"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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