Oval

"Wilk's debut novel is a strange, vivid thought experiment. In a near-future Berlin, scientist Anja lives in an eco-settlement on an artificial mountain . . . Anja’s quiet, shy analysis turns a critical eye to our future, asking daring questions of how the desire to change our world for the better could instead turn it a new kind of toxic. Wilk makes the reader ponder how relying on corporations to invest in art and sustainability could put us on a perilous path: in Anja’s world, artists are corporate entities and the drive toward sustainability gentrifies communities. Oval is a book of plot twists and turns that roots itself in Anja’s relatable, practical soul, and scientific passion for inquiry." ―Booklist (starred review)