Hooked
- Author Asako Yuzuki, Translated by Polly Barton
- Narrator Ami Okumura Jones
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 12 March 2026
- Run Time 13 hours and 36 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Fiction in translation, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Thriller / suspense fiction.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Standard price shown. Sign in for personalised pricing.
Send as a gift Get in the xigxag appFlexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
‘Tender and thrilling it’s Yuzuki at her best’ ELLE
‘Deliciously satisfying’ iPAPER
‘Enjoyable and addictive’ INDEPENDENT
‘Fantastically dark’ ERIN KELLY
The thrilling 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, Shōko. Shōko’s posts about convenience-store food and her messy home are the opposite of the typical manicured housewife. When Eriko tracks Shōko down at her favourite restaurant, Shōko is at first charmed by her new companion. But soon Eriko's obsession with Shōko 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 in Vogue, Guardian, New York Times, The Times, Sunday Times Style, Elle, Stylist, Grazia and more.
‘Expect to see this distinctive pink cover everywhere’ GRAZIA
‘A psychological thriller with a social commentary bite’ INDEPENDENT
‘Unsettling, compelling, richly written’ JODIE HARSH, author of You Had to Be There
‘Translated with crackling verve’ GUARDIAN
‘I couldn't stop reading’ COSTANZA CASATI, author of Babylonia
‘Stayed with me for weeks’ IRISH TIMES
‘Tremendous – an elegantly written … dissection of female friendship’ THE GLOSS
‘You can’t fail to be reeled in’ SERVICE95
‘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
Critics Review
n Praise for Hooked:n
n‘Deliciously satisfying’ iPaper
n‘A psychological thriller with a social commentary bite … an uncomfortable yet strangely gripping read … enjoyable and addictive’ Independent
n‘Translated with crackling verve by Polly Barton … The unrolling suspense compels, as does the deep dive into both characters and their motives’ Guardian
n‘A story I could not put down’ Standard
n‘I was practically reading through my fingers … I enjoyed the worldly wisdom and the neon-and-fast-food atmosphere’ Daily Mail
n‘Subtle, original and thought-provoking … stayed with me for weeks after I had finished it’ Irish Times
n‘Tender and thrilling it’s Yuzuki at her best’ Elle
n‘You can’t fail to be reeled in by Asako Yuzuki’s luminous prose’ Service95
n‘Tremendous … stays in your head long after you close it’ The Gloss
n‘I'd recommend adding it to your reading lists immediately’ Daily Express
n‘The kind of book you press into your friends’ hands, desperate to dissect it’ Erin Kelly, author of The House of Mirrors
n‘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
n‘A brilliant, shocking, unforgettable page turner … I couldn't stop reading’ Costanza Casati, author of Babylonia
n‘A razor-edged story about women, appetite, and what we’ll do to feel chosen … Safe to say, we’re already hooked’ Oprah Daily
n‘A thrilling and deliciously sharp examination of the extremes of female friendship. Achingly tender and wickedly funny’ Edel Coffey, author of In Glass Houses
n‘Dark, tender and unforgettable’ Jane Casey, author of The Secret Room
n‘The most stressful fun I’ve ever had reading a book’ Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
n‘I loved this intense and claustrophobic story of loneliness, identity and obsession’ Lucy Diamond, author of The Island Getaway
n‘This haunting tale of loneliness and longing in the modern age will leave you gasping’ Tobi Coventry, author of He’s the Devil
nMore from the same
About xigxag and the x-book®
Discover the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed to simplify finding, purchasing, and enjoying your favourite books in audio format. Our flexible pricing model makes bestselling audiobooks affordable, offering the best audiobook deals without the need for a subscription. You can also give the perfect gift with our convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
A core differentiator of xigxag is our groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology, which delivers a truly immersive digital book experience. This unique innovation seamlessly combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant, integrated format, complete with exclusive audiobook features and a next-generation digital reading experience. Our growing x-book selection is easily discoverable by looking for the distinctive purple x-book® ribbon, or by simply filtering your search by ‘x-book’.
Beyond our technology, xigxag is committed to sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we stand as a leader in audiobook innovation and a compelling alternative to big tech. Our commitment extends to delivering extraordinary customer service, provided by our friendly UK support team.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, gain insights from honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. You can download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere, guaranteeing the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.