3.75 ⭐️ I’m sucker for the speculative, and a long time fan of Helen Philips (I teach her story “The Knowers” in every writing class). Felt close to May and her family right away, and happy to follow them on their bumpy journeys. Captivated by the hums and even a little charmed. As fast as AI is moving right now some of the ideas about technology felt a little stale, but the tenderness and perfect strangeness made up for it.

Thank you to @marysueruccibooks and @simonandschuster for the arc!

I can already tell that “Hum” is going to be one of those books that stays with me for a long time. Our protagonist, May, lives in a dystopian future hardened by climate change and consumerism. Due to desperation from financial struggles, May undergoes an experimental procedure for pay to slightly alter her face to avoid face recognition detection. As a reward to herself for the hard times, May purchases a mini-vacation for her family at the lush Botanical Gardens for a reprieve from the apocalyptic world. The vacation, however, does not go as planned, and May finds herself in a social media firestorm due to a series of unfortunate events.


I don’t know what to say about this book. Unfortunately, the dystopian future has so many commonalities with our current world. It will leave you horrified but also pensively thinking about how we can avoid a “Hum” future. I recommend preordering this book. I am, as I want a hardback version on my shelf. This is a book that I’m going to come back to in the future. Also, you should never skip the author’s notes, but ESPECIALLY don’t skip the author’s note at the end of this one.

"HUM" by Helen Phillips deserves its FIVE star review in every possible way. The novel is dystopian fiction at its absolute best and since tearing through it in a few days I've found myself in (NON-SPOILER) conversations with a number of people about just how well-written (richly imagined and disturbing) it truly was. First of all, in this current AI-enhanced, bizarro world in which we are living, the concepts within this book do NOT feel like a stretch. I knew very little about the plot details when I started reading it (already love the author) and have no interest in going into details in this review as a result. I think it's better to have as little knowledge in advance as possible based on my experience.

I followed everything the author outlined to catch the reader up to developments in technology and where the book's world begins with regard to the environment and the state of the planet (and, more specifically, the city in which the Webb-Clarks resided). I found no evidence of over-explanation by the author (which happens in many dystopian, future-set novels) and the title of the book is made clear within its first paragraphs and pages. I deeply enjoyed the characters: protagonist, May and her husband, Jem, and two children Lu and Sy..

Phillips briefly and effectively, paints a portrait of this family - the world around them, who May and Jem were prior to having children and how they are at the time the book takes place. Most of all, the author vividly describes our current dependence on technology -- where things have gone awry (and where the tech/AI path may be heading). From her endnotes, she had been researching these topics for a number of years and it shows (but not at all in a distracting or dry way). Facts are interwoven into the story effortlessly.

It's believable, it's fascinating, it's addictive, and it's terrifying. LOVE THIS NOVEL SO MUCH!!!!!! Thank you to #NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and especially to the author for allowing me into this dark and fearfully-recognizable world a bit early! #HUM is on shelves 8/6/2024. PREORDER and prepare.

HUM taps into a not-too-distant future, poking at artificial intelligence's darkest corners—facial recognition, job obsoletion, and screens that quite literally divide a sit-down lunch with a friend. At its core, however, is the timeless and seemingly forever measure of motherhood, one that is impossible to reach no matter the era or technology involved. Amid abysmal air quality, near-daily protests, forests burning, and a constant want for technological connection, Phillips' HUM reveals what's underneath—the most persistent and intrinsically human explorations of marriage, parenthood, and, above anything, self.

Hum is a gorgeous, harrowing, thought-provoking novel about family and motherhood that will stay with me for a long time. I loved May, Lu, Sy, and Jem; Phillips’s portrait of this family made a setting in the not-too-distant future feel incredibly immediate and urgently relevant.

Enjoyed this very much and think it will make a splash when published this fall. There were certain sections 2/3 through they seemed to lag a bit but imagine with this be popular even with younger readers interested in reckoning with AI and current technology trends.

I learned about this book from the Summer Reading Guide on the What Should I Read Next? podcast. It won't be published until August 6. I was able to read it early by getting an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

The story is about a mother in a near future where AI robots called "hums" and public surveillance are everywhere. The first part of the book is a depressing litany of the living poor in a high tech world succumbing to climate change and slowly losing jobs to automation. After being let go, the mom gets paid to have a procedure to make her face unrecognizable to facial recognition. She uses the windfall to pay back rent and for a vacation at the Botanical Gardens with her husband and two children. While there, a crisis with her children is the event that sets off the main conflict of the novel.

This tale is well-told and realistically evokes the everyday struggles of the working poor trying to raise a family in a world that seems to keep them down at every turn. Additionally, it explores the struggle of parents to raise their kids to be well-rounded adults with all the distractions that technology affords. Unfortunately, I found the balance of the story to be off a bit too much for me. The bleakness heavily outweighs the message. It reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror on Netflix. It gives me that same vague horror of something that could really happen but never should without the same storytelling punch that series delivers.

My rating 3.5/5

The future feels like it comes fast, and it frequently comes with things worsening: the climate, politics, the internet. Helen Phillips's new novel takes all the bad things, imagines them being a little worse, and then stuffs them all between a slender cover.

May was a little too good at programming and training AI, and now she's made herself obsolete. Her partner, Jem, is taking as many gigs as he can, but money is tight for May and Jem and their children, and only getting tighter. Desperate to earn money, May agrees to undergo an experimental procedure that will render her face invisible to facial recognition programs. With the sudden influx of funds and a desire to escape from a world choked with pollution, global warming, and erratic people, May drops a chunk of her new funds on a three-night stay at the Botanical Gardens, an oasis of clean air, fresh water, and thriving flora and fauna.

In her quest for the family to make the most of this expensive peace and quiet, May mandates a no-devices policy: no phones for her and Jem, and no wrist devices for the children. Despite her children whining and missing the convenience of having maps and messages at their fingertips, this quality family time is everything May had hoped. The illusion of harmony abruptly ends when May's children wander away, and their missing devices—as well as May's unidentifiable face—make what should be a quick reunion into a viral story. The repercussions of the family's getaway last far longer than their vacation, and are centered squarely on May.
Phillips has drawn a dire near future, and one based firmly in distressing headlines from the present (as provided in a sizeable section of works consulted in the back). People constantly tethered to their devices. Air too polluted to safely go outside. Widespread financial struggles and housing shortages. Ubiquitous and targeted advertising. There's a lot that's familiar with the world May inhabits. It's debatable whether that imagined future is realistic or dystopic, but either way it's a depressing and claustrophobic place. This is no doubt by design, as the environment makes it easier for us to understand why May's anxiety is constantly through the roof, though it makes this a book I might not take on a relaxing vacation.

Despite Phillips' various themes of unchecked AI, climate change, and device reliance, the real crux of Hum is in cancel culture and how having cameras everywhere we turn—in our phones, at intersections, in stores—means anyone could have a bad moment captured and shared without context to millions of strangers. It does, however, take a while for the book to lead up to May's nightmare realized. Until that point, the other themes are far more prevalent, and their stepping aside as supporting cast is unexpected. By the end of this short, tense, and busy novel, we come full circle, the repetition and futility to escape it as much a part of the message as anything else.

(This review will also post at https://ringreads.com/2024/08/06/hum-a-grim-take-on-tomorrow/ at 3:05 p.m. MDT on 6 August 2024

Hum opens as May is undergoing slight facial adjustment surgery, not plastic surgery to improve her appearance but rather anti-cam surgery that should make her undetectable to the video surveillance systems in her city which are monitored by artificial intelligence. The procedure is being performed by a Hum, one of the intelligent robots which are now ubiquitous in society. In fact May has recently lost her job as an AI trainer since humans are no longer deemed necessary in the production of sympathetic robots. Despite the job loss, May seems to have a generally appreciative regard for the Hum that are part of her daily life now - shopkeepers, delivery bots, receptionists, drivers and even surgeons. However, this doesn't mean that she can pass up an opportunity to make more than half a year's salary with a facial adjustment treatment. May has plans for this money, among them groceries, school supplies for her kids and a 3-night vacation at the Botanical Garden where she hopes the whole family can get off of their devices and commune with nature. Of course all does not go as planned and the unexpected consequences will shake May's world to the core.

Many thanks to @marysueruccibooks and @simonandschuster for the advance ecopy of this book!

I consistently find myself drawn to books like this. This is the kind of speculative fiction that is light science fiction, the kind of which I could easily recommend to people who aren’t really into Science Fiction. Technology in this book, set in a not too distant future, the kind of future one would find believable given the current state of world, is a tool to tell a story about family relationships. Likewise, the family story is a tool to tell a story about a potential dark future. The story is relatively fast-paced and engaging. While almost no one reading this review will understand this comparison, it reminded me of a British book called We Care For You by Paul Kitcatt. If you know that book that maybe I’ll understand the connection, even though the books are barely similar. I did enjoy this book and look forward to its release.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book. I'd never read the author, and the premise was pretty interesting. It took a little while to adjust to the author's cadence, but once I did, it connected. This felt plausible, a fair guess about a possible future, and depressingly unoptimistic. I can see this world in my mind's eye, and it was laid out pretty convincingly by the author. The whole book made me anxious and frightened of AI's possible takeover of the planet.

Brilliant.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

I generally enjoy science fiction books, especially ones that are so closely related to our real world that it feels way too close to the not-so-distant future. Hum fit the mold perfectly. AI is a wonderful invention but I am uncomfortable with the concept. It feels so close to "computers taking over the world" and this book definitely explored that scenario. It also included social media addiction, our society being uber connected 24/7, and the dangers of our consumerism/capitalist world. Anxiety inducing but at the same time, a beautiful story about a mother just doing what was best for her family.

A dystopian family drama that hits on the evolution of artificial intelligence, the degradation of the earth's environment, the (occasionally unjust) weight we place on motherhood, and what it means to feel connected in a world of increasing mental and physical barriers. The story was fast-paced and intoxicating, almost like reading an episode of Black Mirror.

Phillips' writing style is beautiful and unique, drawing the readers into the dark, futuristic world proposed. While this is science fiction, her AI research is well-conducted and hints at possible realities to come. This might just be my favorite summer read of 2024, 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hum is a dystopian sci-fi novel capturing a scary, yet accurate depiction of what the near future can look like dominated by hums (aka robots), climate change, and technology.

This was a 2-star read for me, mainly because I had a difficult time connecting to the main characters. They were unlikeable, which made the book unbearable at times. The plot was rushed and often times redundant. I had high expectations of this book and the plot and characters had high potential, so I’m disappointed to be rating this only 2 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

THE ENDING TOOK ME FOR A RIDE!
Let me preface this with the fact that I LOVE Helen Phillips. The Need still haunts me. I love her ability to warp time and reality and she did it again in Hum.

The creepy part about Hum is that the reality it is set in isn’t so far off - this world where you can buy things with six-hour delivery windows, robots are made to look like humans but run the world, its a concrete jungle and the world is HOT. Kids have AI wristbands that tell them the temperature, act as a therapist and keep them on schedule. It is so close to being our current reality that it’s hard to imagine this world not existing.

I liked it. The whole ending really didn’t do it for me but literally right up until the end I was THERE. I was with it! And the ending isn’t bad - it just wasn’t what I was expecting. This one is worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Hum.

The premise had an intriguing and timely topic; a city wracked by climate change and populated by intelligent robots called “hums,” a mother of two, May loses her job to AI.

To provide financially for her young family, she consents to an experiment that alters her face and makes her unrecognizable to digital surveillance.

The author wrote The Need, which I read and didn't enjoy despite the fact the narrative had a great premise.

It's the same with Hum; timely topic revolving around our Big Brother society and growing sentience and dependence on AI but what does that mean for humanity?

The story starts off almost in the middle; May is already getting the experimental treatment. There's no lead up or exposition as to her previous job and what she used to do.

In fact, character development is sparse; her husband is a minor, barely supporting character in the narrative since the reader is mostly in May's head.

Like in The Need, the narrative revolves around a mother and the struggles of parenthood, financial responsibility, and an ever changing world.

There's some world building, but not much. Maybe the author wanted to leave the descriptions of the hums to the readers' imagination?

For example, I didn't know what a 'bunny' was and it was never fully explained. I figured it out it was like an Apple watch but it took me some time.

Stuff happens, but it's not thrilling or suspenseful.

When I think AI, I think Terminator; you know, being chased or hunted by robots wayyy smarter than you are.

I didn't connect with the characters, least of all May. She seemed flighty and not mature. I didn't know her or Jem, and so I didn't care about them or what happened to them.

I understand the purpose of the narrative; AI, climate change, pollution, society breaking down, motherhood is hard (what else is new?) but what's the point?

Don't get me wrong, the premise had great potential as well as deliver a message but the story revolves around May and her boring family, people I wasn't fond of.

Whoa, this feels uncomfortably close to home! This family drama is set against the backdrop of a ravaged world that is not difficult to imagine: severe climate change has made the city inhospitable to humans, adults and children are slaves to their devices, intelligent robots hold nearly all jobs. Thoughtful, propulsive, and deeply unsettling.

May and her husband struggle financially in a world dominated by AI and we quickly find May feeling out of control of her familial relationships. Her children are dependent on their technology and May finds that in a world of ubiquitous surveillance, mothers cannot slip up.

I appreciated some of the themes, but none of this story was fleshed out enough. We receive very little background on the family's circumstance before May opts into a facial readjustment experiment, we first learn of some of May's climate anxieties but this does not really go anywhere, we don't really see how the Big Problem the family faces resolves in any detail, and we see a world of hums and bunnies but without exploring how those fit into larger society. This book has a lot of great elements, but I wanted more from pretty much all of them.

Thank you to S&S and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

This was a sparse, prescient book, set in a not-too-distant view of our future, but still grounded in what is essentially a story about a regular family of modest means going on a vacation. (Didn't get that sense from the promo blurb? Yeah. Me either.)

I loved how the author folded in current research and data into this vision of "the future." And I loved the annoyingly porous line that exists in this world between information and advertising.

I thought this quote in particular was on fire: "The goal of advertising is to rip a hole in your heart so it can then fill that hole with plastic, or with any other material that can be yanked out of the earth and, after brief sojourns as objects of desire, be converted to waste." (BINGO!)

I was a little annoyed that some things didn't get fully tied in or wrapped up into the story. I thought May getting the surgery at the top of the book was really going to drive the entire plot. But it does not, (it merely acts as a minor feature in the story.)

Similarly, while the idea of Hums (and Bunnies and Wooms!) were cool and well-executed, I'm not sure why there was so much build up at the end about the Hum's actions. The stakes seemed VERY high, and then were simply...not. That seemed awkward to me.

Again, these two things go back to the style of the book (which felt very Black Mirror episode to me). There isn't a ton of world-building here. There are no real tragedies. There is just a sense of dis-ease, of things not being quite right and this family being on the edge of being able to exist in this world.

Overall, this was an interesting read. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.