Michelle Min Sterling: Camp Zero (2023, Atria Books)
English language
Published April 25, 2023 by Atria Books.
This was better than I expected from a random impulse read. It's a pretty good mix of characters in a climate-themed story that is consistent, makes some cultural commentary, and tries some unconventional narrative devices that work pretty well. There are scientist characters, but it's not a particularly science-driven story.
Content warning Contains spoilers
The three intertwined storylines of a post-climate-change future were interesting and compelling. At first. Two relate the story of a project to build a utopian city for people fleeing northward. Except, of course, it might not be what it seems, and the idealistic leader might or might not realize that. The third concerns a group of women at "White Alice", a climate research station somewhere in northern Canada, a couple of days travel from the other story lines. Abandoned by their home base, they must learn to survive on their own and find new beginnings on their own terms.
It's this third story line that unraveled the book for me. The book sets up severe contradictions between the group's stated aspirations and their actions, yet never addresses this. Their code of life includes such niceties as love of family and the environment as well as never killing without a reason. Yet they continually murder people, often quite brutally, and the reason is always that they want their victim's money and possessions and don't want to leave behind someone who might identify them. A person minding their own business camping in a van is told that they've lost their dog and that they need help finding it. When he volunteers to help, they kill him and take his van. They set pit bulls on people who are sleeping and, once they've been mauled to death, cut out their teeth as souvenirs. The contradiction between their high minded ideals and their actions as a band of serial killers is never addressed.
Recommend. Let me start off with that. It didn't wow me (hence three versus four stars), but I find this a very unique read with a fascinating voice. The concept is compelling, and the principle characters are folks you really want to sit with and explore.
Most of the other characters, though, even the important ones, get short shrift. The narrative is more than a bit uneven here and there as well, but the pacing is great and the book starts off really strong.
The science: The author needed to spend a bit more on verifying the science. Even some relatively basic things, she misses the mark (insect drones are male. always. oil is not explosive. etc.).
BUT!
Great story, nice and twisty with an unexpected ending that in retrospect is perfect. I really enjoyed this.
Global climate change has ravaged even what we now think of as fairly far north. Humanity's hope in North America lies in Canada. A group heads north to build an American enclave and intrigue ensues.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The main characters were not well fleshed out though, and even though I understood their motivations, I just never felt the inner turmoil that should have come from their situations.
