Pet by Catherine Chidgey

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. 

Set in New Zealand in the 1980s and probing themes of racism, misogyny and the oppressive reaches of Catholicism, Pet will take a rightful place next to other classic portraits of childhood betrayal: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Go-Between, Heavenly Creatures and Au Revoir Les Enfants among them.

REVIEWS

"Chidgey again displays her prodigious talent for psychological suspense and minutely evoking past eras…. Faultless.” ― The Guardian

"Unnervingly realistic… a chilling tale of childhood vulnerability and violence." ― Financial Times

"A sly psychological thriller... Chidgey is an agile writer, and here fuses pacey storytelling with some resonant metaphors." ― The Observer

PRODUCT DETAILS
Paperback
Publisher: Europa
ISBN: 978-1787705081
Pages: 336