The Hive by Scarlett Brade
SHOULD HE LIVE OR DIE? YOU DECIDE.
Charlotte Goodwin looks directly at the camera and reveals a chilling truth to the thousands watching her Instagram Live broadcast. She has killed her ex-boyfriend's new partner in cold blood. But she is not finished yet. With bloodied hands she takes a calm sip of tea before continuing. Lincoln Jackson will now make his confession, then the viewers must vote to decide whether he should live or die.
The public display sends shockwaves rippling through the online community and the numbers of viewers skyrockets. But as Lincoln's past is revealed, how will he be judged?
Bonded by mutual tragedy, Charlotte's three best friends have supported each other through the soaring highs and devastating lows of their lives. Now, in Charlotte's hour of need, her friends also face a choice, whether to help her get away with murder.
The Hive explores our darkest fears of the relationship between social media and mental health, but, most importantly, the strength of sisterhood against all the odds.
About the author
Scarlett Brade is the daughter of parents who migrated from the Caribbean to England in the early 1970s. She was born and educated in London, though as a child she spent her summers in Canada, where she developed her love affair with reading. When not writing Scarlett spends most of her time cooking, drinking fine wines, and entertaining family and friends. The Hive is her first psychological thriller novel, and she is currently writing her second.
Review
‘The Hive’ opens with a punchy strong chapter in which Charlotte admits to murdering her ex-boyfriend’s new partner Heidi, whilst streaming live on The Hive! She then announces that her ex, celebrity and professional boxer Lincoln, is on trial for his life and it's up to the viewers on the website to decide whether he lives or dies. As Charlotte states ‘this is my confession’ but what caused her to get to this state…
Charlotte has been dating professional boxer Lincoln now for a few months. She has a perfect relationship with him but its under constant observation by the world and commented on all over social media. But she soon begins to question their relationship, who is Heidi and why is he secretive of his phone? Things get more pressured when Charlotte finds out she is pregnant and Lincoln doesn't seem that keen.
I liked the premise of this book with the emphasis on trial by social media and the tag of a ‘feminist thriller’. However, I didn't see too much of feminism showing in Charlotte’s decisions - she was infatuated by a man and their destructive relationship I felt could have been portrayed slightly more realistically. I did find that the friendship aspect of the four girls rang true in their strength of feelings for each other. I wasn't able to really connect with Charlotte which was a shame but I did like Poppy!
The setup with the opening chapter being present day and then going back a year to see how things played out was a great way to build up the tension. The resolution we know but do we… Once you disband your disbelief at the resolution you will connect with the story much more! This is entertainment not reality.
Let me know if you read this one.
