Zodiac Pets

by Eric Giroux

Overview

In his follow-up to the award-winning Ring On Deli, Eric Giroux returns to the hard-luck hamlet of Pennacook, Massachusetts, for a hilarious and potent novel about 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.

"Exciting" and "engaging" with a "satisfying conclusion." - Foreword Clarion Reviews

"Convincingly explores the fragility of democracy." - Kirkus Reviews ("Our Verdict: Get It")

"[A] potent novel of growing up and facing the world. . . . Giroux weaves a gripping narrative, laced with humor, that interrogates and encourages reflection on individuals' susceptibility to the influence of those in power. .... [A] compelling and thought-provoking read." - BookLife

"Zany, manic, absolutely crackers, Zodiac Pets is a smart, snarky satire of American idealism crashing headfirst into its mortal enemy, human nature." - Stewart O'Nan, author of The Speed Queen and Last Night at the Lobster

"Smart, witty, and savage, Zodiac Pets is the perfect read for anyone who believes that novels still matter and can challenge us to be better human beings and citizens-all while making us laugh till our sides split." - Robert Kerbeck, award-winning author of RUSE and Malibu Burning

"Zodiac Pets brings to the page one of the most unique, whip-smart, and hilarious characters in memory in seventh grader Wendy Zhou." - Beth Uznis Johnson, author of Coming Clean

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734224047
Publisher:	New Salem Books
Publication date:	06/18/2024
Pages:	306
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Eric Giroux is the author of RING ON DELI, which won the National Indie Excellence Award for Comedy and a Readers' Favorite award, and ZODIAC PETS. His fiction writing has received support from Vermont Studio Center and Millay Arts. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College, he is a senior counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and lives near Boston with his family.

Editorial Reviews

04/15/2024

This potent novel of growing up and facing the world delves into the intersection of democracy and everyday life in the small town of Pennacook, introduced in Giroux’s Ring on Deli, where challenges such as floods and roaming boars upend lives, with citizens mired in a state of fear and resignation. Amidst this backdrop we meet Wendy Zhou, a middle schooler, who emerges as the protagonist to confront the stagnant status quo of water-filled roads. Her journey to Pennacook follows the death of her father, with her mother consumed by apathy, distant and uninvolved. Despite this, Wendy’s sharp observations and budding writing skills lead her to volunteer at the Beat, the town’s weekly newspaper under the haphazard leadership of Graham A. Bundt. Bundt’s journalistic approach leaves her searching for tangible evidence and a newsworthy mentality. The amusingly drawn Beat staff—a “piccolo playing snot named Delmore,” Denise, and Sall—struggle to work as a team.

As Wendy’s curiosity ignites a mission to unravel the mysteries behind the town’s plight. Giroux weaves a gripping narrative, laced with humor, that interrogates and encourages reflection on individuals’ susceptibility to the influence of those in power. As Wendy navigates the complexities of middle school relationships, or in her case the lack thereof, she becomes increasingly aware of the townspeople’s unquestioning acceptance of their situation without question, a classic coming-of-age discovery—adults don’t always actually know what they’re doing!—that here is developed with incisive power.

This quest persists into Wendy’s college years. As a senior, she digs deeper into the reasons behind Pennacook’s decline and seeks companionship with Lena whose tendencies mirror Wendy’s suicidal father. The story serves as a poignant reminder of how easy it is to succumb to the status quo, relinquishing our responsibility in the process. Through Wendy’s eyes, readers see how unquestioning acceptance can lead to our own undoing, making this a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Takeaway: Resonant novel of a young journalist digging at hard truths about her hometown.

Comparable Titles: Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, Brandon J. Wolf’s A Place for Us.

Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews