The Starving Bride by Catherine Chidgey

Dumped by her boyfriend, fired from her job and estranged from her parents, Hazel Whitlock signs up for a sideshow act in Blackpool. The seaside resort has revived all the cancelled old favourites, and she will be the Starving Bride.

On display in the iconic Blackpool Tower, with a ravenous lion prowling the enclosure, Hazel must lie in silence in a glass coffin while strangers view her body. Do it for 40 days, and Hazel will bag a paycheck that will presumably solve her problems.

As the days tick down and Hazel gets closer to her payday, thousands are captivated by the transformation, and some are watching far more closely than they should be.

The story riffs off the 1930s Blackpool Starving Bridge act, where a woman undertook a 40-day fast in a lion's den. This story is set in the near future in a world that feels both surreal and wholly believable.

Author Catherine Chidgey is well-known for her psychologically complex and quietly evil stories. The Starving Bride is no different. She weaves a complex web with the obvious exploration of the way women's bodies are watched, judged and consumed, body image and beauty. Chidgey also adds contemporary culture, exploring voyeurism, the age of influencers and fame, climate change and nostalgia for past values. The book's strength lies in the conversations and self-reflection it will no doubt spark. 

With Chidgey, you always know there is something lurking in the shadows, and as the Starving Bride shrinks, some of those come to light. 

However, this novel lacked some teeth for me and, unfortunately, fell a little flat. The characters felt a little predictable and one-dimensional, unable to carry the weight of the various threads. Unlike The Axeman's Carnival or Remote Sympathy, it took me quite some time to get engrossed in the story. Even when I did get picked up and carried away, it lacked the smack in the face Chidgey fans have come to love and expect.

Reviewer: Rebekah Fraser

Te Herenga Waka University Press