Michelle Min Sterling's Camp Zero is this mind-bending sci-fi story set in Canada, way up north, where things are not going great thanks to climate change. Sterling does this amazing world-building thing, sucking you right into this crazy future, and the characters are all so messed up in a way that makes them totally real.

I ripped through this book because I had to find out what happened next, but there were a few parts where it felt like the story hit the brakes a bit. Still, totally worth the read, especially if you're into dystopian stuff and fiction that makes you think about the world we actually live in.

"Camp Zero" by Michelle Min Sterling presents readers with a vividly constructed world that immerses them into a dystopian landscape, rich in detail of an Earth devastated by climate change and where the richest oligarchs live in luxury insulated from the worst of the dying Earth while everyone else suffers. The author demonstrates a skillful hand at crafting realistic settings and scenarios, drawing readers into a world that feels terrifyingly plausible.

However, where the novel excels in worldbuilding, it falls short in character development. Despite the elaborate backdrop, and a clear protagonist in Rose, the characters fail to evoke strong emotional connections from the reader. They all feel flat, like an accumulation of tropes rather than living, breathing people. They seem disconnected from their own lives and lacking in depth, leaving readers feeling indifferent towards their fates. Even the women of White Alice. This may be part of the detached narrative style, but I just couldn't bring myself to care, despite being TOLD that I should.

While the novel offers a real-feeling premise and a plausible plot, ultimately, its success is hampered by the inability to create characters that resonate with the reader. Despite its flaws, "Camp Zero" may still appeal to readers who prioritize immersive worldbuilding and commitment to an idea over character-driven narratives.

It's a competent, workmanlike book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this evokes the same feelings as Patricia Wants to Cuddle and The Power. Set in the near future of Northern Canada the climate crisis has peaked. A group of women will do what ever it takes to protect their lives and each other. A powerful novel that is impossible to put down.

Strange. Confusing. Atmospheric. Thought Provoking.

Camp Zero is an interesting new piece of climate fiction. It handles lot's of thorny issues--climate displacement, technology, environmental degradation, economic stratification, health inequities, sex work.

The prose is beautiful, but the plot is quite hard to follow. It jumps POVs, settings, and timelines frequently. I found myself less interested in the White Alive POV--a collective of women working at a remote research facility--than I was in Rose's story working as a sex worker at a mysterious base camp in Canada run by a billionaire.

The premise of the book sounds really interesting, but I couldn't get into it. I think I struggled a bit with the world-building, and I think that's partially due to reading it digitally. Perhaps a hard copy would be easier to read so it would be possible to go back and forth to try to make sense of the rules of the world in the book. That being said, the part I did read was interesting and I can see why people would enjoy it. I think I would recommend it but with the caveat that I didn't get into it enough to finish it. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I got duped by a Station Eleven comp for this book and I am not happy about it. This was boring and lacked originality. The big "twist" could be spotted a mile away and there was little to no plot or character development. Jenna Bush Hager strikes again.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eGalley of this novel.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- i unfortunately did not finish this arc, and it was because i felt this was a lackluster execution at what could've been a strong debut that focused on a post apocalyptic setting. the parts that were supposed to be a thriller (i think?) did not show up, and i didn't feel engaged in the world or the characters.

- if you enjoy post apocalyptic stories, you might enjoy this! i love post apocalyptic stories, but this one was sadly a miss.

I think this had an interesting concept but I was really thrown off by the dual-timeline perspectives. Dual timelines don’t typically work for me, and this one definitely didn’t. I dnf-ed after a couple chapters, but I could see this working for other readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy.

Didn't really keep my attention.

I thought Camp Zero was a very intriguing, post apocalyptic read. Harrowing and thought provoking. I enjoyed it for the most part. Admittedly having finished it a little while ago, it’s not a book that has stayed with me very long. The plot is memorable, but characters are somewhat forgettable. I remember really liking the writing style and how fast of a read it was, which makes me excited to try this author’s future work!

In the not-so-distant future, climate change has wreaked havoc on most of the United States. The wealthy have created a safe haven in the form of the Floating City, protected from the heat of the sun, rising sea levels, and the ravages of hurricanes.

Enter Rose, a sex worker from the Floating City, who has made a comfortable life for herself, but is still without the means to save her mother from the devastation on the mainland. When a client offers Rose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a citizen of the Floating City, allowing her mother to move there too, she can't resist the chance. Now, she finds herself in the Canadian wilderness, seducing an idealistic architect and discovering the secrets of those at his camp.

Enter Grant, a privileged recent college graduate, who has accepted a position to teach at a university being founded by said idealistic architect in the Canadian wilderness. He's looking to leave behind a family who has amassed a fortune through the decades by exploiting the Earth and its inhabitants, but as he starts his work, he discovers not all is as it seems.

And then there's White Alice, a military mission, a climate change study, and probably much more. A group of women who are determined to not only survive, but thrive in the Canadian wilderness.

How these three storylines intertwine creates a speculative work of fiction that is atmospheric and thrilling. Some of the world-building could have been stronger as we meet a lot of characters, but only get to know a small number of them well. Technological advances, like the Flick, a smartphone-like device that's embedded into individuals from birth, sound interesting, but the way they're dealt with feel mostly didactic. A solid read, but lacking nuance and depth.

I haven't read dystopian fiction in a hot minute, but Camp Zero was the absolute perfect book to kickstart that interest again. I devoured this book in two days. The characters and world building really were incredible, and the different points of view we were privy to in a world detrimentally changed by climate change each gave purpose and perspective to the overall story. Compared it to Station Eleven is accurate, and I honestly liked this book more. Capturing both the futility and hope of different economic and racial backgrounds was especially important in Camp Zero, and I think this is a very important spec fic book that will probably be underrated given its content.

Camp Zero is a refreshingly original take on dystopian climate fic. It feels hopeful and doomed at the same time which seems to be the best possible way to face a world that is so catastrophically broken. The world Min Sterling constructed highlights the conflicting motivations that so often cause even well intentioned plans to fall apart.

I enjoyed the dual timelines and narrators which all told a distinct aspect of the story and the way it all came together in the end. Highly recommended for fans of dystopia, climate fic, and character driven stories.

A prescient and thrilling look at class, privilege, and gender in the Impending climate apocalypse as resource wars, climate refugees, and persistent natural disasters are a reality for much of the world today.

Thank you #netgalley for this arc. I found this book a really intriguing take on a dystopian world that doesn’t seem so unrealistic given the climate change we are experiencing. I found the plot dragged a bit in the middle but I really enjoyed this book, the character development and ending.

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling was a great story with a fresh perspective. I really enjoyed reading this and watching as the plot developed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc.

this is a dystopian set around year 2050, where the climate crisis has nearly destroyed the world. it had similar vibes to Station 11 and Handmaid’s Tale. unfortunately, I found it generally slow, boring and pointless 🤷🏼‍♀️ there were a few good “oh dang” moments but otherwise, I honestly don’t get what this book was trying to do. thanks anyway to @netgalley for the gifted digital copy.

I really tried to love this book but I got halfway through and I couldn’t stay interested it took me two months and a lot of books inbetween before I got to the last page. It’s probably my fault for requesting it but I love post apocalyptic/dystopian fiction so I thought I’d enjoy it but the writing was basic and similar narrative to so many others I couldn’t stay interested.

I truly struggled with this one... I wanted to LOVE it and the beginning started off SO dang good, but it started to lose my interest barely 15% into the book. Futuristic type of book where people wear "flicks" to capture every moment and there's a "floating city" for a specific population of guess what.. nonother than the RICH. Climate change is at the peak during this time period and there's now a group of people set to an area called Camp Zero that'll start the reconstruction of the world. At Camp Zero there's no transportation to let you leave, there are no cars to use to leave, and it can take days for help to arrive. Do what you will with that information. Okay okay that's the synopsis, now time to get into the characters.

Rose and Grant are the primary POVs with another called "White Alice". Rose agreed to come to Camp Zero in order to spy on what's going on as an escort. Who would have guessed there are escorts in the future?? have to please the men.. smh Grant arrives to the site with the sole purpose of distancing himself from his family and a terrible decision made earlier on. Only Grant realizes that there was a different reason for why he was accepted to come here.

I don't like Grant, especially after finding out why he went to the site. I didn't feel an ounce of empathy for him. There was nothing to justify his actions and I would have preferred a different outcome for him, but I guess it'll do. On the other hand, Rose I quite enjoyed. It took quite a bit to understand her background and why she was in the position she was in, which was a bit frustrating. I felt the book was quick to get into then was slow paced throughout the rest of it... I actually had to switch between audiobook and the ebook version to help me get through it. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because of the ending... I think I found the beginning and the lat 15% to be the most interesting and captivating in the entire book. Overall, I'm content with how everything turned out and found the concept of "White Alice" fascinating!!! Women rule! haha I was expecting this book to be more thriller and mystery than what I actually received.

realistically I understand that the end of the world due to global warming wouldn't be an action packed event but this took the end of the world being boring to an extreme. We follow Rose, a prostitute in "camp zero" a commune/college/safe place for Americans being built in Canada. We also have chapters from Grant's and White Alice's prospective.

This books seems to want to push a message. It often reads as a fable. It also pushes some extreme feminism, like "kill all men" type feminism. A lot of anti-consumerism, kill the rich, anti-cell phone, pro sex work, and feminism.

Overall this wasn't for me but that just means I'm not the target reader not that this book is bad. I'd recommend this to people who want soft sci-fi and slow reads that focus on the characters.