2021 EDIT: Not as entertaining as I remember it, and it requires A LOT of suspension of disbelief, but 'H.I.V.E.' is still a good, somewhat nonconventional read for kids.
However, I wasn't comfortable with the H.I.V.E student Franz only existing to be the fat kid. His entire one note joke of a character is that he is fat. The highly sufficient and advanced H.I.V.E. school doesn't have his uniform size, he is always hungry, he hates any kind of physical exercise, and the protagonist Otto makes fat-related jokes about him to himself, and is disgusted by other thoughts concerning Franz. The fat German boy is used for nothing else; nothing plot related, certainly. So points removed for the fat shaming - of a child, at that.
I also feel that the female characters are criminally (pun intended) underused. Natalya/Raven the shadowy ninja assassin lady is my favourite in the whole book; there's a surprising human side and heart of gold to her. Then there's Laura the down-to-earth Scottish tech prodigy, Shelby the prima donna American stealth master and master thief prodigy, the eerie and manipulative teacher with a large hairdo called the Contessa, and Ms Leon the woman's mind in a cat's body - they are all very cool and, in my opinion, more interesting and complex than the male characters. But they get far too little page time!
H.I.V.E.mind/Big Blue himself, the school's AI and Max Headroom pastiche, is an interesting character in his own right, though.
On the subject of page time, the narration changes from Otto's perspective to that of others far too frequently. These sudden and unnecessary shifts are almost enough to make readers lose interest quickly. Otto should've been the main POV character throughout, since he is the protagonist, who's experiencing his new life at H.I.V.E. along with the young reader, the book's target audience. Changes to the teachers' or security persons' perspectives should've been kept to a minimum, as they not compelling and rely overbearingly on mystery for the sequels.
The action and plot don't really get going until near the end, either. There is also the same drab, grey, white, nearly colourless environment of the underground base of operations/school of H.I.V.E. - little actually happens in it, and it gets boring to read about. No wonder Otto and his new friends want to leave that claustrophobic, suffocating prison. Children need breaks and a breath of fresh air once in a while.
Otto, Wing, Laura, Shelby, Nigel, and Franz are the only named students in H.I.V.E. in the whole book, as well, with very few exceptions. It makes for quite weak character building, and building on the believability of the setting, in my opinion. Points to the book for mentioning a few times how diverse the students are, who number hundreds if not thousands. If only the lot of them weren't a faceless blob.
'H.I.V.E.' - It remains a recommendation to younger readers from yours truly, in spite of its flaws. How many sequels does it need, however? There are eight now!
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
"Welcome to H.I.V.E." - H.I.V.E.mind.
Another fun and entertaining comic book-esque novel series from my younger years.
Despite a few typos in the first book (the protag Otto is called Oscar at one point), and the contradictory message of being bad because villains are more interesting than heroes, but not too bad because it's still a series for kids, I still enjoy 'H.I.V.E.' by Mark Walden.
I could picture solidly the institution itself - all grey and blocked from the outside world. It's a secret prison for child geniuses. Well, our young criminal masterminds won't be easily trapped by education for several years. They are rebels and they want out.
Packed with memorable characters - I adore Otto, Wing, Shelby, Raven (who is badass), and H.I.V.E.mind (he's so cool for an emotionless computer head). It is my opinion that friendship is the main theme of 'H.I.V.E.', with everyone helping each other out in various schemes, plans and rescue missions.
The manipulative Contessa is a particular figure to cower from; I'm glad she doesn't really exist!
Adrenaline fuelled, suspenseful, surprising and very humourous, consider 'H.I.V.E.' highly recommended. If you are an adult, I'd say be sure that you know about children's books, so you can suspend your disbelief in some out-there instances. Just enjoy the ride.
There is also a talking cat. Who is a teacher at H.I.V.E.
Final Score: 4/5
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