The Hive
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- £4.99
Publisher 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. 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This well-paced collaboration between spouses Lyga (Bang) and Baden, a ghostwriter, takes social media, mob violence, and hacking to extremes, pitting a 17-year-old against a frighteningly believable crowdsourced justice system. After the death of her father, a legendary computer genius, biracial Cassie a formidable coder and her professor mother are forced to relocate. At her new school, Cassie tries to ingratiate herself with the queen bees by posting a tasteless joke about the Trump-like president's grandchild. In this near future, the Heuristic Internet Vetting Engine polices internet misbehavior, aggregating Likes, Dislikes, and Condemns to calculate the punishment level, which is meted out by regular people acting as HIVE mobs. When her joke goes viral, resulting in a high Condemn level, Cassie and her mother flee, and after connecting with a hacker group, Cassie gradually discovers a conspiracy with government connections. Offering heart-pounding action while asking difficult questions, this novel is perfect for fans of thought-provoking cyberthrillers. Ages 14 up.
