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A review by bizzybee429
The Hive by Barry Lyga, Morgan Baden
2.0
*DNF 21%
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listen. The plot of this book actually intrigued me. It seemed like it would be similar to a Black Mirror episode, and maybe it would've been! Maybe it would've been. If it weren't for the cheesiest instalove het romance I've ever read.
Seriously, this romance was one of the cringiest ones I've ever read in my entire life. I literally have no words.
It's all painfully real!
I have stuff to say about the plot too, but for a second I just have to talk about these two bc oh my GOD. So here's how they meet: she's walking down an empty hallway alone and sees something perched on top of the lockers, she doesn't know what it is, and then he, in an empty hallway, jumps down right in front of her. Off of a row of lockers. Is it explained why he was on top of the lockers? Nope. Why didn't he just wait two seconds for her to walk by? No idea! Literally no one else is in the hallway it's not like he didn't have room or anything. And then Cassie, the main character, falls instantly in love and all her anger fades away yadda yadda yadda
And just. The way Cassie talks about this dude gives me so much secondhand embarrassment. He asks her if she wants to help him with some code and she says "I do," and then is like oh shit what did I just say it sounds like we're at the ALTER exchanging VOWS. Right after he ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING.
Honestly I probably would've finished this book if it hadn't been for the romance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I definitely had issues with the plot but it certainly wasn't unreadable.
For example, it's established pretty early on that Cassie's mom, Rachel, doesn't really pay attention to BLINQ or the internet or anything, which is confusing for me, because right in the first chapter the narrative states that everyone is required to have a BLINQ. Cassie even says that "her mom knew next to nothing about the current world."It was especially confusing because there's a lot of implications that it's required to be connected to the social media. While this can be explained away by saying that even if you have to have a BLINQ you don't have to be on it all the time, the novel never did so.
Additionally, there was a lot of unecessary gore, and some of it didn't even make sense? Rachel hits someone in the mob with her purse and when the bag opens, her nail file flies out and spears the guy in the cheek. First off, ew. Second off, I'm pretty sure you need a lot more force than hitting someone with your broken bag to actually puncture someone with a NAIL FILE. there were a few other scenes with just gross gore that didn't fit the plot or the general feeling of the rest of the novel.
Also, every character seemed to know more than they were letting on, but not in an interesting or way that would imply foreshadowing. Rather, it felt like the kind of book where at the end it would be like "and then Cassie woke up in bed. Everything was okay and it was just a dream." The characterization was just generally weak and didn't live up to the plot.
So all in all, a cheesy-ass romance, weak characterization, and unecessary gore does not a good book make. Great concept, bad execution.
--
Pre-Review
Was sitting here making myself read this and then I was like what the hell am I doing. It's pride month why am I forcing myself to read this
Full rtc
"'That is the sexiest thing I've ever seen,' Carson said, his voice pitched low. She wondered for a moment if she should hashtag him for a microaggression, but..... It actually didn't bother her."
listen. The plot of this book actually intrigued me. It seemed like it would be similar to a Black Mirror episode, and maybe it would've been! Maybe it would've been. If it weren't for the cheesiest instalove het romance I've ever read.
Seriously, this romance was one of the cringiest ones I've ever read in my entire life. I literally have no words.
"And in walked Mr. CODE IS POETRY. (This time, though, his shirt said LIFE IS A HACK in the same white font. Menlo Regular, she thought.)"
It's all painfully real!
I have stuff to say about the plot too, but for a second I just have to talk about these two bc oh my GOD. So here's how they meet: she's walking down an empty hallway alone and sees something perched on top of the lockers, she doesn't know what it is, and then he, in an empty hallway, jumps down right in front of her. Off of a row of lockers. Is it explained why he was on top of the lockers? Nope. Why didn't he just wait two seconds for her to walk by? No idea! Literally no one else is in the hallway it's not like he didn't have room or anything. And then Cassie, the main character, falls instantly in love and all her anger fades away yadda yadda yadda
And just. The way Cassie talks about this dude gives me so much secondhand embarrassment. He asks her if she wants to help him with some code and she says "I do," and then is like oh shit what did I just say it sounds like we're at the ALTER exchanging VOWS. Right after he ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING.
Honestly I probably would've finished this book if it hadn't been for the romance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I definitely had issues with the plot but it certainly wasn't unreadable.
For example, it's established pretty early on that Cassie's mom, Rachel, doesn't really pay attention to BLINQ or the internet or anything, which is confusing for me, because right in the first chapter the narrative states that everyone is required to have a BLINQ. Cassie even says that "her mom knew next to nothing about the current world."It was especially confusing because there's a lot of implications that it's required to be connected to the social media. While this can be explained away by saying that even if you have to have a BLINQ you don't have to be on it all the time, the novel never did so.
Additionally, there was a lot of unecessary gore, and some of it didn't even make sense? Rachel hits someone in the mob with her purse and when the bag opens, her nail file flies out and spears the guy in the cheek. First off, ew. Second off, I'm pretty sure you need a lot more force than hitting someone with your broken bag to actually puncture someone with a NAIL FILE. there were a few other scenes with just gross gore that didn't fit the plot or the general feeling of the rest of the novel.
Also, every character seemed to know more than they were letting on, but not in an interesting or way that would imply foreshadowing. Rather, it felt like the kind of book where at the end it would be like "and then Cassie woke up in bed. Everything was okay and it was just a dream." The characterization was just generally weak and didn't live up to the plot.
So all in all, a cheesy-ass romance, weak characterization, and unecessary gore does not a good book make. Great concept, bad execution.
--
Pre-Review
Was sitting here making myself read this and then I was like what the hell am I doing. It's pride month why am I forcing myself to read this
Full rtc