Cassie is having a hard time since her father died. She and her mother have had to move, and Cassie is entering a new school. Her father was a famous internet hacker, and taught Cassie almost everything he knew about coding, but since his death, Cassie has lost her passion for coding and hasn't done any.
Social Media is now governed by The Hive, a new justice system developed by the government to stop online bullying. Cassie believes in The Hive and its ability to mete out justice according to approvals (or disapprovals) by society. According to how many disapprovals a post gets, the person responsible is assigned a level (1 through 5) and assigned a punishment. Hundreds (or thousands) of people can meet this person and help decide an appropriate punishment. Should they have to wear a sign all day? Should they have to disrobe and be naked for a day? These are some of the minor punishments -- it gets worse as the level rises.
When Cassie, trying to fit in at her new school, is goaded to post a funny (but tasteless) comment about the president's new grandchild, no one could predict what happens. Suddenly Cassie is on the run and trying to find a place to hide in order to save her life.
I thought The Hive took a while to get going, but once Cassie is on the run, it gets very exciting and the pace moves quickly. It is very far-fetched, but as my eyes rolled, I was swiftly swiping pages to see what was going to happen next. So, for the teen audience, The Hive will be a good one.
I think the authors were trying to send a message about the dangers of social media, but I'm not sure it comes through very strong because of the improbable plot. But still, it is compelling.
Recommend this to your techie teens.
Published by Kids Can, September 3, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
416 pages
Rating: 4/5
This one sounds really good for teens: social media, breaking the rules, someone on the run. It's all in there.
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