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Going Zero
Hat man als Einzelner überhaupt eine Chance gegen das System? Eine junge Bibliothekarin aus Boston ist entschlossen, es zu versuchen – ihr bleibt keine Wahl. Und so greift sie zu, als sich die Einladung zu einem ungewöhnlichen Kräftemessen bietet: dem Betatest von FUSION, einem Projekt der US-Geheimdienste und des Social-Media-Moguls Cy Baxter. Wem es gelingt, 30 Tage unauffindbar zu bleiben, dem winken 3 Millionen Dollar. Doch Kaitlyn geht es um etwas anderes.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2023
854 people are currently reading
25285 people want to read
About the author
Anthony McCarten
33 books334 followersAnthony McCarten’s debut novel, Spinners, won international acclaim, and was followed by The English Harem and the award winning Death of a Superhero, and Show of Hands, all four books being translated into fourteen languages. McCarten has also written twelve stage plays, including the worldwide success Ladies’ Night, which won France’s Molière Prize, the Meilleure Pièce Comique, in 2001, and Via Satellite, which he adapted into a feature film and directed, premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Also a filmmaker, he has thrice adapted his own plays or novels into feature films, most recently Death Of A Superhero (2011) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Anthony divides his time between London and Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,186 reviews
February 12, 2023
Ten people have been randomly selected to test an astounding piece of spyware called FUSION. Cy Baxter has created this ground breaking technology which he claims can track anybody anywhere in the world, but the selected participants are certainly out to prove him wrong. They have exactly 30 days to remain off the grid, remain undetected. The fact that the last remaining participant will receive a cool $3 million in cash, is definitely something of a draw!
$3 million is a pretty big incentive is it not? but for participant Kaitlyn Day, there is so much more at stake - for Kaitlyn has her own agenda.
Life in the 21st century means almost everything we do can be tracked, Internet searches, credit card purchases, text and phone messages to mention just a few methods. The hunt and the methods used to capture the participants, remains the focus of the storyline, but it then took off on a totally different track than the one I was expecting, because Kaitlyn is not the meek and mild mannered librarian that FUSION thinks she is, and she’s certainly going to give them more trouble than they ever expected!
This one really gives pause for thought about our reliance on technology - we see it as a terrific convenience, but we are being watched constantly, our whole way of life, our freedom monitored on a daily basis.
Eventually the narrative becomes focused on one particular participant, and it’s here that the storyline becomes more complex as the twists and the action begins!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
$3 million is a pretty big incentive is it not? but for participant Kaitlyn Day, there is so much more at stake - for Kaitlyn has her own agenda.
Life in the 21st century means almost everything we do can be tracked, Internet searches, credit card purchases, text and phone messages to mention just a few methods. The hunt and the methods used to capture the participants, remains the focus of the storyline, but it then took off on a totally different track than the one I was expecting, because Kaitlyn is not the meek and mild mannered librarian that FUSION thinks she is, and she’s certainly going to give them more trouble than they ever expected!
This one really gives pause for thought about our reliance on technology - we see it as a terrific convenience, but we are being watched constantly, our whole way of life, our freedom monitored on a daily basis.
Eventually the narrative becomes focused on one particular participant, and it’s here that the storyline becomes more complex as the twists and the action begins!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
May 20, 2023
Hallelujah! I want to make an important announcement: This is my favorite read so far this year, and it has had some real competition. No doubt this will be a book i will remember for a long time. I couldn’t stop listening to the story, eager to dive back into the thrilling cat and mouse hunt. The author must have worked so hard on the plot, it was intricate, cohesive and full of surprises. The characters were extremely intelligent which I love. The main character especially, who you couldn’t help falling in love with. The prose was beautiful as well, a surprising dessert from the lovely meal the plot was. I can promise you hours of fun, where you forget time and space. Nothing else matters, my need for finding out how it all would end, sucked me in. And what an incredible ending after several surprises along the way.
April 8, 2023
If you've ever seen the TV Show Hunted, you will get behind the general premise of this book.
Ten people have been selected to participate in a test of new software that will help the government to ferret out terrorists and the like. Fusion is high tech surveillance that its founder, Cyrus Baxter, promises can find anyone, anywhere. The participants in the test will be notified when it is time to "Go Zero"--the software will be turned off for two hours and they will have that time to hide. If they cannot be located in 30 days, the participants remaining will receive $3 million. Cy thinks that Kaitlyn Day, a Boston librarian, will be one of the first found. Yet as the days progress, every attempt to find her is foiled. What secrets is she hiding and can she stay hidden?
I was immediately captivated by this action story and was fascinated by the technology and the breakneck cat and mouse game these participants were playing. The ways that they were found, one by one were intriguing and I'm sure that most of this technology actually already exists, and it should make readers stop to think how connected we are and ponder if we should be. There's a giant twist about midway through that I absolutely did not see coming and it made me more invested. Other surprises kept me on my toes and breathless to see what would happen next.
Toward the end, I kind of lost momentum with the direction the story was taking, but overall, I thought it was exciting and a fun premise for a book. I can totally see this being made into a movie, and seeing that the author is a screenwriter makes it clear that he understands how action thrillers are most effectively written to keep the reader's/watcher's interest.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Ten people have been selected to participate in a test of new software that will help the government to ferret out terrorists and the like. Fusion is high tech surveillance that its founder, Cyrus Baxter, promises can find anyone, anywhere. The participants in the test will be notified when it is time to "Go Zero"--the software will be turned off for two hours and they will have that time to hide. If they cannot be located in 30 days, the participants remaining will receive $3 million. Cy thinks that Kaitlyn Day, a Boston librarian, will be one of the first found. Yet as the days progress, every attempt to find her is foiled. What secrets is she hiding and can she stay hidden?
I was immediately captivated by this action story and was fascinated by the technology and the breakneck cat and mouse game these participants were playing. The ways that they were found, one by one were intriguing and I'm sure that most of this technology actually already exists, and it should make readers stop to think how connected we are and ponder if we should be. There's a giant twist about midway through that I absolutely did not see coming and it made me more invested. Other surprises kept me on my toes and breathless to see what would happen next.
Toward the end, I kind of lost momentum with the direction the story was taking, but overall, I thought it was exciting and a fun premise for a book. I can totally see this being made into a movie, and seeing that the author is a screenwriter makes it clear that he understands how action thrillers are most effectively written to keep the reader's/watcher's interest.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
December 11, 2022
This is a real throwback to the 90's technothriller age. It has a pretty good twist halfway through that completely changes the book in a satisfying way. Otherwise it didn't measure up for me.
I was intrigued by the high concept and curious to see what McCarten would have to say about technology and the surveillance state. As a bid for a big new government program, a billionaire's tech company is going to track down ten people who are attempting to go off grid, kind of like a big game of hide and seek. But the search itself and the tech involved was way too eye-rolly for me. (This book talks about "gait recognition" so many times! It proposes the kind of within-an-inch tracking that anyone who actually has a phone knows is not actually possible! It kept going like this!)
Our protagonist, Kaitlyn, was one of those action heroines who is too smart to be real, and whose plan is often far too elaborate to make much sense when you give it some thought. There are some real filler obstacles thrown in her way just to make us more impressed with her resourcefulness. It has a lot of "I'm a man who writes strong female characters" vibes.
The climax is boring, as is the vapid billionaire Cy Baxter, who doesn't seem smart enough to be where he is, even if he does have a much smarter woman doing everything for him.
It's very broad. It's a book you would have seen in an airport 25 years ago. It's too bad it isn't more interesting.
I was intrigued by the high concept and curious to see what McCarten would have to say about technology and the surveillance state. As a bid for a big new government program, a billionaire's tech company is going to track down ten people who are attempting to go off grid, kind of like a big game of hide and seek. But the search itself and the tech involved was way too eye-rolly for me. (This book talks about "gait recognition" so many times! It proposes the kind of within-an-inch tracking that anyone who actually has a phone knows is not actually possible! It kept going like this!)
Our protagonist, Kaitlyn, was one of those action heroines who is too smart to be real, and whose plan is often far too elaborate to make much sense when you give it some thought. There are some real filler obstacles thrown in her way just to make us more impressed with her resourcefulness. It has a lot of "I'm a man who writes strong female characters" vibes.
The climax is boring, as is the vapid billionaire Cy Baxter, who doesn't seem smart enough to be where he is, even if he does have a much smarter woman doing everything for him.
It's very broad. It's a book you would have seen in an airport 25 years ago. It's too bad it isn't more interesting.
January 12, 2024
Schon lange habe ich keinen derartigen Pageturner mehr gelesen. "Going Zero" ist von den Romanen, die Anthony McCarten veröffentlicht hat und die ich gelesen habe, der beste seit dem großartigem "Hand aufs Herz" aus dem Jahr 2009. Inhaltlich sind die Themen Datenschutz und Cybersicherheit zentral. Wer technische Entwicklungen und deren gesellschaftliche Auswirkungen nicht oder kaum interessant findet, der wird von dem Roman allerdings nicht so sehr begeistert sein wie ich.
Der Roman ist die Geschichte. Die Sprache ist schnell und treibt die Handlung ununterbrochen voran. Sie steht aber nicht im Mittelpunkt. Es ist die Geschichte, deren Ausgangslage der Betatest eines Überwachungsprogrammes ist, die das Buch so spannend macht. Zehn Menschen versuchen für ein in Aussicht gestelltes Preisgeld von drei Millionen Dollar für dreißig Tage unterzutauchen. Die Firma WorldShare erhält einen staatlichen Neunzig-Milliarden-Dollar-Auftrag, wenn es ihr gelingt, alle vom CIA für diesen Test ausgewählten Personen in der vorgegebenen Zeit zu fassen. Mehr darf man zu der Handlung mit seinen Nebensträngen und Wendungen aber nicht sagen, da man ansonsten den Spaß an dem Buch kaputt machen würde.
Neben der schnellen Sprache und einer hohen Dialoglastigkeit, trägt auch die Kapitelstruktur zur Rasanz bei. Die Kapitel bilden einen Countdown der verbliebenen "Jagdzeit". Sie heißen jeweils "x Tage y Stunden" und sind meist recht kurz. Diese Struktur und die regelmäßigen Ortswechsel erinnern sehr stark an Schnitte, wie sie in Filmen und Serien üblich sind. Entstanden ist ein fantastischer Politthriller. Wer sich für Spannungsliteratur mit technologischem Hintergrund interessiert, sollte diesen grandiosen Roman lesen.
Der Roman ist die Geschichte. Die Sprache ist schnell und treibt die Handlung ununterbrochen voran. Sie steht aber nicht im Mittelpunkt. Es ist die Geschichte, deren Ausgangslage der Betatest eines Überwachungsprogrammes ist, die das Buch so spannend macht. Zehn Menschen versuchen für ein in Aussicht gestelltes Preisgeld von drei Millionen Dollar für dreißig Tage unterzutauchen. Die Firma WorldShare erhält einen staatlichen Neunzig-Milliarden-Dollar-Auftrag, wenn es ihr gelingt, alle vom CIA für diesen Test ausgewählten Personen in der vorgegebenen Zeit zu fassen. Mehr darf man zu der Handlung mit seinen Nebensträngen und Wendungen aber nicht sagen, da man ansonsten den Spaß an dem Buch kaputt machen würde.
Neben der schnellen Sprache und einer hohen Dialoglastigkeit, trägt auch die Kapitelstruktur zur Rasanz bei. Die Kapitel bilden einen Countdown der verbliebenen "Jagdzeit". Sie heißen jeweils "x Tage y Stunden" und sind meist recht kurz. Diese Struktur und die regelmäßigen Ortswechsel erinnern sehr stark an Schnitte, wie sie in Filmen und Serien üblich sind. Entstanden ist ein fantastischer Politthriller. Wer sich für Spannungsliteratur mit technologischem Hintergrund interessiert, sollte diesen grandiosen Roman lesen.
February 7, 2024
4 stars *recommended*
short review for busy readers: Gripping, fast-paced thriller about surveillance tech and personal data in the hands of private mega-companies. Realistic dialog, realistic profiling, great chase-n-capture scenes. Falls apart a bit at the very, very end. Some of the characters tend a little cliched and the tech isn’t always exactly believable, but that doesn’t detract from the fun.
in detail:
So here’s the deal: the CIA and a private social media company join forces to create the most vast, powerful surveillance state ever with the expressed goal of fighting terrorism. (Right, sure.) To test it, they need 10 guinea pigs who will go off-grid and try to evade capture - to "go zero" - for 30 days. If they can manage it, they’ll get 3 million dollars, tax-free.
Who wouldn't want to try that?
There is a lot to love about the novel Going Zero. How each of the 10 are found and captured is very revealing of how any of us can get caught for anything.
Our family or friends give us away in what they believe are secret conversations or innocent Google searches.
We repeat patterns or behave a little too much like ourselves, relying on what we know and therefore what our hunters know about us. (Caught you in 5!)
We can’t go even 30 days without modern western luxuries (screen time, fave foods, home delivery) which can be traced to us, no matter how clever we think we're being.
While watching how these 10 people evade detection, the reader automatically asks themselves, “what would I do”? That’s an interesting thought puzzle that will keep the reader engaged even if they aren’t enjoying a particular scene.
Besides the plot question itself, there were two very good lines that the morally-flexible, Elon Musk/Mark Zuckerberg clone of a social media billionaire came out with.
1/ We are all worried about our privacy, but that's a non-issue. Our privacy is gone. The issue now is direct manipulation and the grooming of public opinion through the use of our personal data by gov and private contractors.
That is, what the gov or private enterprise knows about us can be used for things like influencing elections, gaining support for a bogus war or torpedoing a socially relevant new law. That's real, not a fiction, and is being used against us today.
2/ People in general are careless with their data. They willingly share very private info about themselves on social media (think even of all the personal reviews here on GR). Why? Because it makes them feel seen and valued, and being seen and valued is very close to feeling loved.
Let that sit for a moment.
We willingly give up our privacy to feel loved even though we know the (theoretical) risks. And lo, so shall it be online as it is in real life!
Those two statements really made me sit up and take notice.
I very much enjoyed the non-stop ride in Going Zero up until the very end where, at least for me, the whole story goes overboard.
Thanks to my GR friend, Thomas, for bringing this novel to my attention!
short review for busy readers: Gripping, fast-paced thriller about surveillance tech and personal data in the hands of private mega-companies. Realistic dialog, realistic profiling, great chase-n-capture scenes. Falls apart a bit at the very, very end. Some of the characters tend a little cliched and the tech isn’t always exactly believable, but that doesn’t detract from the fun.
in detail:
So here’s the deal: the CIA and a private social media company join forces to create the most vast, powerful surveillance state ever with the expressed goal of fighting terrorism. (Right, sure.) To test it, they need 10 guinea pigs who will go off-grid and try to evade capture - to "go zero" - for 30 days. If they can manage it, they’ll get 3 million dollars, tax-free.
Who wouldn't want to try that?
There is a lot to love about the novel Going Zero. How each of the 10 are found and captured is very revealing of how any of us can get caught for anything.
Our family or friends give us away in what they believe are secret conversations or innocent Google searches.
We repeat patterns or behave a little too much like ourselves, relying on what we know and therefore what our hunters know about us. (Caught you in 5!)
We can’t go even 30 days without modern western luxuries (screen time, fave foods, home delivery) which can be traced to us, no matter how clever we think we're being.
While watching how these 10 people evade detection, the reader automatically asks themselves, “what would I do”? That’s an interesting thought puzzle that will keep the reader engaged even if they aren’t enjoying a particular scene.
Besides the plot question itself, there were two very good lines that the morally-flexible, Elon Musk/Mark Zuckerberg clone of a social media billionaire came out with.
1/ We are all worried about our privacy, but that's a non-issue. Our privacy is gone. The issue now is direct manipulation and the grooming of public opinion through the use of our personal data by gov and private contractors.
That is, what the gov or private enterprise knows about us can be used for things like influencing elections, gaining support for a bogus war or torpedoing a socially relevant new law. That's real, not a fiction, and is being used against us today.
2/ People in general are careless with their data. They willingly share very private info about themselves on social media (think even of all the personal reviews here on GR). Why? Because it makes them feel seen and valued, and being seen and valued is very close to feeling loved.
Let that sit for a moment.
We willingly give up our privacy to feel loved even though we know the (theoretical) risks. And lo, so shall it be online as it is in real life!
Those two statements really made me sit up and take notice.
I very much enjoyed the non-stop ride in Going Zero up until the very end where, at least for me, the whole story goes overboard.
Thanks to my GR friend, Thomas, for bringing this novel to my attention!
![Profile Image for Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 6, 2023
2.5-Stars >> 3.0-Stars
"This book was likeable, but didn't really hit the mark"
Review to follow shortly (I am still 'indisposed')
In the meantime, from my "Listening Activity":
Commenced 11/06/2023
"The first 30% was riveting, yet implausible. From about 30% to 42% the book has kept me listening quite intently, but I am wondering where it is going. I understand, it's Fiction, so implausibility is allowed, but I want to need to get to the finish line!"
"This book was likeable, but didn't really hit the mark"
Review to follow shortly (I am still 'indisposed')
In the meantime, from my "Listening Activity":
Commenced 11/06/2023
"The first 30% was riveting, yet implausible. From about 30% to 42% the book has kept me listening quite intently, but I am wondering where it is going. I understand, it's Fiction, so implausibility is allowed, but I want to need to get to the finish line!"
April 28, 2023
Going Zero ist bisher der spannendste Roman, den ich von McCarten gelesen habe. Ein absoluter Pageturner, den ich innerhalb eines Tages buchstäblich inhaliert habe. Zwischentöne und tiefe Figurenentwicklung gibt es nur bedingt, aber das ist egal, denn die rasante Action des Thrillers überlagert ohnehin alles.
Zusätzlich hat sich der Autor auch noch einem sehr aktuellen technischen Thema, der totalen Überwachung und den Strategien, wie Menschen versuchen, ihr zu entgehen, beziehungsweise eben auch daran scheitern können, gewidmet.
Der Social Media Mogul Cy Baxter bietet mit seiner Überwachungssoftware FUSION der US-Regierung seine Dienste an. In einem Betatest sollen aus zehn Freiwilligen ausgewählte Probanden – fünf Profis und fünf Amateure – weltweit aufgespürt werden. Wer sich 30 Tage unauffindbar für die neue Software verstecken kann, dem winken drei Millionen Dollar. Aber auch für Baxters Firma steht viel auf dem Spiel. Wenn nicht alle zehn Kandidaten innerhalb der Frist gefunden werden, geht dem Konzern ein lukrativer Deal mit der Regierung über 90 Milliarden durch die Lappen. Die Firma Fusion und die CIA bieten gemeinsam alle Instrumente der modernen Überwachung und Big Data Analyse auf, um die „Flüchtigen“ festzusetzen – ein interessantes Fangenspiel beginnt.
Protagonistin Kaitlyn Day ist eine der Kandidatinnen mit der Kennung Zero 10. Sie scheint vordergründig als gelernte Bibliothekarin, zudem mit psychischen Problemen belastet, nahezu null Chancen in dieser Challenge zu haben. Auch die Strategien der anderen neun Probanden und das Scheitern derselben werden in diesem Spiel sehr konsistent in den Plot eingewoben: Da gibt es einen Kandidaten mit Spionageerfahrung, einen anderen, der eine Blocksoftware für die Spy Fusion Software entwickelt hat, einen Technologieverweigerer alter Schule, einen Outdoor Überlebenskünstler, einen, der sich in einem winzigen gesicherten Verschlag in der eigenen Wohnung verschanzt, der an die gesamte Versorgung inklusive Entsorgung für die dreißig Tage gedacht hat, aber nicht an den Umstand, dass die Wohnungspläne mit einer Nachmessung verglichen werden und so weiter. All diese Figuren lernen wir nicht genau und tief kennen, aber sie sind auch relativ irrelevant, denn sie werden binnen kürzester Zeit geschnappt. Ein Proband zum Beispiel deshalb, weil er seine Bierpräferenzen einfach nicht ändern konnte.
Letztendlich bereitet der Underdog Kaitlyn Cy Baxter und seiner Lebensgefährtin Erika die meisten Probleme, denn sie ist am Ende als einzige noch im Spiel. Mit einer gehörigen Portion Glück und klugen Strategien sind ihr die Häscher zwar sehr oft auf den Fersen, was den Plot besonders spannend macht, aber sie kriegen sie dennoch nicht. Das klingt nun vordergründig sehr unwahrscheinlich, aber das Finale deckt auf, warum die Spy Software gerade bei Kaitlyn versagt hat, ihre Verhaltensmuster zu analysieren und ihre Aktionen zu prognostizieren.
Als noch 7 Tage in diesem Spiel übrig sind, wartet McCarten mit seinem ersten interessanten Plottwist auf, der alles schlüssig erklärt. Die Amateurin Kandidatin 10, angeblich Kaitlyn und normale Bibliothekarin, die bei dem Fangenspiel als einzige noch nicht gefasst wurde, hat vor dem Spiel mit einer Frau, die ihr ähnlichsieht, die Identität getauscht. Deshalb haben sie die Algorithmen auch nicht gefunden, weil sie von anderen Verhaltens- und Bewegungsmustern ausgingen und völlig falsche Aktionen prognostizierten. Die Frau mit Kaitlyns Identität, mit dem Namen Sam, ist vom Beruf Krankenschwester und muss nun völlig neu eingeschätzt werden.
Die jetzt schon rasante Handlung dreht sich noch einmal in eine völlig andere Richtung, denn Cy spielt ein falsches Spiel und seine Lebensgefährtin Erika funkt ihm dazwischen. Psst! Mehr verrate ich nicht. Dramaturgisch ist diese Story eine Wucht, die technischen Details sind konsistent in die Geschichte eingewoben.
Fazit: Absolute Leseempfehlung für Liebhaber des Genres technischer Thriller! Ein Werk, das die Bezeichnung Spannungsliteratur wohlverdient hat.
Zusätzlich hat sich der Autor auch noch einem sehr aktuellen technischen Thema, der totalen Überwachung und den Strategien, wie Menschen versuchen, ihr zu entgehen, beziehungsweise eben auch daran scheitern können, gewidmet.
Der Social Media Mogul Cy Baxter bietet mit seiner Überwachungssoftware FUSION der US-Regierung seine Dienste an. In einem Betatest sollen aus zehn Freiwilligen ausgewählte Probanden – fünf Profis und fünf Amateure – weltweit aufgespürt werden. Wer sich 30 Tage unauffindbar für die neue Software verstecken kann, dem winken drei Millionen Dollar. Aber auch für Baxters Firma steht viel auf dem Spiel. Wenn nicht alle zehn Kandidaten innerhalb der Frist gefunden werden, geht dem Konzern ein lukrativer Deal mit der Regierung über 90 Milliarden durch die Lappen. Die Firma Fusion und die CIA bieten gemeinsam alle Instrumente der modernen Überwachung und Big Data Analyse auf, um die „Flüchtigen“ festzusetzen – ein interessantes Fangenspiel beginnt.
Protagonistin Kaitlyn Day ist eine der Kandidatinnen mit der Kennung Zero 10. Sie scheint vordergründig als gelernte Bibliothekarin, zudem mit psychischen Problemen belastet, nahezu null Chancen in dieser Challenge zu haben. Auch die Strategien der anderen neun Probanden und das Scheitern derselben werden in diesem Spiel sehr konsistent in den Plot eingewoben: Da gibt es einen Kandidaten mit Spionageerfahrung, einen anderen, der eine Blocksoftware für die Spy Fusion Software entwickelt hat, einen Technologieverweigerer alter Schule, einen Outdoor Überlebenskünstler, einen, der sich in einem winzigen gesicherten Verschlag in der eigenen Wohnung verschanzt, der an die gesamte Versorgung inklusive Entsorgung für die dreißig Tage gedacht hat, aber nicht an den Umstand, dass die Wohnungspläne mit einer Nachmessung verglichen werden und so weiter. All diese Figuren lernen wir nicht genau und tief kennen, aber sie sind auch relativ irrelevant, denn sie werden binnen kürzester Zeit geschnappt. Ein Proband zum Beispiel deshalb, weil er seine Bierpräferenzen einfach nicht ändern konnte.
Letztendlich bereitet der Underdog Kaitlyn Cy Baxter und seiner Lebensgefährtin Erika die meisten Probleme, denn sie ist am Ende als einzige noch im Spiel. Mit einer gehörigen Portion Glück und klugen Strategien sind ihr die Häscher zwar sehr oft auf den Fersen, was den Plot besonders spannend macht, aber sie kriegen sie dennoch nicht. Das klingt nun vordergründig sehr unwahrscheinlich, aber das Finale deckt auf, warum die Spy Software gerade bei Kaitlyn versagt hat, ihre Verhaltensmuster zu analysieren und ihre Aktionen zu prognostizieren.
Als noch 7 Tage in diesem Spiel übrig sind, wartet McCarten mit seinem ersten interessanten Plottwist auf, der alles schlüssig erklärt. Die Amateurin Kandidatin 10, angeblich Kaitlyn und normale Bibliothekarin, die bei dem Fangenspiel als einzige noch nicht gefasst wurde, hat vor dem Spiel mit einer Frau, die ihr ähnlichsieht, die Identität getauscht. Deshalb haben sie die Algorithmen auch nicht gefunden, weil sie von anderen Verhaltens- und Bewegungsmustern ausgingen und völlig falsche Aktionen prognostizierten. Die Frau mit Kaitlyns Identität, mit dem Namen Sam, ist vom Beruf Krankenschwester und muss nun völlig neu eingeschätzt werden.
Die jetzt schon rasante Handlung dreht sich noch einmal in eine völlig andere Richtung, denn Cy spielt ein falsches Spiel und seine Lebensgefährtin Erika funkt ihm dazwischen. Psst! Mehr verrate ich nicht. Dramaturgisch ist diese Story eine Wucht, die technischen Details sind konsistent in die Geschichte eingewoben.
Fazit: Absolute Leseempfehlung für Liebhaber des Genres technischer Thriller! Ein Werk, das die Bezeichnung Spannungsliteratur wohlverdient hat.
September 11, 2023
To beta test a new surveillance program, the creators and the government join forces. Ten people are selected to go into hiding for 30 days to determine whether the program can track them. If they escape detection they will be given $3 million. Most of the people are ordinary citizens, a few are security experts and one is a librarian who has hidden talents and motives.
Most of the book focused on the librarian, but I actually preferred the parts of the book that described the other participants, how they tried to disappear and how they ultimately failed. The details about surveillance and tracking capabilities were interesting, if a little ominous. Really, our TVs can listen to us? And your snacking habits can rat you out?
The author is a screenwriter and I can see this as a movie, with the corporate head and the CIA as the big villains. I actually would have been fine if this was just a chase story and there was less obvious effort to make me afraid of surveillance. The book wound up taking itself a little too seriously, but it held my interest.
Most of the book focused on the librarian, but I actually preferred the parts of the book that described the other participants, how they tried to disappear and how they ultimately failed. The details about surveillance and tracking capabilities were interesting, if a little ominous. Really, our TVs can listen to us? And your snacking habits can rat you out?
The author is a screenwriter and I can see this as a movie, with the corporate head and the CIA as the big villains. I actually would have been fine if this was just a chase story and there was less obvious effort to make me afraid of surveillance. The book wound up taking itself a little too seriously, but it held my interest.
March 21, 2025
Ich schwanke zwischen 2,5 und 3 ⭐, die Idee fand ich gut, mit der Umsetzung bin ich bis zum Schluss nicht warm geworden.
April 16, 2023
Smart. Riveting. Twists and turns. Relevant societal issues. This book was one that grabbed my attention and stayed in my mind when I was called away from my reading. Do you have questions or doubts about modern surveillance techniques and personal privacy? As an old-fashioned, check writing person, the premise of this book was fascinating. A tech wizard, a librarian, a swarm of security experts and government agencies fill the pages with not so impossible events. Publication date: April, 2023.
My thanks to the author, Anthony McCarten, and the publisher, Harper Collins, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway. Grab this one!
My thanks to the author, Anthony McCarten, and the publisher, Harper Collins, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway. Grab this one!
July 11, 2023
This had promise, but too many plot holes/unbelievabilities for me. I did not like the twist part way through. I don't believe the reasons why Fusion didn't pick up on it. They knew such obscure things about other contestants, it seems so unbelievable that they wouldn't have picked up on certain things about her life.
I was hoping for a smarter book. A more tricky way she was deceiving them and how all the little choices she made throughout the book all make sense, but they didn't. Another review mentioned how they just kept talking about gait recognition. We get it; give us something else interesting.
Something else that was confusing was on one of the Zeros they said she came from a large Catholic family and then two pages later said she was an only child. How do editors miss these things?
Also, I expected more from 's story. It was really just what it seemed to be; no fun twist or big secret.
Also, what was 's deal? How did he know and what was his motivation?
The final thing that bothered me (that I'm going to bother mentioning), is if was so smart to I would say it was too full of Deus ex Machina.
I can't blame the guy who wrote this, I am not smart enough for that plot either, but this wasn't thrilling. It gave me Glass Onion vibes. It held the promise of Runaway Jury and we got Glass Onion.
I am giving this 2 stars because I didn't actively dislike it, but I am not going to recommend it.
I was hoping for a smarter book. A more tricky way she was deceiving them and how all the little choices she made throughout the book all make sense, but they didn't. Another review mentioned how they just kept talking about gait recognition. We get it; give us something else interesting.
Something else that was confusing was on one of the Zeros they said she came from a large Catholic family and then two pages later said she was an only child. How do editors miss these things?
Also, I expected more from 's story. It was really just what it seemed to be; no fun twist or big secret.
Also, what was 's deal? How did he know and what was his motivation?
The final thing that bothered me (that I'm going to bother mentioning), is if was so smart to I would say it was too full of Deus ex Machina.
I can't blame the guy who wrote this, I am not smart enough for that plot either, but this wasn't thrilling. It gave me Glass Onion vibes. It held the promise of Runaway Jury and we got Glass Onion.
I am giving this 2 stars because I didn't actively dislike it, but I am not going to recommend it.
April 29, 2023
Loved this thriller. Fast-paced, highly topical, riveting mc. Did a great job of avoiding unlikable billionaire tech villain trope. You can read this book in one sitting, but you’ll think about for months after
April 18, 2023
Strong premise got more whackadoodle and absurd as it went on.
April 15, 2023
4.5 stars. It's been a while since I've had this much fun reading a thriller. It's got an excellent high-concept premise: ten Americans have been selected to test a high-tech surveillance system. If they can successfully evade detection for 30 days, they'll win a cool three million, tax-free. Suffice it to say, it ain't easy, because we are living in a surveillance state.
Now, this is day-after-tomorrow technology, but with recent innovations in AI, machine learning, and facial recognition, it definitely doesn't feel like science fiction. The marketing team evokes the name of Michael Crichton, and I don't think this book is quite up to that gold standard, but fans of technothrillers will find much to enjoy here.
There's more to the plot than what I described above. It centers around one of these ten individuals attempting to evade detection, a Boston librarian, who perhaps possesses more skills than one might expect, and who appears to have an agenda of her own. This book is plot-driven, not character-driven, so don't look for nuanced here, or fancy language. This book is all about propulsive pacing, and twists and turns. And on that account it succeeds very well. I circle back to my opening statement... This book was a ton of fun. It was just flat-out entertaining! I wish I had a dozen more like it lined up to read, but I don't, so I will have to wait for Mr. McCarten's sophomore novel and hope that it lives up to the promise of this debut.
Now, this is day-after-tomorrow technology, but with recent innovations in AI, machine learning, and facial recognition, it definitely doesn't feel like science fiction. The marketing team evokes the name of Michael Crichton, and I don't think this book is quite up to that gold standard, but fans of technothrillers will find much to enjoy here.
There's more to the plot than what I described above. It centers around one of these ten individuals attempting to evade detection, a Boston librarian, who perhaps possesses more skills than one might expect, and who appears to have an agenda of her own. This book is plot-driven, not character-driven, so don't look for nuanced here, or fancy language. This book is all about propulsive pacing, and twists and turns. And on that account it succeeds very well. I circle back to my opening statement... This book was a ton of fun. It was just flat-out entertaining! I wish I had a dozen more like it lined up to read, but I don't, so I will have to wait for Mr. McCarten's sophomore novel and hope that it lives up to the promise of this debut.
March 9, 2024
I found this an easy, interesting, and kinda fun read 🙂 the ideas and much of the plot were pretty clever 🙂 but it also felt abit 'empty' for me when I'd finished reading - it kept me engaged at the time, but didn't inhabit me afterwards/leave me thinking about it much 🙃
👁💻📱📸👁
I rather liked:
🙂 it felt like it could be set now, rather than an entirely fictional reality, and I think this closeness to current realities was effective.
🙂 I liked the comment that everyone else thought Kaitlin was the crazy one for reducing her online presence in favour of privacy 😉 and the ideas explored around these choices and whether online privacy is even possible for the majority of us.
🙂 and how a conventionally unremarkable single female librarian is perceived... and how that's kinda turned around abit in the novel 🙂
🙂 the limitations of tech made me smile too 😉 especially wrt the direction many societies are currently moving towards wrt the increasing use of, and reliance on, tech... and the idea that automating systems and services is a good thing without necessarily accounting for the flaws and limitations.
🙂 I think there's a fair amount of humour, and plenty tongue in cheek in the writing... tho some cheap jokes too...
🙂 the turn around of hunted and hunter about 60 percent in, and some of the preceding reveals, were fun 😉
🙂 I also liked how the Erica character is developed abit more around this point and going forward
I was less enamoured by:
🤔 the writing was abit repetitive in places - eg the initial flood of Star Trek references.
🤔 alot of the female characters aren't very well developed compared to the male characters, including many simply as accessories to a male character...
🤔 while in kinda part two the story still has a main female character, and as mentioned another is more developed, I found the story also is still as much/becomes more about the men here - Warren, Justin, Cy/Sy..
👁💻📱📸👁
🤔 and the ending? 🤔
it felt kinda rushed 😕
wrt the project and companies, there's a legal investigation that leads to nothing... which is not very satisfying, but also I think realistically so in the current climate and a good thing for the novel to flag...
after Warren's return (after 4 years) there's a brief examination of how they might be feeling, who they are now... which is good but also abit limited...
and it felt very unrealistic for Sam to leave as soon as Warren is back, after all the time and effort to find him, and wrt some of the emotional explorations mentioned above - I think more realistically she'd stay to support him and reconnect with him..
but I can see how the ending works wrt principles and also kinda a play on the title and what's gone before (going zero kinda properly for the first time, in real reality, after the beta test) 🙃
🌟
accessed as a local library audiobook, really well read by Marin Ireland. the readers pace was great - making what I think was a fairly fast paced novel quite relaxed, but still compelling 🙂
👁💻📱📸👁
I rather liked:
🙂 it felt like it could be set now, rather than an entirely fictional reality, and I think this closeness to current realities was effective.
🙂 I liked the comment that everyone else thought Kaitlin was the crazy one for reducing her online presence in favour of privacy 😉 and the ideas explored around these choices and whether online privacy is even possible for the majority of us.
🙂 and how a conventionally unremarkable single female librarian is perceived... and how that's kinda turned around abit in the novel 🙂
🙂 the limitations of tech made me smile too 😉 especially wrt the direction many societies are currently moving towards wrt the increasing use of, and reliance on, tech... and the idea that automating systems and services is a good thing without necessarily accounting for the flaws and limitations.
🙂 I think there's a fair amount of humour, and plenty tongue in cheek in the writing... tho some cheap jokes too...
🙂 the turn around of hunted and hunter about 60 percent in, and some of the preceding reveals, were fun 😉
🙂 I also liked how the Erica character is developed abit more around this point and going forward
I was less enamoured by:
🤔 the writing was abit repetitive in places - eg the initial flood of Star Trek references.
🤔 alot of the female characters aren't very well developed compared to the male characters, including many simply as accessories to a male character...
🤔 while in kinda part two the story still has a main female character, and as mentioned another is more developed, I found the story also is still as much/becomes more about the men here - Warren, Justin, Cy/Sy..
👁💻📱📸👁
🤔 and the ending? 🤔
it felt kinda rushed 😕
wrt the project and companies, there's a legal investigation that leads to nothing... which is not very satisfying, but also I think realistically so in the current climate and a good thing for the novel to flag...
after Warren's return (after 4 years) there's a brief examination of how they might be feeling, who they are now... which is good but also abit limited...
and it felt very unrealistic for Sam to leave as soon as Warren is back, after all the time and effort to find him, and wrt some of the emotional explorations mentioned above - I think more realistically she'd stay to support him and reconnect with him..
but I can see how the ending works wrt principles and also kinda a play on the title and what's gone before (going zero kinda properly for the first time, in real reality, after the beta test) 🙃
🌟
accessed as a local library audiobook, really well read by Marin Ireland. the readers pace was great - making what I think was a fairly fast paced novel quite relaxed, but still compelling 🙂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
Нормал��на книга у своїй ніші 👌
April 16, 2023
✨ Book Review ✨
Thank you @harperbooks for this #gifted copy of #GoingZero !!
⭐️
📖 Going Zero by Anthony McCarten
With three million dollars on the line, ten participants go off-grid to evade a tech mogul and the CIA who are actively hunting them.
What is has to offer:
🔎 Mystery
🔪 Thriller
🎬 Movieish
💚 Bipolar Disorder
Quick thoughts:
✨ Interesting premise.
✨ Reads like a screenplay.
✨ Disjointed storyline.
✨ Bipolar person is a “nutjob” 🙄.
Overall thoughts:
📝 The writing style was sparse. At times it felt like I was just reading notes that had been jotted down. The story moved at a sprinting pace, slowing down occasionally for an info dump.
🔎 There was a bit of a mystery in this one surrounding the FMC but when the big reveal came it was lackluster. It also happens mid book marking the point where the first half and second half of the book start to feel like different stories.
🔪 There could have been thrilling moments during the catch scenes but they happened so quickly I wasn’t given a chance to care.
🎬 The whole book reads like a screenplay which I guess is what’s intended for this story.
💚 Initially I was excited to see a bipolar character in the mix bc I’m bipolar but then it immediately crashed and burned.
🤬 Just because she was bipolar and had been previously hospitalized she was deemed “crazy” and “strange” and then the whole “you let this woman look after your kids” comment happened, not to mention she was an “angry nutjob”.
🧠 Mental health stigmas are prevalent in our society. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help anyone when depictions of people with mental health disorders in books and movies are misrepresented and ultimately feed into those stigmas.
💔 I don’t understand why the mental health aspect was even included in this book bc it didn’t really factor into anything in the end other than the “crazy female” trope. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you @harperbooks for this #gifted copy of #GoingZero !!
⭐️
📖 Going Zero by Anthony McCarten
With three million dollars on the line, ten participants go off-grid to evade a tech mogul and the CIA who are actively hunting them.
What is has to offer:
🔎 Mystery
🔪 Thriller
🎬 Movieish
💚 Bipolar Disorder
Quick thoughts:
✨ Interesting premise.
✨ Reads like a screenplay.
✨ Disjointed storyline.
✨ Bipolar person is a “nutjob” 🙄.
Overall thoughts:
📝 The writing style was sparse. At times it felt like I was just reading notes that had been jotted down. The story moved at a sprinting pace, slowing down occasionally for an info dump.
🔎 There was a bit of a mystery in this one surrounding the FMC but when the big reveal came it was lackluster. It also happens mid book marking the point where the first half and second half of the book start to feel like different stories.
🔪 There could have been thrilling moments during the catch scenes but they happened so quickly I wasn’t given a chance to care.
🎬 The whole book reads like a screenplay which I guess is what’s intended for this story.
💚 Initially I was excited to see a bipolar character in the mix bc I’m bipolar but then it immediately crashed and burned.
🤬 Just because she was bipolar and had been previously hospitalized she was deemed “crazy” and “strange” and then the whole “you let this woman look after your kids” comment happened, not to mention she was an “angry nutjob”.
🧠 Mental health stigmas are prevalent in our society. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help anyone when depictions of people with mental health disorders in books and movies are misrepresented and ultimately feed into those stigmas.
💔 I don’t understand why the mental health aspect was even included in this book bc it didn’t really factor into anything in the end other than the “crazy female” trope. 🤷🏻♀️
April 18, 2023
Inzwischen erschienen: Für mich der beste McCarten seit langem! Rasant, unterhaltsam, aktuell und mit überraschender Wendung. Wie ein Überraschungsei, alles drin! Für mich das erste Jahreshighlight.
May 2, 2023
3,5
“Personal privacy. That debate, a quaint twentieth-century one, is just ignorant background noise: the right to privacy is gone, lost already, or at least so compromised it’s really worthless. No, the real present and future threat is manipulation, the inculcation of prescribed attitudes and modes of behavior into an unwitting citizenry”
Até certa altura um page turner sobre um grupo de dez individuos com a pretensão que podem escapar ao controlo individual que as novas tecnologias permitem, o confronto do poder público versus as empresas privadas a quem, voluntariamente, damos essas informações, as necessidades ou o pretexto da segurança que justificam a recolha e tratamento desses dados.
Um romance que não é futurista porque já estamos nesse tempo, mesmo que possamos não o sentir no nosso dia a dia .
“Personal privacy. That debate, a quaint twentieth-century one, is just ignorant background noise: the right to privacy is gone, lost already, or at least so compromised it’s really worthless. No, the real present and future threat is manipulation, the inculcation of prescribed attitudes and modes of behavior into an unwitting citizenry”
Até certa altura um page turner sobre um grupo de dez individuos com a pretensão que podem escapar ao controlo individual que as novas tecnologias permitem, o confronto do poder público versus as empresas privadas a quem, voluntariamente, damos essas informações, as necessidades ou o pretexto da segurança que justificam a recolha e tratamento desses dados.
Um romance que não é futurista porque já estamos nesse tempo, mesmo que possamos não o sentir no nosso dia a dia .
March 13, 2024
Audiobook was so much fun! And narrated by my favorite Marin Ireland.
Solid 4 ⭐️ book. The premise of this book was so much fun and I can absolutely see this one getting made into a movie. I do think there was a pacing issue in the last 40% of the book and the ending honestly wrapped up too neatly, however, I was engaged start to finish and liked how things finished. This book revealed a lot of freaky cyber techy stuff about our modern day that freaked me out haha! I definitely recommend this one on audiobook, I don’t think it would hold the same weight as a physical read.
Solid 4 ⭐️ book. The premise of this book was so much fun and I can absolutely see this one getting made into a movie. I do think there was a pacing issue in the last 40% of the book and the ending honestly wrapped up too neatly, however, I was engaged start to finish and liked how things finished. This book revealed a lot of freaky cyber techy stuff about our modern day that freaked me out haha! I definitely recommend this one on audiobook, I don’t think it would hold the same weight as a physical read.
April 16, 2023
This was like reading an episode of the tv series Hunted. At times it was slow and a little confusing and other times it was really good. A mixed bag. Quite a lot of technical things going on which if you’re not into this you could find this boring. On the whole it was a good read but I prefer to watch the tv series than read about it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
May 8, 2023
I briefly saw this book in a bookstore and thought it looked like an interesting premise, and I have returned to it now. The set-up of the book is interesting: a competition between the CIA/Fusion to catch 10 "Zeroes" in 30 days. If they don't the participants win $3 million and Fusion doesn't get to share their software with the CIA, starting what will become a mass surveillance state.
We mainly follow two characters, the CEO of Fusion Cy Baxter, and participant "Zero 10," or Kaitlyn Day. First, I'll talk about what I liked. You could tell that Cy Baxter seemed a little too good to be true at the beginning. He is all about making the world a better place, even though he started WorldShare, a company very similar to Facebook (Mark Zuckerburg exists in this book, so probably better than Facebook) that began as a social media site and quickly became a way to sell the data of its customers to any and all interested parties. As a character, I liked his slow and deliberate evil arc. First, you see him being a jerk, acting out, throwing tantrums. You watch his team use software to catch Zeroes that they explicitly were told not to use. Then, you find out about all of his crimes. The real star of the book, however, is Kaitlyn Day. She is able to successfully outrun Fusion, even as she is being framed for Cy's crimes. She's clever and won't give up, as she searches to find information about her missing husband. I appreciated being kept in the dark--the twist took me by surprise even as I was wondering how this whole group of super-computer-nerds didn't know that she had a husband. Since it was only halfway through the book, I was excited to see what more surprises were ahead. I also enjoyed Erika turning on him. This is deep into where we know Cy is the worst, so this felt good. After this is where the book took a little bit of a turn for me.
So, Justin was helping her. I'll admit I was a little disappointed. Samantha seemed so capable, and it made her a more interesting character that she was so multifaceted rather than someone whose one track mind will do anything to get her husband back. I think this last 25% of the book dragged on a bit while somehow also wrapping up a lot. The idea of Cy (who admits he's not a master hacker) hacking into the most secure data on earth, and then Justin being able to access it from a program put on Cy's laptop through a thumb drive, then also accessible by Ericas underground team... well, it seemed a little preposterous. But sure, ok, we'll go along with it. Then Sam's husband really was working for the CIA. He comes home and she immediately leaves him to do the right thing. Which is great, but after years of just wanting her husband home, it seemed like a bit of a leap to have her do that after just one day.
I enjoyed the premise, it kept me hooked, but there was enough going on in the last third of the book that it sort of lost me. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 though! I just didn't feel as thought it wrapped up quite as well as it could have. 3.5/5
We mainly follow two characters, the CEO of Fusion Cy Baxter, and participant "Zero 10," or Kaitlyn Day. First, I'll talk about what I liked. You could tell that Cy Baxter seemed a little too good to be true at the beginning. He is all about making the world a better place, even though he started WorldShare, a company very similar to Facebook (Mark Zuckerburg exists in this book, so probably better than Facebook) that began as a social media site and quickly became a way to sell the data of its customers to any and all interested parties. As a character, I liked his slow and deliberate evil arc. First, you see him being a jerk, acting out, throwing tantrums. You watch his team use software to catch Zeroes that they explicitly were told not to use. Then, you find out about all of his crimes. The real star of the book, however, is Kaitlyn Day. She is able to successfully outrun Fusion, even as she is being framed for Cy's crimes. She's clever and won't give up, as she searches to find information about her missing husband. I appreciated being kept in the dark--the twist took me by surprise even as I was wondering how this whole group of super-computer-nerds didn't know that she had a husband. Since it was only halfway through the book, I was excited to see what more surprises were ahead. I also enjoyed Erika turning on him. This is deep into where we know Cy is the worst, so this felt good. After this is where the book took a little bit of a turn for me.
So, Justin was helping her. I'll admit I was a little disappointed. Samantha seemed so capable, and it made her a more interesting character that she was so multifaceted rather than someone whose one track mind will do anything to get her husband back. I think this last 25% of the book dragged on a bit while somehow also wrapping up a lot. The idea of Cy (who admits he's not a master hacker) hacking into the most secure data on earth, and then Justin being able to access it from a program put on Cy's laptop through a thumb drive, then also accessible by Ericas underground team... well, it seemed a little preposterous. But sure, ok, we'll go along with it. Then Sam's husband really was working for the CIA. He comes home and she immediately leaves him to do the right thing. Which is great, but after years of just wanting her husband home, it seemed like a bit of a leap to have her do that after just one day.
I enjoyed the premise, it kept me hooked, but there was enough going on in the last third of the book that it sort of lost me. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 though! I just didn't feel as thought it wrapped up quite as well as it could have. 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2023
↦ 64/ 100
This is probably one of the most unsatisfying books I've ever read.
To be honest, I picked up this ARC knowing this adult sci-fi thriller wasn't my normal genre, but it sounded like a movie I'd enjoy so I decided to pick it up because why not?
The first half of this book actually had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the pacing, the characters, and how you could slowly see Kaitlyn lose herself and Cy loses himself to his obsession with his work. Unfortunately, once phase two (part two and the second half of the book) came around, I was no longer intrigued. There was so much going on that even though it wasn't hard to follow, it was boring to follow.
Granted, I do think this book will work for a lot of people, especially for those who know this genre is their thing! My two-star rating of this is personal, this just wasn't for me.
Too much was happening with too little of a payoff for me. Halfway through the book so many new plot points and motives get introduced that at least to me personally, weren't alluded to in the first half. Sure, some of the points were mentioned, but when the reveals happened it didn't feel fluid enough.
(I received an ARC of this book through being a Barnes & Noble bookseller, thank you!)
This is probably one of the most unsatisfying books I've ever read.
To be honest, I picked up this ARC knowing this adult sci-fi thriller wasn't my normal genre, but it sounded like a movie I'd enjoy so I decided to pick it up because why not?
The first half of this book actually had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the pacing, the characters, and how you could slowly see Kaitlyn lose herself and Cy loses himself to his obsession with his work. Unfortunately, once phase two (part two and the second half of the book) came around, I was no longer intrigued. There was so much going on that even though it wasn't hard to follow, it was boring to follow.
Granted, I do think this book will work for a lot of people, especially for those who know this genre is their thing! My two-star rating of this is personal, this just wasn't for me.
Too much was happening with too little of a payoff for me. Halfway through the book so many new plot points and motives get introduced that at least to me personally, weren't alluded to in the first half. Sure, some of the points were mentioned, but when the reveals happened it didn't feel fluid enough.
(I received an ARC of this book through being a Barnes & Noble bookseller, thank you!)
September 7, 2023
• BOOKSTAGRAM •
It starts with a librarian, need I say more? This is a cat and mouse chase with every federal agencies teamed up to see his good their security devices really are. Can they find ten people who were given two hours to go completely off grid? This is a fast paced thriller that keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
Also, there’s a nurse named Tabatha—uhhh hello hi!
This book goes into detail about how 10 specially selected individuals are given 2 hours after go time to get completely off the grid to test new security software that’s meant to help prevent any threats from coming and more so be able to find the predators and bad people as fast as possible. The 10 contestants are given 30 days to stay hidden and whoever wins is awarded 3 million dollars. Some contestant stories are quick, and funny and then we have Kate the librarian who is the show runner and we go through all of her trials and tribulations and wonder how has she made it so far and does she win in the end? Or does the softwares owner Cy Baxter win?
It starts with a librarian, need I say more? This is a cat and mouse chase with every federal agencies teamed up to see his good their security devices really are. Can they find ten people who were given two hours to go completely off grid? This is a fast paced thriller that keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
Also, there’s a nurse named Tabatha—uhhh hello hi!
This book goes into detail about how 10 specially selected individuals are given 2 hours after go time to get completely off the grid to test new security software that’s meant to help prevent any threats from coming and more so be able to find the predators and bad people as fast as possible. The 10 contestants are given 30 days to stay hidden and whoever wins is awarded 3 million dollars. Some contestant stories are quick, and funny and then we have Kate the librarian who is the show runner and we go through all of her trials and tribulations and wonder how has she made it so far and does she win in the end? Or does the softwares owner Cy Baxter win?
March 9, 2025
En conjunto, diría que es una novela que, sin ser de calidad, me ha hecho para pasar un buen rato.
A pesar de los "peros" es muy entretenida.
La primera mitad me ha resultado tirando a mala, pero a la vez me ha picado la curiosidad porque la premisa es buena y además es una lectura adictiva. Aunque, por otro lado, contiene muchas erratas tontas, que podrían haberse evitado fácilmente.
En la segunda mitad la cosa se va poniendo cada vez más interesante, con giros buenos y oportunos que no he visto venir. Todo ello desde la perspectiva de que hay que meterse en la trama y pasar de que hay cosas un poco peliculeras.
La última cuarta parte es muy buena, con un ritmo frenético. Los personajes me han gustado, el desenlace es lógico y el final no lo esperaba.
"La auténtica amenaza presente y futura es la manipulación, la inculcación de actitudes y comportamientos prescritos en una ciudadanía involuntaria, el cambio invisible de la monitorización al control, el último capítulo del largo relato de la democracia, el libre albedrío deformado en cumplimiento voluntario".
A pesar de los "peros" es muy entretenida.
La primera mitad me ha resultado tirando a mala, pero a la vez me ha picado la curiosidad porque la premisa es buena y además es una lectura adictiva. Aunque, por otro lado, contiene muchas erratas tontas, que podrían haberse evitado fácilmente.
En la segunda mitad la cosa se va poniendo cada vez más interesante, con giros buenos y oportunos que no he visto venir. Todo ello desde la perspectiva de que hay que meterse en la trama y pasar de que hay cosas un poco peliculeras.
La última cuarta parte es muy buena, con un ritmo frenético. Los personajes me han gustado, el desenlace es lógico y el final no lo esperaba.
"La auténtica amenaza presente y futura es la manipulación, la inculcación de actitudes y comportamientos prescritos en una ciudadanía involuntaria, el cambio invisible de la monitorización al control, el último capítulo del largo relato de la democracia, el libre albedrío deformado en cumplimiento voluntario".
November 2, 2024
Clever Thriller about a Big Tech company (with a typical billionaire tech guru / leader) working in a cooperation with the CIA on an Orwell like scenario (just a beta test, thank God) how to catch criminals and terrorists in the future. This Going Zero to catch the person contest for 10 attendants is mainly focused on one woman who is the unlikliest not to get caught in the 30 days time frame set up for the experiment. Very thrilling and asking the right questions what society is allowed to do and why we are so willingly giving up our privacy. I give it a solid 4.some stars hence rounded up to 5.
August 5, 2023
Love this entire wild ride
August 22, 2024
Перша половина - 4 ⭐️
Друга - 3 😐
Друга - 3 😐
February 28, 2024
Was für ein unerwartetes Ende. Was für ein twist in der Hälfte des Buches.
Was nehme ich mit aus diesem Buch? Die Gewissheit, dass alles irgendwie ans Licht kommt und alle Informationen irgendwo gespeichert sind. Paranoia gibt’s in diesem Buch gratis. Die Grundidee ist nicht schlecht, Aufgabe einzelner Freiheiten für die Sicherheit des Ganzen. Wie das Buch darlegt eine feine Theorie, aber der Faktor Mensch ist und bleibt ein Risiko dabei.
Wahnsinnig gute Lektüre, toller Schreibstil des Autors und eine Story die mich leicht beklemmt zurück lässt.
Was nehme ich mit aus diesem Buch? Die Gewissheit, dass alles irgendwie ans Licht kommt und alle Informationen irgendwo gespeichert sind. Paranoia gibt’s in diesem Buch gratis. Die Grundidee ist nicht schlecht, Aufgabe einzelner Freiheiten für die Sicherheit des Ganzen. Wie das Buch darlegt eine feine Theorie, aber der Faktor Mensch ist und bleibt ein Risiko dabei.
Wahnsinnig gute Lektüre, toller Schreibstil des Autors und eine Story die mich leicht beklemmt zurück lässt.
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