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