Catherine Chidgey

3 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Madeleine Crutchley |Álvaro Enrigue |Chloe Wilson |Catherine Chidgey

Lovers of literature consult their shelves for the stories that have stuck with them so far this year. Consulting library catalogues or bookstore stock for a new read can quickly become overwhelming. You might find yourself turning to a reliable genre or author, reluctant to sink time into a book that isn’t your cup of tea. But how do you begin to branch out when you’re too nervous to give something new a chance?

Aug 10, 2023 | crimereads.com | Catherine Chidgey

The appeal of loss-of-innocence narratives lies, I think, in the way they invite us to experience a character’s seismic changes as they unfold—and in the way they can call up in vivid detail our own pasts. I suspect it was inevitable I would write a novel like Pet, that takes as its jumping-off point a deeply charismatic, glamorous woman who taught at my Catholic school. Every girl in my class wanted to be her, and every girl wanted to be her pet.

Jun 30, 2023 | uk.bookshop.org | Promoting Books |Catherine Chidgey

Description Like every other girl in her class, twelve-year-old Justine is drawn to her glamorous, charismatic new teacher and longs to be her pet. However, when a thief begins to target the school, Justine’s sense that something isn’t quite right grows ever stronger. With each twist of the plot, this gripping story of deception and the corrosive power of guilt takes a yet darker turn. Young as she is, Justine must decide where her loyalties lie.