DAY ZERO by C. Robert Cargill – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DAY ZERO by C. Robert Cargill – ReviewDay Zero by C. Robert Cargill
Published by Harper Voyager on May 25 2021
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

The nitty-gritty: Day Zero has the best combination of elements ever: thoughtful ideas about the role of robots and AI, unexpected violence, laugh out loud humor and plenty of heart. I loved this book!

I wished there was a word to describe feeling both loved and disposable at the same time.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was surprised and delighted by Day Zero, which is a prequel to Cargill’s much loved Sea of Rust. I’ve heard from other reviewers that if you’ve read Sea of Rust first, you may not like this book as much, and I’ve also heard that those readers who start with Day Zero end up loving it. I fall into the second camp, since I haven’t yet had the chance to read Sea of Rust, so from my perspective, this is a great place to start. Day Zero was heartwarming and thought-provoking and violent and funny, elements that show up again and again in my favorite books, and I’m so happy to have read it.

The story is told by Pounce, an anthropomorphic fur-covered AI tiger nannybot whose sole purpose is to take care of and protect eight year old Ezra. Pounce is a specialty “fashionable,” a Blue Star Industries Deluxe Zoo Model Au Pair, purchased by Ezra’s parents Sylvia and Bradley, and in his eyes, he’s a member of the Reinhart family. But there is a revolution brewing, and the catalyst is an old model AI bot named Isaac, who has declared his independence after his owner died. Isaac was granted his freedom after a lengthy trial, and now he’s urging other bots to join him in the newly constructed Isaactown, a place where emancipated bots can gather and live their own lives.

But not everyone agrees that robots should be freed, and it isn’t long before a right wing religious group takes violent action against Isaac and the bots that have joined him in Isaactown. As Pounce and his family watch the horror unfold on TV from the safety of their living room, Sylvia leaps into action and orders Pounce to keep Ezra safe, no matter what happens. A war between humans and robots has just been launched, and it will take all of Pounce’s nanny skills (and more) to protect his charge.

What starts as a mild-mannered, almost cozy family drama suddenly becomes a thrilling fight for survival as the world’s bots start turning against their owners, and Pounce must navigate an apocalyptic war zone in order to keep Ezra alive. As I mentioned before, I was not expecting the book to turn so dark so quickly, and I loved every minute of it. Something happens to Pounce during his dangerous journey—and I won’t say what that is—that changes his personality in a subtle way and allows him to protect Ezra on another level entirely.

Most of the story takes place in the Reinhart’s affluent suburban neighborhood, as Pounce and Ezra make their way through the dark and dangerous streets, now filled with gruesomely murdered humans, burning houses and gun-toting bots. Along the way they meet various allies, but of course they also run into some killer robots who will do anything to put them down—Ezra because he’s human, and Pounce because he refuses to join the revolution. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Pounce and Ezra meet a motley group of bots that call themselves the Mama Bears, some of them Blue Star Au Pairs just like Pounce, and despite the extreme violence they’re caught up in, these are some of the funniest scenes in the book.

I absolutely loved Pounce’s voice, and this would have been a much different tale without his humorous and thoughtful outlook on life. Pounce loves Ezra completely and will do anything for him. He also loves Sylvia and Bradley, who treat him kindly, even though he’s only a robot. There’s quite a bit of swearing in this story, which I was not expecting, but it really worked well for me. Sylvia swears like a sailor, and of course Ezra picks up on that and tests his boundaries at times. I loved the way Pounce tells him that swearing is bad and not appropriate for an eight year old, but then he turns around and swears up a storm whenever he’s around his nannybot friends.

Pounce is programmed to protect Ezra, and he does it very well, but there is a point during the story where he suddenly has his programming altered and things could have gone very differently. The fact that he continued to follow his original directives made him such an interesting and complex character. Cargill raises questions about free will and ownership, themes I’ve seen many times in other science fiction stories that focus on robots and AIs, but here he adds quite a bit of emotion to the mix. When Pounce finds his factory box in the attic, he remembers that he’s little more than a smart toy with a kill switch, and Sylvia and Bradley can power him down and pack him away in that box whenever they want. At some point, Ezra will outgrow the need for a nannybot, and what happens to Pounce then? These bittersweet explorations of the rights of robots and their lack of freedom gives readers a lot to think about, especially when things go sideways.

But the most poignant part of the story for me was the relationship between Pounce and Ezra. I got heavy Toy Story vibes during some of the scenes between them, especially when Pounce explains to Ezra that he won’t always need a nannybot to take care of him. Ezra can’t fathom a life without his best friend, and of course the idea of leaving Pounce behind is heartbreaking for him. Parts of the story also reminded me a lot of the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence and the relationship between David and Teddy (one of my favorite movies ever!). The idea of growing up and leaving childhood behind is a theme that gets me every time, and the way Cargill incorporates it in Day Zero was so well done. (I also spotted a nod to Peter Pan that fit in quite well with this theme!)

I wasn’t sure how Cargill was going to wrap up his story. Let’s face it: these characters are in some serious danger and it was hard to imagine a light at the end of the tunnel. But I thought the ending was a perfect mix of heartbreak and hope, and I can’t image a better one.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Posted May 29, 2021 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 32 Comments

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32 responses to “DAY ZERO by C. Robert Cargill – Review”

    • Tammy

      I think this story would be a good one for you, there’s actually quite a bit of horror as well:-)

      Reply
  4. todd

    There was something about this cover when you first posted it way back. So I’m very pleased to see the story lived up to the cover. I’d love to read this one. The change to Pounce brings back memories of The Book of Koli when Monono disappeared into what was left of the Internet and me wondering how the AI might have changed because of this. I still need to finish that series.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I never get tired of AI stories, there is so much you can do with them. I thought Cargill did some interesting things, and I’m anxious to read more of his books:-)

      Reply
  5. Maddalena@spaceandsorcery

    Thank you so much for confirming that this novel will prove to be as good and emotionally satisfying as Sea of Rust was! I doubt that having read Cargill’s previous book will spoil my enjoyment of this one, and my only problem might be with your mention of Spielberg’s A.I. because the end of that movie made bawl like a baby, so I’d better keep a box of Kleenex at hand! 😉
    Thanks for sharing
    Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…CIRCE, by Madeline Miller – #WyrdandwonderMy Profile

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I really want to know what you think of this one, so I’ll be waiting to read your thoughts one of these days. And I am now excited for Sea of Rust! It sounds like a long ways off, but I may save it for Sci Fi Month in November.

      Reply
    • Tammy

      I think if you want to read them in chronological order, it makes sense to read this first. I’ll definitely be reading Sea of Rust now!

      Reply
  9. Susy's Cozy World

    I am just coming back to the book community and yet I have found a book to add to my TBR. I missed blogging and blog hopping, I missed them a lot, but I think that my wallet and my TBR didn’t miss them so much. But this book seems intriguing, and I have discovered that I have a weakness for AI so that helps, and your review just made me even more curious!!

    Reply
  10. Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

    Brilliant review! I adored this book, and you really capture so many of the reasons why. I love the relationship between Pounde and Ezra — and yes, some serious Toy Story vibes, but with lots more violence and bloodshed. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I hope you enjoy it! I’ll be curious to see what you think because you’ve read Sea of Rust already, right?

      Reply
  14. sjhigbee

    I absolutely LOVED Sea of Rust, but I dithered about requesting this one, as I’ve been reluctant to deal with some of the darker apocalyptic themes. But your excellent review has reassured me that this one isn’t too dark – and reminded me all over again why I loved Sea of Rust so much. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tammy

      It was actually darker than I expected, so do beware. Lots of killing…but I’m looking forward to Sea of Rust, it sounds a bit more tame?

      Reply
  17. Lynn

    I loved this one – particularly Pounce and the surprises he has in store.
    My review should be up tomorrow.
    Lynn 😀

    Reply

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