A review by ikandree
Hum by Helen Phillips

3.0

3 ⭐️ 

This book was a quick and easy read.  I started it last night and finished it this afternoon.  There is absolutely nothing twisty or too deep about this story.

The story is set in the future where climate change has caused near constant record heat, diminished foliage, and extinct species, yet there are cameras and technology everywhere.  A woman sells her face (superficial changes) to a tech company to develop better face recognition software.  She uses her compensation to take her family to the Botanical Gardens for a few days where there are trees, fresh air, and wildlife, but she insists that they leave their technology at home.  Her children get lost at the Botanical Gardens, hi-jinx ensue and the kids are found.  After, she is deemed a terrible mother by the world, through social media, and CPS is called.

Yep, that is the whole plot.  The characters were slightly annoying and forgettable. The technology mentioned is vague but you can piece it together, except for something called a "woom" which is central to the story but is never explained. Overall, this had amazing potential but fell completely flat.