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Pet
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
26 posts | 23 read | 46 to read
A new novel from the? Women's Prize for Fiction longlisted and ?Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author of? Remote Sympathy, 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."Refreshing, compelling and surprising."--Ann Morgan, author of Beside Myself and Reading the World
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review
LeahBergen
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

This read like a disturbing ‘80s version of Are You There, God? It‘s Me, Margaret and I couldn‘t put it down. 😆

thegirlwiththelibrarybag That‘s quite an enticing review! Kid me loved Judy Blume! 1mo
Gissy I want to read that one. I have heard good reviews in YouTube. Louise Savidge YouTuber said it was good. I follow her and her son Simon Savidge. 1mo
sarahbarnes Yes! 😁 I loved this one too. 4w
See All 18 Comments
Ruthiella Now that‘s a combo I didn‘t think of! But you are right. 😆 4w
squirrelbrain Yes, perfect comparison! 4w
BarbaraBB Sucha good book! 4w
Suet624 This author 💕💕💕 4w
Cathythoughts I loved it. What about that scene when she is in the teachers house 😮😳 ( I‘ve forgotten some names 🙈) dresses up as the teacher and is all ‘ OK People, People‘ I often think of that scene. 4w
Cathythoughts I‘ll never forget that white pants suit ! 4w
LeahBergen @Gissy It‘s a good read! 4w
LeahBergen @sarahbarnes It was gripping. 😁 4w
LeahBergen @Ruthiella @squirrelbrain I think it was the first period and first bra shopping that reminded me of Blume. 😆 4w
LeahBergen @Suet624 I want to read more by her now! 4w
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Yes!! It was just so bizarre! 😆 4w
TheKidUpstairs So good, eh? Did you really have the matching pen?! I love that! I'm on the hold list for her newest 3w
LeahBergen I really enjoyed it and must try some of her other books. And yes, I‘ve collected these pens for about 30 years, whenever I travel. 😆😆 @TheKidUpstairs 3w
64 likes1 stack add18 comments
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AnneCecilie
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Suet624 I always like seeing this book pop up on Litsy. . 2mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good! 2mo
Eggs Agree with @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks - sounds compelling 2mo
41 likes3 comments
review
NovelNancyM
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

A psychological thriller with themes of Catholicism, racism and misogyny. Recommend for older teens and adults. The novel shifts between 1984 when the protagonist Justine is twelve and 2014. The scenes in the earlier timeframe seemed more fleshed out and I was left with questions about Justine as an adult.

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birdie_gw
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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I admit, 40% of my attraction to this book was the cover. Glad I checked it out - can‘t put it down!

birdie_gw @pdxannie big recommend!! Beautifully written and I was hooked early on. 6mo
pdxannie Added to my stack!!! 5mo
3 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
TheKidUpstairs
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Chidgey masterfully crafts an atmosphere of growing unease. Coming of age, with all its preteen anxieties, is compounded by a glamorous, manipulative teacher. Interwoven into the narrative are issues of groupthink, religious ferver, body image, loneliness, and grief. An unsettling read with an explosive climax that will not soon be forgotten.

Suet624 Great review. Great book. 7mo
squirrelbrain Loved this! ❤️ 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review ♥️ such a good book. 👍🏻 7mo
76 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
batsy
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

A disturbing & riveting tale of coming-of-age amidst grief, racism, people who are deeply unwell, religious conservatism, & the dangerous ways the delusion & the "madness of crowds" can work, in all stages of life. The narrative & writing brought to the surface all of the subterranean fears & anxieties of childhood, especially the sense that adulthood is not all that it's cracked up to be. A tad overlong but the writing is good & worth the effort.

Tamra Awesome review! Anxious to read it. 7mo
Megabooks So excited for this! 7mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 7mo
See All 22 Comments
sarahbarnes Great review! I agree, I really liked this one, too. 7mo
RohitSawant Fantastic review! 7mo
batsy @Tamra @Megabooks I hope you guys enjoy it! 7mo
batsy @sarahbarnes Thanks! I love that she doesn't reveal too much to the reader but just enough that we know more than the young narrator and are left internally screaming all the way. 7mo
squirrelbrain Great review! 7mo
sarahbarnes @batsy completely agree. And as you said, such a great way to illustrate the fact that adults are sometimes actually terrible. 7mo
Ruthiella This was at times too tense for me. I had to read ahead, get the worst of it over and then go back and read the middle. 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review! I‘m glad you liked it. I really enjoyed too X 7mo
BarbaraBB Glad you liked it too! 7mo
batsy @Ruthiella I know what you mean, I was so tempted to do that! 7mo
batsy @Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB Well-written books with that sense of menace and danger—maybe I'm predisposed to liking them 😆 Can understand why it's gotten so many positive reviews! 7mo
Cathythoughts Menace and danger !!! Bring it on 😂 7mo
jlhammar Great review! One of my favorite reads so far this year. 7mo
Lesliereadsalot Really liked this one. Great review! 7mo
batsy @Cathythoughts You get it 😂 7mo
Suet624 One of those books I could not put down. As usual, you‘ve written a perfect review. (edited) 7mo
batsy @Suet624 Thanks so much 😘 It was incredibly compelling and unnerving! 7mo
93 likes22 comments
review
Suet624
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

A beautiful teacher comes to town & a class of 12 year olds are enthralled. All of the students want to please her and be the teacher‘s pet. When items of the students begin to be stolen, the story takes off. We follow our main character, still grieving the death of a parent, as she navigates the hierarchy within a teenage world & the manipulative world of an adult. It‘s a page turner I could not put down. Already grabbed another by this author.

Aimeesue Great review! 8mo
Suet624 @Aimeesue thank you! 8mo
Tamra I‘ve had my eye on this one. Great review! 8mo
See All 7 Comments
Suet624 @Tamra I could NOT put it down. A satisfying read, for sure. 8mo
BarbaraBB I am glad you liked it too. Interested in her other books too. 8mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB you were right. If all books were like this one I‘d fly through that stack of library books I picked up. 8mo
Cathythoughts I agree. Such a good read ❤️ 8mo
55 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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Suet624
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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So apparently I‘ve abandoned the many books on my shelves and overindulged at the library. The pressure is now on to read them all before their due date. And I have a week coming up that is filled with elections, registering voters, and alphabetizing returning absentee ballots. Yeehaw!

Tamra I really dislike the pressure of due dates! It often detracts from my enjoyment of a book. 😔 8mo
Suet624 @Tamra same!! 8mo
BarbaraBB Just read Pet and you‘ll be fine 😉 Good luck doing those good things ❤️ 8mo
See All 10 Comments
Suet624 @BarbaraBB just at the start of Pet and really enjoying it. 8mo
Hooked_on_books Gosh, I‘ve never done that before! Nope, never! Really! 😬 8mo
sarahbarnes Thanks for the work you‘re doing there! And I agree with @BarbaraBB on Pet. Glad you‘re enjoying it so far. 8mo
Cathythoughts I loved Pet too 👍🏻❤️ 8mo
tpixie Wow! I‘ve never heard of Pet. I‘m gonna have to check it out after all these endorsements!! I am excited to read Hannah‘s The Women 8mo
Suet624 @tpixie I‘m really enjoying it. One of those books that make me rush through my chores so I can sit with it. I‘m looking forward to Hannah‘s book too. 8mo
tpixie @Suet624 the best kind of book! 8mo
53 likes10 comments
review
Cathythoughts
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Great storytelling about a young girl and her relationship with her father , her friends. Navigating those pre-teen years in New Zealand. Then, a beautiful teacher that everyone falls in love with. Suspenseful, a page turner for me with quality writing.
I‘m looking up more by Catherine Chidgey now. Lovely writer to discover here on Litsy. 🙏

Lesliereadsalot Loved this book too! 8mo
erzascarletbookgasm I‘m looking forward to read this! 8mo
Cathythoughts @Lesliereadsalot So well done ! 👍🏻♥️ 8mo
See All 25 Comments
Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm It‘s really good. X 8mo
Tamra Can‘t wait! 😄 8mo
Cathythoughts @Lesliereadsalot And there are funny suspenseful bits too. Like when she is swanning around in front of the mirror in Mrs Prices bedroom, in Mrs Prices underwear.. saying ‘ Now People , who‘s like some ice chips … ‘ I thought that was tense , but funny. 8mo
Cathythoughts @Tamra Looking forward to your thoughts 👍🏻 8mo
Ruthiella I found this one to be so tense, I had to skip to the end, find out how the chips lay, and then I went back and read the middle. 😬 8mo
Lesliereadsalot Yes! Humor really adds to the believability of the story. 8mo
marleed I‘m intrigued! 8mo
squirrelbrain Such a great book! ❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts @marleed 👍🏻❤️ it‘s intriguing 😁 8mo
Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain Seriously good. I‘m looking forward to reading another. ❤️ 8mo
BarbaraBB I was so glad to discover her too here and want to read more by her as well! 8mo
LeahBergen Lovely photo! I have this one waiting on my shelves. 8mo
jlhammar One of my favorites so far this year! Chidgey's Remote Sympathy is quite different, but also very good. 8mo
Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB She‘s very good. 8mo
Cathythoughts @jlhammar Yes. Me too. Thanks , I‘ll look up Remote Sympathy ❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I imagine you will really like this one 👍🏻❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts @Ruthiella I know , the tension was constant 😳 8mo
TrishB I didn‘t enjoy her other one but people have said they‘re very different so I may give this a go! 8mo
Cathythoughts @TrishB Is the other one Remote Sympathy? I‘ve just got that one .. this one is very good imo 8mo
Suet624 If not for Litsy, there are so many authors and books I‘d never have read. Pet is definitely one of them. I‘m on to Remote Sympathy now. So far I‘m intrigued by it. 8mo
Cathythoughts @Suet624 I know ! Litsy is great , it‘s a real education 👍🏻😁 8mo
Cathythoughts @Suet624 I have Remote Sympathy now too .. just havnt got to it yet 👍🏻 8mo
67 likes2 stack adds25 comments
review
Texreader
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

This is an anxiety inducing book. A 12-YO girl wants to be loved and accepted by her teacher. When theft in her classroom occurs blame goes all around, altering lives forever. Turns out, an adult is manipulating an innocent vulnerable girl, gaslighting her. The more the manipulation continued the more stressed I got. It reminds me of Stephen King‘s short story The Apt Pupil, which was much more disturbing. But I got the same ill vibes from this ⬇️

Texreader book. Fortunately it has a satisfying ending. But major trigger warnings if you don‘t care to read about kids being so badly taken advantage of. #NewZealand #foodandlit #readingOceania @Catsandbooks @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB Also another trigger warning below.⬇️ (edited) 9mo
Texreader Trigger warning: suicide 9mo
68 likes2 comments
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BarbaraBB
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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#BookReport 07/24

Another productive reading week! I loved the tagged book, enjoyed X and was disappointed by The Details and The Stationery Shop. Not complaining though, I had a good week!

TrishB Definitely a good week 👍🏻 9mo
84 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Texreader
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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BarbaraBB You‘re reading a lot for NZ. This one is great too! 9mo
AnneCecilie I loved this one. Hope you do too 9mo
Texreader @BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie It‘s really good so far!! Addictive! 9mo
Catsandbooks ❤️🇳🇿 9mo
63 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

The tension…. What a read. Justine and her classmates all adore their new teacher, Mrs Price. They all want to be her pet and Mrs Price is a manipulator and enjoying that a lot. Then the thefts start.
In between we are in current times, Justine is 42 and visiting her father in a nursing home.
I cannot say too much but will always wonder what exactly happened. I feel for Justine and I must read more by this author!

#ReadingOceania24 🇳🇿

BarbaraBB @Catsandbooks @Texreader #FoodAndLit 🇳🇿 @cbee #TarotTBR Author starts with a C (edited) 9mo
See All 25 Comments
Ruthiella Look at all those prompts you made with this one title! Impressive. 🤩 9mo
CBee Sounds like an awesome read 👏🏻 9mo
Librarybelle I‘m seeing so many good reviews for this one! 9mo
MicheleinPhilly Helen bought me this one for my birthday. I‘m looking forward to it! 9mo
monkeygirlsmama Never heard of this one, but it's now stacked based on your write up. 😁 9mo
squirrelbrain I loved this one - it made my favourites of last year! ❤️ 9mo
Megabooks Definitely excited to read this!! 💕😘 9mo
jlhammar So good, right? Great review. @squirrelbrain It will likely be among my top reads this year! 9mo
Gleefulreader I read her other novel - Remote Sympathy - and it was excellent. This one is on my TBR and I can‘t wait to read it. 9mo
LeahBergen On my shelves! 👏 9mo
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella Lol yeah it was a lucrative read 😂 9mo
BarbaraBB @CBee @Librarybelle @MicheleinPhilly @monkeygirlsmama @Megabooks @LeahBergen It‘s so good. The characters, the plot, the writing. I hope you‘ll read it if you have the chance! 9mo
BarbaraBB @CBee @Librarybelle @MicheleinPhilly @monkeygirlsmama @Megabooks @LeahBergen It‘s so good. The characters, the plot, the writing. I hope you‘ll read it if you have the chance! 9mo
BarbaraBB @Gleefulreader I have that one stacked now. I definitely want to read more by her. I hope you will read this one! 9mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @jlhammar Your reviews made me so eager to read it. And it was as good as you said! 9mo
Hooked_on_books Huh, that sounds really interesting! 9mo
Catsandbooks ❤️🇳🇿 9mo
erzascarletbookgasm Stacking! And the cover is so 3D! 9mo
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I‘m surprised you haven‘t read it yet. Please do 😃 9mo
BarbaraBB @erzascarletbookgasm the cover is great, right? I hope you will read it! 9mo
KarenUK Stacking for sure! I‘m so intrigued!! 💕 9mo
BarbaraBB @KarenUK You‘ll love it! 9mo
109 likes6 stack adds25 comments
review
jlhammar
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

I loved this. Dark, tense, superbly written. One that will linger and haunt me, I think. Highly recommend!

Ruthiella Oh so tense! 😬 I wasn‘t prepared for it. 9mo
BarbaraBB I have this one lined up for February! 9mo
squirrelbrain It‘s sooo good isn‘t it?! I think you‘ll love it too @BarbaraBB 9mo
See All 8 Comments
Lesliereadsalot Such a good story! 9mo
BarbaraBB @Texreader exactly! That‘s why I‘ve been reserving it for February 🇳🇿 9mo
Catsandbooks @Texreader added to the list! 9mo
72 likes4 stack adds8 comments
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Centique
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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A little fangirling moment that i thought bookish people would appreciate - also shows how small NZ is! @CarolynM @Rissreads
My brother returned from camping and says “the guy at the next campsite was a really nice Dad. He takes his kids away by himself so his wife can have alone time to write novels. She's on her 10th one, & won NZ author of the year”
So guess who the wife was - Catherine Chidgey! I must hurry up and read this novel now!

jlhammar Wow, love that! Can‘t wait to read this. It‘s in my stack for this month. 10mo
LeahBergen So cool! I have this book waiting on my shelves. 👍 10mo
squirrelbrain Amazing! And I loved Pen! 10mo
See All 17 Comments
JamieArc Great story! 10mo
TrishB Brilliant! 10mo
BarbaraBB That is so cool!! And I have Pet lined up too. 10mo
Crazeedi Wow! Very cool! And gorgeous photo! I'd love to visit your country 10mo
merelybookish Amazing! 10mo
Bookwormjillk Wow! Small world! 10mo
Rissreads What a gorgeous photo. So I have not read a single book of hers! I‘ll have to start with this one and see what I think! Have you read many @Centique? 10mo
Reggie lol, how awesome! 10mo
CarolynM Great story! That looks like a lovely place to be - very tranquil. I haven‘t read any either @Rissreads I‘ll have to try one soon🙂 10mo
Centique @Rissreads @CarolynM i think i read one of her early ones ages ago - maybe The Fishbone Church - but i have a couple on my shelf i need to get to. 10mo
Centique @Crazeedi come visit! We‘d love to see you! 10mo
Suet624 My son is in NZ for the next 6 weeks. I always love getting his photos. He works for Backroads. 10mo
Centique @Suet624 what a great job! I hope the weather is sunny where he is too 😁 10mo
Suet624 After finishing Pet I was shocked to see how many books she‘d written! 8mo
67 likes1 stack add17 comments
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AnneCecilie
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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#12Booksof2023 October

The tension and the expectations - do I need to say more?

Some honorable mentions:

Clarissa by S. Richardson. A buddy read on Litsy hosted by @Lcsmcat When you spend that much time with a chunkster, it stays with you. Also contains one of my most hated characters ever!

Anne of Green Gables. The ultimate cozy read for autumn

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry. The title says it all - books and bookstores

Lcsmcat Clarissa will not be soon forgotten! (And there were so many characters to hate!) 10mo
Andrew65 Looks a good read. 10mo
62 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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jhod
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Thank you so much @BarbaraBB for my lovely #jolabokaflod treats, perfect Christmas Eve ahead 🤩

And thanks again to @MaleficentBookDragon for making so many Litsians across the globe happy tonight!

Merry Christmas!

BarbaraBB You‘re so welcome. Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 ❤️ 10mo
squirrelbrain Ooh, I loved Pet! ❤️ 10mo
57 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Lesliereadsalot
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Every student in Mrs. Price‘s class wants to be her pet. Middle schoolers can be just as nasty as I remember them! But what‘s really going on with this teacher and who really is she? It‘s up to 12 year old Justine to figure this out and most definitely after her father falls for her. It‘s a thriller that will keep you guessing even after you‘ve finished the book.

Ruthiella I found this book to be SO TENSE! 😬 11mo
Lesliereadsalot Me too!! 11mo
6 likes2 comments
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Ruthiella
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

My second book completed for the #NovelNovember readathon.

This book was so tense at times, I had to read to the end and get the worst of it over; then I went back to read the middle. All the students in 12 year old Justine‘s parochial school class want to win the approval of glamorous Mrs Price, who plays favorites…not exactly a healthy way to teach. But the school administration and parents seem just as enamored by her…and then thefts start…

squirrelbrain Great review! It was such a tense book…. 11mo
Ruthiella @squirrelbrain It really was! The comparisons to Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith should have warned me! 11mo
LeahBergen I can‘t wait to get to this! 👏 11mo
See All 7 Comments
Ruthiella @LeahBergen Prepare yourself for the tension! 11mo
BarbaraBB I had this one stacked already or I would now! 11mo
Ruthiella @BarbaraBB That happened to me too with this one! I kept seeing good reviews and then realizing I had already added it to my TBR. 😅 (edited) 11mo
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 11mo
73 likes4 stack adds7 comments
review
Floresj
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Quite the enjoyable, page-turning, sick-in-bed read. Some parts of the ending were a little far-fetched, but that didn‘t stop me from turning the page faster.

16 likes1 stack add
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sarahbarnes
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

This book was a page turner from start to finish. I was sucked into the story and couldn‘t put it down; I definitely stayed up too late a couple of nights this week to finish it. I really, really disliked Mrs. Price - a sign of excellent character development on Chidgey‘s part. I am really a fan of her writing.

LeahBergen Oh, good to hear! I‘m looking forward to this one. 12mo
AnneCecilie I loved this as well, the tension was amazing. 12mo
sarahbarnes @LeahBergen I hope you like it! 12mo
See All 6 Comments
sarahbarnes @AnneCecilie it was incredible that it lasted throughout the book! 12mo
BarbaraBB Stacking immediately 🤍 12mo
sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB I think you‘ll really like it! 12mo
37 likes3 stack adds6 comments
review
AnneCecilie
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

The tension in this book and the keeping of throughout is amazing, pulling me in from the first paragraph.

Justine is visiting her dad at the elderly home, when one of the nurses reminds her of her teacher, Mrs Price, from her school days 30 yrs before. So starts the road down memory lane, of a teacher that every pupil and who visible had pets in class. And as a reader you know that something most have happened.

AnneCecilie But you won‘t believe where the story is going, even if it do takes some twists and turns that I didn‘t see. This book is amazing and Catherine Chidgey is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. And it‘s not until the end that you fully understand the genius of this simple cover. 13mo
Tamra Stacking! 13mo
Megabooks Great review! 13mo
See All 8 Comments
Read4life 🍁👻🎃 13mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 13mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 13mo
sarahbarnes I loved this one too! 12mo
62 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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AnneCecilie
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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This first paragraph has me hooked. I wonder if she manages to keep the tension throughout the book?

41 likes1 stack add
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Twocougs
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Original but dark story about a girl and her teacher, who is going to marry the girl‘s father. Took so turns, I didn‘t see coming. Enjoyed it.

31 likes1 stack add
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squirrelbrain
Pet | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

I loved this! Justine looks back at her 80s childhood, when a charismatic, glamorous new teacher arrives at their New Zealand Catholic school and everyone wants to be her pet.

Once I got a few chapters in I just couldn‘t put it down. It‘s dark and twisty, but not in a ‘terrible‘ way like the author‘s recent book, Remote Sympathy; more in a ‘I need to inhale this all in one go‘ way.

#netgalley

UK pub date 13th July…and it‘s a Europa Edition!

Cinfhen Ohhhh! STACKED! I LOVED 1y
squirrelbrain It‘s VERY different @Cinfhen - a much easier read of course, but I thought it was fab and I think you would too. 1y
jlhammar Yay! This is on my to-get list (US pub date Aug 8). So glad to hear it was good. Can't wait! 1y
Cinfhen 👍🏽💥🎉 1y
TrishB This sounds good- I didn‘t like her other one. 1y
71 likes6 stack adds5 comments