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Hate Story
A violent mob disrupts the East Toronto funeral service for unemployed loner Paul Shoreditch. The riot attracts sensational media attention, especially online, but is soon forgotten. Meanwhile, aspiring journalist, film fanatic and Internet addict Jackie Roberts discovers a bizarre online community that has been sullying Paul's name for years.
What did Paul do to these people?Why is their animosity so intense?Why are they so secretive?
As Jackie learns about Paul's life story, she finds herself empathizing with him despite her gut feelings, but nothing prepares her for the truth.
This offbeat mix of satire and mystery dares to tackle some of the most fiery and controversial social topics of our generation.
Darkly funny, subversive and sometimes outrageous, Hate Story takes a sledgehammer to the disturbing modern trend of Internet bullying and shaming.
What did Paul do to these people?Why is their animosity so intense?Why are they so secretive?
As Jackie learns about Paul's life story, she finds herself empathizing with him despite her gut feelings, but nothing prepares her for the truth.
This offbeat mix of satire and mystery dares to tackle some of the most fiery and controversial social topics of our generation.
Darkly funny, subversive and sometimes outrageous, Hate Story takes a sledgehammer to the disturbing modern trend of Internet bullying and shaming.
- GenresHumor
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 18, 2022
14 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Cottrill
4 books4 followersJeff Cottrill is a fiction writer, poet, journalist and spoken-word artist based in Toronto, Canada. He has headlined in countless literary series throughout Canada, the U.K., the U.S., France and Ireland over the last twenty years. His performance style is influenced by slam conventions, but subverts them with wit, ironic humour and a satirical tone.
In 2021, Jeff had poetry and flash fiction published in several international anthologies, including Paper Teller Diorama (New York), Sinew: Ten Years of Poetry in the Brew (Nashville), Globalisation: The Sphere Keeps Spinning (Sydney, Australia) and Things Fall Apart: Mischievous Machines (Leeds, U.K.). Other short fiction and poems by him have appeared in The South Shore Review and The Dreaming Machine. Jeff was also featured in the poetry podcasts Wordsmith (Australia) and Poets and Muses (U.S.) last year.
Jeff’s journalistic credits include OHS Canada, Toronto.com, NOW, EYE WEEKLY, Exclaim!, Post City Magazines, YellowPages.ca, Divorce Magazine, JobPostings and Digital Journal. In 2015, he was nominated for a Kenneth R. Wilson Memorial Award for his OHS Canada article “Off the Rails.” He holds a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Toronto, as well as a certificate in creative writing from Humber College. Jeff is the former Literary Editor of Burning Effigy Press.
Hate Story is Jeff’s seventh or eighth attempt at a first novel.
Jeff likes writing, movies, travel, and puppies.
In 2021, Jeff had poetry and flash fiction published in several international anthologies, including Paper Teller Diorama (New York), Sinew: Ten Years of Poetry in the Brew (Nashville), Globalisation: The Sphere Keeps Spinning (Sydney, Australia) and Things Fall Apart: Mischievous Machines (Leeds, U.K.). Other short fiction and poems by him have appeared in The South Shore Review and The Dreaming Machine. Jeff was also featured in the poetry podcasts Wordsmith (Australia) and Poets and Muses (U.S.) last year.
Jeff’s journalistic credits include OHS Canada, Toronto.com, NOW, EYE WEEKLY, Exclaim!, Post City Magazines, YellowPages.ca, Divorce Magazine, JobPostings and Digital Journal. In 2015, he was nominated for a Kenneth R. Wilson Memorial Award for his OHS Canada article “Off the Rails.” He holds a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Toronto, as well as a certificate in creative writing from Humber College. Jeff is the former Literary Editor of Burning Effigy Press.
Hate Story is Jeff’s seventh or eighth attempt at a first novel.
Jeff likes writing, movies, travel, and puppies.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 16, 2025
“Every war that’s ever been waged, every revolution that’s ever been launched, every assassination, every social upheaval – it’s always because somebody hated somebody or something!”
For a significant portion of Jeff Cottrill’s intriguing novel, my left-wing proclivities had convinced me that he was lampooning MAGA Trumpster’s and the global flirtation with far right-wing fascism and the specific variations on “hatred” they favour – misogyny, homophobia, racism, and xenophobia, for example. But, ultimately, I was forced to chide my sanctimonious self and grudgingly (but honestly) admit that hatred was hardly unique to a particular portion of the world’s political spectrum. That is to say then that HATE STORY is a book length satirical moral tale and hard-hitting diatribe against the disgusting evils of hatred with particular emphasis on online vigilantes, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking.
Cottrill’s biting satire and critical revelation of how easy it can be to fall into the role of anonymous keyboard warrior and social media troll should cause any reader to swallow hard and consider whether they had ever been guilty of letting that ugly side of their own human nature loose upon the world. A brilliant literary debut, HATE STORY is a shocking, fresh, and gripping high speed tale that will leave you with a very hard lump in your throat and plenty of fodder for post-reading consideration.
Paul Weiss
For a significant portion of Jeff Cottrill’s intriguing novel, my left-wing proclivities had convinced me that he was lampooning MAGA Trumpster’s and the global flirtation with far right-wing fascism and the specific variations on “hatred” they favour – misogyny, homophobia, racism, and xenophobia, for example. But, ultimately, I was forced to chide my sanctimonious self and grudgingly (but honestly) admit that hatred was hardly unique to a particular portion of the world’s political spectrum. That is to say then that HATE STORY is a book length satirical moral tale and hard-hitting diatribe against the disgusting evils of hatred with particular emphasis on online vigilantes, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking.
Cottrill’s biting satire and critical revelation of how easy it can be to fall into the role of anonymous keyboard warrior and social media troll should cause any reader to swallow hard and consider whether they had ever been guilty of letting that ugly side of their own human nature loose upon the world. A brilliant literary debut, HATE STORY is a shocking, fresh, and gripping high speed tale that will leave you with a very hard lump in your throat and plenty of fodder for post-reading consideration.
Paul Weiss
September 5, 2022
Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
I read the transcript of "Grouch on a Couch" by the author several years ago.
What Cottrill does exceptionally well in both that piece and in HATE STORY is elevate the mundane to the point of romanticism.
There is almost a pornographic delight in the way the Cottrill tells this tale of misery and woe, both from the perspective of the main character and from the accounts of the individual she learns about, Paul Shoreditch.
The third act is a real emotional gut-punch that will stick with you long after you put the book down and make you question the true nature of humanity in our over-connected age.
A highly recommended read!
I read the transcript of "Grouch on a Couch" by the author several years ago.
What Cottrill does exceptionally well in both that piece and in HATE STORY is elevate the mundane to the point of romanticism.
There is almost a pornographic delight in the way the Cottrill tells this tale of misery and woe, both from the perspective of the main character and from the accounts of the individual she learns about, Paul Shoreditch.
The third act is a real emotional gut-punch that will stick with you long after you put the book down and make you question the true nature of humanity in our over-connected age.
A highly recommended read!
April 15, 2022
Clever and original and told with biting, satirical humor, "Hate Story" is a story for our times.
March 22, 2022
When loner Paul Shoreditch dies and his funeral mobbed by haters, it is up to online movie critic and keyboard avenger, Jackie Roberts, to figure out why. Paul has been the subject of much online hatred for years, even having a website dedicated to sullying him. But what did he do to garner such hatred?
When Jackie digs into Paul's history, she is torn between pity and disgust, but it's clear the 'trend' for online shaming is largely at play.
Hate Story is an affecting satirical novel set in modern-day Toronto, delving deep into the dark side of the internet.
I absolutely loved this novel and read it in one sitting. Fresh, relevant, relatable and hateable characters, darkly comical and thought-provoking, it will have you questioning your own online motives and actions and thinking twice about posting that sarcastic Twitter reply.
When Jackie digs into Paul's history, she is torn between pity and disgust, but it's clear the 'trend' for online shaming is largely at play.
Hate Story is an affecting satirical novel set in modern-day Toronto, delving deep into the dark side of the internet.
I absolutely loved this novel and read it in one sitting. Fresh, relevant, relatable and hateable characters, darkly comical and thought-provoking, it will have you questioning your own online motives and actions and thinking twice about posting that sarcastic Twitter reply.
May 26, 2022
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This book was very well written. The plot was interesting and the pacing first rate. If I'd had the time I might have read the entire book in a single sitting. Hate Story is the blackest of black humour. The author is satirizing both social media and people's obsession with it. He also satirizes the self-absorption and narcissism of a certain demographic although I'm not entirely certain he intended the latter.
For those looking for character arcs you won't find much. The protagonist grows a bit throughout the story but isn't much different at the end than the was at the beginning. Since this is a satire, the other characters are mostly two-dimensional place holders. Don't read this for insight into the human dilemma. Read it because it casts a light on a dark place in the internet and on those who inhabit it.
Having said that, be prepared to wince a little. The author is pretty clearly on the far left of the political spectrum. He ascribes anything he regards as right-wing to unsavory and unpleasant characters. Personally, I regard that as fair game. I've been known to do the same albeit from the opposite end of the spectrum. Likewise you'll encounter a good deal of exaggeration in the story. I consider that fair as well. It's a standard technique within satire and while I turned my nose up in a couple of places I was never so put off as to stop reading.
You may think you've stumbled over an editing oopsy in a couple of places but it's deliberate. It looks as if 'creep' has been misspelled as 'crepe' but he's done that for a reason which will be revealed as you read on.
For authors, Mr. Cottrill has accomplished something which can be difficult. He has a number of fictional online interactions and uses bold typeface to delineate them. Such interactions can easily take over a book but he achieves a balance which is worth observing.
In general I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a variation on a mystery novel but instead of trying to figure out who-done-it the protagonist is tasked with finding what was done.
One thing I recommend is to bypass the Bonus Section at the end. It is unrelated to the story and is just a silly satire on the publishing industry in general and a certain large demographic of readers. In my opinion it is a really bad idea to set out to insult people who may choose to read your book and the shots he takes are pretty cheap.
This book was very well written. The plot was interesting and the pacing first rate. If I'd had the time I might have read the entire book in a single sitting. Hate Story is the blackest of black humour. The author is satirizing both social media and people's obsession with it. He also satirizes the self-absorption and narcissism of a certain demographic although I'm not entirely certain he intended the latter.
For those looking for character arcs you won't find much. The protagonist grows a bit throughout the story but isn't much different at the end than the was at the beginning. Since this is a satire, the other characters are mostly two-dimensional place holders. Don't read this for insight into the human dilemma. Read it because it casts a light on a dark place in the internet and on those who inhabit it.
Having said that, be prepared to wince a little. The author is pretty clearly on the far left of the political spectrum. He ascribes anything he regards as right-wing to unsavory and unpleasant characters. Personally, I regard that as fair game. I've been known to do the same albeit from the opposite end of the spectrum. Likewise you'll encounter a good deal of exaggeration in the story. I consider that fair as well. It's a standard technique within satire and while I turned my nose up in a couple of places I was never so put off as to stop reading.
You may think you've stumbled over an editing oopsy in a couple of places but it's deliberate. It looks as if 'creep' has been misspelled as 'crepe' but he's done that for a reason which will be revealed as you read on.
For authors, Mr. Cottrill has accomplished something which can be difficult. He has a number of fictional online interactions and uses bold typeface to delineate them. Such interactions can easily take over a book but he achieves a balance which is worth observing.
In general I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a variation on a mystery novel but instead of trying to figure out who-done-it the protagonist is tasked with finding what was done.
One thing I recommend is to bypass the Bonus Section at the end. It is unrelated to the story and is just a silly satire on the publishing industry in general and a certain large demographic of readers. In my opinion it is a really bad idea to set out to insult people who may choose to read your book and the shots he takes are pretty cheap.
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June 4, 2022The butterfly effect .. that is one of the things that the book made me think of, well one of the things. The book made me think and consider. But I also enjoyed other aspects of the book. The suspense, and the funnies and tragedies all made reading this book a wholesome experience. I kept on reading and I wanted to know what will happen next. I was able to relate to the characters in a strange and twisted way. O0ps, I worked in a call centre in another life .. I often delete my response to a comment on a social media and stop myself going that one step further. Do you? I hope that some of the events are really exaggerated, and they would never happen THAT way. But .. yes, it could have happen, I guess. I don’t usually write reviews, but this is such a fresh way of looking at our lives which are surrounded by social media commentary, that it might be an eye opener for some… please read it, and be a decent human being.
November 27, 2025
Social media, cancel culture and mob mentality feature prominently in Jeff Cottrill’s compelling and entertaining debut novel Hate Story—a fascinating and timely tale that combines investigative journalism adventure with biting satire. The storytelling is by turns razor-sharp funny, heartbreakingly poignant and thought-provoking as we follow protagonist Jackie Roberts on her quest to learn what the late Paul Shoreditch did to become so universally reviled. We’re reminded that society both creates and condemns its monsters—real or imagined—and that toxic masculinity isn’t solely the purview of men. And don’t believe everything you hear, and only half of what you see.
April 24, 2023
What a world we live in. And Jeff Cottrill''s Hate Story captures it so perfectly. This book has its finger on the pulse of our social-media driven, groomed-to-hate society. The mirror that Cottrill holds up reveals a sadly accurate, blisteringly vicious society. I really enjoyed the fact that this novel didn't hold back in its characterization and dialogue. Hate Story is a refreshingly honest sociological commentary while being hilarious at the same time.
October 1, 2023
Hate Story is a satirical modern mystery about how hate on the internet can have broad effects on the people who use it. The writing style is great and moves along at a perfect pace. The characters are mostly unlikable, and I often found myself cringing as I read. But I couldn’t put it down. I cringed and kept reading. Where had all this hate come from? I had to know. Original and unpredictable, this is a story for our modern age.
December 18, 2022
I couldn’t put it down!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews