The L-Shaped Room insults her to the extent that Jane determines to have the child. She and Toby (Bell) start a romance, which is disrupted when he learns that she is pregnant by a previous suitor. They try to work things out, but he is also unhappy with his lack of income or success as a writer. Jane befriends the other residents and they help her when she goes into labour. Toby visits her in the hospital and gives her a copy of his new book, called "The L-Shaped Room". After leaving the hospital, Jane journeys home to her parents in France, saying
Year Zero (Reid novel) Weekly" considered it "shaky but funny", with "sharp" satirical content, but expressed concern that the characters were "thin", and that many of the background details could quickly—or had already—become dated. "Strange Horizons" assessed the worldbuilding as "surprisingly thorough" for a humorous novel; "Entertainment Weekly", however, felt that the novel's "satiric strength" was lessened by the amount of detail which Reid invested into the various alien species. Year Zero (Reid novel) Year Zero is a 2012 science fiction novel by Robert Reid. It was published by Del Rey Books, with an audiobook version read by John Hodgman. Through a cosmic fluke,