I was very excited to dig into a "new to me" Malerman book. I loved Bird Box and Malorie. I think, perhaps, I am more suited for his novels, because it was hard for me to connect with most of the stories here. I dug the first one and then was hard pressed to find another I really enjoyed. My "official" rating is 2.5 but rounded up to 3. I know others have enjoyed this book, but it missed for me.

I had a hard time reading this one--not because it wasn't wonderfully written, and not because it wasn't incredibly creepy (it is) but because the imagery and the stories stuck with me for a long time afterward. I was genuinely disturbed by some of the stories in this one, and I'm a huge fan of horror fiction in general. Enter at your own risk, but if you're into scary stories, this might be right up your alley.

Creepy, fun, atmospheric. I like how all these stories put you directly into this town. Would love to see some of these stories expanded upon. Highly recommended for October especially.

Creepy town policemen. Graveyards where all the clients are buried standing up. Rain nearly all day every day. This is the town of Goblin and why anyone would want to live there is beyond me.

Goblin, by Josh Malerman, is the story of, or rather six stories, of the town of Goblin. I loved the premise of this book! Six novellas-- six stand alone stories-- weaving together to tell the overarching tale of the town of Goblin.

A town like no other, with a past like no other Goblin has a particular history with rich characters that comes to light throughout each novella. They bring the past into the present and place the two on inevitable collision course. Each story is a unique piece of the puzzle getting a little more complex and steeping the reader in the convoluted history of this questionable little town.

My favorite story was *Happy Birthday, Hunter!* A story about obsession, a famed big game hunter is celebrating his 60th birthday. This man wants nothing more for his birthday than to bag the mythical creature of Goblins dark forest the Great Owl, a veritable legend. What won't our hunter do to capture the beast? The story keeps the reader on edge the entire time.

My least favourite story was *Mix-Up at the Zoo*. This is the story of a simple man who works two jobs including one at the zoo, and has an odd connection with the creatures he takes care of. The story dives into realms of darkness as the man decides to quit one of his jobs. He soon starts having dreams that are quite disturbing and leads to a giant mistake. Overall the idea was good, but I felt like it got a little muddy during the dream states. These were the only time I felt myself wishing the story would simply move on.

This, however, is a rare moment in what is otherwise an excellent book.

Josh Malerman is a marvellous story teller. His imagery and ability to keep the reader fascinated are wonderful. Goblin feels almost mystical or magical, but also fantastically dark and sinister. The reader is hooked from the beginning and easily wants to keep reading-- this book was hard to put down.

My only other knock on the book is that I wish it would have been longer. Seriously. This seemed like a tale that could have been developed into a brick, a la Stephen King, and the reader would have been perfectly happy to continue learning about this strange little town.

I give it 4.5 stars.

This was such an interesting read for me. On one hand I was a bit underwhelmed at the conclusion of each novella but on the second hand I absolutely could not put this book down.

This book is set in the creepy town of Goblin and each novella is focused on a different character’s story while being woven into the overarching plot. Each novella has a different creep factor set into the story and some made sense while others just left you shaking your head a bit.

I found it interesting that Josh Malerman wrote this book back in 2017 and it was picked up for a re-release in 2021. Makes me wonder if a second book will be coming out in the near future? I can only hope so as you better believe I will be picking it up.

Big thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book!

I've read quite a few of Josh Malerman's books, and he is one of those authors that is hit or miss for me. Goblin is one of those books I'm just not sure how to review because I'm not sure how I feel about it as a whole. Goblin is a small town where appearances can be deceiving. Told in the form of different novellas, Malerman shares the various secrets going on behind closed doors all over town. I liked the majority of the novellas, but had to skip one because I just could not get into it and was thinking about not finishing the book as a whole. The very last novella, The Hedges, saved the book for me because it shows just how thin the ties holding Goblin together truly are. Even though Malerman is a hit or miss author for me (more hit than miss) I will continue picking up his work each time it comes across my radar.

Josh Malerman is capable of making anything creepy….even downright terrifying. Goblin and the things that lurk within its city limits are no exceptions. Skillful in creating different storylines, with separate characters, that all come together in one wonderfully dreadful story.

This is the first collection from Josh Malerman that bills itself as "a novel in six novellas." A novel? That's a stretch. Yes, Goblin is bookended with a story and the six novellas are all set in this very creepy fictional Michigan town. Aside from location, though, the only word I can think of to link these tales is "rainswept." It seems like it's always raining in Goblin. Take that, Seattle!

The stories themselves are pretty good and a few are excellent. They've got a Tales From the Crypt feel to them, though what they boast in setup, they tend to lack in follow-through. Not all, but some.

Three stories are worth the price of the book:
"A Man in Slices" is about the lengths a man will go to prove his love for his girlfriend.
In "Kamp," a man tears down his apartment to set traps for ghosts.
The best story, "Presto" is about a magician who mesmerizes with real magical powers. You don't want to know his secrets.

I understand why this book has seen mixed reviews. It's not for everybody, but it does provide some creepy entertainment.

I usually really enjoy this author, but this set of interconnected stories didn't end up appealing to me.

Review has been sent to Scream magazine.
Full review will be copied once it has appeared in the magazine but suffice to say, this collection of novellas from Malerman is fantastic.
A must-read for sure.

Goblin by Josh Malerman is such a great read! There are 6 stories, all taking place in a small, eccentric town called Goblin. Goblin is a town with unusual people and it always rains. I really enjoyed all of the stories. They all had such an ominous, dark feel to them. Malerman has created such a unique and creepy cast of characters and a weird town. I don’t want to say too much about the different stories because you can read that in the description of the book. Definitely do not miss this book if you are a fan of horror or mystery. I will not ever forget the stories in this book. In fact I find myself thinking about them at least once a day. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have to say I was very disappointed in this collection as a huge Malerman fan. I enjoyed the first two stories but everything after that was a big miss for me. It was very light on the horror.

A book told in 6 novellas of Goblin, a strange small town.

1. A Man in Slices - 3 Stars
Goes to show you how far people will go for friendship & love.

2. Kamp - 4 Stars
Paranoia gets the best of us. Hearing a noise in the nighttime when you are by yourself is quite an experience. Having the thoughts racing through your head, from simple explanations to far out explanations and pure terror. I felt for Mr. Kamp.

3. Happy Birthday, Hunter! - 3 Stars
This reminded me a lot of the Moby Dick obsession story wanting something you know you can't have and will stop at nothing to get it. This is also the only story of the 6 that even referenced the introduction.

4. Presto - 4 Stars
How could I resist a good story with dark magic?! A good reminder if it's to good to be true, it usually is ....

5. A Mix-Up at the Zoo - 3 Stars
I couldn't behind this one as much. Just an overworked stressed man ... I guess that is horrifying.

6. The Hedges - 3 Stars
Wasn't to impressed with the maze reveal but I did appreciate that the story brought to life the cover of the book itself which is one of my favorites!

I think the best part of this book is the introduction and the epilogue. The introduction really pulled you in and I was wanting more of that storyline, maybe felt a little mislead when I realized the stories were more about how strange Goblin was rather than the mysterious box. But that's Goblin for ya, nothing is what it seems ...

I received this as an ARC but I have since picked up a physical copy for my Malerman collection. Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine/Del Rey for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting collection of dark and eerie stories. It was well written and suspenseful.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Goblin filled the need for a scary, rainy day read. Made up of six short stories, which all take place in the town of Goblin. Sadly some stories, like in all collections, are better than others. I did enjoy them all though. I need longer versions!! Just when you really start to get into the story it ends.

Engaging and thrilling. I enjoyed the premise and it was incredibly readable. I found myself wanting to turn the pages. Enjoyed!

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for the ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

First, let me start of out by saying I was very excited for this book. The idea of all six novellas revolving around the mysterious town of Goblin was so intriguing to me. I am sad to say, I was very bored and disappointed. I had a very hard time getting into any of the novellas within the book. Each one left me SO BORED. The six novellas were: A Man in Slices, Kamp, Happy Birthday, Hunter!, Presto, A Mix-Up Zoo, and The Hedges. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot to say about the book, other than I almost didn’t want to finish it. Maybe Josh Malerman just isn’t for me?

This book was the first book I had ever read by this author.

I normally like stories with overlapping plot elements. I thought that's how it would be with this story. However I couldn't find the stories that interesting? Some of them had elements that I thought would suck me in, but in the end, I came out confused or bored.

While I think the author can write, I just don't think the medium/template of how he wrote this book is for me. I have some other books (like Bird Box and its sequel) that I want to try of his before crossing him off my list for good

I love stories like this, even though there are six novellas they all tie into one another. I didn't see the end coming with 'A Man in Slices', I found 'Kamp' eerie, 'Happy Birthday, Hunter!' was an absolute hoot (pun intended, when you read the story you'll understand), 'Presto' was a great look at the loss of innocence, 'A Mix-Up at the Zoo' broke my heart, and 'The Hedges' a beautiful love letter to loss and a perfect ending to a great set of horrifying stories.

Highly recommend!