1.36k reviews for:

Hum

Helen Phillips

3.61 AVERAGE

olicooper1's review

3.75

dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

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A very real fictionalized future of what could be our near future. 

The mundane future where capitalism is so invasive it permeates every moment of your life (as if we weren't already close to this) is terrifying. Also, explores AI an tech's integration into the near future of end-stage capitalism and the voluntary release of all privacy and sensitive information, a willing submission over to the surveillance state, all to keep pace. 

initforpages's review

3.0

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

campbelltaral's review

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Way too much time spent with children's banter to the point that I couldn't get into the story. Made it to their arrival at the expensive forest sanctuary but gave up. Disappointing because I still don't know the big deal behind the opening scene's facial modification.

r_s_tea's review

4.0

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I was glad to be reminded by a back-cover review that discomfort was the point here because oh boy did Phillips find the sweet spot of “not so terrible that you can rage against it but still icky feels.” I did take to some reddit discussions after the final scene and was glad I did - I’m a bit out of practice reading subtle + brainy and some guiding community discourse was welcome. Mad respect for this one.

calafia's review

4.25

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

corynprince's review

3.25

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

sciencequeen's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

deanyemery87's review

3.0

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

torturedreadersdept's review

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

genderenby's review

4.25

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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As a certified AI hater, this was so good to read. It didn’t help with the ever present despair in my heart, it might have even added more, but I think this type of story is really important to read, especially now