Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Josh Malerman for an e-ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I was really excited to dive into this one. The synopsis was pretty vague, only giving you the information that something named Pearl is outside making people want to kill. I was surprised to find out this is a re-released book previously published under the name "On this, the Day of the Pig." With its previous title, I must admit I never would have picked this up.

Pearl is, as you may have guessed, a psychopathic and telepathic pig very reminiscent of Grodd from the Flash. For me, this is the kind of storyline I can watch on TV but really have no interest in reading about. I do feel a bit misled but I decided to give this a go anyway. I wanted the eerie reading experience I got from the beloved 'Bird Box.' Instead I got a somewhat confusing, very gorey tale of revenge. I was hoping for maybe a display of animal ethics but considering Pearl only cared about Pearl, I can't really say it had anything to do with ethics. I was also quite confused about the extent of Pearl's powers as they seemed to change throughout the book. Malerman's use of stream of consciousness through inner monologues of characters adds some realistic elements to the story. This was a very fast paced, action packed story of unpredictable horror.

I think fans of creature horror will really enjoy this one. The level of gore is pretty up there and Malerman's writing is, as always, very good. Fans of gore will also really enjoy this. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me and the inconsistencies in the story along with all the gore really wasn't what I was looking for.

Pearl is the story of a family farm and three generations of its caretakers. The original title, On This, the Day of the Pig, is sufficiently referential (along with the superb cover art) to convey the pulp-horror qualities of the story. That depiction, however, misrepresents the considered depth and sincerity in the story, which is why I’ve done a 180-degree turn on that issue and decided the title change was a good one. The more enigmatic, simplified title and cover should attract a wider audience, many of whom will be pleased they took the plunge. Despite the outlandish plot, Pearl is far from being a caricature of B-movie horror, taking the reader on a journey that evokes haunted houses, demonic possession and the purest form of monstrosity.

A story about a telepathic pig just shouldn’t be poignant, but that’s exactly what this peculiarly porcine presentation is. Malerman’s previous release, a collection of interconnected novellas about the town of Goblin, is set in the same rural surroundings as Pearl. Goblin had a distinctively Castle Rock-like feel to it that never quite settled into place for me, with a strange alchemy of sentimentality, humor and pulpy horror tropes. Pearl, on the other hand, strikes the ideal balance with meaningful, if somewhat one-dimensional characters and a layered narrative that functions as a mind-warping fever dream, a pointed moral commentary and a linear story, all at the same time.

The author’s latest follows in the tradition of A House at the Bottom of a Lake or Unbury Carol, rather than something with the complexity of Inspection or the Malorie series. The word “legend” is appropriate in describing Pearl because it is more a story about mythology and symbolism than chronology and real-world consequences. That being said, the imagery in this story is some of the most disturbing and terrifying Malerman has written. Snap on your overalls and grab a straw hat--hop in and take a tour of the farm on this blood-soaked hay ride with Pearl…(On This, the Day of the Pig).

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

I requested this ARC novel on the recommendation of my FaceBook Thriller page. So glad I did. I would grab his books again.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. Then I got to the part of a pretty gruesome scene early on in the book and didn't bother me. The more the story went on, the more used to the gore I got. I read Stephen King and his never bothers me, but this book did. I honestly don't know what to think about a telepathic pig at this point. I was going to finish this just to see what happened but I was skimming at this point. I already wasn't loving it at all. And then a part at 64% just plain grossed me out. So much so that I shut my Kindle and said I refuse to read any more of this trash. I told my hubby that I wasn't finishing the book, and had him read the part about the overbreeding pig section of the book. He even got disgusted and say WHY is that even in a book, why write something like that. Even if you think it like that, it has no place in a book. He understood why I won't finish this book. Thank you for the ARC but I will not go any further or read any more of this author's books. That part did NOT need to be included!!

JOSH MALERMAN AT IT AGAIN. I cannot tell you how EXCITED I was to be approved for the newest Malerman. This book was one of a kind. This was creative and intelligent but also creepy as heck.

I’m not someone who scares easily but this book freaked me out; plain and simple. Early on I put the book down, creeped out by what I read. I contemplated not picking it up again but I couldn’t resist Pearls song. I may never look at a pig the same way. The imaging is creepy and dark.

Pearl is a big with a mission. He is telepathic and sociopathic. He lures in other animals as well as people with his authoritative voice. “Sing for Pearl” he says. And you will.

This book is disturbing and creepy. I’m pretty sure I said creepy at least twice but its true. It really scared me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

If Charlotte's Web met Animal Farm, and then turned - with all its bloody magnificence - into Thankskilling, it might just be this book. Smart, terrible, and ultimately far more horrifying than it rightly should be, PEARL might just be Malerman's best.

After a bit of reading, I realized I had read this before, being a huge Josh Malerman fan. I did not re-read it, to be honest, because I remember it well. Very unique and creepy. Still remains a good one! Won’t give anything away here lol.

I loved the movie The Bird Box (I haven’t read the book) so I was excited to get an ARC for this book. Honestly, if I had known Pearl by Josh Malerman was about a killer pig, I never would have requested it. This book just wasn’t for me. 30% in, it’s a DNF for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thought "Pearl" sounded familiar only to realize I have indeed read it before. Originally Pearl was released under the title "On This Day, the Day of the Pig". This story has a super creepy villain, one that is not human. Pearl is a pig that can control minds. The story is tense, scary and will have readers on the edge of their seats. The story is told from multiple POVs and can get a little confusing but the overall it's pretty good. This story does contain blood & gore. This will be a great spooky season read!
Pearl is available for purchase on October 12th
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from this author and it was just one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about. The plot was so extremely original and just completely drew me in. This is not to say that it was not insane and just a completely maniacal one. This was completely unsettling and had such a retro 80's feel to it that made me reminiscent of the first scary movies that I saw while growing up. I never imagined that I would read a book about a telepathic pig, but am glad I did. I definitely want to read more from this author to see what else he sings about. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I had read this book before as " The Day of the Pig", and didn't realize it was just a change of name & cover. Still, re-read it and enjoyed it. Great story , very unique idea. We need more unique ideas like this in horror.

I’m going to sell this to people as the horror version of Animal Farm…and what a mindfuck it is! Like I wanna smoke whatever Mr. Malerman was on when he thought of this one. We’re taken onto a farm where this fat old pig named Pearl controls the minds of all the humans and animals around him so that he can gain sole control of the farm. And yes, it is just as batshit insane as it sounds.

What if you were tired of always being slave to a master? What if you knew that there was more out there you hadn’t learned or experienced yet? What if you just plain wanted revenge?

Such is the premise of Josh Malerman’s tale <i> Pearl </i>, about a pig who has the power to do all of that, and rather enjoys it. This is another horror vein that Malerman does exceptionally well. Horror fans will appreciate the addition of <i>Pearl</i> to the family of crazed animal killers like Stephen King’s <i> Cujo.</i>

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishing, #Ballantine, and the horror guru Josh Malerman ( @JoshMalerman ) for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions, for which I didn’t have to sing!

Grab yours October 12, 2021!

The best horror story about a pig you will likely ever read. Imagine It, but with a pig instead of a clown.

Pearl is the horror novel you never saw coming. Originally released under the title On This Day, the Day of the Pig, this story features the creepiest villain possible for fans of the childhood classic, Charlotte's Web, a pig. Yes, you read that right, the villain/major evil in this story is a pig. And not just any pig, a pig who can control minds.

While this book is no longer available with its original title, it is still a delightfully creepy tale. The book itself is super terrifying and tense, making readers feel like they're on the edge of their seats the entire time. This book, while featuring much of Malerman's signature writing style, also reminded me of Grady Hendrix's 70's/80's style horror novels. This story has multiple POVs (including our lovely porcine demon), which does make it just a tad confusing. Having only read bits and pieces of his full-length works, and short stories from Malerman, I definitely think that I prefer his short stories.
Trigger Warnings: Blood, gore, and more

Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded to 2)

Pearl will be available for purchase on October 12th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available to buy. Also, be sure to check out Josh Malerman's website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I requested this as soon as I noticed the author….big fan of Josh Malerman. I didn’t even read the summary before I stared to read. My first thought was “Really? A pig? This is disappointing.” I was so wrong! I should have known that this author can take any concept and make it psychologically terrifying. Malerman is a master of unrelenting tension and terror.

I'm a big fan of Josh's work, I really think he's a fantastic spider. Pearl falls fall short of his past work. It's increasingly confusing premise and lack of character development leaves a ton too be desired.

I was a bit disappointed that this was a reissue of a book and not a new book, but decided from the beginning to, “put a pin in that”, and just judge the book on it’s own merits. It was a new story to me and I’m sure will be to many others also.
A bucolic farm; two boys and their mom visiting Grandpa….. Sounds innocent right? A talking pig on grandpa’s farm sounds familiar to any of us who have read E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web”. Pearl, however is not Wilbur, and no creative spider webs are spun by benign spiders in this book. Pearl, instead is the story of an evil, telepathic pig who spins his own web of death and carnage. I definitely recommend this book to horror fans, particularly those of Stephen King.

I’m a fan of Josh Malerman. The man knows how to produce original literary scares. But it hasn’t been an immediate and easy road, no grand first impressions. It was more along the lines of underwhelming firsts, followed by (interest rekindled by a thoroughly excellent Netflix adaptation of his most famous work) several good to great other works.
And then there was the recent Goblin, which was somewhere in the middle. Thing is, Goblin was a major publisher’s reprint, so technically, chronologically you can still say Malerman is progressing nicely, instead of, say, meandering, quality wise.
And so this book, much like Goblin, is a reprint of a limited Cemetery Dance edition book by a major nongenre publisher. But the thing is, it reads very much like a limited genre edition book, which is tom say it’s good for a selected genre fan base, but not necessarily the general public.
Me, I’m a genre fan. Unreservedly so. And whatever uneven love for Malerman’s work I might have, he’s the author whose books I’d download on name only. Which I did. Although in this instance a thoroughly plot summary read might have been advisable.
And so here you have it…Malerman at his most Orwellian with an animal farm you’re not likely to forget anytime soon, even as you walk away, think WTF was that. If this book doesn’t make you a vegetarian or at least Kosher, nothing will. In a comparison based advertisement style this is…Planet of the Apes Oink edition meets Charlotte’s Web with Babe thrown in for good measure. But really it’s just about the dire consequences of a farm animal gaining sentience on a level recognizable by and comparable to intelligence as the bipeds understand it.
It’s a surreal number with over the top violence and thoroughly disturbing themes and imagery, so in that way it’s definitely good for genre fans. But it also has a sort of trippy quality to it. Of all Malerman’s books so far, this is by far the most acid trip like. It also kind of seems like maybe it should have been a longer short story or a novella, but it got stretched out into a novel.
Not quite a creature feature, this book certainly offers the readers a different and memorable and strangely sympathetic monster. And it is well written, Malerman does that reliable enough. But it’s just so strange and weird (both of which are generally positive descriptors), but it’s strange and weird like a nightmare you wake up bewildered from, not a book you read.
Anyway, though were just some of my personal thoughts on this. It may work differently for different readers. Actually, I’m certain it will. And Malerman certainly continues to be the author to watch, if only based on the sheer originality and darkness of imagination. So read if you dare. Thanks Netgalley.