Asako Yuzuki's 'bold and exciting' Butter crowned Waterstones Book of the Year 2024

Asako Yuzuki’s "bold and exciting" Butter, translated by Polly Barton (Fourth Estate), has been crowned Waterstones Book of the Year 2024.

Meanwhile, Waterstones also named Ross Montgomery’s "heartwarming" I Am Rebel (Walker Books) as its Children’s Book of the Year 2024. The two titles will receive the backing of bookshops and booksellers across the UK, as well as support online and through the Waterstones Plus loyalty card programme.

Waterstones booksellers were called on to nominate an "outstanding book" they particularly enjoyed recommending to readers over the previous year.

Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones, said: “Butter is the ultimate word-of-mouth sensation, a deliciously rich treat of a novel which quickly established itself as the most talked about book of the year. Weaving tense mystery with blistering social commentary and skewering the media’s obsession with true crime, fans of fiction of all kinds will devour Butter."

Beatrice from Waterstones Cheltenham called Butter a "unique piece of literature with cult-classic energy", while Jake from Waterstones Grimsby described it a "gripping, dark and twisty" novel.

On Montgomery’s I Am Rebel, Carvalho added: "At a time when children’s literacy and reading for pleasure should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, I am Rebel stands out as the perfect book to press into the hands of children and the adults who care for them."