Pet

A very strong opening novel for the 2025 reading year. This is the eighth work by Chidgey, famous in New Zealand but little known outside. “Pet” is set largely in the 1980s, but narrated also from a vantage point of 30 years subsequent to the key events taking place. This should immediately raise some questions in the reader's mind for how accurate can any memories be over such a period. We also learn almost at the outset that Justine (the narrator and key protagonist) suffered from epileptic seizures that impact her memory; particularly troubling since these occur in high-stress situations. Further, her father — also deeply involved in the story — now suffers from Alzheimer's. Think then of Pet as an account of unreliability and manipulation, with Chidgey drawing out the tension superbly — reminiscent of Gillian Flynn or Elizabeth Day. The novel discusses bullying amidst a Catholic school, bringing to the fore sensibilities around religion, racism and misogyny. What Chidgey shows most effectively is our basic desire to be loved (to be the teacher's “pet”), even if such actions may have disastrous consequences. 10/10.

By Catherine Chidgey