Welcome to The Hive: where “likes” equal your self-worth, you are accountable for your actions and going viral isn’t exactly something to strive for.

The Hive makes the world accountable for its online actions by inflicting real-world justice based on “condemns” versus “likes”. This Hive Justice is supposed to create a world where online bullying, senseless trolling and even (in Cassie McKinney’s case) tasteless jokes aimed at the wrong people are limited for fear of whatever punishment the “Mob” will set upon you. When The Hive speaks, The Mob listens.

“Near-future realism” books (or so I have been calling them at least) must be the new dystopia because I am seeing them everywhere and each is a little more terrifying than the last in a “too-close-to-home” kind of way. Where Blake Crouch and Rob Hart scare us with the image of pushing our technological advancements and conveniences too far as adults, Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have taken it to the next generation (literally) by creating a young adult horror warning based on the all-too-true social media addiction teens have today. Yes, adults are addicted to their phones as well, I’m not trying to pin everything on the “Z” Generation but today’s teens are basically born with phones in their hands and a SnapChat account so I do feel that this is a warning aimed more toward them than any other demographic out there.

While The Hive was fast paced and had some really enjoyable moments (nicely done with the President) I found that I struggled to stay focused. In most books the build up to the action-packed second half is normally where the reader tries to force themselves to keep going but in this book I actually found the first half, in the school setting, the most interesting part. I think that once Cassie went viral and on the run…the plot went from “high school drama” to “adult conspiracy thriller” so fast that I couldn’t keep up. I felt like the book went from Mean Girls to V for Vendetta in a split second and I spent the entire second half of the book waiting to find out what unrealistic plot twist would come out next. 

As far as unlikeable narrators go, Cassie had one thing going for her - she was a coder. We are slowly starting to see more and more females doing coding and hacking in books and I am here for it! Of course, that is literally the only thing I liked about Cassie. In the beginning, I found her teen angst and hatred undestandable and almost tolerable but as the story went on she became unbearably and uncharacteristically naive and helpless.....until she wasn't. The inconsistencies with her personality just didn't make her a person I wanted to read about. As a dual narrator, I didn't find her mother much better. 

The Hive was quick to read and I did enjoy the story but there was just much going on that didn't make sense to me that I wasn't as interested as I expected I would be.

Barry Lyga is a fantastic writer and I will continue to keep an eye out for future works from him, but this one just wasn't it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion.

After social media went out of control, the government helped develop the Hive. If someone does something inappropriate online, people voice their opinion and if condemned, the crowd has the option to come after them. Cassie has changed schools at the start of her senior year and her new friends have encouraged her to send out a joke about the president’s daughter. She doesn’t think anything about it until the Hive decides it wants vengeance against her. She is now running for her life and doesn’t really know who she can trust.

The Hive is a stand-alone science fiction novel that is too close to being real. The technology discussed within these pages is either available or nearly so and a society like this is all too possible. Lyga and Baden have teamed up to write a story that will make readers want to turn the pages continuously. I had my own ideas on how I thought it would end, but the story just sort of fizzled out. As a stand-alone book, I was disappointed. If these authors decide to make it into a series, then I will be happy. Overall I recommend The Hive to anyone who wants a science fiction or adventure story.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those novels that make you think...what if this were real? I found myself constantly wondering what I would do if I were in Cassie’s shoes.

While wildly entertaining, this book really brings to light some very serious topics we face in today’s social media obsessed society. Any and everything you say can have a serious impact on you or someone else. Think before you post! I really found Baden and Lyga’s style of writing very easy to read. The Hive had a great speed to it and was never boring. I was super engaged the whole time I was reading and I really felt like I was right there beside Cassie the entire time. What a ride this was.


Thank you to Netgalley, Barry Lyga, Morgan Baden, and Kids Can Press Publishing for allowing me to review this book.

The Hive was formed at the peak of social media to help scale back on the negative and hurtful comments made online. If you were condemned too many times, you leveled up. With each level up, the hive decided your punishment increased your time span for enduring it. It didn’t take the place of a justice system for criminal activity, instead adding another element to it.

This is a hard review for me because dystopian societies similar to this one are done all the time on TV shows today like Black Mirror and Orville so I was very intrigued to read from this perspective. At the beginning I was completely invested in the storyline; I was flying through the reading as you learn the backstory and meet Cassie. However I hit a point when the action really started to pick up that just felt rushed and kind of “undone” for lack of a better word. I would be envisioning the action scenes in my head, but it never really clicked because I felt like details were left out and glossed over for the sake of getting to the next action scene. I ended up getting very slumpy towards the last 25% of the book and was extremely underwhelmed with the ending of the story. Unfortunately this had so much potential, but ended up just being kind of okay.

This book starts out line a teen drama. A tech teen drama, but a teen drama. Cassie is starting her senior year of high school in a new place with a new life. The death of her father has left her mother with few options but to sell their home and start over in a small apartment. Cassie is angry and lashes out. The one thing she lives for is Hive Justice. The US Department of Justice wanted a friendlier internet, so they have allowed people to judge each other and attack in mobs anyone who has violated decorum. Cassie loves it until it is directed at her. A stupid tasteless joke almost costs her her life. Yeah, that escalated quickly.

What we have here is a future country that seems to have our present President. Hungry for power and using it to take out those who oppose it. I got the distinct feeling this was the first in a series. I hope it is.

Rating: 5 Stars

This was my first young adult (YA) read in a little while, and it was so refreshing – especially after my most recent book, an emotional WWII story (review of that one later this week!). I really do love YA books: the coming of age stories; the mess of emotions teens experience; the quicker, sometimes lighter (not in this case), plots…give me all of it! YAs serve as a great palate cleanser for me when I’m needing a break from thrillers, or, like in this case, a read that helps me move on from an emotional story.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! The Hive comes out TODAY, September 3rd!

Imagine a world where there is justice for online and cyber bullying. Where people are actually held accountable for their indiscretions online. Where the law of the land has control over the actions taken by people on social media. This is where the US stands in The Hive.

Say something racist online? The Hive will come for you.

Share everything negative about your ex-girlfriend online? The Hive will come for you.

But what happens when a post is just a joke…from a teenager…what happens then?

The Hive will still come for you.

This is what happens to Cassie, a student at a new high school, trying to fit in. Cassie is a hacker, like her late father, and she believes in the idea behind The Hive. Justice in a world that didn’t always grant justice for online attacks. But then Cassie makes a joke online to impress her new friends…and that joke goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Before she knows it, Cassie is on the run for her life and enlists the help of Hive outcasts: other hackers whose goal is to figure out the truth behind the machine that is The Hive. But will Cassie be able to save herself in time? Or will The Hive eventually catch up to her? (dun dun dun)

RATING BREAKDOWN

Plot – 2/2: I am really drawn to doomsday-ish plots that involve our addiction to social media. They’re fascinating to me because they hit close enough to home that they don’t seem to far-fetched, but they still are also a bit sci-fi. The plot of The Hive was a unique twist on this idea: what happens when our addiction to social media is used as the solution?

Writing – 2/2: The Hive ticked all the boxes for me in the writing department. It moved along at a great speed, but it wasn’t “easy” reading by any means. The authors’ made me feel like I was right there, on the run with Cassie. I couldn’t put it down because the writing just grabbed me and didn’t let go.

Characters – 2/2: Um, a leading female who is a badass hacker??? YES, PLEASE. Cassie was the best. The BEST. She was a tech wizz, so she was actually able to fight back against her attackers. I loved, loved, loved that instead of her needing to rely totally on others for help, she could actually help herself. We need more Cassies in the world!

Thrills/Twists – 2/2: This book is all about the thrills and action. In perfect, to me, YA fashion, there was just enough serious action to balance the plot. I’m not kidding when I say Cassie is running for her life – this book shows how something like The Hive could have real life or death consequences. The entire last 80% of the book is Cassie on the run and trying to save herself, so the thrills are not lacking.

YA Relatability – 2/2: Whenever I read YA novels, I try to imagine if it’s one I would have enjoyed as a teen. I read a TON as a kid (surprise), loving books across all the genres and topics. It’s not easy to know as an adult if a book is one I would have loved as a teen, but I think I’m still a pretty good judge. Anyway, this is one I would have devoured. Leading female character, mother/daughter relationships, action and thrills, a teeny-tiny smidge of high school romance….it’s all there in this one.

I wasn’t totally sure what my rating would be for this one, but as I think through all these elements, it’s an easy 5 stars. This is why I’m really loving using this rating system!

Anyway, The Hive is out today and is a great read for teens/young adults and adults! Go check out this new 5 star read!

Happy reading, friends!

This was definitely an interesting take on where our world is currently heading. What if the internet trolls out there had to face the consequences for their harsh words? This book definitely makes you think and keeps you on your toes.

This book wasn't the best book I've ever read, nor the worst book I ever read. Very middle-of-the-road.
Here's a quick summation of what exactly The Hive is: it's a program that is essentially SJW justice on steroids. As in, "I don't like your opinion so that gives you the right to assault/murder you."
And that's exactly what this book is all about. Set in a near future where you a persecuted for having a difference in opinion, for complaining that your life sucks, or just for having a different sense of humor from the general population. All us dark-humored folks would probably be dead in this world. Just saying.
The "joke" that got Cassie into trouble in the first place? Here it is (she's talking about a the newborn grandson of the President that's all wrinkly and blotchy and people think the baby is ugly because it's not as if all newborns look like that right?): Too bad the abortion didn't take #betterlucknextbaby
Now,I'm not offended by this joke. I'm pro-choice. My issue, though, was throughout the entire book the main characters acted as if this were the funniest "joke" to ever grace the planet. It just isn't funny from a humor standpoint. Hell...it's not even a joke. It's just a post that makes fun of a newborn for looking like a newborn. Also she's kinda saying that the world would be better off from an aesthetic standpoint if the kid had been aborted which is just in poor taste because common, are you really that superficial?
Fair warning: if you don't like to read from an unlikable character's point of view, avoid this book like the plague. I have nothing against reading an unlikable character, but Cassie... oh boy she's just a raging bitch. I had a really hard time forcing myself through this book because all she did was act like an entitled brat that could do no harm. She admits she likes to tear down other people because, I quote, "It feels damn good.". She hates her mother for no apparent reason (and her mom is wonderful btw, like she's supportive and wants the best for her daughter but isn't too pushy about it). She's a straight up bitch to all the women in her life but as soon a a boy comes along she acts all meek and sweet. When she's on the run from Hive Justice, she blames everyone BUT herself for the shit she got herself into; she blames the girls she was hanging out with for "goading her into making the post" although she was the one to come up with, type, and post the, um, "joke" (she actually wanted to post the "joke" before all the other girls so they wouldn't go viral instead of her), and she blames her mother for... well I don't know but she somehow blames her mother for the situation she's in as well.
Now onto the little things that bothered me:
1. Mom Rachel is a classics professor at, wait for it, Microsoft/Buzzfeed University. That's right. That just made me laugh because honestly WTF.
2. Cassie considers compliments to be "microaggressions". Bitch, give me a break.
3. The authors seemed to consider study groups to be cheating??
4. Cassie is so dumb sometimes like holy shit she straight up texts her locations to girl when she's on the run, which both get raided, and then she blames the guy who's been helping her out all along.
5. About a quarter of this book is dedicated to this one plot to take down the government and The Hive, but they never use it. Seriously, this book could have been 100 pages shorter.
And now for the part you all knew was coming: the neuroscience rant. First off, can I just ask why authors don't take five minutes to go to google and do some quick research into the neuroscience they want to use/mention in their books? And why do they always inevitably write "Oh well no one really knows how this part/mechanism of the brain works."? There are three major branches of science dedicated solely to the brain: neuroscience (my personal favourite, if you couldn't tell), cognitive science, and psychology. "Brain science" is way more evolved than you may think.We know A LOT about what's going on up there. It only takes a few clicks, and so will you. Effort, people. Effort.
Anyway, in the book, a detective tells mom Rachel that "no one really knows how human memory works or why memories degrade" (while psychologically torturing her by the way, so be prepared for some of that in the book). False. We know exactly how memories form and degrade. Memories form through a (complicated) process called Long-Term Potentiation (LTP). Ever heard "Neurons that fire together wire together"? That's what memory my dudes. And how do they degrade, well, when you don't use the neural pathway dedicated to a certain memory, it essentially dies (not the whole neuron btw, just the synapses or receptors et autres). There. Simple. Google is a great tool, you guys.
Anyway, that's that. I really have nothing else to say about this book. Again, it wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible.

“So that’s what it was like in the beginning: slowly, people online became the judge and jury for all ‘uncivilized’ online behaviours. This condemnatory mass of social media majority became known as the Hive, responsible for identifying and punishing whatever actions were deemed socially unacceptable.”

The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden delivers a compelling look into the potential future of social media. This world harnesses the masses obsession with their online identities to track and enact the justice they feel fits the crime but appearing fair was only a radical illusion that people bought into and its Cassie’s unfortunate timing that forces her to expose it or die trying.

There were a lot of relatable situations in here that I find this book a great one to add to any readers TBR. There are a lot of tech terms throughout but it doesn’t obscure the plot and leave you stranded dumb and confused. Anything you need to know is thoroughly explained in layman’s terms, I promise. I’m not a tech genius by any means and I finished this story feeling too degrees smarter haha! This book is like a hybrid of the 2004 movie hit, Mean Girls and Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman’s, Illuminae. If you’re a fan of either I strongly suggest trying this book!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers at Kids Can Press for giving me the opportunity to review an early copy!

“Hey, do you know a guy with the most intense eyes you’ve ever seen who swoops down on you like a mysterious, sexy vulture?’ See? It was ridiculous. Who thinks vultures are sexy?”

There wasn’t a lot of romance in here, sadly. Cassie is a very awkward and flustered girl when she sees Carson, the ‘sexy vulture’ in school. They bond over font choices and leave each other in awe of their respective tech skills and I found their relationship adorable and nerdy, which was the perfect choice for this story. Romance isn’t at the forefront of every plot and I’m glad that it took a backseat in this because that wasn’t what the story was about. The romance was added to showcase Carson’s character rather than Cassie’s and I liked that change. Especially considering the fact that her first priority was survival so it made sense for her not to be thinking about boys and relationships.

“Jesus. Did you consult anyone who’d ever work in fucking retail?’ Bryce fumed. ‘Humanity is filled with people dying to complain. To avenge. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, man.”


This comment just resonated with me and my cashier mindset. I totally get where Bryce is coming from and I appreciated this comment so much. Maybe too much haha. I wanted to shout stick it to the man after reading this. It gets the rebellious juices flowing that’s for sure.

“Get the fuck away from my daughter!’ Rachel bellowed at the woman, who looked up, startled as though she had been innocently reading poetry when Rachel raged at her like a maniac.”

This book is full of movie references and here I felt it channelling Molly Weasley’s (from Harry Potter) fierce need to protect her daughter. It had the rage that sent me right into visualizing this movie moment. Rachel and Cassie have a very strained relationship at the start and this just showcased her mama bear instincts and I loved it. The events of the plot forced their relationship to hash out their muddled emotions and finally deal with their loss. They were separated for most of the plot but they soon realize what is and isn’t important and come to value family. It was a heartwarming rendition of a true mother/daughter relationship. They are never perfect and a death in the family never brings people closer together. Loved the realism once again! You will cry and your heart will definitely break while reading this!

“Too bad the abortion didn’t take. #betterlucknextbaby.”

If this doesn’t give you flashbacks of that time when Cady Heron made her debut in the burn book with calling Ms. Norbury a pusher, a drug pusher, well I don’t know what will. And if you haven’t seen this iconic teen comedy stop reading and go watch it! Cassie faced so many similar situations that Cady did and I really liked the comparison. It wasn’t 100 percent the same but Lyga and Baden took that core idea of trying to impress the ‘it’ clique in school to make friends and that made this once again a book most can relate to. They just added some corruption, code and mobs (as one does of course!). This tweet jumpstarted the entire plot and the concept of Hive mobs was clever and scary in the sense of how close it could become reality for us today.

“An ohm was a unit of resistance.”

I’m a nerd. A bookish one but still. I’m not science smart but I was left in awe with this brilliant use of science in here. I don’t care one bit if people find this too cheesy or too obvious because I think that’s exactly what made it the best choice. No one would think to use this obvious symbol and that’s a shame because I loved

the cleverness of it. It suits the whole tone of the book and the authors were not ashamed to embrace their inner geek and go all in. I appreciated all these little dashes of education strewn about.

If you appreciate pop culture references, especially those of the nerdy kind you will come to appreciate this book. There’s a character named after a certain red and gold marvel hero as well as a brilliant albeit slightly cheesy reference from Lord of the Rings about a certain ring. I feel like it just added to the homage of today’s society and how more and more people are being drawn into the world of tech, something that used to be portrayed as negative is being showcased as a positive and I love it. The authors choice to make their female MC (main character) a coding fiend just showed how our society is evolving. I loved how they didn’t stick to the status quo and stay with the more realistic choice.

The only issue I found was the strange use of Cassie calling her mom by her first name rather than just mom. It was really hard to get what was going on when the perspectives would change and Cassie would still call her Rachel. It was weird. I get it now that their relationship wasn’t at its best and I guess this works in that sense but it was really confusing to read. I had to decipher a lot before I started getting into the story and I think this choice was a bad one. you can still be mad at your mother and call her as such. Resorting to her first name is odd and it reads odd. It will be jarring and confusing but if you bear with it and read it all you’ll come to see that it was a minor thing that faded to the background as the plot deepened. You just have to get yourself there!

I still loved this book and I think it deserves an 8/10. I enjoyed how relatable the whole thing was and the cute and quirky romance (albeit small and near the end) made it adorable!

Anyone who has ever been on social media knows the effect of the up and down vote, dogpiling, and doxxing. But what if it was government sanctioned, that ratio between likes and dislikes could legally decide a person's fate - too many down votes of a comment would result in punishment to be decided by and carried out by a mob ?

This is the premise of The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden, a YA dystopian tale set in the near future. Social media had become so completely out of control that even the best coders couldn't do anything about it so The Hive began as a way to better deal with the problems. People would decide by their up and down votes who would be sanctioned and how severe the real life punishment would be based on the ratio. The sanctions would range from one - for example someone cheating on their girlfriend which might result in mocking and perhaps water dumped on them- up to six that could result in death by the mob. The ratio had never reached six...until now.

I did feel that the ending seemed rushed and the conclusion a bit too easy. The problems of social media are legion and important and I thought they could have been dealt with a little better. Overall, though, I did enjoy the story. It's fast-paced and entertaining and, if the ending was less than satisfactory, it kept my attention throughout.
3.5

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

This book had a bit of a rough start but it got better as I read more. It was kind of cheesy in places but it had good black mirror vibes - one of the vest and most relevant tv shows around. I feel like it tried to be more relevant and interesting than perhaps it was but it tried hard.

People can be so mean, especially when they have the ability to hide behind an online persona. Many people take it too far in my opinion. If I wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, I wouldn’t type it where anyone can see it. I HATE bullies on any platform and have long thought that people should be held responsible for their action online. Some games will suspend your account, or you can be banned from forums for certain behaviors. But have you ever wanted to someone to suffer real life consequences for these things that they have said online? Well that is the basis behind this book.

Public shamming and flash mobs are now government sanctioned and encouraged. There is a level system and punishments allotted out. But what happens when a stupid joke is taken to far? The main character of this tale finds out and need the aid of the underground to escape the worst of the punishments.

I thought that this story was really cool. We have the technology to put this kind of thing in place. The romance was a little tweeny for me, but the action made up for it. the flow of the story was a little choppy but I barely noticed as I was caught up in everything going on. If you love action and thrillers then this is definitely a great choice. On top of that it really makes you think about twice about what you do and show online.

What would you do if a state-sanctioned and online-based mob chased you with the intention of killing you? All because of a stupid, tasteless joke?
The authors depicts a truly terrifying state where justice is served by an online jury, where your punishment for your perceived crime is determined by likes cast by your fellow countrymen.
The story is compelling, intriguing, leading to a plethora of questions about social media, online presence, and our addiction to phones. The characters are all well nuanced and three-dimensional, developing more inner depth the more you delve into the story.

So this one what can I say about it? It was full of cheese and not the kind you eat. It was an over the top cheesy story that I was hoping to get more out of it. There is insta-love, some black mirror vibes, and well social media and a group that will blast you out to the world if you come under their radar.

The story to this one had a rocky start and just kind of never blasted off to greatness. I really wanted to love it but sadly it just wasn't what I was looking for. The pacing worked well and the characters were well more with the cheese.

I wished this one would have been more serious as it dealt with some heavy things. Or it could have gone flat out funny. But sadly its kind of in the middle and it just made the story feel WEIRD!!

The Hive is basically what happens when a Black Mirror episode is translated into a book. Do something good, and social media will reward you. Do something bad, you can get doxxed and social media will tear you apart. Do something heinous and things will be even worse for you that you could possibly imagine.

The Hive reminded me of a Black Mirror episode with Bryce Dallas Howard. It's one of the few episodes I've ever watched, because being uncomfortable - as the show seems to want you to me - makes me uncomfortable, and....well, I don't like that. But The Hive goes about it in a way that's not so much uncomfortable as it is a lesson learned. It makes you think about your choices. Which is something we all should probably be doing a little bit more anyway.

Loved this book and hope you'll love it too.

The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden is one book that really surprised me. I was not sure if I would finish this one because the beginning felt overly dramatic but the more I read, the more I was hooked. Once you learn more about why things are happening as they are, it makes more sense and you will want to keep reading to find out how it all turns out. The story feels relevant and it seems as if certain characters may be based on figures in real life, which made it even more fun to me. While it may feel like this is not realistic to some, seeing how readily people are attacking others online and are wanting to dole out punishment in real life, makes this feel not so impossible to me. The book ended in a way that makes it feel as if there may be another one coming so I cannot wait for that.

*I received an e-arc of this via net galley however this in no way influenced my opinion*

3.5 stars

So I requested this because it gave me black mirror vibes so I thought I would give it a go. The premise of this book really drew me in considering how prevalent social media is in today’s society. 

I enjoyed the writing in this book, especially the action scenes, they were very well written. There is one scene in particular where Cassie is running across roof tops and zip lining that I thought was faced paced and well-written. Although there are a few plot twists in this book that I found to be predictable but there were others I didn’t see coming which was great. However I felt the beginning of the book was pretty slow and it took me a while to get into it.

To be honest I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character Cassie. Some of her actions were reckless and made no sense.  However I really loved the character of Rachel, the part about her post resonating with other parents and making people think twice was great! 

The main issue I had with this book is that everything was resolved way too quickly in the end, it just went back to normal as if nothing had ever happened.

Overall this was a well-written book but I didn’t really connect with the main character.

In the near future, an app called BLINQ tracks all social media usage and amalgamates posts from a number of platforms. On BLINQ, you can vote to condemn a person for their social media output – if a person’s condemns to likes ratio gets out of balance, they’ll find themself condemned in real life. For example, a person who ignominiously dumps their partner on Facebook might find themself getting physically dumped in the trash. The punishment is designed to fit the crime. Called the Hive, its something our lead Cassie loved to participate in – until all of a sudden, it wasn’t. After a racy tweet, Cassie finds herself the target of the Hive, but her punishment is more severe than all that have come before it: death.

This was a fast paced, enjoyable dystopia which was a good change of pace from my normal fare of fantasy. I think teens are going to love it. Aside from a few horrendous decisions, our lead Cassie is likable, smart (ostensibly, anyway) and her experiences navigating a new high school will resonate with teens. As Cassie spends most of the book running for her life, it will definitely appeal to thriller fans or those that need their books to be very plot based. I read the book in a day or two even though I had a good idea of how it was going to play out. Little attention is given to the supporting characters, though the book did also present a few chapters from Cassie’s mom’s perspective, which I loved. The authors did a great job portraying a somewhat fraught mother-daughter relationship. There’s though-provoking, if heavy handed, social commentary to be found as well, and I think this book will stick with some readers long after they've turned the last page.

Ultimately, though, the book had what I’m going to call the “Scythe” problem: the premise just wasn’t believable. The Hive was certainly believable – its basically a physical manifestation of the shame that we’re willing to dole out to strangers online (if you’d like a great non-fiction read on the topic, try So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson ). Did I for one second think that the first person to get the death penalty would be a teenage girl who tweeted something offensive? I did not. I had trouble getting over that.

TLDR: If you liked The Maze Runner, Divergent or yes, Scythe, you should definitely check out this thrilling dystopia.
Lots of teens will love this one, but it didn’t do it for me – 2 stars. (Netgalley 4 - I'll definitely be recommending it). It was ok.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. The Hive will be released on 03 September but you can put your copy on hold today!

I will say that reading this book has made me think twice about my own social media usage.

This book is about a group of people called the Hive who dole out social media justice when needed. Lord. Imagine if an organization like this really existed? A lot of people would be in BIG trouble. In my opinion, social media has given certain people this false sense of bravado to post whatever they want no matter how mean and nasty. With the Hive it would force people to think twice before they post and blast others via social media. I can honestly see this happening down the road but hopefully when I'm long gone.

In this story we are introduced to Cassie who is dealing with a traumatic event and like a regular teenager she is angry and lashes out a lot at her mother. In the beginning my feelings towards Cassie were lukewarm. As the book progressed my feelings towards her pretty much stayed the same. I did kind of find her to be unlikable at times. Rachel (her mother) was a saint and I loved the love she had for her daughter, even through the trying and difficult times.

This was my first time reading these authors and I loved this book SO much! The story line was fast paced, refreshing, thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. At no time while I was reading was I bored and I loved how certain things came together. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next with the characters and I’m sad this book is over. This book will definitely be going on my top reads list of 2019.

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.



I rated this book 4 stars, not because I thought it was executed well but because it was an...intriguing...read. I share the main character's name and so was pre-disposed to like her. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I think this book could have been much better had it been given more editorial time. In my opinion, when books or movies reference a President, the reader shouldn't be able to tell automatically if they are a portrayal of a particular President or party.



There are certainly things I had issues with as I read this. The number one thing I did not like about Cassie was her attitude and treatment towards her mom. While she does come to appreciate her mother, I think there are other ways the author could have illustrated this without Cassie's disdain for her and perception that she was stupid.

I also felt the teens are portrayed in very stereotypical shallow ways. Cassie, along with others, make stupid remarks. And others laugh at them. The joke Cassie makes about the President's daughter's baby is in poor taste. Many will say that this causes "political issues" for conservatives who think it is a reference to Trump/Ivanka. Perhaps it was. I found it distasteful because I do not support abortion. This is a horrible thing to say to anybody, just being opposed to them as a political or public figure doesn't make it okay. It is not a stretch to imagine this in the real world; we see people on social media saying things, especially young people whose brains are still developing, or making comments that are rude, offensive and insulting. Young people today are growing up in a culture where we see all sorts of posts or videos go viral, which is usually seen as a positive outcome for them. While I may have wished for better character (or character development) I do appreciate the story line which can open up conversations with young adults about social media practises. I am personally horrified by many comments I see people make on social media, which lead to cheers from some of the population and jeers from the other half. I especially find jeers that can lead to a person's physically safety or mental state of mind being threatened.



I gave this book: ★★★★

Not because of mechanics, but the premise was so interesting that I keep thinking about it.