Hum is an extraordinary novel by the National Book Award–longlisted author Helen Phillips. It tells the story of a wife and mother named May, who, after losing her job to artificial intelligence, undergoes a radical procedure that makes her invisible to surveillance systems.

Set in a city ravaged by climate change and inhabited by intelligent robots known as 'hums,' May's decision to alter her face to escape detection is driven by desperation to clear her family's debt and secure their future. The narrative follows her as she invests in a brief escape to the Botanical Garden, a sanctuary of natural beauty, hoping it will heal her family's reliance on technology.

However, the supposed tranquility is short-lived as her family's safety is compromised, pushing May to rely on a hum with dubious intentions. Hum is a riveting work of speculative fiction, examining themes of marriage, motherhood, and identity against a backdrop of environmental decay and rapid technological progress. It presents a world filled with both dystopian and utopian elements, compelling readers to confront the unsettling realities of our times.