Turn Your Phone On Vibrate
What sound does it make? A bzzz. Just like a bee. With that being said, Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden, authors of The Hive, are brilliant.
SUMMARY: In the world of The Hive, social media has a new twist. Every account is tied to a BLINQ account, which connects every American citizen over thirteen. People can like, be neutral, or condemn your page. If you reach too many condemns for internet conduct, the people (YES regular citizens) will come after you in what is known as the Mob.
Cassie McKinney has always believed in Hive justice. But one day she makes a joke, one stupid joke, and now the Hive is after her. What begins as a girl on the run turns into the realization that this is much bigger than Cassie realized, and corruption runs deep.
I was a huge fan of this book for several reasons. The entire concept had my attention. Social media has a very active roll in today’s society, and for every positive mark, there is a troll lurking in the corner. The Hive proposes a solution to this. I found it interesting what people are willing to rally around and support.
An old teacher of mine had a quote whose origins I cannot remember. “In the absence of true leadership, the people will follow the loudest voice.”
With a bluetooth bud in your ear, the Hive is pretty loud.
Moreover, I thought that the world building was done well. It was a realistic enough future that I can imagine the technology like the drones everywhere. Actually, doing the math, I would probably be about the same age of Cassie’s parents. Because technology has become so big, coding has risen with it. be prepared to learn a bit about the computer’s thinking.
The majority of the characters are also well done. I liked Cassie and her mom, Rachel--the two narrators. I especially liked how Rachel reacts to Cassie’s circumstance. I feel that YA parents will just be like ‘okay cool you go do you’ as their kid is off risking their life, so Rachel was a good addition.
There were a few characters that I’m a little lost about, but I might have just missed something in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Hive and rooted for the protagonists the whole way. The book is set to be released September 3, and I believe it is well worth the time.
*Review Based off an Advanced Reading Copy*
