Cover Image: The Hive

The Hive

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read and review this book! This is the first bool from this author that I have read and I liked it a lot!! The story was very gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat guessing what was going to happen next! I recommend this book to lots of friends.

Was this review helpful?

This is one of those books that I'm surprised didn't get a little more hype when it came out.. It's about a teenage girl who suddenly has to go on the run when one of her tweets ends up bringing a killer mob after her. It's very tech-focused and trends toward the dystopian genre with a heroine that reminded me of the best YA characters (such as Katniss from Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent).

This book wasn't super well-reviewed - it's not great literature by any means, but it's perfect for what it promises. A bunch of twists that I didn't see coming, plenty of action, and a pretty eerie take on where technology (and a too sensitive and corrupt president) could lead us. It definitely earned four stars in my opinion. The only thing that was a bit of a letdown for me was the ending (too ambiguous for my taste) and a few elements that felt a tad predictable.

Overall, though, if you're looking for a YA read that keeps your attention and makes you truly think about what you're posting on social media, "The Hive" will fit the bill.

Was this review helpful?

A gripping mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Hive, the first book I’ve ready by these authors is fantastic.

Synopsis: 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. Entering her senior year of high school, filled with grief over an unexpected loss, Cassie is primed to lash out. Egged on by new friends, she makes an edgy joke online. Cassie doubts anyone will notice. But the Hive notices everything. And as her viral comment whips an entire country into a frenzy, the Hive demands retribution. One moment Cassie is anonymous; the next, she's infamous. And running for her life. With nowhere to turn, she must learn to rely on herself --- and a group of Hive outcasts who may not be reliable --- as she slowly uncovers the truth about the machine behind the Hive. New York Times bestselling authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have teamed up for the first time to create a novel that's gripping, terrifying and more relevant every day.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was just okay for me, I honestly think this would be an amazing movie. I did have trouble getting into it, but it started getting more interesting as the book progressed

Was this review helpful?

The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden had an intriguing premise, a fun cast of characters, and definitely worth picking up.

Was this review helpful?

I love Barry Lyga because I think he does creative, different things. I Hunt Killers was genius, and Boy Toy was so very different from anything else out there. I appreciated that Cassie was an unlikable main character, it makes for a more interesting read when you disagree with the protagonist. Maybe the antagonists were a little thin and obvious, but it's a good book for high schoolers and will spark a lot of debate.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Hive had a great premise - exploring the dark side of social media, and where it could lead us as a society.
I started reading this last year, but put it down. I tried to give it a second chance, but I'm afraid this was not the book for me. While I felt that the themes were important, they were just too... expositional? As a result I didn't feel like the plot was particularly fleshed out, and the characters were rather flat. Everything seemed to be in service of making a point about social media, rather than being a story in and of itself.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

Was this review helpful?

*thank you to Netgalley, Barry Lyga, Morgan Baden and Kids Can Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2 stars.

I do usually really enjoy YA Sci-fi, but for some reason, this just wasn't for me and for one of the rare times, I gotta say that this would be better as a movie than a book.

The story is based largely around technology and given how much more we rely on Social media etc these days, this story was like an extreme version of how things could end up in real life. Well, probably not but it is scary becauses quite realistic to a degree. I'm not a huge social media fan and stay away from almost all the main social media sites, so this, is kinda like my nightmare world. Social media being the life, of life.

I did like Cassie though and her Mum, Rachel. Both characters were great but the rest I didn't really get a connection with.

If this ever comes out as a movie, I will definitely be watching it.

I would recommend giving this a go if it sounds like something you would be interested in. I would also give these authors another go as they write well together.

Was this review helpful?

I was expecting a story filled with tension and sort of scary, but it felt more like an allegory for the evils of social media. I agree, in part, with the themes explored, but I don't like to be hammered over the head with the moral of a story. Maybe with a bit more finesse, The Hive could have made me a fan.
2 stars

*I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley.*

Was this review helpful?

The Hive, a young adult book, was a solid 3 stars for me. I found the book interesting especially with today’s society and the growing need for acceptance from unknown peers through social media. The Hive is a book about the dangers social media can take when given so much power to decide our lives. The premise that The Hive can help control how people interact with each other online is a cool concept but… This book was not what I thought it would be. The plot was cheap, the main character Cassie was annoying, and everything started to get predictable after a while. I liked the mom, but I could not connect with the other characters because of the tech/coding talk that is written throughout the book. I love coding but I honestly was interested in reading a whole young adult book about it. I love books about females enjoying coding and computer programming because STEM is such a male-dominated world. So… as much as I want to give this book 3 stars I just can’t because there were just too many things I couldn’t overlook from the complex coding talk to the unnecessary gore to unrealistic attractions from the characters to mom not knowing anything even though she was married to a computer hacking god. The mom I think was honestly the best part of this whole book. She was not about to let anything happen to her child.

Was this review helpful?

An imaginative twisted look at the extremes of social media.

Interesting characters, thought provoking plot, insight into the digital media/social media platform(s).


I'll never re read this but it was ok.

Was this review helpful?

Gave me serious black mirror vibes. Plausible. but terrifying. I need more! Will recommend and purchase.

Was this review helpful?

I started this book twice before I could finally get into it, and even then I was still bored up until about 20% in. Only then did things start to get a little more interesting.

The reveal about Cassie's dad was finally explained, which really confused me but also made sense. Honestly, this might've been the most interesting part of the book.

The big reveal about Bryce betraying Cassie was so underwhelming and hardly explained. It got to the point where I didn't even know what I was reading or what the story was even about. Which really sucks because the concept of The Hive is very interesting . . . especially with the way social media has taken over our lives in every little thing that we do.

Once the story gets into the meat of everything, it does get a little more action packed. Cassie is on the run and defending herself and deciding who she can and can't trust. However, it wasn't enough for me to say "I love this book!" What initially got my attention about this book was hackers, etc. I was just disappointed.

For a somewhat action-packed adventure, and for something that'll put your social media usage into perspective . . . give The Hive a read. I can promise you it might make you think twice about what you say and do online.

Was this review helpful?

The Hive is a refreshingly different YA read that kept me up half the night. This book utilizes a female protagonist who is running for her life (which reminded me of Divergent) mixed with some dystopian-style social commentary (a little like the Hunger Games). If I was a history or government teacher, I think it would be interesting to pull parts of this book out to discuss with students. All in all, there were many elements of the book I didn't like, but I was glad to spend some time in this world (as a spectator, safe and sound and away from the hive).

Was this review helpful?

I've heard many good things about this book, especially within the Bookstagram community, which is why I downloaded it. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with the writing or the story enough after the first few chapters to keep reading. This one probably just isn't a good fit for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

I found this book to be really interesting! I enjoyed the worldbuilding and felt myself getting immediately warped into their world. I would definitely recommend for those YA readers.

Was this review helpful?

This is such an interesting book for me! It is sort of like Otherworld meets Warcross, in this futuristic novel we see the impact of social medias on people and how it affects real life communications and creates prejudice against people before even meeting them. Unfortunately, our main character is one of the victims of social medias. I feel very sympathetic and empathetic towards Cassie as she goes into hiding as the Hive demands retribution for a comment she has made.

The whole book is pretty fast paced and very captivating, it is written in a style that is very easy to keep going and very easy to fall in love with. Unfortunately, I feel like the character development is a little lacking in this high stake, fast pace novel. Sometimes, I feel like the story is going too fast and I kind of get lost but recovered fast.

Overall, I think this is an enjoyable one-sitting read for me!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Was this review helpful?

I think this book is great for the YA crowd. It is written well and the world building was great. It did have some slow spots but was overall a good book.

Was this review helpful?

I teach middle schools and I feel this would be a great book for them to read. Not only because of the “internet” type content, but also the politics behind it. And the “rise to virtual fame.” The idea of posting things to get a reaction would be a good topic for class discussion, and the ideas or hateful posts.

Cassie joins in with the wrong crowd at her new school just looking for friends. In an attempt to wow them, she makes an extremely hurtful post which causes her to go viral...which is what she wanted. To prove to her new group that she was “cool” enough to get people to look at them. The problem is, her post was about an important political figure, and most people could not believe she would write that. In steps Hive Justice. The new attempt at controlling the internet by using “likes” and “condemns” to decide your fate. If you go viral with likes, you’re golden. If you go viral with condemns then you are in trouble. Trouble based on the level. Level 1 and 2 being rather small punishments. The higher the level, the worse the punishment. Cassie’s viral post takes her to a new level of punishment. One that has never been seen before. She has to figure out how one little post could skyrocket her to “fame” so quickly and stay alive while doing it.

I think YA would enjoy this book. There is some computer/coding terms but I feel like it was explained enough for the average person to understand enough to make it through the computer jargon.

Was this review helpful?