The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden

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(shortened) Book Description

Cassie McKinney has always believed in the Hive.

Social media used to be out of control, after all. People were torn apart by trolls and doxxers. Even hackers - like Cassie's dad - were powerless against it.

But then the Hive came. A better way to sanction people for what they do online. Cause trouble, get too many "condemns," and a crowd can come after you, teach you a lesson in real life. It's safer, fairer and perfectly legal.

Review

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 practices. 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.

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it