Status
Available
Call number
Original publication date
2023
Publication
Atria Books (2023), 304 pages
Description
In a near-future northern settlement, the fate of a young woman intertwines with those of a college professor and a collective of women soldiers in this mesmerizing and transportive novel in the vein of Station Eleven and The Power. In the far north of Canada, a team led by a visionary American architect is building a project called Camp Zero. With its fresh, clean air and cold climate, it's intended to be the beginning of a new community and a new way of life. A brilliant and determined young woman employed as a sex worker to the elite is offered a chance to join the Blooms, a group meant to service the men in camp-but her mission is to secretly monitor the mercurial architect in charge. In return, she'll receive a home for her displaced Korean immigrant mother and herself. Upon arrival at Camp Zero, she is named Rose. Rose quickly secures the trust of her target, but in the camp, everyone has an agenda, and her alliances begin to shift. Through skillfully braided perspectives, including those of a young professor longing to escape his wealthy family and an all-woman military brigade struggling for survival at a climate research station, the fate of Camp Zero and its inhabitants reaches a stunning crescendo. An electrifying page-turner where nothing is as it seems, Camp Zero cleverly explores how the intersection of gender, class, and migration will impact who and what will survive in a warming world.… (more)
Awards
Libby Book Award (Finalist — 2023)
Read with Jenna (2023-04 — 2023)
Original language
English
Language
ISBN
1668007568 / 9781668007563
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member nancyadair
This near-future climate fiction story has a heavy feminist slant and an underlying mystery. It kept my interest up to the unexpected twist and surprising ending.
While reading, it became apparent that there were several timelines. In one, a Korean American woman brings her mother to the Floating
The entrepreneur then sends her to a far North work site that purposedly is building a college and new town. There, she becomes attached to the head of the project, again as an informer. The project in reality is something other than what he believed he was building.
At the same time, the son of a wealthy Floating City family whose despises his family’s values and life style has accepted the position of English teacher at the yet-unbuilt college. He is shocked to find the Diggers still working, excavating holes by hand. Those who work in the North count themselves lucky, too, to escape the burning heat.
The second story line involves a group of female scientists sent to a remote Northern climate station that was preciously run by an all-male crew who disappeared. Over the time, the women realize that supplies are not being sent, that they are an experiment in survival. They are running out of oil and must secure what they need to survive, any way they can.
The novel defies classification: it is climate fiction, a survivor tale, a mystery and undercover spy novel, and incorporates themes of family, gender inequality, and female empowerment.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. My review is fair and unbiased.
While reading, it became apparent that there were several timelines. In one, a Korean American woman brings her mother to the Floating
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City where she has taken work in the sex trade in exchange for an apartment for her mother. In a world that is burning, the Floating City in its protective shell offers luxury for the wealthy few, the city run by workers who count themselves lucky. She is assigned to an important entrepreneur, instructed she will be an undercover informer.The entrepreneur then sends her to a far North work site that purposedly is building a college and new town. There, she becomes attached to the head of the project, again as an informer. The project in reality is something other than what he believed he was building.
At the same time, the son of a wealthy Floating City family whose despises his family’s values and life style has accepted the position of English teacher at the yet-unbuilt college. He is shocked to find the Diggers still working, excavating holes by hand. Those who work in the North count themselves lucky, too, to escape the burning heat.
The second story line involves a group of female scientists sent to a remote Northern climate station that was preciously run by an all-male crew who disappeared. Over the time, the women realize that supplies are not being sent, that they are an experiment in survival. They are running out of oil and must secure what they need to survive, any way they can.
The novel defies classification: it is climate fiction, a survivor tale, a mystery and undercover spy novel, and incorporates themes of family, gender inequality, and female empowerment.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. My review is fair and unbiased.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and it ended up being a lot different than what I was expecting. I liked it and enjoyed following these characters and seeing how their
This book mostly switches between Grant and Rose. However, there are short chapters between their chapters that are labeled White Alice, in these we hear from a group of women scientists from the past sent to the far north to study climate change. Grant and Rose live in a world that is feeling more and more pressure from climate change.
Rose takes a job at a brothel in Camp Zero. Camp Zero is in the far Northern Canada and is meant to be the eventual site of a haven and school for rich kids who are trying to escape the effects of climate change. However, it's still being built and the leader planning the building doesn't know the true purpose of the site. In reality Rose's purpose isn't just to serve as a companion for the men on site; it's to spy on the leader there and make sure he hasn't caught on to this true purpose.
Meanwhile, Grant comes to Camp Zero to start teaching at the college there, a college that doesn't exist yet. He spends his days teaching the trench diggers and is relieved that he has finally outrun the influence and fame of his family back in the US...or so he thinks.
This is a twisty story about people trying to make better lives for themselves but finding out that the past will always come back to haunt you and things are never what they seem to be. The story has a cold and melancholy tone to it that perfectly embodies the depth of a cold and dark winter. I do think whatever message is here gets a bit blurred by the inclusion of the White Alice group. This part of the story brings a strange mixture of feminism and cultist behavior to the story that seemed a bit out of place. It was interesting to read about, but seemed to come out of nowhere.
The book ends fairly abruptly. I don't think a sequel is planned. The reader is left to imagine what might happen to our characters and there is no resolution. This left me feeling a bit disappointed and unsatisfied as a reader. The book is well written though and easy to read and it kept me engaged.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This book kept me guessing and ended up being much different from what I thought it was going to be. It's a melancholy and dank look at our future and it feels somewhat unfinished. However, I enjoyed how the characters' stories weave together and how ironic some of the twists and turns are. I don't regret reading it, but I don't plan on re-reading it. I will definitely keep an eye out for Sterling's future works because this was an intriguing read.
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and it ended up being a lot different than what I was expecting. I liked it and enjoyed following these characters and seeing how their
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lives intertwined. However, it also feels very unfinished and the story took some flat-out weird turns.This book mostly switches between Grant and Rose. However, there are short chapters between their chapters that are labeled White Alice, in these we hear from a group of women scientists from the past sent to the far north to study climate change. Grant and Rose live in a world that is feeling more and more pressure from climate change.
Rose takes a job at a brothel in Camp Zero. Camp Zero is in the far Northern Canada and is meant to be the eventual site of a haven and school for rich kids who are trying to escape the effects of climate change. However, it's still being built and the leader planning the building doesn't know the true purpose of the site. In reality Rose's purpose isn't just to serve as a companion for the men on site; it's to spy on the leader there and make sure he hasn't caught on to this true purpose.
Meanwhile, Grant comes to Camp Zero to start teaching at the college there, a college that doesn't exist yet. He spends his days teaching the trench diggers and is relieved that he has finally outrun the influence and fame of his family back in the US...or so he thinks.
This is a twisty story about people trying to make better lives for themselves but finding out that the past will always come back to haunt you and things are never what they seem to be. The story has a cold and melancholy tone to it that perfectly embodies the depth of a cold and dark winter. I do think whatever message is here gets a bit blurred by the inclusion of the White Alice group. This part of the story brings a strange mixture of feminism and cultist behavior to the story that seemed a bit out of place. It was interesting to read about, but seemed to come out of nowhere.
The book ends fairly abruptly. I don't think a sequel is planned. The reader is left to imagine what might happen to our characters and there is no resolution. This left me feeling a bit disappointed and unsatisfied as a reader. The book is well written though and easy to read and it kept me engaged.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This book kept me guessing and ended up being much different from what I thought it was going to be. It's a melancholy and dank look at our future and it feels somewhat unfinished. However, I enjoyed how the characters' stories weave together and how ironic some of the twists and turns are. I don't regret reading it, but I don't plan on re-reading it. I will definitely keep an eye out for Sterling's future works because this was an intriguing read.
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LibraryThing member Strider66
Pros: compelling read, interesting personalities
Cons: bittersweet ending
Camp Zero is the beginning of a utopian community in northern Canada, away from the heat and disasters of the rest of the world, where man and nature can finally coexist.
Rose will have enough money to support herself and her
Further north still is White Alice, a station manned by a crew of female Americans who have created their own community.
As life in the camp progresses, it’s clear that this isn’t the escape the workers were promised. Are they willing to take the risks required to create the future they want?
I found the book a very compelling read and hard to put down. The characters are vibrant and their situation challenging. It was interesting learning about Rose and Grant’s pasts and how the rich created a new city that could more easily weather the new climate while watching the rest of the US fail. Not as much happens in the present, though seeing Rose try to figure out what she wants in life and take a chance on love was nice.
The White Alice crew was fun, though I was surprised by the extent to which they wanted their community to continue on into the future. Especially given their energy concerns as the production of fossil fuels came to a halt.
There’s limited descriptions of the sex work involved. The profession is treated with dignity by all but one or two of the clients. It’s not a titillating story. Be aware that there is a non-graphic attempted rape later on in the book.
The ending is bittersweet, with a lot left open.
If you’re interested in slow apocalypses and highly personal stories of surviving in challenging circumstances you’ll like this.
Cons: bittersweet ending
Camp Zero is the beginning of a utopian community in northern Canada, away from the heat and disasters of the rest of the world, where man and nature can finally coexist.
Rose will have enough money to support herself and her
Show More
mother if she works in the camp’s brothel, spying on its architect for her former boss. Grant took a teaching job there to get away from his ultra rich family and their control over his life. But the diggers have no interest in literature or poetry.Further north still is White Alice, a station manned by a crew of female Americans who have created their own community.
As life in the camp progresses, it’s clear that this isn’t the escape the workers were promised. Are they willing to take the risks required to create the future they want?
I found the book a very compelling read and hard to put down. The characters are vibrant and their situation challenging. It was interesting learning about Rose and Grant’s pasts and how the rich created a new city that could more easily weather the new climate while watching the rest of the US fail. Not as much happens in the present, though seeing Rose try to figure out what she wants in life and take a chance on love was nice.
The White Alice crew was fun, though I was surprised by the extent to which they wanted their community to continue on into the future. Especially given their energy concerns as the production of fossil fuels came to a halt.
There’s limited descriptions of the sex work involved. The profession is treated with dignity by all but one or two of the clients. It’s not a titillating story. Be aware that there is a non-graphic attempted rape later on in the book.
The ending is bittersweet, with a lot left open.
If you’re interested in slow apocalypses and highly personal stories of surviving in challenging circumstances you’ll like this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
Camp Zero is Michelle Min Sterling's debut novel. It's a unique, unsettling and addictive read that I just couldn't put down.
It's 2050 and climate change has decimated much of the world. A group of American investors are secretly planning to build far up in the Canadian North. That's the basic
The cast of characters is very different and gives us varying points of view. The investor, the architect, his foreman, the diggers, the six sex workers that were flown in, an English teacher, the 'locals' and women soldiers living in a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. I thought to myself, how in the world will all these players be tied together? They are though - in a devilishly clever plot.
Sterling examines the reasons of each player, what they want, what they need and how they're going to get it. I have to say that I found White Alice's 'whys' and 'hows' were the ones that intrigued me the most.
There's loads of social commentary in Camp Zero. The stakes are high with the rich building enclaves for themselves, staffed by the lower classes. The blithe idea that they are entitled to the land and it's natural resources. Their own comfort and needs trumps all. Even as the planet is dying.
Camp Zero's storyline kept me eagerly turning pages as the action and danger is ramped up on the way to the final pages. The ending was not what I had hoped for - but seems to fit the narrative better.
Camp Zero checked a lot of boxes for this reader - a believable dystopian setting (loved the abandoned mall), interesting characters, a plausible plot and great writing. I look forward to Sterling's next book.
It's 2050 and climate change has decimated much of the world. A group of American investors are secretly planning to build far up in the Canadian North. That's the basic
Show More
premise - but there's so much more. The cast of characters is very different and gives us varying points of view. The investor, the architect, his foreman, the diggers, the six sex workers that were flown in, an English teacher, the 'locals' and women soldiers living in a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. I thought to myself, how in the world will all these players be tied together? They are though - in a devilishly clever plot.
Sterling examines the reasons of each player, what they want, what they need and how they're going to get it. I have to say that I found White Alice's 'whys' and 'hows' were the ones that intrigued me the most.
There's loads of social commentary in Camp Zero. The stakes are high with the rich building enclaves for themselves, staffed by the lower classes. The blithe idea that they are entitled to the land and it's natural resources. Their own comfort and needs trumps all. Even as the planet is dying.
Camp Zero's storyline kept me eagerly turning pages as the action and danger is ramped up on the way to the final pages. The ending was not what I had hoped for - but seems to fit the narrative better.
Camp Zero checked a lot of boxes for this reader - a believable dystopian setting (loved the abandoned mall), interesting characters, a plausible plot and great writing. I look forward to Sterling's next book.
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LibraryThing member KallieGrace
3.5 stars, this was good but missing something. The stories of all the characters, especially White Alice were fantastic, but there was too much flashback mixed in with the momentum of the story. The message of men destroy everything was heavy handed and could have used more nuance as well. I liked
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the setting and idea though, climate dystopia in the far North. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tonstant.Weader
Camp Zero is set in the near and all-too-possible future when the equator becomes a dead zone and survival is found in moving north to higher latitudes. The story is located at two camps in the northern part of Canada near the Arctic Circle. Ice, snow, and bitter cold still remain a dangerous
Camp Zero is a former mining village emptied when the mine shut down. A man who wants to redeem his name by building a refuge from the environmental collapse that is happening thanks, in part, to the businesses that made his family so wealthy. It is a village of men.
The Blooms are a small group of sex workers imported to provide sexual comfort to the leadership there. One of the Blooms, however, has a second mission that is gradually being derailed by one of the locals.
White Alice is a climate monitoring station staffed solely by women. They transmit regular reports and must come together to forge a new working relationship when they discover information left behind by one of the crew who staffed the station before them.
What will happen when the framework for their existence in the north begins to crumble?
Camp Zero is an intriguing construct with much more potential than is realized. It was frustrating because it felt unresolved. It didn’t exploit its full potential with a village of man and one of women. We saw one was more hierarchical and the other more collaborative, but this was not explored as much as it could have been. It also felt rushed in the latter half of the book. This is because then ending is incomplete and unresolved. It leaves readers with more of a “huh?” than a “what happens next?”
received an e-galley of Camp Zero from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Camp Zero at Atria Books | Simon & Schuster
Michelle Min Sterling
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threat that requires people to prepare and plan to exist.Camp Zero is a former mining village emptied when the mine shut down. A man who wants to redeem his name by building a refuge from the environmental collapse that is happening thanks, in part, to the businesses that made his family so wealthy. It is a village of men.
The Blooms are a small group of sex workers imported to provide sexual comfort to the leadership there. One of the Blooms, however, has a second mission that is gradually being derailed by one of the locals.
White Alice is a climate monitoring station staffed solely by women. They transmit regular reports and must come together to forge a new working relationship when they discover information left behind by one of the crew who staffed the station before them.
What will happen when the framework for their existence in the north begins to crumble?
Camp Zero is an intriguing construct with much more potential than is realized. It was frustrating because it felt unresolved. It didn’t exploit its full potential with a village of man and one of women. We saw one was more hierarchical and the other more collaborative, but this was not explored as much as it could have been. It also felt rushed in the latter half of the book. This is because then ending is incomplete and unresolved. It leaves readers with more of a “huh?” than a “what happens next?”
received an e-galley of Camp Zero from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Camp Zero at Atria Books | Simon & Schuster
Michelle Min Sterling
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LibraryThing member Verkruissen
Overall a really interesting story about the future of climate change and the predictability of corporate greed. The settings were really the most interesting things about the story. I didn't have a huge connection with the main characters and maybe that's why I felt a little underwhelmed after
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hearing all the hype about the book. It did end with an ending that could continue with another story but it holds up well on its own. Show Less
LibraryThing member clrichm
Not bad at all! Three perspectives—the paid companion, the disillusioned academic, and the cadre of women serving as military scientists—and the voices were definitely kept distinct and served to provide a great deal of world-building context. I will admit to being a bit stymied about the last
I’ve seen a couple of reviews saying that “Rose’s” feelings and higher emotions were never really clear, and I agree to some extent, but I interpreted that as a level of dissociation brought on by trauma and (by her own words) the false personas she wore in order to stay separate from the job she performed. I think dissociation would be a natural consequence, so I wasn’t put off at all. If anything, I found it strange that, given a bit of tempting chemistry with the Barber, she found it so easy to pursue her own desires that completely risked her own safety and that of her mother.
All told, I found it quite enjoyable.
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group; while the other two perspectives were written in third person, the passages about the women’s group was in first-person plural, and yet we were never told through whose eyes we were seeing. Each member of the group was identified by profession (other than Sal, the security specialist), but it was as though they were being described by someone else…but who? I admit to being fully prepared for a surprise paranormal note, as perhaps the nameless narrator was a sprit of some sort that the women were unaware of. But no, there wasn’t anything at all that ever explained whose actual voice we were hearing.I’ve seen a couple of reviews saying that “Rose’s” feelings and higher emotions were never really clear, and I agree to some extent, but I interpreted that as a level of dissociation brought on by trauma and (by her own words) the false personas she wore in order to stay separate from the job she performed. I think dissociation would be a natural consequence, so I wasn’t put off at all. If anything, I found it strange that, given a bit of tempting chemistry with the Barber, she found it so easy to pursue her own desires that completely risked her own safety and that of her mother.
All told, I found it quite enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member bblum
Rose lives a lonely life near Boston in a future affected by climate change. A city built above the Atlantic but easy accessible to Boston is a beacon to a better life but leaving her mother to care for the summer cottages alone seems too much. Rose leaves for the bright lights and becomes an
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escort due to her exotic looks as she is half Korean. Then comes an opportunity to escape the heat and dryness of the south and to go north to Canada to a new community and also spy on the architect. Another part of the story line is a group of well trained women also in the north communicate weather information back to the south. Also, an idealistic young man goes to the cam believing he will be a teacher. Lots of conflict and intertwined stories over two timelines. Interesting story, tough decision are made and deceitful behavior revealed by those in control. Interesting read, good story telling but more information on climate change needed. Show Less
LibraryThing member sa_magnuson
"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
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.
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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.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
A futuristic novel regarding the effect of the climate crisis and efforts to live more harmoniously on planet-but with a bit of a sinister bent. This novel is ambitious and haunting.
Set in the near future, Camp Zero is a look at a group of people seeking to avoid our climate crisis. Camp Zero is
Several women are hired as Blooms, to entertain the men at Camp Zero. Rose is actually a plant, hired to spy on Meyer and report back. Grant, a teacher, is there after an altercation with his wealthy parents.
A novel of community, love, and devastation.
Set in the near future, Camp Zero is a look at a group of people seeking to avoid our climate crisis. Camp Zero is
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being built by some men from the US, and a few left in Canada after the oil pipeline industry died. They are disillusioned with the world, and are working for Meyer, a man who believes in Camp Zero. Implanted with Flick, they can access info in their mind. (scary!) Several women are hired as Blooms, to entertain the men at Camp Zero. Rose is actually a plant, hired to spy on Meyer and report back. Grant, a teacher, is there after an altercation with his wealthy parents.
A novel of community, love, and devastation.
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