Not for me - not what I thought it would be and I did not finish this book - I found it hard going and gave up on it - written well - just not my thing

Thrilling. A game of hare and hounds with a big prize turns darker as both hounds and hare reveal hidden motives

Going Zero was an intriguing, fast-paced read which kept me hooked from the first page. There is no time wasted, with action picking up from the start, and it really prompted me to think more about the role technology plays in our everyday lives. Definitely worth picking up, particularly for those who are fans of the TV show "Hunted"!

Well - what can I say about this! A fantastic read which gave me the shivers at some points due to how I could imagine this happening right now in society. It really made me think about how much of our lives are actually under surveillance constantly. A great story with a brilliant twist - would recommend

a high-tech thriller with heart, as BAFTA-winning Kiwi screenwriter McCarten spins a ticking clock chase tale that explores terrifying themes of ubiquitous surveillance, corruptible technology, and surrendering our freedoms for false security.

This was an intriguing read. Not usually one I go for but I´m glad I did. It really makes you wonder about the powers of social media, data protection, government restrictions (if any). At times, had to concentrate really hard to take it all in but overall a good read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

I couldn't get into this book it was too real and I was on edge reading it. Could it be real and happening now. I enjoyed it and would recommend if psychological books are your thing.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was captivating, and the twist at the end was absolutely fantastic. It made me think about how we could disconnect from constant surveillance and go off the grid. I highly recommend giving this book a read!

Wow what a book. This hook was very hard to put down as you just had to see who was going to win in the end. Will most definitely recommend this book.

Going Zero

In the name of national security, the CIA has created the ultimate surveillance program known as FUSION. Ten Americans have been carefully selected to beta test the groundbreaking system.
At the appointed hour, each of the ten will have two hours to “Go Zero”—to turn their cellphones off, cut ties with friends and family, and use any means possible to disappear. They will then have 30 days to evade detection and elude the highly sophisticated Capture Teams tasked to find them using the most cutting-edge technology. The goal is to see if it is possible to successfully go “off the grid” and escape detection.

This has jumped straight on my favourite of the year list !
I was immediately drawn into this story, and the action kicked off right from the start. I did not see any of the twists coming at all. I had so much fun reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillian, and Antony McCarten for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An original premise with a very topical theme of the surveillance society. I found this very gripping and also quite thought-provoking. A real page-turner. Highly recommended.

This was a captivating and mysterious thriller! It really made me think about how technology affects our lives and how much power governments have over people with their technology. The tech-bro character Cy is as infuriating as you would expect: someone who thinks they are above it all and can take from people and decide their fate without any care for the consequences. The ended was a bit unsatisfying because there wasn’t a conflict resolution. Overall a decent, short, novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-book by Anthony McCarten entitled "Go Zero".

We met the 10 Going Zero Beta test participants of the Fusion Initiative, and World Share partnership with the U.S. government. The Going Zero beta will begin on May 1 at noon. The test is scheduled to run until noon on May 31. The one who survives will receive a prize of three million dollars. The participant of this test may not inform anyone about it under pain of disqualification. The first contestant she meets is Kaitlyn Day. She is 33 years old. She is a lonely librarian. It is attended by Zero 10. Ray Johnson is a participant in Zero 1. He is now retired. He likes to play golf. He handled his affairs personally. He did not like to share his private life on the Internet. He didn't trust email. He has been married for forty-three years. Will Fusion track him down and lose this test? The participant of Zero 4 is Freddie Daniels. He is forty-six years old. Together with his partners, he runs a construction company. Will he be smarter than the rest of the participants? Where will he hide? Zero 3, this is Maria Chan. She is a former student from Hong Kong. She was granted asylum in America. Catherine Sawyers, Zero 6, is in her forties. She is a very bitter woman. James Kenner, Zero 2. He is twenty-six years old. He is a senior privacy designer. By participating in this test, he wants to prove his new masking technologies to investors. Will he succeed? Will it pass this test? Zero 7, Brad Williams, is an ex-military. What does he currently do? Zero 8, Jen May. You have to read about this character for yourself. A very intelligent woman. Done White, Zero 9 is a modern-day bounty hunter. Will such a man be able to hide? Will he successfully disappear from the radar to win $3 million? I was very curious what the CIA had to do with this case. Will the combination of the CIA, FBI and NSA speed up the search for ten players? Let me tell you, I had a lot of fun reading this book. I was very delighted to be an eyewitness to the cleverness of the players. I bet on one player. I liked his cleverness. He disguised himself well. The best agents and others have failed to discover his hiding place. Of course, I will not reveal whether my favourite was a woman or a man, but reading "GO ZERO" you will guess.

This was an exciting story from begining to end. It could almost be Dystopian in character. Some really good characters, so well described that they jump off the page. A storyline that had me gripped the whole way through.. What a conclusion!!

Good book, kept me interested and guessing. I liked how it was written, although some chapters slightly dragged.
Reminded me of the show hunted, just a little bit more intense and real. Technology is just scary!! Big brother is watching.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy. Definitely recommended.

Sorry I found this silly. Others may be enthralled by it however. It is well written and I feel the author really knows what he is talking about. Simply not for me.

Reminded me of Blake Crouch's work, fun and high concept but gets a little bogged down in technical jargon. Not generally the type of thing I'd pick up but that's from personal taste, I was glad to have the opportunity to read it through Netgalley. I'd recommend this and McCarten's work to other people and I'd watch a show/film if that was made

The ultimate surveillance programme, known as FUSION, was developed by the CIA in cooperation with Silicon Valley's rising star Cy Baxter for the sake of national security. Ten Americans have been carefully chosen to beta test the revolutionary system prior to its release.

Each of the ten will have two hours starting at the allotted time to "Go Zero"—to switch off their smartphones, sever relationships with loved ones, and take any other steps necessary to vanish. The highly skilled Capture Teams entrusted with finding them using the most advanced technologies will then have 30 days to locate them. The objective is to test the viability of successfully evading discovery by going "off the grid".

The stakes are really high. If FUSION is a success, Cy Baxter will be granted access to the intelligence tools he genuinely believes will save lives as well as a prized 10-year, $100 billion government contract. Anyone who circumvents the intensive surveillance will receive a $3 million cash prize.

An unassuming Boston librarian by the name of Kaitlyn Day is one of the competitors. She has been selected as the gimme, the simple victim anticipated to be discovered first. But Kaitlyn is particularly good at defying expectations. Her abilities in this game are far more potent than any security experts suspect, and her motivations for playing are far more personal than anyone could possibly understand.

A really good story, mostly following Cy and Kaitlyn as she uses her skills to evade capture - with some of the other participants being tracked. There is a plot twist in the middle which I didn't anticipate, but added more grit to the story.

I've not watched it but channel 4 does a series called Hunted, similar scenario but without the government nor cameras following the contestants. Plus with AI and privacy in the news quite often this is rather a topical novel.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

I found this book to be totally absorbing. It was great fun. I loved the different characters and the different approaches to beating surveillance. There was also so much more in the story than that, held my attention the whole time. It then made me stop and think about just how much we use social media, how much technology both in and out of our own homes can be watching what we do! Really doesn't bear thinking about. Highly recommend.

‘Two Hours To Vanish. One Chance To Escape.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Going Zero’ by Anthony McCarten.

This high concept thriller certainly delivered! Just a few details as it’s the kind of novel that I feel is best read ‘cold’ for maximum impact.

Silicon Valley billionaire Cy Baxter has developed a ground-breaking piece of spyware, named FUSION, that can track anyone wherever they are on earth. But does it work? Cy’s company, WorldShare, is about to conduct a field test to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Fusion Initiative.

Ten people have been carefully selected to test it. They receive their acceptance letter and advised that in seven days at 12:00 they will receive an alert to ‘Go Zero’. They will then have two hours to go off-grid and disappear. Then for thirty days they have to elude the highly sophisticated Capture Teams sent to find them.

Any Zero that beats FUSION will receive $3 million in cash. At stake is a $90 billion government contract with the CIA to develop FUSION further and revolutionize surveillance forever.

The narrative focuses on Boston librarian Kaitlyn Day, aka Zero 10, as well how things are going at Fusion Central. The other Zeros also feature. I won’t say more in order to avoid spoilers.

Overall, ‘Going Zero’ proved a very cleverly plotted thriller that addresses questions about the degree to which technology has impinged upon our privacy. I was so riveted by ‘Going Zero’ that I read it in a single day as it proved impossible to put down.