HUM

Narrator Ariel Blake captures the climate-devastated, AI-driven world of this novel. From the opening scene, Phillips raises the stakes continually as May, a desperate mother, sells her face to be used in an experiment. The city is run by intelligent robots called "hums," and without her face, May is unrecognizable by them. Blake's steady voices for the hums add a sense of cool detachment as they solve problems, sell luxuries, and offer platitudes. When May's children go missing on a tech-free family vacation, May must turn to a hum for help. The bright voices of the children are a clear contrast to the other voices, and the disturbing consequences ratchet up the tension. C.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2024]