"A curious and entertaining consideration of local democracy that I think would appeal to fans of satire."
Fans of Eric Giroux’s first book ‘Ring on Deli’ are in for a treat with this latest release, ‘Zodiac Pets’. Returning to Pennacook, Massachusetts, we hear Wendy Zhou’s story as she works through her account of the Pennacook Dome debacle. After Wendy lost her father she finds a new sense of purpose joining the team of middle-schoolers staffing the Pannacook Beat, the town newspaper. The story is structured from Wendy’s perspective as a college senior, rewriting her previous account while travelling to interview her former Beat colleagues. This book looks at identity and sense of place as well as offering a satirical look at idealism, democracy, local politics and small town life. Full of irreverent, quirky characters, the threat of wild boar attacks and dumpster living, Zodiac Pets has an intriguing storyline. Although Eric Giroux is returning to Pennacook after writing Ring on Deli, I haven’t read this first book and didn’t think that you needed to read the first book to become immersed in this story. However, there may be nods to past events that readers who have read both would pick up on. I liked the way that Giroux approached handling quite dry topics in a way that brought wit and humour to them and created an engaging story. The mad-cap world created in Zodiac Pets deftly created oddities the reader can laugh at while simultaneously tapping into human experiences we all share. The main character Wendy is well-developed and likeable. I enjoyed seeing her growth, and how she reflected on her own experiences through the overall structure of the narrative. A curious and entertaining consideration of local democracy that I think would appeal to fans of satire.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Indie Author Books |
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A misfit's quest to save the local democracy. Wendy Zhou has just lost her father and is off to a brawling start in decrepit Pennacook, where wild boar roam the streets and dumpster living is the next big thing. She finds a new sense of mission after joining the other middle-schoolers staffing the town paper, the PENNACOOK BEAT. But when dark forces aim to sell the town ("some assembly required") and plunk a giant dome over it, can a still-shattered Wendy find the strength to fight them? And why does Graham Bundt-the supposed John Adams descendant who rules the BEAT like some sloppy Perry White-keep tormenting Wendy with picayune assignments and inane Fun Fridays? Wendy tells the tale as a college senior rewriting ZODIAC PETS, her account of the Pennacook Dome debacle. She's inspired to add new chapters in which she travels down the East Coast with Lena Ko-not only her chauffeur but her troubled and much-loved girlfriend-to interview her former BEAT colleagues for the book. In the process of rewriting, she takes a fresh look at Pennacook, herself, and even the rascally Graham.
Zodiac Pets features in the following genres: Indie Author Books, Indie Books We Love, Humorous Fiction, Recommendations, Fiction
Zodiac Pets is available in Paperback
Zodiac Pets was written by Eric Giroux and published by New Salem Books
