The Haters
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4.2 • 22 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
The bestselling author of The Party and The Arrangement returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark side of social media.
Camryn Lane is living her dream: after years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. She’s on top of the world – until she receives a disturbing email from an unknown sender.
Rattled, Camryn swallows the sick feeling and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings online, she finds an aggressive one-star review, and soon Camryn’s book is flooded with negative reviews and publicity. 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? When the abuse escalates, Camryn will need to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her – before it turns deadly.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Haters by Robyn Harding is a twisty and riveting exploration of life in the public eye and the invasive nature of online harassment. The story follows Camryn Lane, a high school counsellor and emerging author whose debut novel, “Burnt Orchid”, offers a gritty, unflinching look at the lives of teen women. With its release, Camryn is confronted by an anonymous stalker accusing her of exploiting her students’ stories, who begins spreading nasty comments across the web. As the intimidation and accusations intensify, Camryn’s relationships with her teenage daughter, lover, ex-husband and friends unravel disturbingly easily. Harding’s writing is straightforward and honest, with a relatable tone that balances the gasp-out-loud moments. This tense and thrilling novel is a clear argument against engaging with trolls and will linger in the minds of book lovers and aspiring authors long after the final page.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Canadian crime novelist Harding (The Drowning Woman) examines the murky netherworld of internet trolling in this sturdy thriller. High school guidance counselor Camryn Lane is over the moon: she's just published her debut novel, Burnt Orchid, to rave reviews and much admiration from her 17-year-old daughter, Liza. During the launch event, Camryn pauses to check her email and finds a scathing message that accuses her of exploiting her students' lives for the book's material. A shaken Camryn brushes the message aside, but then the same person posts an even angrier one-star review online, opening the floodgates for an all-out smear campaign. Before long, Camryn is doxxed, hacked, and heckled at publicity events, and she loses the support of her colleagues, boyfriend, and even Liza. After Camryn hires a digital expert to expose her harasser, he turns up dead, kicking the stakes up several notches. Harding alternates the main action with excerpts from and reviews of Burnt Orchid, slyly building suspense in the process. While the scenes detailing Camryn's harassment can grow repetitive, Harding makes the most of her chilling premise. This provides some satsifying shocks.
Customer Reviews
DNF
Her earlier works were absolute smashes, but I couldn’t be bothered to finish this. Disappointed- I’ve waited months in anticipation after reading the sample but the full novel lacked tension and urgency to see it through. Felt like much ado about nothing, really.