I really enjoyed this book! It took me less than a full day to read it and as a parent of 4 kids that is no easy feat. I just had to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the parallel narratives between present and past. These were characters that I cared about and wanted to know what was going on with. I look forward to reading more from Sam Haysom and highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good creepy story.

In 2002 five teenage boys, Gary, James, Tom, Matt, and Tim leave for Rutmoor on a hiking trip with their leader Mr. Stevens but not all of them make it out alive. What begins as a ghost story around the campfire turns into something much more terrifying. It begins with strange noises in the night and mutilated animals on the trail but then one of the boys goes missing. Stranded halfway between civilization and isolation, the boys trek on in hopes of finding their friend or reaching help...but there is something on the Moor...and it’s hungry.

The Moor begins with several news clippings dating back to the 1950's revealing a history of animal mutilation, missing children, and dead bodies on the moor. The novel then jumps to present day (2015), as James one of the survivors of the Rutmoor hiking trip recounts the events of that fateful trip and prepares to return to the moor. The novel shifts between several different POV's as the frightening events of the Rutmoor hike unfold while past news clippings continue to reveal past incidents. The Moor is characteristic of classic boogeyman tales in which a horrific monster with a hunger for children and small animals returns to a location every so many years to feed and then disappear again. This is a quick, entertaining novel for fans of monster horror. My only complaint with this novel is that the writing style felt geared towards a much younger audience at some points. I think many of the characters, being early teen boys, would be more relatable to a younger audience and might be better marketed as the YA genre instead.

A very well written atmospheric read that combines different genres in an engrossing way, The Moor starts as a ghost story that turns into a horror novel and closes with an unexpected twist. It tells the story of a group of teenage boys who go for a hike in a national park. First, they tell ghost stories around the campfire. Then, they go to sleep in their tents. In the desolate landscape. Alone. What could possibly go wrong? One by one, the boys start disappearing and the only grownup seems unequipped to deal with the situation. It would be a pity to give away what happens next, but the story goes back and forth in time. Two of the boys are taking a trip in 2015, so they obviously survived whatever happened but what about the rest of the party? Also, what do the newspaper clippings that appear throughout the book have to do with anything? I must say that I couldn't read several of them dealing with animal torture. Yes, I had no trouble reading about teenagers being murdered but, hey, that's just me. The characters are a little stereotypical, but once the novel reaches its conclusion, many things make sense and the story blew me away. A terrifying and quick read.

An engrossing book that I had a hard time putting down. The twist near the end really threw me. Definitely did not see that coming. I would read other books by this author.

3.5 Stars for keeping me reading and making me squirm. Atmospheric and creepy. I was expecting a ghost story or serial killer, but got more than I bargained for.

Really enjoyed reading this novel from Sam. The storyline veered from where I was expecting, but kept me hooked throughout. A great suspenseful horror

A group of boys sets off on a camping trip with the father of one of the boys. Mr. Stevens is a mild-mannered man who seems to know his way through the wild moors. The boys are excited, but nervous too, the ghost stories they tell around the campfire are rooted in truth. Many people have disappeared or been found murdered out there. And when there worst nightmares begin coming to life and the boys begin to disappear, where can they turn for help? A super creepy story (there are some parts that will be difficult for animal lovers), this has the potential for a sequel.