Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this fascinating book by Helen Phillips. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
May has a job "teaching" AI to be more intelligent. But when her goal is accomplished and AI is smarter than humans, she loses her job. As the breadwinner of her family, consisting of husband, Jem, and children, Lu and Sy, she undertakes a procedure for to earn money that requires surgery to change her face so that it can't be recognized by surveillance cameras. After getting caught up on bills, May decides to splurge on a 3-day trip to the Botanical Garden, a refuge where forests, streams, and animals flourish - but only for those who can afford it. Wanting an immersive experience, she insists that everyone leave their phones and devices at home. But when there is an issue, May has to trust a hum to help her.
I tore through this book. It's thought-provoking on a near-future basis as well as our current culture. With AI being so prevalent now, it's not a big stretch to think that Hums could be part of our future. With climate changes and resultant devastation to our forests from wildfires, losing access to nature is certainly feasible. We are already living in a more virtual world than a real one, proven by our addiction to our devices. The best family experiences already go only to those who can afford them (think skipping lines at DisneyWorld). This book looks at motherhood in the midst of all that, and how one incident can change everything we hold to be true. The writing was wonderful and I'll be thinking about May for a while.
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