Haters by David Moody is a dark and violent story about society suddenly becoming divided into two types of people. Each type hates the other and simply wants to destroy them before they get a chance to do the same. The division doesn’t go by family ties, friendship, or ethnic background. Some become what is called “Haters” and some do not. Murder and mayhem become the norm. People are advised to stay home and wait for the situation to be controlled.

When people suddenly start attacking others with the intention of killing them, Danny McCoyne has no idea of what is going on. He witnesses several attacks but it takes him, and the rest of the world some time to grasp what is happening. By then he, his wife, Lizzie, their three children and father-in-law are sheltering together but who is a Hater and who is not?

David Moody is the author of one of my favorite zombie series and I have had Haters and it’s sequels sitting on my shelf for some time. This is the first of a trilogy and I fully expected to be enthralled by this horror story but instead I was left feeling a little queasy and disappointed. Other than repetitive violence, there didn’t seem to be much story here. We are told over and over how Danny is stuck in a dead end job, doesn’t earn much money, he lives in a sub-par apartment, with his family that he does love, but finds annoying. Personally I found Danny annoying. I hate the fact that I have the next two book of the trilogy but highly doubt that I will ever get the urge to read on. Haters just didn’t work for me. ( )

A fast paced, easy read. Full of action and great description. At first, the term Hater threw me off, I kept thinking of unhappy skaters. But, the name was explained a bit, and seemed to fit after awhile. I will be awaiting the sequel. ( )

Great concept that, to me, failed in execution, especially as the book continued. I will follow the series since the concept is excellent, but I do hope the characterisation improves and becomes less two-dimensional. ( )

When I dove into Hater blind, it was what I typically expect from books following this theme. The structure was similar, right down to the brief scenes of others being affected, slightly formulaic in fee, but the way in which Moody introduced and described the 'Haters', I felt there was more to be expected.

The third act was a complete mind fuck.

I am now looking forward to reading the rest of the Hater series, but I will say that reading Hater - published in 2010 - in 2023 during the January 6 hearings, while QAnon conspiracy theories are overwhelming the main-stream and "Hate" groups becoming more and more predominant while society's middle ground rapidly shrinks away to a vague line in the sand... it's hard not to feel like Moody saw it coming.

“If only it were so simple!” cried Solzenhitsyn from behind the Gulag’s barbed-wire: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” ( )

CW: Sexual content. Extreme violence.

2.5 Stars ( )