Book Review: Zero Sum by Joyce Carol Oates

Average Rating: 3.6⭐

Zero Sum by Joyce Carol Oates is a collection of twelve short stories that revolve around themes of obsession, loss, motherhood, mental health, and much more. Crisp writing, insightful observations on the human condition and an honest, almost brutal look into the darker side of human relationships and emotions make for an absorbing read.

In the first story, Zero-Sum (3.5), we meet a graduate student whose desire to impress her professor triggers a downward spiral. In Mr. Stickum (4), a group of teenagers devises an elaborate plan to punish sexual predators in their town who prey on trafficked young girls.

Lovesick (4) revolves around a young woman who confides in her former lover about receiving threatening messages from an unknown person, triggering conflicting reactions within her confidante. In Sparrow(3.75), a shocking family secret comes to light when a young woman discovers an old photograph while helping her elderly mother move into an assisted living facility.

We meet a woman who struggles to recover after a miscarriage in The Cold(4).

Take me, I am Free (3.5) depicts a darker side of motherhood where a mother, unhappy with her young daughter, attempts to give her away.

The Suicide(3.5) is a bleak, almost stream-of-consciousness narrative that delves into the mind of a writer who contemplates taking his own life. Dark and immersive, this is the longest story (a novella, to be precise) in the collection.

In The Baby-Monitor(3.5) A new mother is conflicted over the need for her baby’s safety and her need to enjoy her privacy.Monstersister(3.5) revolves around a young girl whose family dynamic shifts after bizarre events follow the discovery of a strange growth on her head.

A Theory Pre-Post-mortem (2.5) follows a couple whose recent vacation exposes them to a deadly virus. In This is Not a Drill (4), A dystopian take on a pandemic-ravaged world where the desire for human connection pushes a man to take desperate measures to interact with the outside world. M A R T H E: A Referendum (4) takes us into a futuristic setting inhabited by AI citizens.

As with most short story collections, this was a mixed bag for me. I found a few of the stories captivating, others not so much! But overall, predominantly dark and disturbing, with genres ranging from family drama to dystopian/speculative fiction, this collection is a testimonial to the author’s exceptional diverse range and writing prowess.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.