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Child of the Hive
Will is different … ‘special’. He’s a genius at math and even though he’s still at school studying for his A levels, he lives on his own in a dingy, run-down bed-sit and has to work at night to support himself. But there’s something more that sets him apart – something he has to keep hidden from everyone, even his friends. Otherwise, he risks blowing his cover or, worse, losing his life…
Sophie is ‘special’ too. Deep in the bowels of a secret government facility she spends her days colouring in seemingly unfathomable patterns on endless sheets of graph paper, never speaking a word. To those around her she seems like a simpleton, but little do they suspect that she, like them, is fighting a secret war – a war against the deadly organization known as the Hive.
Set in a Britain of the near future, Child of the Hive is both a tense sci-fi thriller and a gripping philosophical exploration of what it means to be human in a world of ever-increasing technological sophistication. An unputdownable read.
Sophie is ‘special’ too. Deep in the bowels of a secret government facility she spends her days colouring in seemingly unfathomable patterns on endless sheets of graph paper, never speaking a word. To those around her she seems like a simpleton, but little do they suspect that she, like them, is fighting a secret war – a war against the deadly organization known as the Hive.
Set in a Britain of the near future, Child of the Hive is both a tense sci-fi thriller and a gripping philosophical exploration of what it means to be human in a world of ever-increasing technological sophistication. An unputdownable read.
- GenresScience Fiction
Hardcover
First published February 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 2, 2010
I haven’t read anything like this before. The general idea felt fresh and original, and I particularly like the fact it was told from multiple POV as this meant you followed the story, and not everything happens to the one unlucky guy. It also helped build strong characters, making the whole story more engaging. You can tell the author knows a thing or two about computer programming and seeming I couldn’t know less, I learnt a thing or two reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the twists were brilliant I was given a proof copy so I found a few mistakes (like serious instead of series) but that didn’t matter once the story got going.
However, there were a few reasons why I wouldn’t give this five stars. The opening scene is a rush of names and confusion, and turns out, an important scene to remember for later in the novel. This initially made it hard to get into and put me off a little. Also there were some places that felt rushed, where I felt it needed a little padding out for tension and for the story to feel more realistic and emotional. I also felt like this could easily be two novels, and may even be better if it was. The novel seems to pick up where the good bits are, just after all the struggling which means that the climax just isn’t as high as it could have been. That being said, it was worth reading and I loved the ending. I wouldn’t change a thing about that.
However, there were a few reasons why I wouldn’t give this five stars. The opening scene is a rush of names and confusion, and turns out, an important scene to remember for later in the novel. This initially made it hard to get into and put me off a little. Also there were some places that felt rushed, where I felt it needed a little padding out for tension and for the story to feel more realistic and emotional. I also felt like this could easily be two novels, and may even be better if it was. The novel seems to pick up where the good bits are, just after all the struggling which means that the climax just isn’t as high as it could have been. That being said, it was worth reading and I loved the ending. I wouldn’t change a thing about that.
July 30, 2014
A solidly written, engaging and thought provoking science fiction tale from debut author Jessica Meats.
This two-part story first sets up a vivid near-future world in which three innocent schoolchildren become caught up in a secret war taking place behind the scenes of a very familiar, British world. Then this clear-cut world of black and white, good and bad, comes crashing down around its characters. The reader is left questioning the nature of right and wrong, reality and fiction, and even what it means to be alive! A series of brilliant plot twists keep the reader engaged until the very end, as their preconceptions about reality and humanity are unravelled through the experiences of the characters.
Although teenagers will identify well with the characters, there is plenty in here for adults as well. This is a perfect introduction to the science fiction genre, and the strong themes and messages should appeal to a wide audience. There is plenty of interesting technology that is well-described and relevant to the story.
All in all this is a well-written, fast-paced, strong science fiction story that's well worth a read by both adults and teenagers. I'll certainly be looking out for more stories from this up-and-coming author.
This two-part story first sets up a vivid near-future world in which three innocent schoolchildren become caught up in a secret war taking place behind the scenes of a very familiar, British world. Then this clear-cut world of black and white, good and bad, comes crashing down around its characters. The reader is left questioning the nature of right and wrong, reality and fiction, and even what it means to be alive! A series of brilliant plot twists keep the reader engaged until the very end, as their preconceptions about reality and humanity are unravelled through the experiences of the characters.
Although teenagers will identify well with the characters, there is plenty in here for adults as well. This is a perfect introduction to the science fiction genre, and the strong themes and messages should appeal to a wide audience. There is plenty of interesting technology that is well-described and relevant to the story.
All in all this is a well-written, fast-paced, strong science fiction story that's well worth a read by both adults and teenagers. I'll certainly be looking out for more stories from this up-and-coming author.
March 9, 2013
As a debut from someone that I personally I wasn't too sure what to expect from this. A few little niggles. I don't like how the main protagonist for 3/4 of the book was shunted into the background and from being quite intelligent was suddenly portrayed as slightly stupid and inept. I didn't like the constant mention of 'could go and work for any software company in the country' it was an arrogance that was also at odds with the character that had been constructed. Quibbles aside, the concept was really interesting (granted I was thinking of the Teen Titans vs The Hive but that's just me). And the very clearly researched bits of computer programming and mathematical problems was refreshing. Sophie ends up being the main character but she's not very likable and neither is the other female character. But I guess that was a good thing, every single person in the story is rather unfinished sort of like people in real life. I'm intrigued to see what comes from meats next and I hope that the characters have a bit more depth and less left-field character development.
November 26, 2009
I like all sorts of books including detective/thriller types and this is a great read. A fast paced adventure with plenty of twists and surprises to keep you on your toes and to challenge the assumptions you begin to make as the story unfolds. The characters are likeable and you find yourself hoping everyone can get things resolved but knowing this can't possibly happen, or can it?
Although I wouldn't generally look in the SciFi genre having erroneously imagined that this only covered Space and Aliens I'm very glad I took this up. The technology although futuristic is perfectly believable, the author obviously knows her stuff.
Well written and yet an 'easy' read at the same time, not a combination that is always achieved. For this reason I also think it might appeal to youngsters/teens who have outgrown children's books but are only just getting into longer adult novels.
Although I wouldn't generally look in the SciFi genre having erroneously imagined that this only covered Space and Aliens I'm very glad I took this up. The technology although futuristic is perfectly believable, the author obviously knows her stuff.
Well written and yet an 'easy' read at the same time, not a combination that is always achieved. For this reason I also think it might appeal to youngsters/teens who have outgrown children's books but are only just getting into longer adult novels.
May 6, 2011
An interesting story.
On the one hand, the style of writing wasn't perfect, there was a little too much "stating of facts" in the description. But the story and the characters were all very interesting. Particularly so in the second half of the book. I felt at first that the book revealed a little too much too early, but then the story carried on in a direction that I wasn't expecting at the start. The character of Sophie in particular was very interesting.
On the one hand, the style of writing wasn't perfect, there was a little too much "stating of facts" in the description. But the story and the characters were all very interesting. Particularly so in the second half of the book. I felt at first that the book revealed a little too much too early, but then the story carried on in a direction that I wasn't expecting at the start. The character of Sophie in particular was very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews