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Them or Us (Hater #3)

by David Moody (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 734 ratings · 99 reviews

The pulse-pounding conclusion to the HATER trilogy!

The war that has torn the human race apart is finally nearing its end. With most towns and cities now uninhabitable, and with the country in the grip of a savage nuclear winter, both Hater and Unchanged alike struggle to survive.

Hundreds of Hater fighters have settled on the East Coast in the abandoned remains of a re

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Hardcover, 354 pages

Published November 8th 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published January 1st 2011)

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Oct 09, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: october-is-spooky

hmm, so as far as the "look at me, i am taking the 'zombie' novel to new and interesting places" angle goes, i think this book delivers. but it is definitely a more subdued and reflective novel than the two that came before it. and that's fine, but it is not helping out my "spooky spook month" very much.

because, hey, i am all about the maturation of the zombie novel: Zone One, Raising Stony Mayhall, and The Reapers Are the Angels are all fine examples of novels that are and are not books about...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Evin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The final book in the Hater trilogy picks up a little while after the events at the end of the second book. It sees Danny McCoyne falling in with another group of Haters who have set up a barely-functioning settlement. It covers his attempts to come to grips with the world that he has been left in the wake of the virtual extinction of the Unchanged.

This book is particularly well-written, though not as quick of a read as the other two as a result. Moody does a much better job of creating an envir...more The final book in the Hater trilogy picks up a little while after the events at the end of the second book. It sees Danny McCoyne falling in with another group of Haters who have set up a barely-functioning settlement. It covers his attempts to come to grips with the world that he has been left in the wake of the virtual extinction of the Unchanged.

This book is particularly well-written, though not as quick of a read as the other two as a result. Moody does a much better job of creating an environment for the characters to move through in this one than in the first two books. The book has a decidedly post-WWIII book feel to it and Moody effectively nails the pathetic existence of most inhabitants of the world.

The problem with this series has always that once the main character becomes the monster he rockets to the top of the food chain – there’s no tension that made the 1st half of the first book so suspenseful because the narrator has nothing to fear. Thankfully, the third book does something to reinject some tension, though it is not the same kind of paranoia “who's a Hater and who's not?” that we saw in the first book. Nevertheless it works. Also to the books benefit is the fact that much of the self-reflection and whining that Danny does in the first two books tends to fade away as McCoyne basically just gives up. This, in a sad testament to how unlikable of a character he was previously, actually made me like him more.

The problem remains that the author still continues to sidestep how the Haters are really different from the Unchanged and why they hate them so much. Without even a basic rationale, the premise falters as the reader continually asks “Yes, but why?” In the end, I find that I don't mind as much in this one, primarily because the book comes to grips better with the fact that the characters eventually needed to realize how illogical the entire situation was and there is at least some recognition and discussion of that. Furthermore, the fact that the topic of what comes next has been voiced by several characters in the series up to this point and then basically swept under the rug is finally brought up.

Ultimately, I like this book quite a bit more than the first two, even though I originally began reading it simply out of wanting to be a completist. I suspect that I would have given this book more than 2 stars if I hadn't had to wade through all of the problems of the first two (particularly the second) to get to a more polished story. The book also tends to be a bit over long and the last 50 pages feels a bit forced as far as sudden epiphanies(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle-baby, own

...or no-one at all.

It was always going to be hard to live up to the fantastically taut and frightening opener to this series, as demonstrated by the middle entry, Dog Blood and this finale, but nonetheless this was a fitting end to the trilogy - it's hard to see where else this could have gone.

The nuclear blasts that decimated the centres of population have left the country either dead or dying, with those not killed outright now suffering from the radiation. What was left of the Unchanged popu...more

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May 06, 2012 Jo Anne B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a fabulous conclusion to the Hater series. It was as depressing as they come, but it was true to how it things would be which is classic Moody style. You really felt for Danny in this one. Wow, was he put through enough or what? I was annoyed with him in the second book because all he wanted to do was find his daughter Ellis, even though he never really cared for his kids to begin with. But in this one, you felt so sorry for how much he was suffering and how everybody used him for their...more This was a fabulous conclusion to the Hater series. It was as depressing as they come, but it was true to how it things would be which is classic Moody style. You really felt for Danny in this one. Wow, was he put through enough or what? I was annoyed with him in the second book because all he wanted to do was find his daughter Ellis, even though he never really cared for his kids to begin with. But in this one, you felt so sorry for how much he was suffering and how everybody used him for their benefit because of his abilities.

This book had some awesome bad guys in it. That Hinchcliffe was such a mean bastard. What a leader he made, scaring everybody into submission to him. He only cared about himself that no one messed with him or else they knew he would kill them. Food and fear was all he needed to rule the Haters and it worked well for him. Poor Danny was his bitch the whole time infiltrating areas as a spy to find more Unchanged for Hinchcliffe to kill. Because as Danny said, "That was all we still have in common: We just keep going. Them or us, even when common sense says it's time to stop struggling and roll over and play dead, we all still keep fighting to survive, whatever the cost. "

Moody did such a great job portraying how dire everything became. The world was ruined and no one was rebuilding it. The leaders, no matter who they were, only cared about them being the only one in control of everyone. The Hater mentality to hate sure left no room for trusting anyone or being able to relax and let your guard down. Instead, everyone had to suspect everyone and watch their back. That was how it was between the Haters and the Unchanged, but that still persisted between Haters too. It was how they thought and Danny knew it would never change. They would keep killing each other til they wiped out the human race.

But Danny did his part to offer some glimmer of hope because he could hold the hate and he knew the future of humans could only be with the Unchanged. When he saw innocent Unchanged children playing. Playing for pete's sake, not fighting, he knew what he had to do. I couldn't believe all that Danny went through in this book and how long he held on. But he had a pretty good reason to. What a hero he ended up being. That poor sap from the first book that was afraid of his boss Tina and the people who yelled at him who didn't want to pay their parking tickets. Our Danny sure did come a long way in this series. I won't soon forget our most unlikely of heroes who never knew he was one.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Danny McCoyne is a Hater. Or at least, that's what he became when the Change hit his world. There were Haters, changed people who could detect Unchanged and, unable to contain their hatred, would brutally kill the Unchanged. Before the Change, Danny was a fairly basic man, willfully ignorant, struggling with his family, his job, his life. He was a man who didn't try very hard at anything and as such, was pretty much a failure at everything. With the Hate, he suddenly felt free and powerful, thin...more Danny McCoyne is a Hater. Or at least, that's what he became when the Change hit his world. There were Haters, changed people who could detect Unchanged and, unable to contain their hatred, would brutally kill the Unchanged. Before the Change, Danny was a fairly basic man, willfully ignorant, struggling with his family, his job, his life. He was a man who didn't try very hard at anything and as such, was pretty much a failure at everything. With the Hate, he suddenly felt free and powerful, things he never felt before.

Using any means possible, including nuclear, the fighting escalates to critical mass. Society unravels and the Haters, being more violent in nature and preternaturally strong, have hunted the Unchanged to near extinction. In the center of this, Danny McCoyne undergoes a second change. He learns how to control his Hate in the face of the Unchanged. Using this skill, he finds, and then loses for a second time, all that is left of his family. Having nothing left to hold on to, Danny drifts to the edges of what is left of society.

Danny finds himself living in a town run by a series of increasingly violent and dangerous Haters and being used for various tasks because of his ability to hold his Hate. Danny spends so much time on the periphery, he starts to ponder the nature of us or them. He starts to wonder, now that the Unchanged are effectively gone, where will the Hate redirect itself. He wonders if the human race is doomed to self-destruct and he wonders what his role in that destruction will be.

When Danny discovers he is sick from the radiation exposure, he starts to wonder what meaning his life had at all. A twist of fate provides him with a choice, with an opportunity to regain a stitch of his soul by saving the last population of Unchanged and with them, what is left of humanity.

David Moody creates a compelling character and a frightening future. Danny McCoyne is at first, not at all likable in the unchanged society. As the Hater society rises, he becomes despicable. As the Hater's society falls, he becomes a reluctant hero, not entirely likable, but someone I found myself urging on to make the right choices.

This is a very violent series, so if you are squeemish, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you can handle some blood, it is a compelling view of what can happen when two sides become so polarized they can no longer exist together.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premier splatterpunk series ends not with a growl, but a whimper. Picking up a short time after the brilliantly bloody second book in the series, Dog Blood, it follows the shattered shell that of the main character. The war is coming to a close, the devastation is paramount, and the remain few survivors cling on to the scraps of the former world. The savage intent still remains embedded in the characters, it's just the overtly detailed action from the first two books are almost completely mi...more The premier splatterpunk series ends not with a growl, but a whimper. Picking up a short time after the brilliantly bloody second book in the series, Dog Blood, it follows the shattered shell that of the main character. The war is coming to a close, the devastation is paramount, and the remain few survivors cling on to the scraps of the former world. The savage intent still remains embedded in the characters, it's just the overtly detailed action from the first two books are almost completely missing from this one. There is still the blood-soaked fighting you come to expect, and it is still sudden and fierce, only this time it is giving the same nonchalant treatment that mirrors the characters attitudes about it. In some ways this works, what was savage and unexpected before is now common place in their world. so now the focus is placed firmly on the actions of the main character, who is one of the few that can hold his hate instead of just fighting blindly on site. This is a very good new take on a post-apocalyptic story, what happens in those final moments when the war ends and the new world takes it's place? The beginnings of new armies, shattered villages of survivors that are run by warlords, the struggle to be the strongest in a ruthless world. The main character is a bit of a cast off here, and everyone is constantly reminding him as well, really it was a bit tedious when every single character is constantly telling him that he is different while the main character is just constantly looking to save his own neck. He is no saviour, he is only a broken down, dieing man that is constantly being used by the people around him, much to his frustration - and that of the reader as well. Everyone and everything in the book is completely unlikable, but that is the point, and sometimes it works. The stark honesty about the way the world has become, and the motivations of the characters are the only redeeming qualities in this book. As a stand alone book it is terrible, but as the ending to a truly terrifying piece of apocalyptica it was a satisfying read that provided thought provoking parts and provided a look at the transition into an apocalyptic world.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Josephine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You know, David Moody’s “Them or Us” is sort of how I see the world eventually going to Hell — like, maybe we won’t succumb to some weird glitch in our DNA that suddenly makes us turn on each other, but whether it’s a virus or a war or something else that decimates most of the population, I just get the sense that we’ll be woefully unprepared for it and that we won’t have the foresight to set our priorities straight to survive in the long term.

“Them or Us” is the final installment to Moody’s “Ha...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Scott Lyall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Third and final book in the Hater trilogy, Them Or Us picks ups a few months down the line from the previous book, Dog's Blood. Unable to stem the tide of Haters, the military has launched nuclear strikes on the remaining population centres, near enough exterminating the population that the Haters hadn't got to yet.
Danny McCoyne's in a bad way, he was too close to a nuclear explosion and is slowly sufferring the after effects. Drifting into a Hater settlement in the town of Lowestoft, his wretch...more Third and final book in the Hater trilogy, Them Or Us picks ups a few months down the line from the previous book, Dog's Blood. Unable to stem the tide of Haters, the military has launched nuclear strikes on the remaining population centres, near enough exterminating the population that the Haters hadn't got to yet.
Danny McCoyne's in a bad way, he was too close to a nuclear explosion and is slowly sufferring the after effects. Drifting into a Hater settlement in the town of Lowestoft, his wretched but anonymous existence is soon compromised when the local warlord realises his ability to suppress the urge to kill, which makes him extremely valuable. He's put to work, ferretting out the last hiding places of the Unchanged, and spying on rival Hater settlements but is soon caught up between different factions, when all he wants to do is crawl away and let his illness take its course.
A thoroughly satisfying end to the series, Them Or Us answers various questions that have cropped up during the previous books such as what happens once the Haters run out of people to kill (they turn on each other), what would a Hater society look like (one ruled by the strongest and most psychotic with no place for those who can't or won't fight) and do they have a future (in short, no). It also wisely steers away from giving a pat explanation for the Hate (the condition that turn a section of the population uncontrollably violent).
Them Or Us is unrelentingly bleak, with the remaining population struggling through a nuclear winter, fighting for the scraps left over from the before the war as they slowly weaken from radiation sickness, cancer and malnutrition, coupled with an complete inability to end the senseless violence, with only the redemptive ending offerring a faint glimmer of hope.
If you've enjoyed the previous books, you should love this. If you're not familiar with the series but enjoy post-apocalyse fiction or horror in general, I recommend the whole series, so kick off with Hater. (less)

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Nov 03, 2011 Craig DiLouie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In THEM OR US by David Moody, the final book in the HATER trilogy, the war between the Haters and the Unchanged is almost over. As the Unchanged near extinction after a nuclear exchange, the Haters begin to turn on each other. This review includes some reflections on the complete trilogy, already a classic in the genre, and may include spoilers or hints of spoilers, so read at your risk.

HATER tells the story of an office worker crushed by a mind-numbing civil service job, nagging wife and childr...more In THEM OR US by David Moody, the final book in the HATER trilogy, the war between the Haters and the Unchanged is almost over. As the Unchanged near extinction after a nuclear exchange, the Haters begin to turn on each other. This review includes some reflections on the complete trilogy, already a classic in the genre, and may include spoilers or hints of spoilers, so read at your risk.

HATER tells the story of an office worker crushed by a mind-numbing civil service job, nagging wife and children, judgmental father in law–a life filled with debt and demands and worry. Then people mysteriously go berserk for no apparent reason and begin killing everyone around them. The media dubs these people Haters. Soon, so many fall for the Hate that the government is forced to take drastic action to exterminate the menace.

In HATER, our sympathies are jarred as we enter the mind of a Hater, and begin to root for them as the Unchanged choose a Final Solution–wholesale extermination. After seeing Haters brutally murder people for so long in the book, this switch is done so skillfully, the twist itself so surprising and strangely cathartic for the reader, that Moody has permanently earned himself status as a master of the genre. The final vision is one of civil war, a military firing missiles at itself, a horde of Haters descending on a town and slaughtering the Other in their beds, and, in a strange moment of catharsis, we actually cheer them on. The ending EXPLODES.

Moody’s second book in the trilogy is DOG BLOOD. Sequels are tough, especially for a novel like HATER, which packed so much punch, but he aced it. It’s got all the elements of an exciting apocalyptic horror novel while adding Moody’s trademark ability to make you care about the very real, flesh-and-blood people in his story. While the experience of reading the book would probably be richer if you read HATER first, it’s not necessary, and I would suggest this as an opportunity (to read another great book), not a detractor. The story is incredibly sad as we realize that the Hate has made the concept of family obsolete; the Hater children are all feral monsters, and an Unchanged mother hugs her little girl and tells her she loves her even as her girl kills her. The story ends with a massive bang–a mushroom cloud over a major city, the ultimate symbol of the Hate, and we’re not even sure who dropped it. In the rubble of what was once England, both sides have reached a point where they are willing to kill themselves if only they kill the enemy as well.

I did have a criticism of DOG BLOOD, however. In this book, the story is as personal as HATER, focusing on a Hater father trying to find his Hater daughter among the Unchanged, but my sympathies ended up being torn. The Haters are so brutal and murderous in this book I found them hard to sympathize with; in HATER, Moody masterfully made you sympathize with them nonetheless because the Hate makes them believe they are not the Haters, but everybody else; in other words, the Haters are terrified of the Unchanged, and try to kill them out of self defense–the Hate being based on fear, not real hate. This important element was missing in the second book, and in my view it was a missed opportunity–for the Haters to say THEY are the Unchanged and the true Haters are actually everybody else–for both sides of the human race to believe the other is the Hater, not them.

In THEM OR US, the spectacular finish to the trilogy, Danny McCoyne finds himself at the center of a pivotal confrontation between the urge to hate and the need to try to rebuild. Much of the conflict is internal among the surviving Haters, reviving the reader’s sympathy. The world is dying and the Haters are still fighting, this time each other in a final contest of survival over meager food and water supplies. Danny McCoyne, scarred and tired, is stuck squarely in this contest, and we care about what happens to him.

THEM OR US is classic David Moody, whose nightmarish apocalyptic visions are always dark and violent, but offer a ray of hope. In Moody’s stories, the people we come to care about are often brutalized, and yet the human race itself has a chance to go on. But which side of the human race? That is the essential question in THEM OR US. The Haters may be better equipped to fight, but not necessarily survive. Their obsession with the Hate, and fighting, may disqualify them from the right to continue to the human race.(less)

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May 12, 2012 Holden Attradies rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, horror

I'm assuming this is the end of the series. If so, it was an AMAZING end. Like the previous two books, the last third of the book was incredibly hard to "put down" (stop listening in my case, audio book). I was on the edge of my seat till the very last line of the book, and it was an AMAZING and chilling last line.

Danny McCoin was so different from who he started out as in the first volume, yet in many ways still the same person. In the beginning of book one the only thing that stands out about...more

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May 04, 2012 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, e-books

4.5 Stars
The final book in the Hater trilogy by David Moody did not disappoint. The series which started out with a large scope devolves down to Danny as the only real point of view. By this point of the series, those whom have read these books know what the shape of the world is for Danny. This post-apocalyptic thriller does not let down it its morose and bleak take on humanity.

I am a huge Moody fan and love his writing style, his raw take on the fall of our world, and his ability to make us f...more 4.5 Stars
The final book in the Hater trilogy by David Moody did not disappoint. The series which started out with a large scope devolves down to Danny as the only real point of view. By this point of the series, those whom have read these books know what the shape of the world is for Danny. This post-apocalyptic thriller does not let down it its morose and bleak take on humanity.

I am a huge Moody fan and love his writing style, his raw take on the fall of our world, and his ability to make us feel the overwhelming sense of loss and of hopelessness that our protagonist faces. Danny has grown on me as a lead character. He starts out the series a whiny, pomp-ass, pathetic, and truly unhappy man, who is simply going through the motions of life with no real goal in mind, and no sense of purpose. Three books later and Danny has had his personality chipped away to its raw center. At his core it turns out that Danny is a survivor. He is also a person of great resourcefulness, mostly of the mind, but at times he can achieve physical greatness as well. Danny never is able to accept anything good about himself; he simply views his continuing breath on luck, on circumstance, and on being in the right place at the right time. Moody made me want to see if there was any hope left at all for our world and for our hero.

This book is simply the continuation of the first two books. Like book two, the plot has been whittled down to the survival of Danny, and in some aspects the fate of the world. This novel is a good conclusion to the series. I enjoyed the following passage:

"“The first person I killed,” I tell all of them, shouting to make myself heard over their nervous voices and the sound of the wind battering this exposed shack, “was my father-in-law. And do you know why I did it? You want to know what made me kill Harry and the hundreds of other people I went on to kill after him? I killed them all because I thought that if I didn’t, they’d kill me. Do you understand that? People like me killed people like you because we thought we had to do it before you killed us. Does that make any sense? It doesn’t to me. Almost a year further on and I still don’t understand why. But does it sound familiar? It should, because you’re saying exactly the same thing now. Kill him before he kills us. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can put an end to it today.”"

The Hater series is Moody’s unique take on the familiar post-apocalyptic thriller that are so common today. It is not a zombie series, and that is alright by me as this series has a real feel to it, and one that is very easy for me to wrap my head around. Moody is an author that all fans of this genre should read. The Hater series and The Autumn series are fantastic…
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Apr 03, 2013 Paulina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

¡Mejor que el segundo! Lo que me cansó del libro fue la poca diferenciación entre personajes. Cualquier línea podría ser dicha por cualquier personaje de libro porque todos se expresan igual, lo único que cambia son sus opiniones. Incluso las personalidades son parecidas entre ellos.

El autor también tiene la tendencia a exponer sus propios valores e ideas valiéndose de la boca de sus personajes, lo que está ok si está bien hecho, pero muchas veces se siente como si estuviera en un foro despotri...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Big Book Little Book rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Karen for www.bigbooklittlebook.com

For me, ‘Them or Us’, the third and final instalment in the ‘Hater’ series was the best book by far in the trilogy.

For those of you that have not read the previous two books, the premise is simple. In ‘Haters’, the world has suddenly split into two groups of people. The ‘Unchanged’ are the majority of the population who have, unsurprisingly, not experienced any changes. Then there are the ‘Haters’. There is no way of working out who may turn into a ‘Hater’. Jus...more Karen for www.bigbooklittlebook.com

For me, ‘Them or Us’, the third and final instalment in the ‘Hater’ series was the best book by far in the trilogy.

For those of you that have not read the previous two books, the premise is simple. In ‘Haters’, the world has suddenly split into two groups of people. The ‘Unchanged’ are the majority of the population who have, unsurprisingly, not experienced any changes. Then there are the ‘Haters’. There is no way of working out who may turn into a ‘Hater’. Just imagine one moment you’re plodding along as content as can be, the next moment you have this uncontrollable urge to kill the person walking past you in the street. Inexplicably, you just know who is a fellow ‘Hater’ and who is the ‘Unchanged’ that must be eradicated.

Moody is the master of slow building tension. In the first book, as you witness the worlds population slowly start to fall apart it is almost painful to read, as Moody focuses on the mundaneness of the lead character’s life interspersed with shocking scenes of violence and the tension just increases throughout until you get to the shocking finale which is truly, ‘jaw drop’ worthy.

The second book, ‘Dog Blood’ details the build up and inevitable conclusion between the ‘Haters’ and the ‘Unchanged’, whilst the two groups are fairly evenly matched, the ‘Unchanged’ by their larger population, the Haters due to their unflinching ferocity towards the ‘Unchanged’. Due to the stepping stones Moody put in place in book one in terms of character building, the events that unfold in book two are all the more heart wrenching and your jaw is now touching the floor as you race through the closing chapters.

In this book, Great Britain has now been ravaged by numerous nuclear attacks by both the ‘Unchanged’ and the ‘Haters’ leaving the majority of the kingdom uninhabitable and in the midst of an unforgiving nuclear winter. The ‘Unchanged’ are now far and few between, slowly being hunted to extinction. The ‘Haters’ primary function which was killing the ‘Unchanged’ is pretty much redundant. They are left trying to adjust to a harsh environment where food and provisions are limited and only those that are useful in some way stand the slightest chance of getting provision and security whilst infighting and abuse between the Haters is rife.

Our protagonist Danny McCoyne, a man who has certainly been no hero for either side is physically and emotionally spent and just wants to be left alone. He continues to reign in the ‘Hate’ a rare skill that enables him to be within close contact of the Unchanged whilst suppressing the urge to kill. This makes him noticed by ‘Hinchcliffe’ a bully of a man that rules the large Hater community Danny resides with and uses him to flush out the remaining ‘Unchanged’.

As his future existence and that of his peers looks bleaker and bleaker under Hinchcliffe’s brutal regime, Danny is forced to choose a side when conflicts between the ‘Haters’ themselves and of course the remaining few ‘Unchanged’ come to a climax. This results with his decisions and actions being the main turning point to end at least this trilogy’s final chapter.

Guillermo del Toro has acquired the rights to make this series into a movie and it will be very interesting to see how the story is reflected on screen.

Verdict: This series will stay with me for a long time. It’s morbid, shocking and an absolutely fascinating and thought provoking read.
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Mar 05, 2012 Nikolas Robinson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A perfect conclusion to the trilogy.
I found Hater to be cathartic in a sense that is perhaps not indicative of a state of mind that could be considered well-balanced, and upon finishing that first volume in the series I was desperate to read more.
It was with sadness that I completed Dog Blood because it felt like a middle volume; no firm beginning and no suitable conclusion. Both of which were to be expected, and I felt an increase in my sense of need to read more.
Them Or Us did not disappoint....more

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May 31, 2012 Kristal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Danny McCoyne was just an average guy when the war broke out. And I enjoyed that aspect of him. He wasn't some super hero with otherworldly skills. Prior to the war, Danny tried to do the least amount possible at his job to get by. I wouldn't even call him your average every-day guy because Danny was close to the bottom of the human chain. But then the war came and all the rules and stereotypes went out the door. The war between the Haters and the Unchanged has devastated the world. But what mad...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Bandit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is exactly what good postapocalyptic fiction should be like. Actually, this is what a book should be like in general. It should make you think, feel and not be able to put it down. In this powerhouse of a conclusion to Hater trilogy, Moody shows us a horrifying new world and the staggering ramifications of hate. What makes these books unique is the combination of great storytelling, incredible action, phenomenal pacing and at the same time very interesting, almost philosophical, observation...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 14, 2012 Clait rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kind of awful. This third volume of the Hater trilogy is so miserable, so hopeless, and so thoroughly depressing that it seems like it just must be leading up to some kind of profound ending. Nothing could be further from the truth. Danny is back in full whining and worrying mode making this novel an exercise in frustration. Even when he finally makes a good decision, it takes him so long to get there, agonizing and whining endlessly, that you just don't care any more. I kept wanting Danny to be...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Felts rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read and really liking the first two books in this series (Hater, Dog Blood) I was going into this third installment with high hopes of being blown away with a super, fantastic, apocalyptic battle to end all battles between Unchanged and Haters. Unfortunately, that took place at the end of Dog Blood and I must have forgotten about it. Them or Us is the tale of what happens to the very few of both breeds of human survivors and their struggles to make sense of the world that is left for the...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Fiona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Its been a very interesting reading journey. I found the first one uncomfortable with the cruel violence but was never bored. The second one I found interesting in a whole new way and the third again was quite different,liking it the best. It was strange reading a book with the main character not a good person. I love a good zombie/end of the world book and following a hero type character and these books were very different in that way for me, and I could never like Danny, no matter what but a g...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Ann-Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: infected

For me, this trilogy couldn't have had a better ending. The reason why I am rating 4 stars and not 5 is because I thought it was a bit long in some places, especially the interaction between Hinchcliffe and Danny.
What I like about Moodys style, is that he doesn't drag out the gory parts and milk it for what it's worth. The scenes are just long enough to creep you out but at the same time not exeggerated which for me makes it more realistic. Like the scene with (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this entire series. I disagree with some reviewers who found the violence senseless. It was done to illustrate a point about what mankind is capable of doing to each other over our perceived differences. I found this series not so much related to the zombie or horror genre as it is usually classified. It reminded me much more of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, albeit not nearly as beautifully written. Much of the time is spent building up a sense of dread and hopelessness, but the e...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Alexis Winning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually finished this one about a week ago, and I've been trying to absorb my thoughts since then.

The Hater series is freaking terrifying. When you sit down and really think about the content, it is both honest to human nature and absolutely scary. At least with zombies you know where the boundaries are. You can tell if someone is undead, but you can't necessarily tell who the Haters are. That gray area is what makes the series great.

For me, the Hater series reflects the essence of human na...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I REALLY like David Moody's writing!! The characters are all accessible and don't feel flat or at all one dimensional. Them or Us is the last in the Hater trilogy. I must say that I will miss Danny McCoyne, who right from Hater, I found to be a sympathetic anti-hero. If you haven't read Hater, I really think you should!
I read a lot and I can tell you I DID NOT see that ending coming!

Hater- Dog Blood- Them or Us

I enjoyed Mr. Moody's Autumn series as well.

I hope that he keeps them coming!!

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Feb 22, 2012 Anthony Fitzgerald rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I definitely have mixed feelings on this final chapter of the Hater Trilogy. I felt that it started off slow and repetitive: infiltrate an Unchanged camp, kill them, rinse, repeat. However, as the novel progressed, it became increasingly clear that this was about the evolution of Danny into something not quite Unchanged, but not quite Hater either, which serves to bolster the title "Them or Us". Exactly who are "they" and who are "we"? I appreciated this development, but maybe would've liked to...more I definitely have mixed feelings on this final chapter of the Hater Trilogy. I felt that it started off slow and repetitive: infiltrate an Unchanged camp, kill them, rinse, repeat. However, as the novel progressed, it became increasingly clear that this was about the evolution of Danny into something not quite Unchanged, but not quite Hater either, which serves to bolster the title "Them or Us". Exactly who are "they" and who are "we"? I appreciated this development, but maybe would've liked to see hints of it earlier on in the story. Maybe he could've let one group go, before taking out another? I suppose his constant state of fear driven by the insane "leadership" is a driving factor in not letting that happen, but still.

I was pretty frustrated leading up the reveal of the unchanged in the bunker led by Peter Sutton. With the amount of hype Peter delivers regarding how it will change *everything*, you can imagine finding yet ANOTHER Unchanged camp was a serious let down. After I figured out that's where it was heading, I had guessed it was a huge camp with hundreds of unchanged. Nope! Twenty or so. Ugh. It was a nice touch though to have the unchanged thinking Peter and Danny could fake the hate, rather than vice versa. When all hell breaks loose during the climactic battle at the end, I felt like this camp was severely underdeveloped and would've liked to have seen more out of them when it came to fighting for survival. Which leads me to the title again: Them or Us. There's a lot of them and a lot of us. Haters vs Unchanged? Haters vs Haters? Haters vs sorta-haters vs unchanged? AH! So many options...

The arrival of Ankin's army also left me with mixed feelings. I'm not sure it really went anywhere except as a catalyst for the final battle, which is too bad because there was a lot of set up for a possible civil war within the town before they even arrive, rendering that story line useless. After everything goes down, they just kind of fade away.

This brings us to Hinchcliffe. He basically took on every horror movie villain cliche out there for the final battle. Which is fine, but totally predictable. OF COURSE he wasn't dead after the car crash. OF COURSE he wasn't dead after they all thought he was on the dock.

Overall I think this was a good read. There's just a feeling of missed potential throughout. That said, it didn't stop me from blazing through each chapter late into the night!(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Shea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Right. So...this is David Moody's attempt at a dystopian reality after "the Hate" arrives and the world as we know it essentially ends. To be quite honest, I don't even remember the tone of the first book anymore because it has changed so much by the time this installment came around. While the first book in the trilogy was very action-packed, very quick, and incredibly intense, this installment is a far more mellow, slowly evolving plot line with very little similarity to the first novel. That...more Right. So...this is David Moody's attempt at a dystopian reality after "the Hate" arrives and the world as we know it essentially ends. To be quite honest, I don't even remember the tone of the first book anymore because it has changed so much by the time this installment came around. While the first book in the trilogy was very action-packed, very quick, and incredibly intense, this installment is a far more mellow, slowly evolving plot line with very little similarity to the first novel. That wouldn't bother me so much except...(hint: keep reading).

I don't really mind the pace of this book. I didn't find it overtly repetitive because there were a lot of subtle changes with how Danny reacted (and rationalized) his actions with the never ending pressure coming from Hinchcliffe and his goons. However, the ending just about killed me. How exactly do you expect me to take you seriously when for 350+ pages you've been setting a very pessimistic, even universal dystopian view of the world and all of the sudden, BAM!! Danny McCoyne is now an idealist who suddenly believes the Unchanged shouldn't kill Hinchcliffe because, well, it's wrong yo. Not to mention it flies in the face of just about any and all practical or realistic assessments of the situation (e.g. there's a murderous psychopathic Hater outside that will kill every last Unchanged if they don't get him first). Give. Me. A. Break. The only silver lining here was when the Unchanged tried to kill Danny on the dock. Their pessimism about the Haters was, at the very least, consistent with the story.

And then? Story ends. Danny presumably dies a peaceful death on a boat somewhere with the remaining Unchanged. How exactly did he survive the grenade blast? We shall never know.

So in all, I liked the book until the last 20-30 pages. Then I sat there turning the pages thinking "really? Really?!"

P.S. What's up with Ankin's place in this story? He just sort of shows up after playing such an illusory role in the previous book and 20 pages later, all hell breaks lose. To be frank, ANYONE could have shown up and challenged Hinchcliffe's authority with the exact same effect. When a major character can be replaced by anyone and achieve the same effect? Not good.(less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really did enjoy this trilogy. A very easy read. Not sure about the ending. I liked the end, but wanted more. I'm always looking for a happy ending I guess. I knew one wasn't in the cars for this book. My daughter started reading the first book. After she got hooked on The Walking Dead she is into anything zombie-like. I do recommend this trilogy. Part of my three star rating was the length of time those of us who read Hater's had to wait for Dog Blood and Them or Us. I suppose it's not fair...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Joseph Barnes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the 3rd book of the Hater Series. David Moody ended the series perfectly! This series said allot about our society. The "Haters" have won the great war. There are very few of the "Unchanged" left alive. With no one to hate, the "Haters" are turning on one another. They have divided into classes "Fighters" and "Switchbacks". A warrior society can not survive and mankind is on the verge of extinction as humankind is de-evolving to a more primitive state.
Great series.

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Aug 17, 2012 Sonatajessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: no-future, read-in-2012

Hmmm, I liked it a bit less than its both predecessors but at the same time think that it is the most appropriate conclusion to the events. I found it less gripping, it is not a scream but a tortured moan in the gray and bleak atmosphere. On the good side, this reads a lot like the final chapter in a series, this is how it has to come to an end.
McCoyne is -absolutely fitting- broken, the world is ultimately dying, the established lines are blurring and losing meaning. I thought the twist that ma...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Jen Walker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A disappointing end to the trilogy. Once again there was nothing to give you any brief summary of the other 2 books. So if you haven't read the first or if it has been a while since book 2 (like me) then you are at a disadvantage which I find quite annoying since it is a quick fix by an author. The story itself started off quite slow and never really got up to speed. There were several different story lines going on none of which I found to be too compelling. As a stand-alone book it was ok, but...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Ending Passage	3	8	Aug 25, 2012 05:49pm
The Zombie Group!: Them or Us <apocalyptic Thriller> I need your help!	3	32	Nov 22, 2011 02:40pm
Future Survivors,...: Them Or Us <Apocalyptic Thriller> I need your help!	5	44	Nov 11, 2011 01:37pm
Zombies!: Them or Us <Apocalyptic Thriller> I need your help!	1	18	Nov 10, 2011 06:36am
Apocalypse Whenever: Them or Us Campaign	1	13	Nov 10, 2011 06:33am

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About David Moody

David Moody was born in 1970 and grew up in Birmingham on a diet of trashy horror and pulp science fiction books and movies. He worked as a bank manager and as operations manager for a number of financial institutions before giving up the day job to write about the end of the world for a living. He has written a number of horror novels, including AUTUMN, which has been downloaded more than half a...more

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Them or Us (Hater #3)

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