The Haar: A Horror Novel

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As much as I would LOVE to detail a few of the reasons, I really enjoyed the horror in this book, I feel as though I'd be spoiling the fun if I did. I will say the creature on the cover of the book needs blood to stay strong and healthy. The way it kills is brutal asf, and it's awesome. I feel as though this book takes inspiration from some of the best and most influential horror stories, putting its own little twist on them. If there was ever a story I wish I could erase from my mind only to read over and over again…it would be this one! It is the perfect love story with a Cthulhu twist, and although I don’t foresee anything like this happening to me, it has really made me think about my own relationships in my life. It’s a wonderful piece about humanity and what we are as creatures in this vast world. I have never felt so small and meaningless in this world, and yet my heart has never been so full. Actually, The Forgotten Island is the first book of his I discovered from a friend here on WordPress. Definitely have to give both works a try when I can beat down the clutter on this cursed TBR!

The Haar by David Sodergren | Goodreads The Haar by David Sodergren | Goodreads

Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, married there, and intends to die there. A cemetery. Ambitious crane shots and Steadicam work reminiscent of Halloween. A young girl in a gothic crypt. Mario Bava-esque lighting.The characters are mostly solid, especially our heroes. The bad guys, mainly the villains, do become what you might think of as "typical", but they really didn't need that much fleshing out. The story is all from Muriel's pov with the villains playing a smaller role. The story is more about Muriel trying to stay where she belongs, to spend the rest of her life with what remains of her friends, to die where she was born. Most of all, to heal from the loss of her husband. The story is a reminder: don't take advantage of life or the ones you love the most because no one is exempt from the final destination.

The Haar by David Sodergren book reviews | Goodreads

David can write characters of any age and in any situation and manages to bring us different types of horror with every single one of his novels. I love battle-for-nature stories with revenge. The Haar was excellently paced, an easy read to breeze through, and stirred in me rainbow of emotion. I was angry then happy then disgusted then sad then infuriated then exuberant. Haha, really everything under the sun. ☀️ But, if you look at that synopsis closely, you’ll see Sodergren says this is a gore-soaked folk horror fairy tale, and that’s just what we get. We get a looming fog, the haar, that sweeps in one day and brings something from the ocean. Muriel saves it, connects with it and gets to experience some of life’s moments again. Things and memories she thought long since buried, returning and reinvigorating her.The story is about Muriel McAuley, an old widow who wants to be left alone but a big corporation is buying up all the land of the Scottish coastal town she grew up in to build a golf course. The million-pound offers to buy her property are now turning into threats. Muriel then finds a sea creature with unique powers and it becomes a game changer. Because it’s another one of those films that begins with a dynamite sequence of horror and then flails around like a fish out of water for the rest of its runtime. But let’s enjoy the good while it lasts.

David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic

The ending was perfect and the varying POV’s we get to see some of those last moments through was fantastic to really highlight the emotional aspect of this book. Muriel is left hopeless – until, after a particularly dense fog (called a “ haar“), she finds a mysterious blob on the beach. Little does Muriel know, saving this blob will not only spell her salvation, but a new hope for her future. Some company wants to buy the little village. They pay everyone to leave. The elderly lady doesn't want to leave, no matter how much money they offer her. Lots of neighbors have already left.

I don’t want to give anything away because I really think that the ‘other’ character in the book is really engaging. So many questions rise up and they’re batted away to instead tell a really powerful story of grief, redemption and revenge. The Haar starts as a story about a greedy American arsehole who is trying to destroy the small coastal fishing town of Witchhaven, Scotland, and slowly turns into a story about love, self-preservation, and the human condition.