Hum is set in a world wrecked by climate change and capitalism, a place where greenery belongs only to the rich and advertisements hum at you from every direction. Children grow up with an AI attached to their bodies, and genuine emotional connection feels like something the world quietly misplaced along the way.

For most of the book, I found it absolutely phenomenal. It’s deeply thought‑provoking and nudges the reader into seeing the world from a new angle. The way Phillips takes current research - the links between excessive screen time, constant task‑switching, and the erosion of working memory and attention - and turns it up to its highest possible setting is remarkable. It creates an atmosphere that’s eerie in the most unsettling way, because the future she depicts doesn’t feel distant or fantastical. It feels like a shadow cast by the direction we’re already moving. The story also lingers on what happens when systems punish people for doing what they must to survive, even though those same systems created the conditions that force their choices.

The ending is meant to be ambiguous, but it didn’t land that way for me, and it’s what ultimately took my rating from 5 down to 4.5 The message behind the book is powerful, yet the ending felt like it stepped away from that power at the last moment.

All this said, please go read the book. You won’t be the same when you’re done.