Sam Haysom

3.5*

In 2002, four teenage friends - Gary, James, Tom and Matt - join their schoolmate Tim Stevens and his father on a hiking trip at Rutmoor. The moor has a history of strange deaths and disappearances, which are possibly linked to a legend of a witch who had been killed in the area. On the first night out on the moor, both Gary and Mr Stevens recount these tales with relish - only for the nightmares to turn into reality when mutilated animals appear at the campsite and the boys start to go missing. Their story alternates with a present-day narration which sheds light on what happened during that fateful trip.

Haysom's debut novel starts off with a decidedly "Blair Witch Project" folk-horror feel. Their are twists along the way but - without giving anything away - I can assure you that it remains squarely within the realm of horror. At first I felt that the writing and dialogue - though well-crafted - was not particularly distinctive. Yet, the plot drew me in and the characterisation is varied and interesting. The different points of view and shifts in timelines are deftly handled - initially rather confusing perhaps, but things soon fall into place, making for a gripping horror read.… (altro)

The book begins with newspaper clippings spanning several years that show why Rutmoor National Park may well be a place to avoid. Over the decades there have been quite a few deaths and disappearances. Sometimes bodies are found.. sometimes people just vanish without a trace.
The story moves back and forth between the present day, when someone (I was not sure who at first) recollects a camping trip in Rutmoor over a decade ago and the events of that trip when he, along with a small group of 13 year old boys and one of their dads were spending a weekend walking through Rutmoor and camping there. The story is occasionally interrupted by further news clippings concerning mutilated pets. This all added to my confusion a bit and I wasn't sure I wanted to keep bouncing back and forth between the present day and that long ago weekend. It wasn't until I was over 20% through the book that it began to pique my interest, and what had begun as a slower build up than I normally enjoy held me captivated. I'm glad I stuck with it. I think you will be too.

I received an advance copy for review.… (altro)

3.5*

In 2002, four teenage friends - Gary, James, Tom and Matt - join their schoolmate Tim Stevens and his father on a hiking trip at Rutmoor. The moor has a history of strange deaths and disappearances, which are possibly linked to a legend of a witch who had been killed in the area. On the first night out on the moor, both Gary and Mr Stevens recount these tales with relish - only for the nightmares to turn into reality when mutilated animals appear at the campsite and the boys start to go missing. Their story alternates with a present-day narration which sheds light on what happened during that fateful trip.

Haysom's debut novel starts off with a decidedly "Blair Witch Project" folk-horror feel. Their are twists along the way but - without giving anything away - I can assure you that it remains squarely within the realm of horror. At first I felt that the writing and dialogue - though well-crafted - was not particularly distinctive. Yet, the plot drew me in and the characterisation is varied and interesting. The different points of view and shifts in timelines are deftly handled - initially rather confusing perhaps, but things soon fall into place, making for a gripping horror read.… (altro)

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and this is it.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. The characterization was credible and Mr. Haysom writes well. Those things being said, and given that characterization and good writing style are very important and often lacking, I look at The Moor as an interesting start to a career.

What I didn’t like was the plot. I feel that it started very promising, I mean, who doesn’t love a good witch story. Blair Witch came to mind immediately, but there are so few good witch stories out there (like Hex for example) that I was anxious to read one. Then it turned into something different. Without giving the plot away it became something much more familiar. I wondered why the witch portion was even there but given the whole camping trip motif it was understandable and I was still enjoying myself.

Then it just got silly. Sorry to say, it just did. Silly and with no explanation as to the how, why, where or or even what. The ending, in my humble opinion, would have worked just fine if the author had kept it non-supernatural. In fact, I think it might have been very good. Familiar monsters can be scary enough without overdoing it.

Three stars.… (altro)