The haters

Robyn Harding

Book - 2024

"Camryn Hart is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her fiancé, Matt, is supportive; and her friends are all excited for her. She's on top of the world--until she receives a disturbing email from an unfamiliar address. Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the email out of her mind. But then she checks her ratings on a popular book site and finds a similarly scathing one-star review. The reviewer is articulate, passionate, and convincing, so much so that other reviewers start to fall in line. Soon, Camryn's book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the s...ame person who sent the email? Desperate to understand what's going on, Camryn starts to look into who the reviewer might be. Other authors warn her that trolls are dangerous, that she should be careful, but the actions of the troll are escalating, and Camryn's starting to lose touch with what's real and what isn't. When the troll's harassment turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy who's been sabotaging her every move--and finally learn why she's being targeted"--

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Subjects
Genres
Thrillers (Fiction)
Detective and mystery fiction
Novels
Published
New York : Grand Central Publishing 2024.
Language
English
Main Author
Robyn Harding (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
342 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN
9781538766101
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Camryn Lane is proudest of her seventeen-year-old daughter Liza, but her recent debut novel, Burnt Orchid, comes in at a close second. And then a negative review is posted online, accusing Camryn of using personal stories from her job as a high-school counselor as a basis for the main character in her book. Way too quickly, the one review becomes a focused onslaught of negativity, and Camryn's dream becomes a nightmare of false accusations and unreliable relationships. Now she must decide what parts of her life are worth saving from the abyss. As the threats become more serious, and the number of possible sources for the review increases, Camryn's looming mental breakdown becomes a tangible presence. From this narrative of an ultimate dream-come-true to one of overwhelming anxiety, there's no downtime in the roller coaster of extreme emotions. Even with a large cast of characters, the author manages to give each a purpose and an engaging presence. A satisfying selection for readers who enjoy unreliable narrators and plenty of suspense.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

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. Agent: Joe Veltre, Gersh Agency. (July)

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