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A Light Most Hateful
When a summer storm sweeps through a sleepy town unleashing a monstrous and otherworldy power that threatens to break reality, Olivia will stop at nothing to find her best friend and get them to safety.
Mona Awad’s Bunny meets Stranger Things in this mind-bending and terrifying examination of female friendship and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love, from the Bram Stoker award winning author of Queen of Teeth.
Three years after running away from home, Olivia is stuck with a dead-end job in nowhere town Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. At least she has her best friend, Sunflower.
Olivia figures she’ll die in Chapel Hill, if not from boredom, then the summer night storm which crashes into town with a mind-bending monster in tow.
If Olivia’s going to escape Chapel Hill and someday reconcile with her parents, she’ll need to dodge residents enslaved by the storm’s otherworldly powers and find Sunflower.
But as the night strains friendships and reality itself, Olivia suspects the storm, and its monster, may have its eyes on Sunflower and everything she loves.
Including Olivia.
Mona Awad’s Bunny meets Stranger Things in this mind-bending and terrifying examination of female friendship and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love, from the Bram Stoker award winning author of Queen of Teeth.
Three years after running away from home, Olivia is stuck with a dead-end job in nowhere town Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. At least she has her best friend, Sunflower.
Olivia figures she’ll die in Chapel Hill, if not from boredom, then the summer night storm which crashes into town with a mind-bending monster in tow.
If Olivia’s going to escape Chapel Hill and someday reconcile with her parents, she’ll need to dodge residents enslaved by the storm’s otherworldly powers and find Sunflower.
But as the night strains friendships and reality itself, Olivia suspects the storm, and its monster, may have its eyes on Sunflower and everything she loves.
Including Olivia.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2023
130 people are currently reading
4892 people want to read
About the author
Hailey Piper
106 books1,004 followersHailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, A Game in Yellow, A Light Most Hateful, The Worm and His Kings, No Gods for Drowning, Cranberry Cove, and other books of dark fiction.
She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications, and of articles appearing in Writer's Digest, Tor Nightfire, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Find her at www.haileypiper.com.
She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications, and of articles appearing in Writer's Digest, Tor Nightfire, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Find her at www.haileypiper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
September 29, 2023
WOW❗️❗️
A Light Most Hateful Follows Olivia, who ran away years ago and works at a drive in theatre in the nowhere town of Chapel Hill. The mundanity of her life suddenly changes one night after an encounter with a strange person, a nightmarish monster attacks, and the town turns into rage-full zombies.
This was insane. I can safely say I have never read anything like this before. Just the descriptions themselves were completely incomparable. The closest comp is definitely Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnam, but it’s really only comparable because of how unhinged things get and how unique the imagery is.
I won’t spoil it, but I just cannot believe what I just read?! 😂 like, how does one conjure something like this? I had to reread some things multiple times because I was like, “how the hell do I picture this in my head? What is happening? HOW is this happening?!”
You need to go into this expecting that it will probably be one of the weirdest things you’ve read. It’s very solidly weird horror, that leans pretty heavily into the fantastical with a dash of sci-fi. It’s also got 🚨ALOT🚨 of unique body horror!! That’s where a lot of the crazy descriptions come from.
It’s also very sad, and features alot of dysfunctional, messy relationships, queer longing, finding your place in the world, and recovering from trauma. There’s some sweet moments, with a dash of humor every now and then, but mostly it was deeply emotional and very nuanced.
I loved it so much. Definitely a new favorite. Hailey is just on a whole other level.
Out 10/10/23, definitely preorder it/put it on your priority TBR!!
A Light Most Hateful Follows Olivia, who ran away years ago and works at a drive in theatre in the nowhere town of Chapel Hill. The mundanity of her life suddenly changes one night after an encounter with a strange person, a nightmarish monster attacks, and the town turns into rage-full zombies.
This was insane. I can safely say I have never read anything like this before. Just the descriptions themselves were completely incomparable. The closest comp is definitely Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnam, but it’s really only comparable because of how unhinged things get and how unique the imagery is.
I won’t spoil it, but I just cannot believe what I just read?! 😂 like, how does one conjure something like this? I had to reread some things multiple times because I was like, “how the hell do I picture this in my head? What is happening? HOW is this happening?!”
You need to go into this expecting that it will probably be one of the weirdest things you’ve read. It’s very solidly weird horror, that leans pretty heavily into the fantastical with a dash of sci-fi. It’s also got 🚨ALOT🚨 of unique body horror!! That’s where a lot of the crazy descriptions come from.
It’s also very sad, and features alot of dysfunctional, messy relationships, queer longing, finding your place in the world, and recovering from trauma. There’s some sweet moments, with a dash of humor every now and then, but mostly it was deeply emotional and very nuanced.
I loved it so much. Definitely a new favorite. Hailey is just on a whole other level.
Out 10/10/23, definitely preorder it/put it on your priority TBR!!
September 22, 2023
4.0 Stars
This book is pitched as a queer Stranger Things, which turned out to be a perfect comparison.
This is a solid coming of age story with a female queer twist. The story hit all the right beats and was overall an enjoyable read. I don't think it was exceptionally unique but I didn't need to it be.
I would recommend this to horror readers looking for a new coming of age narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is pitched as a queer Stranger Things, which turned out to be a perfect comparison.
This is a solid coming of age story with a female queer twist. The story hit all the right beats and was overall an enjoyable read. I don't think it was exceptionally unique but I didn't need to it be.
I would recommend this to horror readers looking for a new coming of age narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 14, 2025
Could not wait for this book to end. Was too far in before I wished I’d DNFd it. Interesting premise but execution was too tedious.
September 29, 2023
I enjoyed this less than I expected to. It’s certainly propulsive (in the first half especially) but I found the characters and events failed to really pull me in.
December 20, 2023
There wasn't a single thing about this book that I enjoyed. It felt like the author was trying to write this grand, important story chock full of morals and lessons so that the reader is fundamentally changed by it, but I found everything to fall horribly flat.
I had such a hard time following what was going on - with the writing style and complete plot change half way through the book not helping at all (that's right - about half way through the book the plot goes completely off the rails). Every character was a two dimensional cliche, and I found nothing to be particularly engaging or memorable.
There were many times I thought about DNFing and, in retrospect, I should've. I'm sure there are people who would like this book, but I'm not one of them.
I had such a hard time following what was going on - with the writing style and complete plot change half way through the book not helping at all (that's right - about half way through the book the plot goes completely off the rails). Every character was a two dimensional cliche, and I found nothing to be particularly engaging or memorable.
There were many times I thought about DNFing and, in retrospect, I should've. I'm sure there are people who would like this book, but I'm not one of them.
June 22, 2024
This one was just okay for me. 2.5 🌟
August 14, 2023
A LIGHT MOST HATEFUL is filled with mesmerizing language that breathes cosmic chaos, abandonment, loneliness, and desperation. Piper explores the fear of betrayal by those closest to us and of the meaning of friendship and loyalty in the face of disparity. This is a book where the landscapes are upturned and roaming, where memories come to life as nightmares, and beckons us with the question, what if you can control the act of creation and uncreation? Piper has fabricated a darkly glorious woven reality where everything might exist and unexist simultaneously.
A big thank you to the editor and publisher for an ARC!
A big thank you to the editor and publisher for an ARC!
November 6, 2023
This is the first book I have read from Hailey Piper and I can honestly say it was unlike any I have ever read before. I just thought it was an okay book.
October 27, 2023
2.5
A Light Most Hateful is a very imaginative horror story set in a small town called Chapel Hill. The story follows Olivia, who ran away from her home years ago and her best friend (who she might be in love with), Sunflower. As Olivia is working at the drive-in theatre, the city is hit by an intense, terrifying storm and also a monster. Olivia now needs to save herself and try to escape the town, all while finding Sunflower. The story poses an unexpectedly scary question of how far is too far when it comes to protecting the ones you love?
I will say this is one of the most creative, imaginative stories I've read in a while. The first half of this book had me absolutely hooked, I could not look away. The premise, the atmosphere, the monsters? Everything was absolutely stellar! The book was promising so much in terms of the plot, so much mystery, so much scariness, if you will. However, unfortunately, as the book progresses, it sort of fizzles out. I didn't find myself interested, I had guessed all of the reveals in advance, and the characters were not holding my attention on them.
However, the things that are done well, are done very well. As I said, I've really enjoyed the first half of the book, and that is probably why I was disappointed later on. The beginning really builds up in a way that is new and interesting and absolutely terrifying. With Olivia going about her regular daily life, just everything being mundane, to the sharp switch to the monster and the storm? Masterfully done, honestly. It was just the perfect level of gross body horror, scary and interesting in equal measures. And the snippets that show us what actually is underfoot really build the atmosphere and keep the reader glued to the book.
However, in the second half of the book I found myself less impressed with the storyline, as it became slightly predictable to me. Of course, that is not a bad thing necessarily, but I felt like that was the right time to built up the characters a bit more, and I felt like the novel barely scratched the surface with them. Sunflower is probably the most fleshed out character, even if she is not the one we actually follow, as the entire book deals with her motivations and her grief in a way. Olivia and Christmas (who accompanies Olivia for the most of the book) form a relationship that seemed very undeveloped to me, and that probably stems from the fact that the whole story is actually set over the course of just one night.
I feel like I am definitely in the minority with this one, and I am glad, as I feel like this story has so much potential! I just ended up feeling like the scariness and excitement died down and began dragging around the halfway point of the novel. I would still recommend you checking it out if it seems interested, I think this just didn't work for me personally :))
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
A Light Most Hateful is a very imaginative horror story set in a small town called Chapel Hill. The story follows Olivia, who ran away from her home years ago and her best friend (who she might be in love with), Sunflower. As Olivia is working at the drive-in theatre, the city is hit by an intense, terrifying storm and also a monster. Olivia now needs to save herself and try to escape the town, all while finding Sunflower. The story poses an unexpectedly scary question of how far is too far when it comes to protecting the ones you love?
I will say this is one of the most creative, imaginative stories I've read in a while. The first half of this book had me absolutely hooked, I could not look away. The premise, the atmosphere, the monsters? Everything was absolutely stellar! The book was promising so much in terms of the plot, so much mystery, so much scariness, if you will. However, unfortunately, as the book progresses, it sort of fizzles out. I didn't find myself interested, I had guessed all of the reveals in advance, and the characters were not holding my attention on them.
However, the things that are done well, are done very well. As I said, I've really enjoyed the first half of the book, and that is probably why I was disappointed later on. The beginning really builds up in a way that is new and interesting and absolutely terrifying. With Olivia going about her regular daily life, just everything being mundane, to the sharp switch to the monster and the storm? Masterfully done, honestly. It was just the perfect level of gross body horror, scary and interesting in equal measures. And the snippets that show us what actually is underfoot really build the atmosphere and keep the reader glued to the book.
However, in the second half of the book I found myself less impressed with the storyline, as it became slightly predictable to me. Of course, that is not a bad thing necessarily, but I felt like that was the right time to built up the characters a bit more, and I felt like the novel barely scratched the surface with them. Sunflower is probably the most fleshed out character, even if she is not the one we actually follow, as the entire book deals with her motivations and her grief in a way. Olivia and Christmas (who accompanies Olivia for the most of the book) form a relationship that seemed very undeveloped to me, and that probably stems from the fact that the whole story is actually set over the course of just one night.
I feel like I am definitely in the minority with this one, and I am glad, as I feel like this story has so much potential! I just ended up feeling like the scariness and excitement died down and began dragging around the halfway point of the novel. I would still recommend you checking it out if it seems interested, I think this just didn't work for me personally :))
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
did-not-finish
September 5, 2023I read a bit of this because we received an ARC at work. I did enjoy Piper’s other book, “Queen of Teeth,” but couldn’t get into this one, unfortunately. The language was too flowery and I found it difficult to follow, so I’m returning it to the pile for someone else to try.
September 29, 2023
Star review in the October 2023 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: thought provoking, weird, small town horror
Draft Review: Prolific, award-winning author Piper returns with a thought provoking, Weird, and utterly original small town horror that is a must buy for all libraries. Olivia, 18, lives in Chapel Hill, PA, the small town she settled in 3 years ago, after running away from home when her father caught her kissing a girl. Even though the town is not fond of outsiders, she has found her place living in best friend Sunflower’s orbit*. As the novel opens, a fierce storm brings torrential rain and what sounds like human screams from the hills. Olivia is working at the Drive-In as an angry monster emerges from the ground and most of the townsfolk enter a zombie-like trance. Olivia runs for her life, looking for Sunflower, trying to save them both, but what exactly is she running away from, and where is she running to? Olivia is about to have the longest night of her life; one that will change her world forever. If Neil Gaiman, Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson could birth a book baby, this stunning novel would be the outcome.
Verdict: Piper, along with Victor LaValle, Rachel Eve Moulton, and Chuck Tingle, is part of a new generation of Horror authors that purposefully center love even as they are actively terrifying readers to their core.
If the ghosts of Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson's brains could birth a book baby, this book would be it. I need to write the full review that does not give away the twist at the center of this story, and even this statement is pushing it, but I need to make sure the right people find this amazing story.
Three Words That Describe This Book: thought provoking, weird, small town horror
Draft Review: Prolific, award-winning author Piper returns with a thought provoking, Weird, and utterly original small town horror that is a must buy for all libraries. Olivia, 18, lives in Chapel Hill, PA, the small town she settled in 3 years ago, after running away from home when her father caught her kissing a girl. Even though the town is not fond of outsiders, she has found her place living in best friend Sunflower’s orbit*. As the novel opens, a fierce storm brings torrential rain and what sounds like human screams from the hills. Olivia is working at the Drive-In as an angry monster emerges from the ground and most of the townsfolk enter a zombie-like trance. Olivia runs for her life, looking for Sunflower, trying to save them both, but what exactly is she running away from, and where is she running to? Olivia is about to have the longest night of her life; one that will change her world forever. If Neil Gaiman, Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson could birth a book baby, this stunning novel would be the outcome.
Verdict: Piper, along with Victor LaValle, Rachel Eve Moulton, and Chuck Tingle, is part of a new generation of Horror authors that purposefully center love even as they are actively terrifying readers to their core.
If the ghosts of Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson's brains could birth a book baby, this book would be it. I need to write the full review that does not give away the twist at the center of this story, and even this statement is pushing it, but I need to make sure the right people find this amazing story.
August 18, 2025
3.5/5, rounded up
I very rarely get into a book later in the game - usually, if my interest is lost in the beginning, it tends to be lost forever. Somehow, this managed to intrigue me way more starting with the midway point, culminating somewhere around 70-75% because it hit at something that's super interesting to me, but which I can't talk about without spoilers.
I think the issue I had with staying engaged for the first part was just Olivia as a main character - she didn't feel all that interesting to me. Luckily, we had Christmas around and they are such a great mysterious & cool queer character, that I needed to keep reading to spend more time with them.
I really liked the whole juxtaposition of 'light' and 'hateful' and how, in the book, the light is fucking scary, that felt fresh to me and overall I found this to be a pretty creative horror book with queer elements, pretty good reveals and a pretty satisfying pay-off. Will definitely go for more Hailey Piper books in the future - already feeling intrigued by A Game in Yellow. Might try to eyeball the next one, though. And I don't want to slight the narrator (the same one as We Used to Live Here), because I think she was good, but something about it just didn't work for me that great!
I very rarely get into a book later in the game - usually, if my interest is lost in the beginning, it tends to be lost forever. Somehow, this managed to intrigue me way more starting with the midway point, culminating somewhere around 70-75% because it hit at something that's super interesting to me, but which I can't talk about without spoilers.
I think the issue I had with staying engaged for the first part was just Olivia as a main character - she didn't feel all that interesting to me. Luckily, we had Christmas around and they are such a great mysterious & cool queer character, that I needed to keep reading to spend more time with them.
I really liked the whole juxtaposition of 'light' and 'hateful' and how, in the book, the light is fucking scary, that felt fresh to me and overall I found this to be a pretty creative horror book with queer elements, pretty good reveals and a pretty satisfying pay-off. Will definitely go for more Hailey Piper books in the future - already feeling intrigued by A Game in Yellow. Might try to eyeball the next one, though. And I don't want to slight the narrator (the same one as We Used to Live Here), because I think she was good, but something about it just didn't work for me that great!
October 13, 2023
I don’t think that there are enough superlatives to describe Hailey Piper’s works. I think I have seen them all; mesmerising, original, astounding to name but a few! And I have to say that they all fit.
I was first introduced to Hailey Piper when I read The Worm and His Kings. Since then, I have acquired and read more books by her, resulting in her becoming one of those ‘must read authors’.
A Light Most Hateful takes place in the town (I think it’s a town) of Chapel Hill and follows Olivia as she is plunged into the worst night of her life.
Whilst she is working on the concessions stand of the Drive-in movie theatre, she is waiting for her best friend (and secret crush) Sunflower. Not long after she turns up things start to get a bit weird. She meets someone called Christmas who tells her that they want to eat her heart, followed by a strange storm, and then saves a vagrant called Lizzie from the small town minds of local youths who think it is good fun to throw cans at the poor woman. However, they get more than they bargained for when Lizzie turns into a monster and then eats their friend.
After the initial panic, Olivia finds herself in a world in which everything has turned into a nightmare The inhabitants of Chapel Hill have turned into mindless automatons, who when touched turn into mindless killing machines. There’s a monster that is chasing her, and she has to save her best friend, Sunflower.
The story takes the reader into familiar themes of a town that has seemingly being taken over by an outside force and pits the lead character into a fight for survival, whilst avoiding the things that are trying to kill them. However, the book then metamorphoses into something that is totally unexpected and out of this world.
One of Hailey Piper’s skills is that she will introduce the twist in the story at unexpected points and thus catapults things off into a different trajectory to the one that was originally started, ultimately shedding its skin to be something else entirely.
Likened at times to Stranger Things, this book reminded me of so much more. There are times when the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers came to mind, or The Colour Out of Space. And at other times it strongly brought essences of The Twilight Zone to mind, particularly It’s a Good Life based on the story by Jerome Bixby.
A Light Most Hateful is a nightmarish tale of love, loss and accepting who you are. It is terrifying and it is mesmerising, and as my friends over at Gingernuts of Horror quite rightly says, it puts Hailey Piper as the Queen of Cosmic Horror.
I was first introduced to Hailey Piper when I read The Worm and His Kings. Since then, I have acquired and read more books by her, resulting in her becoming one of those ‘must read authors’.
A Light Most Hateful takes place in the town (I think it’s a town) of Chapel Hill and follows Olivia as she is plunged into the worst night of her life.
Whilst she is working on the concessions stand of the Drive-in movie theatre, she is waiting for her best friend (and secret crush) Sunflower. Not long after she turns up things start to get a bit weird. She meets someone called Christmas who tells her that they want to eat her heart, followed by a strange storm, and then saves a vagrant called Lizzie from the small town minds of local youths who think it is good fun to throw cans at the poor woman. However, they get more than they bargained for when Lizzie turns into a monster and then eats their friend.
After the initial panic, Olivia finds herself in a world in which everything has turned into a nightmare The inhabitants of Chapel Hill have turned into mindless automatons, who when touched turn into mindless killing machines. There’s a monster that is chasing her, and she has to save her best friend, Sunflower.
The story takes the reader into familiar themes of a town that has seemingly being taken over by an outside force and pits the lead character into a fight for survival, whilst avoiding the things that are trying to kill them. However, the book then metamorphoses into something that is totally unexpected and out of this world.
One of Hailey Piper’s skills is that she will introduce the twist in the story at unexpected points and thus catapults things off into a different trajectory to the one that was originally started, ultimately shedding its skin to be something else entirely.
Likened at times to Stranger Things, this book reminded me of so much more. There are times when the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers came to mind, or The Colour Out of Space. And at other times it strongly brought essences of The Twilight Zone to mind, particularly It’s a Good Life based on the story by Jerome Bixby.
A Light Most Hateful is a nightmarish tale of love, loss and accepting who you are. It is terrifying and it is mesmerising, and as my friends over at Gingernuts of Horror quite rightly says, it puts Hailey Piper as the Queen of Cosmic Horror.
October 10, 2023
This was a wild ride! This book is like a queer Stranger Things, which was a great read.
I've always loved Hailey Piper's writing, and once again, their latest release didn't fail. This was beautifully written, covering the supernatural and dysfunctional mind with a strong female MC and coming of age narrative!
Hailey is a master at supernatural writing, mixing the horrors with sci-fi elements 👏
I was given this ARC by Titan for an honest review.
I've always loved Hailey Piper's writing, and once again, their latest release didn't fail. This was beautifully written, covering the supernatural and dysfunctional mind with a strong female MC and coming of age narrative!
Hailey is a master at supernatural writing, mixing the horrors with sci-fi elements 👏
I was given this ARC by Titan for an honest review.
March 10, 2024
This was for sure a weird book. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It takes place in one single night and it’s the wildest night ever. You don’t know what’s going on through about middle way through the book. I applaud everyone who guessed the twists cause I wasn’t clocked into it and I usually am. Near the end I was skimming it because it is a bit bloated. A lot of it was over explaining.
I really liked Christmas but did I miss where they explained what they were? What was their point? I know a lot of people didn’t like the language and the overuse of metaphors and while it got a bit annoying, I liked the story overall. I was getting so confused by Sunflower’s name because Olivia started calling them Sunshine and I thought I had been reading their name wrong the whole time but it was a nickname. Why was their nickname almost exactly the same as their name?
The body horror was cool, especially in the beginning when Lizzie eats that guy whole. Lizzie’s character in general was cool. I liked the messages of grief, loneliness, and what could happen if you had the world in your hands. I really want to read Queen of Teeth by this author so I’ll probably do that one when I get the chance.
I really liked Christmas but did I miss where they explained what they were? What was their point? I know a lot of people didn’t like the language and the overuse of metaphors and while it got a bit annoying, I liked the story overall. I was getting so confused by Sunflower’s name because Olivia started calling them Sunshine and I thought I had been reading their name wrong the whole time but it was a nickname. Why was their nickname almost exactly the same as their name?
The body horror was cool, especially in the beginning when Lizzie eats that guy whole. Lizzie’s character in general was cool. I liked the messages of grief, loneliness, and what could happen if you had the world in your hands. I really want to read Queen of Teeth by this author so I’ll probably do that one when I get the chance.
August 29, 2023
Okay, I know this book has gotten lots of praise, but… it really didn’t work for me.
SPOILERS
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.
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How many times can someone write the word unstitched in a book? If you read this one, you’ll find out. Also, why in the heck were the stitched together people coming from the moon? And was it supposed to be hilarious that they all had a crescent moon birthmark? Because it was.
There was some good writing in this book, but the central premise of creating people from the moon (WTF?) just felt silly to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.
SPOILERS
.
.
.
.
.
How many times can someone write the word unstitched in a book? If you read this one, you’ll find out. Also, why in the heck were the stitched together people coming from the moon? And was it supposed to be hilarious that they all had a crescent moon birthmark? Because it was.
There was some good writing in this book, but the central premise of creating people from the moon (WTF?) just felt silly to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.
Read
September 28, 2023You are not ready for this. The grief, the horror, and the constant twists that I never saw coming make this a book not to miss. Hailey Piper perfectly weaves what seems like a normal story about a teenager trying to find herself and becomes a supernatural suspense. At its core is the grief felt by a young girl that will tear your heart apart, but there is always hope burning at the end. Beautifully crafted, it will make you question your reality.
November 28, 2023
I tried couldnt get into it amazing cover
September 4, 2023
I may be in the minority here but this was not for me. The description sounded very intriguing and I couldn't wait to dive in. However, it was a little too fantastical for me. I will read and even love a bit of science fiction or fantasy but this was a bit too much, bordering on corny to me. The writing in itself was okay but not my preferred style. Normally when I don't like a book, I then base the review off the writing and story alone, completely unbiased but this was hard to do with just plain weird and unexplainable storyline. Two Stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for this ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for this ARC.
January 9, 2024
Well, that was a book. It was fine. I didn’t hate it, but I also had a really hard time caring about any of the characters or feeling any excitement for the “twists”. It felt very YA in the sense that the writer was too afraid to “go there”. It felt pretty tame, even with the oddities that come with cosmic horror. Like they were dipping their toe into the abyss because they were too afraid to dive in. I wanted to like it and I’m glad I finished it, but it just felt like it took itself so seriously.
October 22, 2025
An enjoyable, fast-paced sci-fi horror thriller blend. I wouldn't compare it to Stranger Things like the "book description" says, but what TV show I WOULD compare it to would be a huge spoiler. This is a book that it's best to go into not knowing anything. Pretty much anything you say to pitch it is a spoiler. Probably not the one most people start out with this author but I found it at my local used book store and thought I'd give it a shot.
There's a big reveal at about the halfway point that shocked me, but once I knew that, I understood what was happening before the rest was revealed so it was a lot of "I knew it!" for the second half of the book. But the very last reveal took me by surprise and I really liked that. I would definitely read from this author again and have already added many of her books before reading this one just based off the premises. 4 stars only because I had a hard time connecting with the characters at the beginning and getting into the story. But once I was let in on what was really going on I was hooked.
There's a big reveal at about the halfway point that shocked me, but once I knew that, I understood what was happening before the rest was revealed so it was a lot of "I knew it!" for the second half of the book. But the very last reveal took me by surprise and I really liked that. I would definitely read from this author again and have already added many of her books before reading this one just based off the premises. 4 stars only because I had a hard time connecting with the characters at the beginning and getting into the story. But once I was let in on what was really going on I was hooked.
September 4, 2023
Olivia works at the drive-in in Chapel Hill. She ran away from home at 15, and for the last 3 years has settled into the town only because of her best friend, Sunflower. Except that one night before her shift, she could swear she hears the hill screaming. That is, before all quite literally, goes downhill.
Wow. This was just an incredible, strange, unique, and imaginary book. If you liked the stomach flipping feeling at the end of a twisted episode of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, the adventure of Stardust and beauty and terror of The Wizard of Oz, then A Light Most Hateful is for you.
This indie author's mind is insane. Go into it with an open mind, and let her yellow brick road of prose lead you through to the end. Bonus points for sapphic vibes and non-binary representation 🩵
Wow. This was just an incredible, strange, unique, and imaginary book. If you liked the stomach flipping feeling at the end of a twisted episode of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, the adventure of Stardust and beauty and terror of The Wizard of Oz, then A Light Most Hateful is for you.
This indie author's mind is insane. Go into it with an open mind, and let her yellow brick road of prose lead you through to the end. Bonus points for sapphic vibes and non-binary representation 🩵
October 22, 2024
I enjoy a good monster surrounded queer coming of age story as much as the next person. But the plot itself didn’t hook me.
October 5, 2023
Another creepy cosmic horror from Hailey Piper. One of my favorite lovecraftian like authors. We’ve got an idyllic small town complete with drive in movie complex. Cosmic man eating monsters. Literal houses falling from the sky. Couldn’t ask for anything more.
Olivia is in love with Sunflower and Sunflower seems more in love with herself. When an unnatural storm breaks loose on Chapel Hill and a cosmic monster named Lizzie starts devouring townfolk, Olivia’s one and only mission is to save Sunflower and get her to safety.
I don’t want to give too much away. This one is great going in cold. Just gird your loins and prepare for the ride.
Olivia is in love with Sunflower and Sunflower seems more in love with herself. When an unnatural storm breaks loose on Chapel Hill and a cosmic monster named Lizzie starts devouring townfolk, Olivia’s one and only mission is to save Sunflower and get her to safety.
I don’t want to give too much away. This one is great going in cold. Just gird your loins and prepare for the ride.
August 18, 2024
I really wanted to love this one because the concept and twist were so good but it just fell short for me. The characters didn’t draw me in like I wanted them to and by the end it just felt like it was dragging and I wanted it to be over.
October 2, 2023
This was real fucking weird and real fucking good. It took me a hot sec to get into it as we don’t find out what’s truly happening until a ways in, but once I was hooked I was HOOKED. My first time reading Hailey Pieper and will definitely not be my last, I already can’t wait to get my hands on more of her work.
Highly recommend this one to lovers of sci-fi themes in horror and especially those that enjoy body horror and descriptive creature-ish feature. The only comparison I can think to make is the Molly Southbourne series by Tade Thompson - so if you enjoyed those I think you’ll have a hell of a lot of fun with this one.
Thank you so much to Titan Books and Hailey for my copy! Definitely do yourself a favor and pick up a copy when it publishes October 10th.
Highly recommend this one to lovers of sci-fi themes in horror and especially those that enjoy body horror and descriptive creature-ish feature. The only comparison I can think to make is the Molly Southbourne series by Tade Thompson - so if you enjoyed those I think you’ll have a hell of a lot of fun with this one.
Thank you so much to Titan Books and Hailey for my copy! Definitely do yourself a favor and pick up a copy when it publishes October 10th.
March 1, 2024
This is one of the most frustrating, non-sensical books I’ve read. It was very hard to follow, and I’m completely unsure of what the take away was supposed to be. I really wanted to like this book. I pushed myself to keep going, to finish it. I felt like I couldn’t give up hope of it somehow all making sense at the end. I sped my way through the last half of the book and found myself sighing in frustration towards the end of every chapter. This book does not flow well, the imagery is not clear, the character are not well formed and their actions don’t make sense. Overall, just incredibly frustrated by this book.
Drinking game - take a shot every time you read the word “crescent”.
Drinking game - take a shot every time you read the word “crescent”.
September 16, 2023
A gloriously dark small town horror that explores identity, grief and friendships using fantastical and cosmic elements, the prose felt effortlessly beautiful, raw and authentic, some parts felt very trippy and I felt I was in some twisted nightmare dreamscape (like my normal life?😑) Hailey writes horror with heart and has a truly unique voice in the horror genre, her writing is mesmerizing and thrums with terror and its hard to stop reading 🤣 *just one more page..oh look I've finished it* this book was bold, evocative and simply stunning!
January 29, 2024
This book was so BOOOOOOORING in the first half. In the second half not only it was BORING but also STUPID. People walk and talk or just walk or just talk and it drags endlessly. The characters have no character whatsoever (haha). The whole plot and resolution are just incredibly stupid and disappointing. Whoever decided to compare this to “Bunny” and “Stranger Things” should be sued. Don’t waste your time on “A Light Most Hateful” - the same idea was used in “Bunny” in a much better way and there is no ambience of “Stranger Things”.
January 17, 2024
entirely too long & repetitive. how many times does olivia have to say she wants to go to hartford???? girl we GET IT. a character named christmas was just too much for me, THAT is what broke my suspension of disbelief. this could have been a short story that did numbers on tumblr in 2012, but was padded to a full novel by making every character 100x more annoying than they needed to be & adding 200 unneeded scenes. 2 stars are purely for the (somewhat) creativity in the world building.
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