First and foremost, I'm a big Malerman fan. I read BIRD BOX in its first year of publication and I've read everything from him since.

I missed out on the limited hardcover of this one, so it's great to see it gain new life.

I love the format of the book: One bookended short story, and six interconnected novellas. There was varying levels of quality on the novellas, with "A Man in Slices" and "Presto" as the highlights.

Overall, I'd say this collection (for lack of a better description of GOBLIN) falls somewhere in the middle of Malerman's catalog, quality-wise.

I love that these are all short horror stories that center around the same town with some of the same characters across them! The first one sets the tone with a creepy large box that has to be delivered in the dead of night.

Reading through all of them, I have to say my favorite was the magic show one. The deal with the devil that lead to him with real powers and a creepy assistant.

I love horror and while I love sitting down to a good long horror novel, I love the short stories just as much. They stories sit with you long after and leave you to wonder what happened after the story left off.

These novellas, all about the town of Goblin, will be sure to add tension to the life of any reader that dares to give them a chance.

“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. . . . “

I think this book is a solid three stars. I wanted to love it, and I had some tension and the anticipation of fear that didn’t actually materialize. I’d find myself keyed up, then annoyed when a novella would end abruptly.

Definitely worth the read, as I know there will be sure to be people that will get the thrills that Malerman was hoping to deliver.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Great book of short stories. Josh Malerman continues to impress. Fans of the horror genre will not be let down by Josh's writing.

Loved this book. Gobbled it up. Malerman seems to create a mythos when he creates, not just a story, as in Bird-Box, this is also a whole new world. Stories that interlock, and when he whispers them in your ear, your heart explodes, but it's a fine way to die. You can hear the author grinning as he writes this, its more fun than some of his heavier works, but with plenty of suspense and creative creatures.

After Bird-Box, this is my second favorite Malerman. Thank you, Josh. More please.

Finally! Goblin is available to the wider public. An endlessly inventive series of shorts all taking place in the titular town. Fantastic mythology that would make the perfect basis for a television series (or more stories!) A great place to visit, although you wouldn't want to live there. Malerman is an idea factory!

I have read Malerman's other novels and the only one I cared for was Bird Box. It was excellent. I didn't finish his last one. These short stories were mediocre. More like they were written for middle -grade children. Just not close to the writing he did with Bird Box. I truly hope that he gets better. The man has potential, we have seen it. So far, for me at least, he's been a one hit wonder.

I highly enjoyed these twisted tales. Some of the stories ended a little more abruptly than I liked, but they were all interesting and kept me reading. My favorite was The Hedges. I think my students at my library will enjoy these stories.

This is the 2nd book I’ve read by this author. Like many people I read Bird Box. I enjoyed it well enough. But after reading this, I don’t think this author is for me. The writing and stories weren’t bad AT ALL. He’s very skilled at weaving together creepy tales. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time but I struggled to get through this book. I loved the opening. And enjoyed parts throughout most stories.

Malerman is an extremely talented author and is great at creating tension. That said I found this collection a bit uneven. I like the idea of all the stories creating a "novel" or at least a narrative of the town itself, but some of the stories are not as strong as other. The first was great, the last was amazing, some in-between much less so. Well worth a read if you're a fan of the author, but it's more of a curiosity for people who are already fans I would say. Still enjoyable. 3/5 stars.

Malerman has become one of those authors who Is guaranteed to entertain. Whether it’s his novels, short fiction, or anything in-between, I haven’t found a Malerman piece that I don’t like. His unique ability to slowly ramp up tension until you’re just aching for it to snap, is on full display in Goblin.

This collection of unique novellas all center around the town Goblin. A town that is as dark and bizarre as its namesake. Mallerman somehow builds a place that is incredibly fleshed out and realized while only showing us the tip of the iceberg. The threads that run between the stories (and the town) all tie together, yet run deeper than I could imagine. This, the town of Goblin, is the real star of this book. The place feels like a living, breathing thing, one that will scare the crap out of you.

Each of the stories are extraordinary in their own way. There were some I enjoyed more than others, but all had the ability to suck me in while refusing to let go. My only problem was in the endings. Most stories just fell flat or petered out without the big crescendo you were craving. Yes, I wanted more by the time each ended because they were so good, but at the same time I wanted that big bang, the payoff, the thing that almost all seemed to lack. That being said, they were still well worth the read, I just wanted more.

Overall, Goblin is a book that feels much deeper than what you see on its surface, and if you get too close, it might suck you under.

Josh Malerman’s Goblin is a novella of six stories that showcase various citizens and visitors to the mysterious town of Goblin.

Overall, the novellas are just the right amount if weird and creepy to keep you guessing and reading. By the last novella, though, I felt like the characters seemed less unique and followed an archetype; therefore reading became a bit mire tedious toward the end as I felt less invested in the main characters and what happens to them.

As a fan if Malerman, I still recommend reading this one as it does fall nicely into the horror genre and his writing style is easy to enjoy and digest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a ride . Goblin, Not a place you think you want to visit, yet intriguing enough to actually go. All stories but one had me from the first word. Take a ride down to Goblin, you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Del Rey for allowing me to read the are of Goblin by Josh Malerman.
I am torn about this book. I'm not sure if I loved it or hated it.
The writing is good as usual and the book was creepy. Mt. Malerman does a great job with descriptions, so much so that if you are prone to nightmares, do not read this book at night! The stories all started out promising - intriguing characters, great storylines. Then they seemed to lose focus. Maybe more editing would have helped the stories to be "tighter".
It might just be me, but I didn't understand the ends of most stories - many seemed like a an anti-climax and needed one more sentence to actually be a conclusion to the story.
I think Mr. Malerman is a talented author with an amazing imagination!

A very interesting, very original and very strange collection. I love the little connection in every story and the spooky feel each one brings. Great for feeling the Halloween vibes whether it be the time of year or not.

I'd like to thank #NetGalley for the opportunity to read Goblin by #JoshGalerman. I found the book to be very intriguing the first story grabbed my attention and it continued to be held through the entire novel. I have to say that I love the fact that the book is set in Michigan as that is my home state. My favorite short story though was about the Great Owls. The first night I read the book I had mildly bad dreams, I kept dreaming about someone telling me they needed more parts, if you read the book you'll figure out what I am talking about. I want to give my many praises for this novel it is so very worth the read.






































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Goblin is a dark horror anthology by author Josh Malerman. The novel consists of six short stories, plus a prologue & epilogue that centers on an unusual small town known as Goblin, MI. The town of Goblin has a disturbing history, founded in the blood of the town’s settlers. A bizarre town in which the residents all seem to have an odd tale to tell, it never stops raining, and the dead are buried standing up. Reminiscent of King's 80's cult classic "Tales from the Darkside", each of the novellas presented are individually unique but contain familiar characters and events throughout to tie it all together. Here is a spoiler free preview of each of the stories included:
Prologue: Welcome- A man is asked to deliver an unusual package to one of Goblins founders.
A Man in Slices-A late night confession causes a man contemplates his friendship with a very troubled individual.
Kamp- A man who is convinced he will die from being scared to death.
Happy Birthday Hunter! - Goblin's most famed hunter makes a Birthday wish to add the one animal he can't have to his collection.
Presto- A remarkable magician and his assistant show Goblin's residents the most terrifying trick of all.
A Mix-Up at the Zoo- A man's new job at the zoo results in some dark fantasies.
The Hedges- A young girl, the first to complete Goblin's hedge maze, tells the police what she found.
Epilogue: Make yourself at Home- The conclusion to the prologue in which we finally discover what was being delivered.
Although it wasn't one of my favorite reads by this author, Goblin was a nice escape into a bizarre town where the residents are just as odd. A quick and entertaining read that will have you keeping the lights on at night.

“Goblin” is the story of tortured, tormented, haunted town told in six novellas and it is quite a mixed bag. I really like “Goblin”, but I don’t love it. It has a sort of campfire scary story feel to it. Each story packs some wonderfully crafted town histories within their arc as well as intriguing characters. while the stories are entertaining and somewhat eerie I never found any to be as scary or intimidating as the title and cover art would have you believe. Most of the novella’s in here are composed of lots of great ideas but none of them ever mesh into really great pieces of horror fiction. They are just kind of fun,spooky, or sad and that’s ok I still had a good time. I waffled between 3 and a half or 4 stars on this one. Probably closer to 3 and a half. Give it a shot!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3851390553
posted - 2/21/21- Goodreads

SPOILERS*******

Thank you to Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Never Magic For Money:

I went in to this book with fairly high expectations. I loved Birdbox, it was a short creepy thriller that checked off all my boxes. It was honest and straight forward. Goblin on the other hand was a roller coaster of let downs and high points. Beware SPOILERS:

Goblin is a collection of six short stories, book-ended by an intro story. All the stories center around the non-existent town of Goblin. The collection starts with the short intro "Welcome".

"Welcome" is about a delivery driver who is tasked to take a delivery to a customer in the town of Goblin at midnight. The driver has very specific instructions, one stating that "if the customer does not answer, destroy the delivery". The strange promise that this intro story made, while not paying off in all the stories, was intriguing enough to keep me on the hook. I really enjoyed the pacing and the mystery of this story.

Next up: " A man in slices" tells the story of Richard and Charles. Two boyhood friends who reconnect while in college under the most awful of reasons. I did not care for this story. I felt like I did not connect with the characters, and the ending was boring. Richard is the only friend of Charles, who is by all accounts a full blown psychopath. They form a friendship where Richard is strangely devoted to Charles and is loyal without fail. During an incident with Charles at camp, his psychotic nature is on full display when he goes missing while swimming. The teenage counselors lose their minds trying to find him. When they are all certain that Charles has drowned, Charles surfaces and the counselors, rather then be relieved, realize that there is something seriously wrong with Charles. Later in the story, Charles meets a woman while at a wedding. They set off on a romance that would make even Van Gogh squeamish.

"Kamp" tells the story of local historian Charles Kamp. Kamp is neurotic (to say the least) and has removed all the walls in his apartment. Kamp has set up multiple cameras and alarms, and removed every single covering in his apartment so there is no where to hide. I hated this story.....I just despised it. The writing was all over the place and there was nothing to it. The titular character Kamp says multiple times that he "is afraid of being scared to death". Kamp gets up from sleep every hour to check the footage of his security cameras. Paranoia not so slowly setting in. Kamp is called next door to discuss history with his elderly neighbor during the night in an effort to "calm him down" so he suspects. Kemp then goes back to his room and is presumably scared to death by an apparition that appears under his bed. This story was a total slog and waste of time for me.

"Happy Birthday, Hunter" is the story of the debauched sixtieth birthday party of Neal "Hunter" Nash. Neal is the most prolific and accomplished hunter of the town of Goblin. During the party Neal grows bored and decides to pursue his real desire. Neal and his closest compatriots drunkenly sojourn to the mysterious north woods so Neal can hunt a prized Great Owl. The Great Owls are sacred animals in Goblin and the idea of hunting them is a sacrilege, an affront to the town itself. The north woods are a sacred place. No one goes there. This is due in part because even competent explorers get immediately turned around and lost in the strange topography. Hunter is able to bag a prized owl only after the horrible death of one of his friends at the hand of the owls. Hunter then returns to the party and receives his "real gift" from his wife: a stuffed sacred owl, that she had killed the week prior. Neal loses it since he thought he was the first ever to kill one. This story was interesting and the first higher point in the book.

"Presto" I adored this story. It left me wanting a full length novel on the subject. It was easily my favorite and stand alone it would have gotten five stars. Roman Emperor is a rising magician on the circuit whose act stuns and scares his audience. His fellow magicians begin to gossip that he has been involved in "dirty magic". This story is told primarily from two points of view, from Roman Emperor who develops a single minded obsession with becoming the worlds best magician, and Pete his most eager fan. Roman practices his craft obsessively, but on his first show is a flop. Despite all of his single minded effort, he will never make it on the circuit, until one fate filled night where he "sells his soul" (maybe?) for unthinkable power. Pete who is obsessed with magic discovers that Roman Emperor will be coming to the town of Goblin and performing a midnight show. Pete becomes obsessed with going to the show and steals from his mother and sneaks out to do it. Roman and Pete's paths will cross and to what end, we do not know. Again, I loved this story. I can't say it enough, the writing was tight and focused. Although the story is not particularly original from the perspective of the overall subject matter, Roman was the book's most developed character.

"A mix up at the zoo" Dirk and his friend are tired of their jobs so they decide to switch. Dirk takes over doing tours at the zoo and his friend takes over his job as a trash man. Dirk then does tours till he can't take it anymore. He also takes on a job doing tours at the local slaughterhouse (really??). HE does this so much that the days and tours start blurring together. The consequences are horrible. I HATED THIS STORY. I didn't care about Dirk. it just felt really heavy handed. Dirk eventually decides to quit his job in an effort to escape the cage that he is in, much like the animals in the zoo. On the day he is to turn in his notice, his jobs blend together to the point that he unknowingly slaughters the prized gorilla at the zoo. He goes out that night to celebrate with quitting his job when he and his friend meet some ladies at a bar. He brings his romantic interest to the zoo, where he discovers the dead gorilla...."I worked at the house (slaughterhouse) today didn't I?"....what a slog.

"The Hedges" tells the story of Margot, a young girl who solves "the hedges" a huge unsolvable hedge maze created by Wayne Sherman, a local artist who constructed it to honor his late wife. The Hedges is a local tourist attraction that has never been solved (it is over two football fields long). When Margot solves the maze she finds the prize at the end and goes to alert the Goblin Police as to what is at the end of the maze. She also lets Wayne know that she will be going to the police. I really enjoyed this story, despite its shortcomings. The prize at end, the key to the city...yawn, is supposed to keep the city in check if it resides at city hall. So in an effort to keep the ghosts of Goblin active and un-caged, Wayne has hidden the key from the authorities. The Police and the hedge maze are the starts of this story. My god were they creepy. I loved the authors portrayal of the Police in this story. I wanted more and was so intrigued by their motives. I wish he would do more with that. The hedge maze was so neat and wanted more detail.

"epilouge: Make yourself at home" is the ending and bookend to "welcome". The promise of the beginning his dashed with this snooze of an ending. The package opens and kills the intended recipient. Then Tom, our driver, is forced to drive the ghost/vampire/ghoul whathaveyou around Goblin for it's reckoning with the citizens of the town....SNOOZE..

Overall I was disappointed with this book, but man I loved Presto. The Hedges was a great ride too.

Welcome to the cursed town of Goblin, very aptly named; a place where Halloween might be every day in one way or another. The stories are atmospheric, the inhabitants Gothic and morose. That being said, they keep your attention all through the book, from page to page of sadness and revenge.Save this one for a dark and rainy day, as it rains in Goblin nearly every day and will set the perfect mood.
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