is. But beneath her flawless surface lies a consuming loneliness. Eriko has never been able to hold on to a real friend.
Enter a popular lifestyle blogger whose work Eriko follows obsessively. Shoko lives a life of controlled chaos—messy apartment, take-out dinners, a kind, easy-going husband. She writes about daily contentment, though her fractured relationship with her father gnaws at the edges of her happiness.
When Eriko orchestrates a “chance” meeting with Shoko, the two women strike up an unlikely connection. For a fleeting moment, Eriko believes she’s finally found what she’s always longed for. But as her fascination turns to fixation and Shoko’s carefully balanced life begins to dissolve, both women are pushed to breaking points neither of them saw coming.
Hooked was a compelling read from start to finish. I was deeply invested in the characters and their journeys as the story progressed, perhaps in part because I struggle to form close female friendships myself, so I could understand where the characters were coming from. The story covered a number of themes and aspects of modern life, looking at how friendship can easily become competition and the need to compare. I actually enjoyed this one even more than Yuzuki's early, lauded work Butter. But perhaps that is just because this one resonated with me more on a personal level. I appreciate Yuzuki's ability to tackle complex issues in a way that feels reflective and questioning rather than preachy. I am giving this one 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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