Going Zero- A Novel by Anthony McCarten
Product Details
Web ID: 16849786Can you hide from the government?
If the government is searching for you, is it possible to disappear for 30 days? This is the goal of Fusion - a government program being beta tested by 10 Americans who have 2 hours to go zero and disappear. If they make it 30 days without being found, they win $3 million. Kaitlyn Day is one of the beta testers who proves to be surprisingly cunning and elusive. This isn’t the genre I would usually read and I still loved it. This story has a lot of surprising plot twists which kept me hooked. I was rooting for the lead character - loved how brilliant she was! I enjoyed the aspect that you’re not sure who to trust throughout the story. And though it seems far-fetched, it makes you wonder how much the government can find out about a person. I also liked the structure of the book, giving clear timing and destination of each chapter. Sometimes books like this confuse me but I found this one easy to follow. The only thing I didn’t like is that I want to know more! Is there a book 2?? I recommend Going Zero to people who like a fast paced, easy read with elements of government secrets and a strong female lead to check this one out. Tropes: Government corruption Survival Strong female lead Technological advances
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gripping first half
I was a big fan of the Channel 4 TV series ‘Hunted’, so the premise of ‘Going Zero’, featuring a competition where contestants try to disappear to test private and government tech was really intriguing. I loved the first half of the book where the competition is in full swing. The book is really well paced and although there are 10 contestants, they are introduced slowly so you never felt overwhelmed. The fact that they are introduced as both their names and numbers during each chapter also really helped it not to get too confusing. There are some characters that are introduced and lose the game in one chapter and some that are around throughout. I thought the characters were nicely varied and there were some really funny moments in this part of the book. The chapters are headed up with the location of the characters, but they change locations often (they are on the run after all!). I think perhaps using their ID Number would have been less confusing, particularly as someone who doesn’t know American geography very well. The chapters are also interspersed with the perspective from the hunters, led by Cy Baxter, who’s a bit of an Elon Musk type character. He’s not particularly likeable and we see a real darker side to him start to come out as the game progresses. The latter half of the book then turns into a bit of a techno-thriller, full of hacking and politics and meetings. I must admit that I didn’t really enjoy this half as much as I had enjoyed the first half. I knew that something darker would be happening, but I was hoping for something else rather than what was presented. The ending seemed a bit far-fetched and was a little disappointing. I’m aware that this is very much a personal preference though! Overall, Going Zero is a brilliant premise and has a perfectly paced and gripping first half, but I was less enamoured by the second half of the book. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great read!
OK here’s something neat - Anthony McCarten’s new novel, Going Zero, has already been snatched up for the small screen - and it only releases today! What’s it about you ask? Fusion, a tech giant, has created a sophisticated piece of spyware - with the blessing of the CIA. They want to test it out on real folks, and ten Americans have taken up the challenge. They have thirty days to hide and not be found. And the carrot? $3 million dollars if you make it to thirty days. Oh boy, this was a scary one to read. Why? McCarten’s imagining of the levels of scrutiny, the information available in our tech laden world, the backing of the government, and more is probably not that far from the truth. The narrative switches between Fusion and the ten ‘Zeroes’. The antagonist is so well drawn - a billionaire megalomaniac, with no scruples, that you’ll just love to hate. And I have to say I was somewhat reminded of an actual figure from our newspaper headlines. The zeros are a mixed bunch, with each having strategies planned to avoid being captured for the month of beta testing. I had been mentally thinking of ways to go off grid and hide as I read. McCarten’s ideas were brilliant. But, one by one, the Zeros are being found. But not all of them… and that’s our protagonist, Kaitlyn Day. She’s a librarian with her own plan of evading Cy Butcher’s capture teams. And she has her own reasons for wanting to beat him. Again, another unexpected twist in a already fresh story from McCarten. Going Zero is a non-stop, stay up late read that I couldn’t put down. Fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay would really enjoy Going Zero.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Read this book.
Talented and imaginative veteran author Anthony McCarten has written an equally superb thriller, Going Zero. The premise is unique; a quasi-government/private enterprise has selected ten people to disappear from America's digital spy grid for one month. The winner inherits $3,000,000. One contestant, a seemingly mundane librarian, joins the action with little to prove or gain except her ability to demonstrate the agency wrong and win the prize. Or does she? The descriptions of America's compulsion to gather and aggregate personal data are fascinating yet chilling as we watch the librarian attempt to disappear. The story progresses, and the reader is drawn into the librarian's details, revealing why she has to go zero at all costs.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent thrilling read!
Loved this book! Was so hard to put it down- got totally hooked by the premise - win a prize to disappear completely - would totally sign up if this existed. Made me want to quit all my social media ASAP. Awesome Read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com