Camp Zero

Synopsis: In remote northern Canada, a team led by a visionary American architect is break¬ing ground on a building project called Camp Zero, intended to be the beginning of a new way of life. A clever and determined young woman code-named Rose is offered a chance to join the Blooms, a group hired to entertain the men in camp—but her real mission is to secretly monitor the mercurial architect in charge. In return, she'll receive a home for her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother and herself. Rose quickly secures the trust of her target, only to discover that everyone has a hidden agenda, and nothing is as it seems. Through skill¬fully braided perspectives, including those of a young professor longing to escape his wealthy family and an all-woman military research unit struggling for survival at a climate station, the fate of Camp Zero's inhabitants reaches a stunning crescendo. Atmospheric, fiercely original, and utterly gripping, Camp Zero is an electrifying work and a masterful exploration of who and what will survive in a warming world, and how falling in love and building community can be the most daring acts of all.
Thoughts: The book failed to captivate me from the start, and I struggled to maintain interest throughout due to its slow pacing and lack of a cohesive story arc. While the premise held promise, the multiple storylines didn't blend well, leaving me disconnected and unengaged with the characters. Although the writing was technically sound, I found it challenging to connect with the characters or care about their outcomes due to the absence of a compelling plot. While this book doesn't receive my recommendation, I'm intrigued by the author's potential and hope to see improved execution in future works, as the underlying idea was intriguing despite its current shortcomings.

This was a pleasant surprise. Camp Zero is swiftly paced, has solid twists, and features multiple compelling interwoven storylines. Michelle Min Sterling's vision of the future is intriguing, alarming, yet totally plausible.

The separate POVs are well-differentiated, as each character brings a unique perspective to the story and they intersect in surprising ways. Each narrative thread has mysteries to unspool and Sterling doles those out in a consistent and continuous manner so you're never waiting too long for the next reveal. Sterling's utilitarian prose is effective at moving the story forward, as well.

I had hoped for a tidier ending, but the conclusion sticks to the book's themes of societal disarray and desperation that all the characters confront throughout, so I can't complain too much.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Set in the future, this story follows multiple climate change survivors. They're all going to Canada to help build a new settlement called Camp Zero. It's supposed to be a new way of life.
While they all want a better future, they each have an ulterior motive for going. No one is who they seem to be, and it's difficult to know who to trust.

I enjoyed the writing and most of the story, but the flashbacks were not my favorite.

This book is disturbing in that it could happen, and the behaviors of some of these people were disturbing as well. I'm curious to see where they end up.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.