This is outside of my usual genre but I was really intrigued by the premise and that it was a Canadian author. It took me a few tries to get into this book but once I got into it, I was intrigued. The topics here were interesting to reflect on and compare to real life, but some of the ideas may have gone over my head or didn’t make sense to me.
Thank you Knopf Canada for the copy through NetGalley.

Thank you Knopf Canada for a copy of Camp Zero!

A sex worker, a nepo-baby, and a group of highly-trained women living in a remote research station cross path in Alberta 2049. Then the rest of the plot was lost on me - with 3 POVs and multiple themes going on, I think it was bound to get confusing, especially for a 300ish page novel.

I am surprised that this is Michelle Min Sterling's debut novel - but I think her marketing team failed her in comparing it to Station Eleven and Cloud Atlas. Camp Zero to me feels more like a spy/action novel with themes of global warming. I do like the prose and diversity in this book, especially a sex worker (!!) as the MC, so I'm looking forward to picking up Michelle Min Sterling's next book.

Very interesting concept. Story kept me guessing. I was impressed with how the past and present tied together. Would love to read more by this author.

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

This was a fun, quick read. I don’t always read dystopian novels but was curious about this one having been written by a Canadian author. It was an entertaining escape and not too long, but beyond that there’s not much I’ll remember from reading this.

Such a great read and a chilling glimpse into our possible future. The writing was excellent with well fleshed out characters. The atmosphere was perfect.

I thought this was well-written. A bit out of my genre comfort zone but I'm glad I gave it a chance!

I am ambivalent about this novel; it has both ideas and a couple of points of view characters that are interesting, which are brought together cleverly.

Taking place as Earth’s climate becomes increasingly inhospitable, and people have either migrated north or congregated in special enclaves (the rich, of course), or struggle in the cities they reside in.

The characters include:
-Rose, a sex worker who moves up to a far north settlement, known as Camp Zero, which is under construction. (Rose is actually there under false pretences, as the investor of a floating city in the US has sent her there to research the location for him, and the reward is safe housing for her mother back in the US).

-Grant, a young, wealthy American man, running from his family, arrives at the settlement to teach, but discovers multiple problems there, including progress on its architect’s concepts.

-an all-female group of scientists arrives at an outpost, and struggles to survive as things fall apart south of them.

That things would be increasingly desperate and violent at Camp Zero goes without saying, though the mystery about the odd architect was less satisfying than I expected it to be at its resolution. What was actually most interesting about the book was the group of scientists trying to find a way to live in the North with no support. The author gives them one collective voice, gradually making them almost into a Greek chorus for the devolving worldwide situation.

My ambivalence about this book was mostly centred on Camp Zero and its sex and construction worker residents. They were less interesting than the group of scientists (though Rose and her mother were compelling), and anytime we spent time in Camp Zero my attention would drift.

I did like the twist the author revealed most of the way through the book, but it wasn’t enough to fully redeem the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really loved the idea behind this book and for the beginning it was engaging . It did get a bit slow for me though.

Unfortunately it isn't a good book. Marketing did great as I felt hype around this title, but the story didn't hold any of my interest, neither I cared for any of the characters. I'm Canadian and we love our diversity, so book with action based here, not really showing perspectives of First Nation people and blaming men for all the evil in the world doesn't seem reasonable. Ending had me eye rolling.

The idea was exciting, but the execution really crippled it. As for a thriller, it wasn't really that thrilling. It kinda felt like the author ran out of good ideas halfway through and closer to the end stamina and believability just left the scene. I hope the author and editing team will work on their craft as it would be great to see it done better.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set well into future, a future I hope to never see, the Blooms seek security and can only dream of freedom...

Anticipation buzzed as I picked up this book, drawn in by its intriguing premise and the comparison to Station Eleven. Yet again, I was reminded that these comparisons often lead to expectations that can't quite be met.

"Camp Zero" offers a compelling narrative, engaging me enough to see it through to the end. However, the writing, unfortunately, falls short, resting mostly on the surface. The story lacks depth, much like the oil holes dug into the ground.

The narrative traverses the Far North's icy expanse, yet neither characters nor setting spring to life. They remain stagnant, lacking the vitality needed to immerse me in their world, feel their struggles, or ponder their actions beyond the pages.

While I don't consider the time spent on this novel wasted, it's likely to fade from memory sooner rather than later. My engagement was hindered by the portrayal of male characters, with the majority portrayed negatively.

In conclusion, "Camp Zero" delivers a decent story but doesn't quite reach its potential due to surface-level writing and a forgettable nature. While it didn't fully meet my expectations, it still offers moments of engagement.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

This book was stunning. The world building and character development was perfect. I cared about the characters and am still thinking about them!!! Can not wait for the next book by Michelle Min Sterling!

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.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this one - it just wasn't for me. I got to almost 50% and just wasn't into it.

Feminist climate sci-fi, where the characters are very strong, the world and the state of the earth is very scary but very possible.

This was unlike anything I have really read before, and definitely not my usual genre. But I can safely say I was hooked!

The idea of this futuristic world and the complexities of it was intriguing to say the least, and I loved how the chapters were broken up in different sections/perspectives. And the way it all came together was mind blowing! I am desperate to know if more books will be coming out, because I would love to know more about what happens next! I grew attached to the characters and feel like I need to know if they will be okay.

This is a good I feel will stick with me for a while. And it really makes you think about the world and what kinds of futures are possible. When I think about it that way, this book kind of freaks me out, but I'm glad I read it, and I do recommend it. I went back and forth between my kindle and the audiobook, and enjoyed both! I liked the different narrators, and thought the writing was done well so as to make you feel connected to more than just a few characters.

Overall, I am hoping there will be more, and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

This was not for me, it wasn’t the genre but more that it just was all very surface level, the descriptions of the settings were lacking so I couldn’t visualise where the characters were and you didn’t get to really know the characters as there were quite a few.

The storyline itself was interesting and I think if the settings were more detailed I would have enjoyed it more. If you like dystopian novels then perhaps give it a try.

I usually enjoy the ‘Read With Jenna’ books but unfortunately this one didn’t for me. I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing really did.

My issues:

First off, I didn’t really get the authors dystopian world -on the one hand the US is blistering hot due to climate change but northern Canada is still as cold as ever.

Second, a brothel in desolate northern Canada? Why? Needed something for management to do in their off hours because if you place men in isolation they go crazy without sex? Made me think on the graphic memoir Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands and the sexual harassment and assault the author wrote about living/working with 95% men in pretty much isolation.

Third, Characters lacked any personality, weren’t very interesting and lacked character development. I also didn’t feel Grant’s character had really any purpose to the story.

Fourth, I didn’t understand the authors choice on the use of dogs particularly Pit Bulls in this book. This breed gets a bad rap as it is and I personally thought her negative portrayal of this breed was unnecessary.

Fifth, the ending. It just kind of just ends, felt abrupt and unfinished to me. There was also, what I felt as an unnecessary death near the end.

I enjoyed the White Alice chapters the most and wished there was more time and character exploration spent on them and their survival over the years. But was confused on who was actually narrating these chapters. Also thought it would have been helpful to have a year at the beginning of White Alice’s chapters so you could tell where we were in relation to 2049/50, Rose’s and Grant’s time.