What is Now Entering Addamsville about?
“A darkly humorous, rapid-fire read.” —Kirkus Reviews
Stranger Things meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this contemporary novel from Francesca Zappia, the acclaimed author of Eliza and Her Monsters.
When Zora Novak is framed for a crime she didn’t commit, she must track down the true culprit and clear her name before it’s too late. But in a small town obsessed with ghosts, getting people to believe the truth might prove to be impossible.
When someone burns down the home of the school janitor and he dies in the blaze, everyone in Addamsville, Indiana, points a finger at Zora. Never mind that Zora has been on the straight and narrow since her father was thrown in jail. With everyone looking for evidence against her, her only choice is to uncover the identity of the real killer.
There’s one big problem—Zora has no leads. No one does. Addamsville has a history of tragedy, and thirty years ago a similar string of fires left several townspeople dead. The arsonist was never caught.
Now, Zora must team up with her cousin Artemis—an annoying self-proclaimed Addamsville historian—to clear her name. But with a popular ghost-hunting television show riling up the townspeople, almost no support from her family and friends, and rumors spinning out of control, things aren’t looking good. Zora will have to read between the lines of Addamsville’s ghost stories before she becomes one herself.
Acclaimed author Francesca Zappia has a perfectly pitched teen voice that shines in this inventive novel. Now Entering Addamvsille is perfect for fans of Brittany Cavallaro, Victoria Schwab, Riverdale, Truly Devious, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Includes interior spot illustrations from the author.
- Outcast Protagonist: Zora Novak is from the wrong side of the tracks, her dad's in jail, and the whole town thinks she's an arsonist. Clearing her name means fighting a family reputation she didn’t create.
- A Haunted Town: Welcome to Addamsville, Indiana—a place so obsessed with its ghosts, it can't tell the difference between local legend and a real killer on the loose.
- Supernatural Thriller: This isn't just a murder mystery. The true culprit is a “firestarter,” a supernatural creature Zora can see, and she's the only one who knows how to hunt it.
- Family Secrets: Zora's not just fighting the town’s history—she's fighting her own. To solve the crime, she'll have to team up with her annoying cousin Artemis and dig into a past that's more haunted than any ghost story.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Now Entering Addamsville?
Children’s, Teenage and Educational > Children’s / Teenage: General interest > Children’s / Teenage general interest: Communities, places and peoples > Children’s / Teenage general interest: City and town life