Review: 

This novella is sure to give you the warm fuzzies! 

 

“Below Zero” is told from the perspective of Hannah Arroyo, a NASA aerospace engineer who finds herself stranded in the Arctic during a snowstorm. The only person willing to save her? Her rival, Ian Floyd. As Hannah awaits rescue, she analyzes their relationship over the years and questions why he would be willing to risk his own life for her. 

 

Like the other STEMinist novellas, “Below Zero” has fantastic representation. Hannah identifies as bisexual, but she has trouble forming relationships that are not sex-based, adding complexity to her character. Deep down, she fears what her partners will think of her once they learn more about her personality. 

 

Ian also has interesting characterization. Growing up, he was often overlooked by both his parents and peers, making him a bit of a loner until Hannah entered his life. 

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t really feel the sparks between Hannah and Ian because they met so suddenly and their relationship did not have enough time to develop due to the novella’s length. Had I been given more time with the characters, perhaps my thoughts would be different. 

 

Speaking of more time, I need a whole book full of interactions between all of the characters from Hazelwood’s STEMinist collection. The cameos made by Mara, Liam, Sadie, and Erik were incredibly entertaining and added elements of humor to the story.