The Haters: A Novel by Robyn HardingPublication Date: July 2, 2024
Pages: 352
Add on: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Psychological
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group
From the bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, this "dark, twisted heartstopper" reveals the dark side of fame when an author is targeted online (Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest).
Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.
Rattled by the accusations in the message, Camryn resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. Soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her? As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows?
The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted.
REVIEW
Camryn Lane is on top of the world. After years of rejection and self-doubt, her debut novel finally hits the shelves, and then the internet turns on her. What starts as a single vicious review quickly mutates into full-blown online harassment, with anonymous trolls tearing apart her reputation, her work, and even her personal life. Suddenly, the line between digital and real-world threats starts to blur. Accusations emerge that Camryn exploited her students’ trauma for the sake of her fiction, and the attacks creep offline, feeding her paranoia and sense of betrayal. Is the campaign against her the work of a random hater, or someone much closer to home?
In The Haters, Harding demonstrates her knack for crafting characters who feel at once familiar and exposed. Camryn’s insecurities and ambition make her both sympathetic and painfully believable. As people she trusts start to pull away, every relationship, old flames, friends, colleagues, turns suspect. The supporting cast is just ambiguous enough to keep you guessing who’s pulling the strings.
The Haters is less a whodunit than a nerve-jangling ride through the minefields of social media and cancel culture. Harding zeroes in on how quickly outrage can spiral, how easily trust can crack under public scrutiny, and how terrifyingly real the fallout from a few online comments can become. The story is told in Camryn’s voice, direct and urgent, with short, punchy chapters and cliffhangers that leave you breathless. Harding even slips in a story-within-a-story, giving the book a clever meta edge.
What makes this novel stand out is just how current it feels. The anxiety, the unpredictable mob mentality, the way reputations can evaporate overnight, all of it rings true. The suspense is relentless, and Harding’s blend of dark humour and psychological tension keeps you hooked. If there’s a flaw, it’s that Camryn’s downward spiral into suspicion can feel intense enough to verge on melodrama, and a few side characters could use more depth. But the focus on Camryn’s unravelling only cranks up the suspense.
The Haters is fast-paced, addictive, and chillingly relevant. It’s a binge-worthy read that lingers long after the last page, raising questions about fame, trust, and the real cost of being visible in the digital age. Harding doesn’t just deliver a thriller, she delivers a warning.
