Hive by AJ betts

Hive
By A.J. Betts
Bolinda/Macmillan Australia 2019

When an impossible drip has Hayley questioning the world she’s ever known, the life she’s been told to live begins to spiral out of control. Hayley is fifteen. Her job is to tend the bees. When it is her turn, she will marry, produce a child and then return to her bees. If she is lucky, she is told she might marry twice.

The world Hayley knows is surrounded by walls. God provides the water from a fountain; God provides meats in the salty brine that the Netter Boys catch. So, when a drip appears from the ceiling of the only room that eases Hayley’s incessant headaches, she is curious to how. Curiosity leads Hayley to question reality and this is a sign of madness in her community.

HIVE is a YA science fiction dystopian novel. Betts writes the voice of a naïve fifteen-year-old with excellent accuracy, while Felicity Jurd’s voice perfectly embodies the youth and curiosity of Hayley. Hive was longlisted for the Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) in 2019, longlisted for the Gold Inky Award 2019, and Shorlisted for the Indie Book Awards in 2019.
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Hive is like The Handmaid’s Tale for a younger audience. It had me captivated throughout and excited to share it with my teenage daughters. The ending was surprising and perhaps a little abrupt; however, I have since discovered that there is a sequel. I look forward to reading it!