In Goblin, nothing is as it seems. The history of this town begins to unravel before you at the hands of Josh Malerman. The deeper you travel into Goblin, the weirder things become. The police aren’t exactly “right”, and there’s a maze that hasn’t been solved since its creation, the dead are buried standing, the Great Owls are always watching, and a witch may or may not be living in the woods. Strange occurrences are all around. In Goblin, Malerman crafts six intertwined novellas that expose the truth of this dreadful town, connecting them by the history of Goblin. This town was created by deception, so its current inhabitants are weary. It rains all the time, so much in fact, you may find yourself questioning if the heavens themselves are weeping for the residents of Goblin. So, join us, your adventure awaits.

Malerman has a gift with words, he can unravel you, yet propel you through the story, leaving nothing to be desired. His prose transports readers to the location and causes them to feel as if they themselves have become a part of his stories. Often, when reading his work, I find myself disturbed at the vividness of his descriptions and his ability to paint the scene before us. In fact, most of Malerman’s writing carries the same energy as he does. His passion for the genre bleeds through on every page. The format that he chose for Goblin, is executed well, each individual story could be read independently, but there are little threads throughout that tie them all together.

We are introduced to the town when a delivery driver accepts a delivery to the small town, but with the strange directions accompanying the delivery, it’s almost as if he knows he’s doomed from the onset of his trip. He must follow every line to the “T”, but curiosity gets the best of us, right? His inquisitive nature is only the beginning of his unraveling. Did you hear that?

When a friend comes to you with news that could potentially incriminate you, what do you do? You’ve been their only friend for as long as you can remember, but something isn’t quite right. He seems off, emotionless, impervious to social queues that others are constantly aware of. Yet, deep down, you hold on, believing that everything will come together until it falls apart, and the pieces before you may very well be your own.

In our next adventure in Goblin, we are introduced to a historian, but he’s quirky, maybe even a bit psychosomatic if you will. You see, he has this obsession with death, albeit a very unhealthy one, which has him question everything. Every bump, scrape, corner has him worried. This one for me was very anxiety-inducing, yet I found myself devouring every word to the inevitable end.

In this next story, the one about the Hunter, his arrogance becomes his destruction. What do you chase or hunt when you’ve killed every trophy animal known to man? Why, something forbidden, something that even those around you begin to question you. The goal is just through the woods, it has to be you, to truly be renowned amongst other hunters. The most decorated, but at what costs?

Presto, this story is probably my favorite, we have an underdog bursting out onto the scene, making a name for himself, and seemingly out of nowhere. This one is dark, but it's captivating pushes you along until you are fully aware of what you’ve just read. One question, where do all powers come from? Is life worth living, without a little excitement every now and again?

Animals, we all love them, right? We find ourselves near the end of this excursion when we stumble upon the greatest Zoo guide Goblin has ever known. The animals love him, the children adore him, and his employer knows just what to say to keep him around when the time comes. But what happens, if you’re preoccupied mentally, something nags at you, consumes you daily? A choice has to be made, you need to clear your mind, and improve your life. You’re certain, this is it, the day to finally capture your happiness, or is it?

The Hedges are as well known amongst Goblinites and visitors alike, yet no one has been able to solve the maze. The height of the hedges in some places loom over the patrons like shadows, but at their core, they are a memorial to love lost. The Maze, an unsolvable puzzle, until Margot. Margot is a young girl, who thinks outside the box, and that allows her to reach the center of the maze. Though, what she finds there is unlike anything she has ever seen. She knows this isn’t okay, she has to tell the police. Remember what I said at the beginning of this, the police are as they seem. A mad dash to escape the truth of what he has done has everyone on edge.

Finally, our Epilogue, ties into the Prologue, a continuation of what we were introduced to. The darkness of Goblin comes full circle, the strange sounds coming from the trailer of the truck are driving you mad, you knew better yet, still, your curiosity overtook you. Rationality goes out the door, what stands before you cannot be possible, yet deep down you know that anything is possible within the town limits of Goblin.

This Novel is haunting, but at times some of the scenes seem light, but then you get hit right in the chest by what is actually happening. So, when you pass between the topiary gates that signify the entrance to Goblin, be weary, darkness is around every corner.

Thank you, to NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-ARC

This book claims to be a novel in six novellas (plus a prologue and an epilogue). While most of the novellas were enjoyable in their own right, I felt the book failed to deliver on being “a novel.” It read more like a short story collection with a shared universe. As I got near the end, I kept hoping the six stories would come together to deliver on the promise of this being a novel, but no such luck.

Goblin is a compilation of six novellas with each story tied to the town of Goblin, Michigan. Josh Malerman is a short story novelist. He’s best known for his post-apocalyptic novel Bird Box.
I must admit I requested this book based on the movie Bird Box. While I wasn’t a fan of the movie finding it odd, strange, and weird I was fascinated by his other short stories.
If you are a fan of the creepy and the eerie you are sure to love these weird story’s.
The town of Goblin is rainy and gloomy with its eerie topiary shrubs and owl creatures. The short story’s were more about the individuals that lived in Goblin and less about the town. I was expecting the town of Goblin to be scary or haunted.
Josh’s writing style doesn’t draw me in to the story. Sadly, these story’s weren’t scary just creepy. I was hoping for some chilling scenes. They reminded me of The Tales from the Crypt. These story’s didn’t appeal to me.

A MAN IN SLICES A young man wants to prove to his long-distance girlfriend that they have “legendary love,” better than Vincent van Gogh, so he sends her more than just his ear.
KAMP A man horrified of encountering a ghost sets up a series of “ghost traps” all over his apartment, desperate to catch one before it can sneak up on him.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUNTER! Big game hunter Neal Nash leaves his own meat-themed birthday bash to go hunting for Goblin’s hallowed (and protected) Great Owl. But the North Woods are unkind at night.
PRESTO In the pages of Presto magazine, a young boy reads that his favorite magician, Roman Emperor, is coming to town. Problem is, Pete doesn’t know that Emperor's magic is real, and his latest trick involves audience participation... from a little boy volunteer.
A MIX-UP AT THE ZOO Dirk Rogers works at both the Goblin Slaughterhouse and the Goblin Zoo, but the workload is really getting to him. Will he be able to separate the two jobs on the night he finally breaks down, or will the slaughterhouse and the zoo overlap in his cracked, dark mind?
THE HEDGES A young girl finally reaches the end of Goblin’s biggest tourist attraction, The Hedges. But what she finds there sparks a mad chase between the owner of the Hedges and the Goblin Police, through the streets of the rainy city and into the terrible North Woods.

Recently, I had the chance to read the latest novel by Josh Malerman (Birdbox, Malerie) as an early release. I pre-ordered a physical copy before I had even completed the book and couldn’t wait to receive it in hand today.

I was instantly enamored with the town of Goblin and all the secrets it held within the first few pages of the prologue. Malerman, as always, creates engaging stories and Goblin is no exception. With each gem of a story, I fell deeper and deeper into the beautiful darkness that Goblin holds within its town limits. A modern classic, Goblin easily finds its place on the map and on the shelf beside the towns of Derry and ‘Salem’s Lot. - Derek @horrorjunkie103178

Special thanks to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, Penguin Random House, and Del Rey Books.

The idea of this collection of stories intrigued me a lot so i was very interested to see how all the stories connected. And they did, but for some reason it didn't seem as novel to me as it did when I started. A few of the stories dragged. On top of that, sometimes i have issues with how the author ends his stories. So unfortunately I just can't rate it very high.

This was an entirely unnerving collection of horror stories all set in or around the town of Goblin. The stories are horrific to varying degrees, and deeply unsettling. "The Hedges" might just be my favorite of the six stories - the idea of such strangely horrible beings as the Goblin Police was just so fascinating. They seemed a bit like the Librarians of "Welcome to Nightvale." I also really liked "Kamp" about a man trying so hard to avoid being scared to death that he removes every barrier in his apartment so as not to be startled and sets alarms and video cameras to check. "Presto" was also fascinating with enough subtlety and mystery to keep you as in the dark as the members of the audience for a magic show unlike any other. Josh Malerman is a master of the strange, weird, disturbing, and unsettling, and I look forward to his future works.

Malerman has really seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past few years given the cinematic success of Bird Box, an adaptation of his novel of the same name. Goblin does not contain the survival-thriller intensity of Bird Box, but does showcase Malerman's range as a horror author with storytelling more in the style of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, where the mundane everyday collides with the dark, perhaps even paranormal, undercurrents of a life in crisis.

Told as a collection of novellas, Goblin is set around the titular city where myth has blurred the edges of a colonialist history of conquest, both over Indigenous people and nature itself. Against this backdrop, Malerman provides an intense examination of obsession, mental illness, and grief. He is also does a fantastic job depicting the inner experience of fear in his characters across the spectrum. I could feel their fear, friends.

Each novella is tied together by Goblin, primarily, but I also enjoyed the references to characters and events from other stories that Easter Egged their way through the entire book. Each story is imaginative and unique, both standing alone inside the book, but also compared to the horror genre at large. And not to mention, Malerman is just a really good writer who is fast becoming an auto-read author for me.

GOBLIN by Josh Malerman is a novel in 6 parts, where 6 interconnected novellas come together to showcase the town of Goblin in all of its weirdo glory. Each of the stories feature different characters and storylines, and each one gives dimension and body to this strange town that by the end, you’re almost convinced that Goblin is a real place. And certainly one I’d like to visit.

Overall each story is fantastic, but I particularly liked A Man in Slices, where a character sends his girlfriend various body parts as a measure of his love (at her request, of course! Because clearly body parts are better than flowers.), and A Mix Up at the Zoo, where a man works at both the zoo and the slaughterhouse and, well, um, mistakes, uh, happen.

Bottom line — Malerman has quickly become one of my favorites for strange fiction and weirdo horror, and GOBLIN delivered on both accounts. This is a perfect quick read that gives you all the chills and thrills in 6 small doses. 5 stars.

*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Welcome to Goblin, a town with a tumultuous inception, a terrifying forest filled with giant, red-eyed owls, an unsettling police force that creeps everyone out, and monstrous topiaries reminiscent of The Shining. It is filled with a cast of unique characters that have a slew of stories to tell and it’s almost voyeuristic the way in which we watch their lives play out on the pages. Fans of Stranger Things will embrace the overall feeling of nostalgia and community, while those who grew up watching The Twilight Zone will revel in the short stories, the deeper undercurrents of thought and moral underpinnings, the overall quirkiness, and questionable denouements. Six stories that are markedly different are brought together and find common ground in this unassuming town with the anomalous name.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

This is a re-release of Goblin.

There are six stories in total all taking place on a rainy day in the town of Goblin. The prologue started the book off strong and the artwork reminded me of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It was almost whimsical in a way. “A Man in Slices” is probably my favorite from the bunch, but the prologue and epilogue were really good...sometimes I was confused by what happened but the atmosphere was great. I will probably read this again to try to connect all of the stories. I recommend reading it on a rainy night. It will add to the experience.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a big fan of horror short stories, and I really enjoyed this collection from Josh Malerman. The creepy little town of Goblin has a dark history, people that are hiding some big secrets and a super creepy police department that you don't want to tangle with. This town has my full attention, and now I want to know more. I liked the variety to the stories - some were solidly and profoundly frightening, others leaned more toward dark humor and one was very sad. I thought the stories were well done - each was short and Malerman wasted no time introducing characters and getting into the plot of each one. They were each subtly tied together by the history of the town and the overlapping social circles of some of the residents. I was satisfied with the ending and how the loose ends were addressed. I would love to see this as a gothic anthology series where each episode told one of the stories of this dark and creepy little town. The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Every small town has its ways indeed- like everyone in Goblin gets buried standing up. There's a witch that lives in the woods that wants to tell you a story. The police force seems...not quite right and they never talk off their shades. Never mind that the main draw is a hedge maze that's never been solved and it rains more there than anywhere else. There is nothing normal about Goblin.

This novel consists of six novellas that follow citizens of the town and their individual stories. There's not much cross-over, but the details about the town you learn in one story might add context to something in the next. What I loved is the balance between the story being told and the history of the town; it never felt like the current tale was put on hold for an info dump and every piece of the puzzle just made things more interesting.

Malerman takes full advantage of the novel's format- all six novellas (and the framing story) have their own distinct tones. Since we get to follow each protagonist for 40+ pages, it's very cool see the town and its, uh...oddities through the eyes of children, delivery drivers, people just scraping by, and people who want for nothing.

Of course there's small town horror here, but each story finds a way to freak you out in a different way. From predators to ghosts, from magic to mental illness- it's all here. There's some truly creepy passages spread throughout and I found that the feeling I felt most was dread. The rules work so differently in Goblin that it's not always easy to spot who or what you should be frightened of, and that felt very fresh to me. I don't know that I've experienced that in anything I've read lately.

My only wish is that we got to glimpse the fallout of these stories. Some pretty major things happen to the town and its inhabitants- things I'd like to know more about. The stories mostly just end and we don't get a lot of closure. That said, what we do get is great and I totally recommend reading this. It's the first book by Josh Malerman I've read and I will be checking out more of his work for sure.

If you're looking to get out of town for the weekend, take a trip to Goblin! Can you find your way out of the hedge maze? Maybe visit the local magic shop and learn to impress your friends. Admire the many topiaries spread throughout the city, or spend the afternoon at the zoo. There's a ton to do! Just remember- dress for rain and don't get pulled over. Trust me.

This was a collection of short stories all set in the fictional (and creepy) town of Goblin. And it was eerie and spooky and basically everything you would expect from a Josh Malerman read.

This is filled with intensely creepy writing that totally amps up in each individual story. I have to say that the story that takes up the introduction and the epilogue is my favorite, followed by the first part of the book, titled A Man In Slices. I mean all of the stories in this book are great, but those two brought the most out in me by way of all out creep-factor.

The town of Goblin is definitely a major character itself in this book. And, with most of these stories leaning heavily on native culture and their displeasure with the way that white men had taken their land and their lives, I found that I certainly wasn't expecting it, but definitely enjoyed the aspect. It brought an originality to the book.

Malerman is a true storyteller. I have enjoyed his previous work, I enjoyed this, and I will most likely enjoy his work to come.

Goblin is a place you won't soon forget. The story is told through six novellas and a prologue and epilogue that ties them together. Everything happens in one night and every character is somehow related. Unlike a lot of short stories or novellas, where each story stands alone, nothing in Goblin is not connected.
The residents are all shall we say unique. I mean this is a town where the dead are buried standing up, and if that isn't enough to make you wonder what the heck is going on in Goblin, I am not sure what will. I felt the same way I feel about Castle Rock, Maine, Goblin is not I place where I would want my car to break down!
I find myself challenged to review each novella without veering into spoiler territory. The best thing I can say is that if you like creepy atmospheric towns, you have chosen the right book. Everything fits together in the end, and if I had to choose my favorite, it would be Presto because I am a sucker for a bit of dark magic.
My favorite Josh Malerman book is still Bird Box, but I did enjoy this weird collection of tales, though I wasn't sad to leave Goblin and its sinister inhabitants behind. 3.5 stars.

Goblin is described as a novel in six novellas. I’d describe it as six loosely connected novellas – the primary connection being the town of Goblin.

I was intrigued by the town and I think I’d like an actual novel set there, but after reading these novellas, I can only describe it as a town where odd things happen and odder people live. But that’s as deep as it gets and I feel like there’s so much more story there.

The novellas themselves are uneven. My favorites were Presto – a very dark dale of even darker magic, A Mix-up At The Zoo – which broke my heart, and A Man in Slices – which was predictable, yet exciting.

The others? Not so much.

I still like the author’s work in general and there are hints here of what makes his work sometimes iconic.

This one, however, just didn’t quite satisfy.

*ARC provided via Net Galley

Okay, I’m throwing in the towel. I’m not finishing. This is the 3rd Josh Malerman release in a row that just hasn’t worked for me, and I guess I’m done with him. These stories aren’t actively terrible—they’re just not clicking with me. I’m finding the town of Goblin not to be sketched out or developed really at all, and the characters that populate the stories I‘ve read thus far just aren’t interesting. This feels like the Creed or Daughtry of horror: pleasant, unchallenging, non-threatening to white folks. Ha!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, of course. I’m sure this collection will work for some other readers. It just wasn’t my bag.

Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh Malerman sounded like it was going to be right up my alley, but it never quite worked for me. Based on the description, I was expecting the town of Goblin was going to be something like Stephen King's Derry or Castle Rock, Maine, so maybe my expectations were much too high. Either way though I was never sucked in by the town and it never took on a life of its own. On a similar note, the inhabitants never had me coming back for more with each story either. Overall, I liked Malerman's Bird Box, but the novellas of Goblin just never quite fulfilled all of their potential.

Yesssssssssss FINALLY a collection of short horror stories that lived up to my expectations! I have been reading mysteries/horror and short stories in these genres almost my entire life...as a kid I devoured my mom's Ellery Queen magazines and I truly cut my teeth in the (adult) horror genre by reading a lot of Stephen King.

Goblin actually reminded me quite a bit of Stephen King's short story collection Night Shift, which is definitely my favorite of his. Goblin is unique in that each short story is about the town of Goblin and its citizens. Each story is very different from the last, contains creepy moments, interesting psychological meditations, and a dark, dark vibe.

I would love to see a Goblin Part 2 with more stories about this weird little town! Truly entertaining and enjoyable.

Have you ever wondered how urban legends begin? How town traditions get their start? Welcome to Goblin, where both the odd and the normal aspects of small-town living intersect. Where local legends of the past meet up with town notables of modern day. Where the rain never ends, and locals take pride in their shrubbery statues.

In Josh Malerman’s newest novel, six intersecting novellas usher us into the world of Goblin, where nothing is quite as it seems.

In our prologue we meet Tom, a delivery driver. Tom is tasked to deliver a large crate to Goblin, but certain conditions must be met. Right off the bat, something does not feel right about this trip to Goblin.

A Man in Slices- Richard’s life-long best friend Charles asks for his help in securing the affections of his girlfriend who wants “a legendary love,” better than that of Vincent VanGogh’s, and with bigger sacrifices.

Kamp- Kamp is terrified of ghosts. He is terrified of being terrified. He is so convinced that he will see a ghost, that he has rigged his home in every conceivable way to trap a ghost before the ghost can scare him first. Will he catch his ghost or scare himself in the process?

Happy Birthday, Hunter- A wealthy and renowned big game hunter celebrates his birthday with a meat-themed party. What does the hunter who has caught everything want for his birthday? One of Goblin’s famed but protected Great Owls. And he will set out to obtain one—at any cost.

Presto- In the pages of Presto magic magazine, a young boy learns that his favorite magician, Roman Emperor, is giving a one-night only performance in Goblin. Unbeknownst to the boy, the magician’s tricks are real—and he needs a volunteer for his final act.

A Mix Up at the Zoo- Dirk Rogers is a beloved fixture at the Goblin Zoo by day and works at the Goblin Slaughterhouse by night. The workload of two jobs is getting to him and something must give. He needs to decide how to lessen the stress of having two jobs before he breaks down and a tragic accident occurs.

The Hedges- A precocious young girl solves the legendary Goblin tourist attraction, The Hedges. The secret the owner hid at the end of the maze is one of the biggest mysteries of Goblin. The secret will lead the Goblin Police on a wild chase after the maze owner into the forbidden North Woods where nothing is as it seems.

We meet delivery driver Tom again in the epilogue, trying to deliver the crate to its intended recipient. Neither Tom, nor the crate’s recipient, and Goblin for that matter, are prepared for what is inside.

While I genuinely enjoyed this book, I am left with questions that did not get answered, which was a bit disappointing to me. I am also still unsure how I feel about the ending of the book. To me, it feels like there is more story that could be told, but maybe it is best left up to the reader’s own imagination to decide what is to occur in Goblin next.

For me, Goblin was an enjoyable read, and will be enjoyable as a re-read in the future. There was something in the novellas in every range of emotion—humor, chills, anger, and sadness. Malerman did an excellent job of connecting all the stories in the novel without making it feel forced or contrived. There are still so many mysteries and secrets out there in the Goblin rain, should Malerman decide to take us back for another visit someday and I hope that he will.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballentine for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was approved to receive an e-Galley ARC of Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas, authored by Josh Malerman, illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, from NetGalley and the publisher Del Rey for review consideration. What follows below is my honest review, freely given.

I rated this novel 5 stars. My favorite Malerman to date! Absolute giddiness when I was approved to review early, the name, the cover art; everything about this screamed perfect story. I was not disappointed. Even the forward, written by James A. Moore, moved me. He is the author of one my favorite under the radar trilogies, the Serenity Falls Series and I loved seeing his thoughts on reading Goblin.

PROLOGUE: WELCOME
Our introduction to Goblin really begins with a delivery man’s warmly recalled memory spoken to his boss when handed his last minute delivery. To me it spoke of a town that could do much, be much; and people would not necessarily feel aversion to the town, even if it was in their best interests.

A MAN IN SLICES
Each novella is more than its story, or the novel that it builds with the other five; beginning here we are given these tantalizing snippets of Goblin, whether modern day or flashes of its history. So we can be forgiven if, while our heart is shuddering for Richard and Charles, our mind is wondering in what way the cops of Goblin move like the dead.

KAMP
Here we given a satisfying dive into the founding of Goblin, from a history teacher with the town in his bones (I love this idiom!), fighting to keep his own fears at bay with a glass of wine and stories at a kind neighbors table.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUNTER!
What could be more innocent than a birthday party of bacchanalian and carnivorous delight? But the birthday boy wants a forbidden gift, one last trophy; he is willing to go into the North Woods to find it, and more. At in the corners, the shadows, more odd facts emerge to beguile us of Goblin’s proclivity to strangeness. I’m convinced his wife knew exactly what she was doing (baddest b*tch).

PRESTO
Magic and Goblin, not a match made in heaven—more like dark siblings, bonded together by secrets and pain. I wonder if Pete’s wildly waving hand is answered, and if so, will that be a kinder blessing than not?

A MIX-UP AT THE ZOO
Of all the novellas I think this gutted me the most; Goblin was merely the location of this tragedy, not the cause. I think. But it is a twisted and haunting tale to match its brother and sisters all the same.

THE HEDGES
Some answers give way to more questions, and when it comes to Goblin there will never be complete satisfaction. But out of the mouth of babes will lead us on a merry little chase; such wicked fun to be had, the police will keep us safe.

EPILOGUE: MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
It’s time for the delivery! I really can’t say anything more, but know that only a Gobliner can partake of the contents. You would be left out in the cold. Sad face.