Reviewed by Luise Toma

Do you love the movie 28 Days Later? Do you love it so much that you wish it was much, much longer, so you could watch it for days without getting to the end? If so, a genius man named David Moody has written a book just for you. A weird, angry, wild book that you will not be able to put it down. Hater delves into the deepest, darkest corners of the human soul, exploring our growing distrust of one another. And while doing these depressing things, it manages to be entertaining and—in parts—hilarious. Hooray for David Moody!

While Danny is slaving away in a boring council job, sorting issues with parking fines, and arguing with his wife and three young children, all of whom annoy the hell out of him, the world around him is slowly changing. At first there are few isolated incidents. Seemingly at random and for no discernible reason, individuals turn on innocent bystanders, close friends and even family. The attacks are violent and brutal, often ending in death. And, ever so slowly, they are becoming more frequent.

Before too long the savage attackers are given a name: Haters. Everyone could be a hater. Your neighbour, your co worker, your wife, your children. Everyone you pass on the street could potentially murder you. Better get them before they get you, better let the army flush them out. Better to just stay inside where it is safe. Or is it?

What makes Hater so amazing is that it takes a concept we have lived with for so long we accept it as perfectly normal. All versus all. Sure, it takes the rat race of people backstabbing each other in order to secure employment, accommodation or a pay rise a step further, but the principle stays the same. We don’t trust anyone. Not even our partners; they might leave us and take half our possessions. Not our children; they may grow up and never speak to us again. Not strangers; for all we know, they are some radicals with bombs strapped to their chests, or rapists, or just plain evil. The world is no longer safe, and Moody is not afraid to tell us what we are capable of.

Most chapters begin with the description of an attack. These are the parts of the book too depraved not to be enjoyed. With American Psycho detail and inventive spirit when it comes to gore to rival Chuck Palaniukh, Moody sets a scene so bleak we wish it was science fiction, set just that little bit in the future to make us more comfortable. No such luck. The horror is here now and there is no escape.

The protagonist, I am reluctant to call him the hero, is just as overwhelmed with the situation as the reader. His deep desire to keep his family safe and wait in hiding until the crisis is under control is only rivalled by his desire to survive. Really survive. By placing Danny in a stressful family situation—money and passion are equally in short supply—Moody creates the perfect dilemma. At which point does regular annoyance turn into fully-blown hatred? When does someone who might dislike us truly become our enemy? Is a lost temper a passing storm or the beginning of the end? These are questions we all ask ourselves; questions that simply can’t be answered. At least not satisfactorily.

Hater is a psychologically complex work packed with sly social commentary, everyday horror, and the niggling feeling that it is not quite fictional enough. Moody creates suspense and hair-raising fear with such ease one can’t escape the spell. The age old question of ‘Live or Die?’ is stretched to its limits, so far it feels fresh and new; an amazing achievement in itself. And to make it even more remarkable, it has the single most perfect ending of any book I have ever read. Seriously.

The very favourable comments on the jacket come from acclaimed directors Guillermo DelToro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage), so I feel confident that we might soon enjoy Hater the motion picture. Which, although potentially fast-paced and excellent, will probably be much too short to do justice to all the ideas crammed in the book. Therefore, fellow humans, go read the book. Or I kill you! Or will I?

Hater
(2009)

by David Moody
Hachette Livre
ISBN: 9780575084667
232pp AUD$29.99