'Atmospheric buildup leading to underwhelming resolution' is the blanket statement describing my overall impression of Goblin.

I love what Josh Malerman is attempting here: having a collection of distinct stories set in the same fictional location with interconnecting details. Judging solely from this aspect, Goblin is flawlessly immersive; painting a vivid picture of this always-rainy town named Goblin, and casting a deep web of its troubled history. I don't particularly mind there are lingering mysteries remaining unresolved—leaving plenty of room for a second installment, of which I'm more than intrigued to revisit. (Goblin was first published back in 2017, this is a re-release)

So it's quite disappointing to say all the stories here are plagued by one common issue: subpar ending. Either they are extremely predictable (A Mix-Up at the Zoo, A Man in Slices), or completely out of left field, dissipating narrative momentum and adding even more unanswered questions (Presto, The Hedges). Even the more cohesive ones kind of peter out, leaving readers with a sense of 'that's it?' rather than a sharp, clean finish.

Usually within a short stories collection there are identifiable highs and lows, but Goblin is a case of unrewarding uniformity; even though the tales all contain immersive environment, unique creepy element, and lore bleeding with potential, they are all ultimately bogged down by their misaligned closures. I do, however, still wish there will be a round two with the town of Goblin in the future—fingers crossed for better endings!

I've been a fan of Josh Malerman's since Bird Box came out. And I was really excited when I saw this new book posted. It's been a while since I found an author that I was "obsessed" with (meaning I'll jump on any book the man puts out). I really dug this, a collection of connected novellas, but like any collection some were better than others. I'm thankful to the publisher and netgalley and Josh Malerman for the hook up on this one. This is a book, that even though I've already read it, I will still be buying it come pub day--would like to see this as a hardcover on my shelf with the rest of Malerman's works.

Overall a good story. The book kept me interested in the town of Goblin, but the individual stories lacked the compassion that I wanted to push me through. I loved the prologue, as it set the stage of what was to come, and really pulled me in.

A fun collection of novellas with thin connective tissue. Some stories were stronger than others, but overall I had fun. Ultimately Goblin failed to feel real enough to really sell me on some of the stories, unfortunately.

Goblin is a decent collection of novellas centered around a cursed rainy town. Strange characters range from spooky owls, creepy shrubbery, lovesick and overworked psychopaths, scaredy cats, a soulless magician, a zombie assistant, a toothless witch, and putty policemen. Slightly disappointed at the lack of actual goblins in this town. Favorites were: A Man in Slices, Presto, and the prologue. Kamp was the only story that I really didn't care for, the rest were fine they just felt like they were missing something.

Thank you to the publisher, author. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Malorie comes a chilling story that revolves around a mysterious small town, revealing its sinister secrets one by one.

Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with the master storyteller Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Welcome to Goblin....

A Man in Slices: A man proves his “legendary love” to his girlfriend with a sacrifice even more daring than Vincent van Gogh’s - and sends her more than his heart.

Kamp: Walter Kamp is afraid of everything, but most afraid of being scared to death. As he sets traps around his home to catch the ghosts that haunt him, he learns that nothing is more terrifying than fear itself.

Happy Birthday, Hunter!: A famed big-game hunter is determined to capture - and kill - the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl who lives in Goblin’s dark forests. But this mysterious creature is not the only secret the woods are keeping.

Presto: All Peter wants is to be like his hero, Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world. When the famous magician comes to Goblin, Peter discovers that not all magic is just an illusion.

A Mix-Up at the Zoo: The new zookeeper feels a mysterious kinship with the animals in his care...and finds that his work is freeing dark forces inside him.

The Hedges: When his wife dies, a man builds a hedge maze so elaborate no one ever solves it - until a little girl resolves to be the first to find the mysteries that wait at its heart."

I am totally here for the hedge maze and that delightfully eighties cover art.

Finally, a much needed re-issue of this marvelous masterpiece of dark fantasy. It was originally published in October 2017 by small press publisher, Earthling, as a 500 book , signed , limited edition book to commemorate Halloween. Therefore it was exposed only to a very small audience. This May, 18, 2021 it will finally. be published by Del Rey / Random House in a format allowing it the exposure that it deserves. Josh Malerman become heralded after the release of his 2014 novel, Bird Box was reimagined as a Netflix movie in December of 2018. Malerman has previously demonstrated his excellence in the short form, and it is no great surprise when he expertly weaves together six novellas ( approximately 60 pages each ) with an unsettling framing story to awaken all to the presence of the uneasy mythic history of small town Goblin, Michigan. The gestalt of the whole is certainly more unnerving than the separate tales. All tales maintain a sense of dread and paranoia. Malerman is a master of subtle horror ... don't expect on stage gore and blood letting ... but rather, relentless building of tension and dread. Throughout the linked stories, appear the same town landmarks , streets, and some of the same characters. In Perish Park, there is a yearly celebration with the recreation of the strangling of one the early politicians. Just outside of town is the mysterious North Woods, which is forbidden to trespass due to the presence of a vindictive and legendary Witch .... any who enter loose their way and never return. This location also houses the endangered and protected Great Owls. Also intertwined is the presence of the ever present relentless and merciless rain, that never seems to abate. And, the Goblin Police force takes on mythic proportions. Described as slow, sluggish, clumsy with inordinately long arms, framing pale fatty bodies with toilet-white flesh ... and always with sunglasses on to cover their unnatural eyes. The lands that Goblin sits on is reported to be haunted and damned by the indigenous Native Americans, who had the land stolen from them by the treacherous white men.
Just a sampling of the six tales: A MAN IN SLICES: ... a man proves his devotion and love to a long distance girlfriend by sending her body parts ... KAMP:... Walter Kamp removes all the walls in his apartment ... so no ghost can sneak up on him and "scare him to death" ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUNTER ... the famed hunter, Neal Nash on the eve of his birthday party enters the forbidden North Woods, to bag one of the protected Great Owls with unintended consequences .... PRESTO: ... we learn of the infamous magician, Roman Emperor, whose magic appears to be real ... and not a trick ... but, who does he owe for these skills? .... HEDGES: ... a young girl reaches the end of the previously unfathomable puzzle of the Hedges.... apparently she uncovers an unexpected treasure at its end .... A MIX-UP AT THE ZOO ... a dreaded and unfortunate mix-up occurs when Dirk Rogers becomes overwhelmed from working his two jobs... at the beloved Hardy Carroll Goblin Zoo and the despised "House" (the towns notorious slaughterhouse)
Malerman is a master of evoking dread and terror through his evocative and almost poetic prose. He populates his stories with things and sounds that slither and scurry, just out of reach. One of his characters awakens daily as an optimist, only to fall asleep in despair. Something always seems to just out of reach .... unattainable. Horror doesn't always have to scare .... sometimes a profound sadness results.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to Malerman's next offering, which I will fiendishly devour..
( at readersremains.com. and. mysteryandsuspense.com )

Thanks to NetGallery for an advance electronic copy of Goblin by Josh Malerman!

I'm rating this collection at 3.5. I've got mixed feelings about Josh Malerman. I did read "Bird Box" and thought it was okay, and definitely didn't think it lived up to the hype. I then jumped into "Inspection" and absolutely loved it So, when I received my ebook of "Goblin" from NetGallery, I was really curious as to how things would shake out. Well, I'm hear to tell you, I'm about as torn about this collection as I am about the other two Malerman books I have read.

Upon reading the Prologue, I was very excited, it was creepy, and really set the mood for the type of collection that I was hoping for. Next, we moved into "A Man In Slices", which totally pulled me away from my initial "high hopes". I found the story to be pretty bland and really, the ending seemed forced and disappointing.

Then we get to "Kamp". This story started out really good. I think there was a real connection with the character of Walter Kamp, and probably some deeper seeded meaning to his paranoia. I really saw this story heading in a different and more satisfying direction, but at the end, I was left with the "rushed" feeling that I got with "A Man In Slices".

"Happy Birthday Hunter" was enjoyable, not my favorite story in the collection, but after the first two, it really kind of brought me back into the book. The ending left me feeling disappointed, but the "disappointment" fit the story well, and I can appreciate that.

"Presto" was probably my favorite story in the collection. It was pretty simple, but the characters were set up well, and the story was pretty neat and well put together. It left a lot of questions at the end, but there are a lot of good short stories that do just that.

I'm really torn about "A Mix Up At the Zoo". The story was creepy, really creepy. I really liked the main character, and I thought the deep dive into his psyche was really good. However, the ending was not good at all. This story deserved so much better.

"The Hedges" was good. I wish we could have learned more about what the police actually were, but I found it to be a good and engaging story.

Finally, the "Epilogue". Tying up the story from the Prologue, this was a huge let down. I almost wish it wasn't included. I kind of liked the open end of the prologue, and this Epilogue only let it down.

Overall, this collection was okay. I never felt like I wanted to put it down, but I don't know that it's one I would recommend to friends and family.

**I was provided with an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Josh Malerman returns with his newest novel, Goblin. The novel is composed of six intertwining stories of characters that all live in the city of Goblin, a city with a rich and twisted history full of secrets. Each story layers on the previous to reveal more and more of the strange happenings of Goblin and the ghosts that haunt the residents.

This is my first experience with Josh Malerman, as I missed all the hype for his previous works. As for Goblin, I was able to see that Josh Malerman's writing style is very clean and developed with mindfulness. I very much enjoyed the crafting of Goblin and the stories that built the city and its inhabitants.

Unfortunately, the book as a whole did suffer from its formatting for me. While cleverly intertwined, I simply don't tend to build as much investment in short stories. I liked certain main characters over others and, as a result, was more interested in some story lines over others. This is definitely a personal preference issue rather than any fault of the author.

I am absolutely interested in exploring Josh Malerman's backlist and am glad to have had the opportunity to read this work early.

I tried getting into the book multiple times. The beginning and the first story were very good, but then it just didn't hold my attention anymore.
Most of the stories felt drawn out, and could've come to end a lot sooner. Sadly, in most stories the ending wasn't worth waiting for.
I really wanted to love this book, but just didn't.

I’ve been wanting to read something by Malerman for a while, and I don’t know if this is the best place to start. It was pretty good overall, but definitely super light reading that veered a bit more towards a YA Creepshow than I was expecting. I wish that it was one story about the town rather than a collection of short stories. I would really like to learn more about the town and spend time with a specific character for a bit because there are things in the story that feel more like random occurrences that would be nice to have some context for. Like the people getting buried standing up and the constant rain and key to the city and all that. This feels more like it would be a short story collection sequel to another novel set in this town. It wasn’t terrible at all, though. Some of the stories are pretty fun and I enjoyed reading it overall. Thanks to Random House for the ARC!

This is an interesting way to tell a story of a spooky small town. There are six novellas. Each one is about different people in Goblin. All together, they tell the fascinating backstory to Goblin's creation. Most of the stories have a delightful twist at the end, but one story disappointed me. It was the magician one. After a couple of stories, I felt the lack of diversity in the main characters.

In the end, I still had questions about this town. Why are the corpses buried standing up? What is the deal with the police? Are they even human? Also, why did this have to end on a cliffhanger?

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy.

I think Josh Malerman just isn't for me. His books start off good then I start to read more I lose interest to the point they become cheesy to me.

4.5 Stars

I absolutely LOVED this book! Which seems to be very contradictory to many other reviewers.

Goblin is a fictional town whereby the prologue, epilogue and the 6 central novellas all occur within and around. Goblin is a strange place and is considered by many to be a haunted place. The natives referred to Goblin as a place that absolutely no one should reside, that it should remain untouched and undeveloped. However, it didn’t stay that way and ultimately Goblin was settled. A place whose locals love for all its weirdness and quirks. Even the fact that it rains in Goblin more than any of city in the country.

It isn’t explicitly stated (at least I don’t remember it being) but this is written in a way that leads the reader to believe that these 6 separate, but sometimes intertwined novella stories, are all occurring in one particular day. A day where the rains are so bad, even by Goblin standards, that there is talk of a possible flood. Of it possibly being the worst rainfall Goblin has ever seen. And it definitely sets the stage for the strange and bizarre stories that follow. I truly loved all of the stories, including the prologue/epilogue which contains its own story. I won’t be summarizing the separate stories as the synopsis for this book already covers that. However, I will note that there are specific animal related trigger warnings.

SPOILERS!!!!

TW: three animal related deaths; 1) hunting related and occurs off page. 2) hunting related and occurs on page. 3) occurs on page and you know what is done but the more upsetting details are provided after the death has occurred.

END SPOILER!!!!

For all the praise I’m giving this collection/story, I couldn’t quite give it a full 5 stars because there were things I just wish had been explained more. I do think it was intentional of the author to not give all the details as the town of Goblin isn’t even fully understood by the residents themselves so there inevitably were going to be some things that remained a mystery. But still,

SPOILERS!!!!!

what was up with the Goblin police offers? Who/what the heck was the North Wood witch and how was she and the police tied to the key to the city? WHAT WAS IN THE FREAKING BOX?!!!

END SPOILER!!!

This is a collection I’m going to come back to. Who knows? I may notice details in a second read through that I didn’t ping on the first read through. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys speculative/horror fiction with a sprinkling of paranormal.

Release April 6, 2021

ARC from Del Rey via Netgalley

This started out incredibely strong, I was absolutely sucked into the prologue and first novela - creepy, atmospheric, and such fun to read. Unfortunately, as the novellas progressed, I lost steam reading them, they didn't hold my attention and felt too long. The last novella and epilogue brought back the great atmosphere and creeps. Ovearll, 3 stars.

Book Review for Goblin by Josh Malerman
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

This novel contains six novellas connected to the town of Goblin, a place where things don’t usually seem to go the right way. I was super excited to read this because I have read several other books by Josh Malerman and really enjoyed them, but I guess this one just wasn’t for me. There were some parts I enjoyed, like the entirety of ‘A Man in Slices,’ one of the novellas, but overall, I was bored and confused unfortunately. Maybe the stories just went over my head, but I didn’t really like them all that much, which I am sorry about. However, I am still a fan of Malerman’s works and will be keeping an eye out to see what he writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC of Goblin by Josh Malerman!

When I saw that I got an arc for this book I audibly gasped because I AM A HUGE FAN OF JOSH MALERMAN. I remember reading Bird Box right when it first came out (and I haven’t seen the movie and prob never will because I’m a snob and think it will ruin the sanctity of the book so don’t even bring up the movie to me) and it was one of my favorite books of that year. So obviously I was interested in this, plus I’m a sucker for creepy small town stories. Goblin has got to be one of the weirdest of the creepy small towns. Also, they’re really obsessed with owls. I read this book cozy under the covers to the sound of rain and it was PEAK experience 10/10 would recommend.

This book sucks you in from the first page. The prologue might possibly be the best book prologue I’ve ever read, and definitely the best horror prologue. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay on the level that the prologue was for the whole book. As with any anthology, there’s good stories and bad stories, so it was rocky. Some of the stories were good, some were not so great. It was very up and down, but then again I don’t think I’ve ever read an anthology where every single story was consistently good. By far the best story was the one about the magician. That one alone makes this worth reading. I was upset when that one was over because I didn’t want it to end!

Overall I teetered between a 3 or 4 stars, but decided to round up to 4. More accurately this is a 3.5 star read, because not every story was consistently good. Without the magician story this would definitely be 3 stars! Also, the ending just did not make sense to me and left a lot of unanswered questions. Personally I thought it was a bit underdeveloped but closing it with the ending to the prologue was a brilliant move, structure wise!

Thank you to netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Come visit the town of Goblin! Take a tour of the local zoo! Or slaughter house! Try not to get lost in the Hedges! Make friends who will love you to pieces! Listen to heart breaking stories in the great North Woods! Get to know the resident party animals! Make sure you bring your umbrella!
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Mysterious boxes, the danger of a ride-or-die friend, magic, ghosts, witches, massive topiaries, an impossible hedge maze, a cursed beginning, and oh that unrelenting Goblin rain!
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This novel is told in six novellas, connected and creeping together like the branches of the wicked trees of the North Woods. I LOVED it. Definitely my favorite Malerman so far. I was creeped out, grossed out, and I even cried. And the Goblin police 😰 The very first novella will hook you right away. With each tale, you’ll learn more and more about the history of this fantastic and terrible town, while getting to know the hearts and minds of its residents. I just love a thoughtful, detailed story ❤️ I don’t want to give too much away, but believe me, you don’t want to miss this one!
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Thank you to Mr. Malerman for being our guide through haunting history of Goblin!

This review will be posted in Instagram @gracecookiereads on 3/26/21

Weird towns, we love to see them, and I’m always interested when a previously rare book is republished. I was excited for Goblin the premise sounded good, I love novellas, and the idea of interconnected stories that tell a greater narrative about a town is solid. The idea is good, but the execution was lackluster at most and terribly boring at worst.

Happy Birthday, Hunter! was my favorite story of the bunch, the characters and atmosphere are perfect, and the ending was satisfying. A Man in Slices was also decent, while it drags at parts, the idea of having a friend that’s not quite right was well delivered. Even for the stories that I didn’t care for as much, Malerman always succeeds in creating creative plots with some genuinely tense moments that give me pause.

These strengths are bogged down by overwritten stories with often predictable or underwhelming endings. A few had the potential to be really great, I always started off liking many of the stories, but the stories meander so much that the point becomes lost, such as in Kamp and Presto. If I were to be perfectly honest, I was very tempted to not finish this book, each story eventually started to become a slog to get through and I started to lose interest during the last couple of stories. I’ll still read more books by Malerman, but this one just didn’t do it for me.