Android isn’t the smoothest medium for reading ebooks. Most smartphone screens simply aren’t cut out for this activity and most people end up turning to an e-reader. A natural enough solution when we’re thinking about hardware, but what if what’s really needed is a change to the story format? Hooked is an app that takes smartphones as its default medium to tell suspense stories.
We could sum up how Hooked works with the motto emblazoning its website: “Fiction for the Snapchat Generation.” These words have more substance to them than it first appears and they explain quite well the philosophy behind the original app: the stories on offer here are narrated in a chat between several people, which dynamizes the action and adapts it perfectly to smartphones. It makes reading over a mobile screen no headache at all given that we’re more than used to this kind of format.
Tapping the screen moves you forward through the story, with a new chat bubble popping out for each line spoken by one of the characters. That said, those among you with the quickest wits will discover that there’s a time limit on the number of “hoots” (taps to the screen) you can do. And obviously if you want to read the stories all in one go you’ll need a bit of patience – or you can just pay to recharge the number of dialogue lines and keep reading.
Though the app’s monetization system grates on the nerves a bit, we’ve got to admit that Hooked is a very interesting and original app that understands its historical moment very well. I recommend reading up on the process of creating the app that the developers wrote up, as it’s quite interesting to discover how they’ve invented such a hit. It might not be Borges, but you can at least enjoy a bit of entertainment that will leave you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. Plus any efforts at democratizing reading get my vote.
Hooked for Android on Uptodown [APK] | Download
