A Political Thriller of Love, Loyalties, and Nuclear Research

 In "Nuclear Power Nuclear Game," Helen Huang takes readers on a thrilling journey through the political turbulence of the Cold War and China's march towards nuclear power. Set in 1950, the novel follows the lives of two nuclear researchers, Zoe and John, who had planned to marry before the Chinese Socialist Coalition seized power.

As the political situation worsens, Zoe finds herself trapped in a political enclosure and forced to participate in dangerous research. She must confront the question of where her true loyalties lie - with her country or with John back in America. The novel spans several decades and countries, with the characters' quest for world peace and love constantly challenged by clashing ideologies and personal beliefs.

While the novel has a romantic element, it is far more than a simple love story. The characters engage in thrilling adventures, including John's journey to Islamabad to investigate its early nuclear program. Huang effectively weaves in historical information through realistic settings, conflicts, and character portrayals.

Zoe is a complex and creative character who knows how to build a bomb and present herself as a devoted and faithful daughter of Socialist China. Meanwhile, John is more one-layered, and their reunion proves challenging as the reader only sees them together briefly at the beginning of the story.

Despite some moments of strained exposition, "Nuclear Power Nuclear Game" is an engaging political thriller that explores themes of loyalty, love, and nuclear research. Readers should be aware that the novel contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault.