Hater by David Moody

by:  David Moody
published by:  St. Martin's Griffin
publish date:  April 13, 2010

REMAIN CALM DO NOT PANIC TAKE SHELTER WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL Society is rocked by a sudden increase in the number of violent assaults on individuals. Christened 'Haters' by the media, the attackers strike without warning, killing all who cross their path. The assaults are brutal, remorseless and extreme: within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people become frenzied, vicious killers. There are no apparent links as a hundred random attacks become a thousand, then hundreds of thousands. Everyone, irrespective of gender, age, race or any other difference, has the potential to become a victim - or a Hater. People are afraid to go to work, afraid to leave their homes and, increasingly, afraid that at any moment their friends, even their closest family, could turn on them with ultra violent intent. Waking up each morning, no matter how well defended, everyone must now consider the fact that by the end of the day, they might be dead. Or perhaps worse, become a killer themselves. As the status quo shifts, ATTACK FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER becomes the order of the day... only, the answers might be much different than what you expect....

My first experience with David Moody was Autumn, the zombie book that never uses the Z word.  That book made me realize that zombie books aren't bad, they aren't all for the "Dungeons & Dragons" set.  Don't be distracted by that, Hater isn't a zombie book.  The people in Hater are infected with rage and violence.

My initial reaction to this book was that I hated Danny.   The reader sees everything through Danny's eyes and he is the most miserable human being I've ever encountered.  He hates his job, he hates his life, he hates where he lives, and at times he hates his family.  After awhile though, it works!  The whole mood of misery and unhappiness gets worse and worse until it explodes.

Hater is the first book in a Trilogy.  The second book is Dog Blood and the third is Them or Us.  I will eventually get to the other two.  I listened to this one on audiobook and it was pretty good, so I'll probably seek out the other ones on audiobook as well.