2.84k reviews for:

The Haar

David Sodergren

4.07 AVERAGE

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I ate a jester once. He tasted funny.”
Honestly? Peak literature.
dark emotional medium-paced
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

5/5 Stars!

This was such a fun horror book to read! I absolutely loved the Scottish fishing town setting—it felt so atmospheric. I could vividly picture the wee town of Witchaven, with its cozy cottages and simple way of life. Would this be considered Horror/Romance? Lol.

In Scottish and Northern English dialects, "haar" refers to a cold, wet sea fog. I had no idea before reading this, but I loved the eerie, almost otherworldly ambiance it created. It added so much to the spooky atmosphere.

Muriel McAuley is such a badass granny! I loved how she stood her ground against those rich, entitled pricks. An overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents of Witchaven, but a few strong-willed souls refuse to back down—and Muriel is at the heart of it all.

Arthur was another standout character for me. I imagined him as the scruffiest, most bear-like Scottish man. The author does an incredible job making you loathe almost every character—except for Muriel and Arthur, of course. Even the morally grey character, Avalon, is someone you can't help but root for.

I wouldn't say this is the kind of horror book that will keep you up at night, but it's a well-written and uniquely crafted story. The most difficult parts to read—and the ones that truly broke my heart—were the violent attempted and executed murder scenes. Honestly, I really wish Avalon had just wiped them all out, lol.

Speaking of Avalon, they actually reminded me of Aylmer, that bizarrely phallic space creature from the 1988 horror-comedy Brain Damage. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it—it’s weird, gory, and oddly fun!

One more thing I love about this book is its cover art. It's so simple yet nostalgic, reminiscent of early horror movies and books. It perfectly captures the eerie tone of the story without trying too hard.

Also, I really enjoy saying the word gelatinous. Hopefully, one day, I can find my happy ending with a gelatinous blob sea creature that takes out my enemies.
dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Heart-aching is the lengths we are willing to go to feel connected to the ones we love, one last time. 



dark emotional funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No