This story was something I was not able to get into. The setting and the age group was young, and normally that does not affect my ability to get into the story but I just found myself unable to fully immerse myself in this one and ended up putting it down after the halfway mark.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Let me just say that typically I love Josh Malerman's books. I even own The Ghoul 'N the Cape, which has become one of my favorite books ever. Bird Box was a classic of course, and Goblin had some great stories in it as well. Even Inspection had lower ratings and I loved that title as well. That being said, Daphne just didn't live up to my expectations. It felt like there were just too many characters being introduced and killed in the same chapter to care about any of them. I can see he was trying to do something different but I thought it was a misfire.

Josh Malerman has a distinct writing style and has quickly become a must-read author. I'm not a huge fan of slashers but as I'm a fan of Josh Malerman, I picked Daphne up. Daphne has this larger-than-life persona, an urban legend. There's no denying that Daphne is scary and absolutely demolishes those in her path. Unfortunately, Daphne took a backseat to all the basketball. Like it was a character of its own and I hate basketball! This might work as a YA horror but it just didn't work for me.

Daphne by Josh Malerman was a DNF for me. I liked Malerman's other titles and I was very excited for this one, but it just didn't thrill me like his others. That's not to say it was poorly written, I just didn't enjoy it.

Kit Lamb is on the cusp of her final summer—the last one before college, the farewell to her high school basketball team, and the end of her time with Dana, her closest friend. It's the bridge to a new chapter in her life. However, on the eve of a crucial game, a teammate spins a chilling ghost story about Daphne, a girl from their school who met a mysterious demise years ago. The narratives surrounding Daphne range from murder to suicide, with whispers of her lingering as a vengeful spirit, ready to strike anyone who thinks of her.

As the night unfolds, Kit's teammates mysteriously vanish, prompting her to question the authenticity of the tales about Daphne. A growing sense of dread takes hold, and Kit begins to wonder if her mind is conjuring the malevolent force. Racing against time, Kit embarks on a quest for the truth behind the legend, simultaneously confronting her fears. The narrative expertly weaves a coming-of-age story with elements of horror, crafting an atmosphere of underlying tension as Kit grapples with both her mental health and the looming threat.

The strength of the book lies in its exploration of Kit's psychological struggles and the mounting dread that permeates the narrative. "Daphne" emerges as a compelling blend of bloody horror and psychological thriller, capable of sending shivers down readers' spines. The characters, with their diverse perspectives and actions in relation to Daphne, contribute to the book's appeal. For enthusiasts of horror, darkness, and psychological thrillers, this gripping tale comes highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The love I have for Josh and his stories is infinite. This is easily one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. This one kept me riveted from the beginning. What an insane thrill ride. Can’t say enough good things.

This book was really difficult to get into. A girls basketball team haunted by a Bloody Mary esque type situation. Don’t say daphnes name. Don’t think of Daphne. Or bad things will happen. But when bad things start to happen how can you not think of her? Or say her name out loud? Honestly predictable and hard to get through. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Malerman delivers again with another book that is undeniably Malerman, but is, at the same time, entirely different from his other titles. He's the chameleon of horror, able to shift tones and voice so that each story feels unique. This book starts with a slow creeping anxiety and explodes into a classic slasher sure to delight fans of Friday the 13th. Throughout the classic tropes, Josh weaves a thread of compassion and an examination of how anxiety impacts a teen's life--and how it's a monster that can be beaten. This is the most "Stephen King-like" of Josh's titles to date, and might serve as a good bridge for readers who are looking for something similar to King's style, and eager to discover a new favorite author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Josh Malerman is a must-read for me. I love his books and have yet to be disappointed. Daphne is another great one and seriously spooky. Set around a high school girls’ basketball team, during a sleepover, Natasha tells the team about Daphne. She lived in the town but was murdered. Now she haunts people and will kill you if you think about her too much.

Kit has anxiety and, of course, can’t stop thinking about Daphne. When other team members are killed, one at a time, Kit is sure Daphne is coming for her next. What I loved about this book is how real the anxiety descriptions were. Intrusive thoughts suck, and Malerman captured this perfectly but in a more terrifying way. Because Daphne will literally kill you if you can’t stop thinking about her…. or so the legend says….

I think that at this point, I just need to accept that Malerman might not be for me. While I enjoyed Bird Box and House at the Bottom of the Lake, everything else I've read of his has largely been a miss for me.

I had a difficult time with this one due to the heavy focus on basketball. It's just... not something that interests me. Combine that with the fact that I have a difficult time connecting to teenage characters, and this just did not work for me. I ended up not finishing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Seriously, Josh Malerman is such a great storyteller!!! Daphne is a freaky, scary book that will totally make you paranoid. I found myself looking over my shoulder while reading and trying not to think of Daphne myself.

Basic premise, Daphne will attack and kill you if you think about her too much. Like your thoughts manifest her spirit. The book was written in such a way that you have to know what’s going to happen. I couldn’t wait to find out who would make it to the end and if Daphne would ever be defeated. Creepy stuff.

I highly recommend this to Josh Malerman fans and those who enjoy a good horror book with a healthy dose of paranoia.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love a good slasher, and Malerman has constructed an amazing slasher novel with Daphne! With a unique killer, interesting structure, and some knockout and delicious kill sequences, Daphne is a love letter to slashers, and a map for how this genre can continue to evolve. I loved it!

I had a really hard time getting into this one. I just didn't really care about the characters or the plot. And that's fine, some books just don't work for some audience members.

Daphne is a story about growing up, being part of a team, and what comes after high school when you are no longer part of that close-knit team. But it's also about an urban legend that, when told, slinks into your ear, burrows deep into your brain, and stops you from thinking about anything else but that subject, an ear-worm I believe it’s called, like a song you can’t get out of your head for days, weeks, or even months.

The main character, Kit, who suffers from panic attacks, is attending a night before the big game sleepover with the team when one of the girls decides to tell a ghost story about Daphne, that urban legend I mentioned. Daphne was murdered, or maybe she killed herself, but no matter what really happened to her, she is still roaming the town of Samhattan, looking for revenge. After hearing the legend, our main character Kit asks the RIM during the game: Will Daphne kill me? and makes the game-winning shot. The legend about the RIM is you ask it a question and if the ball goes in, the answer to the question is yes, and if it misses, then the answer is no. What follows is Kit’s accounting of what transpired afterward, but also about how she copes or tries to cope, with her anxiety and that nasty ear-worm she can’t seem to eradicate.

I have so many favorite quotes from Kit: “Anxiety is paranoia at its finest.” and "It comes unannounced, of course, Nobody hears a panic attack coming. Not until it's too close to dodge." This statement hit me like a punch to the gut. It’s the perfect way to describe a panic attack and how it rears its ugly head. I suffer from debilitating panic attacks like Kit does, and like her, I have medications to help when I feel one coming on, or when one hits me out of nowhere, but I try so hard to not take those meds because I want to stop the anxiety on my own. I went into this story just expecting a potentially supernatural serial killer who is hunting down each player on the basketball team, but I left finding a kindred spirit in Kit. As her teammates begin to be murdered one at a time, Kit must find out who is behind the legend and face her fears to do so.

While this book is described as a horror story, it is also a story about real life and survival. Kit talks and writes about her anxiety, how the first time she experienced it she called an ambulance thinking she was dying…yep, check that off my list too. Kit is someone that those with anxiety disorders can really feel for and understand her thinking, her mental state, and can root for her, while in the back of their minds, they have already lost faith in Kit living through the horror to come.

One part of the story that got me thinking was the fungi memory: …She remembers a documentary she watched about mushrooms. How mushrooms actually think, like people…" and the way she described how they send signals to each other, communicate underground, and she imagines that communication moving from player to player to player. This is scary to think about and it just so happened I was watching "The Last of Us" during the time I was reading the book and though I laughed out loud when comparing the two, I also felt that ear-worm digging its way into my own brain.

What I like most about Josh Malerman's stories that I’ve read so far, is they all happen in and around the town of Samhattan, so it really makes one wonder, just what the hell is going on there and why don't people hightail it out of there as soon as they possibly can. I loved the way the author portrayed the teenagers as they really are. If you don’t like cussing, ribbing each other, bullying, violence, etc. then this may not be the novel for you. But give it a chance because I am pretty sure you will like it. This is a story that will make your heart pound out of your chest, and have you cowering under the covers at night.

A group of close knit friends, the love of the game, and an urban legend meet in a fatal collision.

Kit and her friends, all high school ball players, gather round the night before the big game, telling stories, and generally being teens at a sleepover.

Natasha tells them the tale of Daphne, urban legend turned supernatural murderer. How does Daphne get you? Thinking about her. So don’t think about her. Definitely don’t talk about her.

Which of course means, it’s all anyone can do. One by one, the girls think and think about her more, until there’s a target on their backs, and Daphne comes to collect.

This is a wild, well told story that touches on the specter of anxiety and mental health, especially as it’s looked at in teens today. Each girl presents a different viewpoint, and each viewpoint illuminates things so often looked over. I really enjoyed this one, as I have all of his other work that I’ve read. Malerman never fails to bring the spooky!

Kit can't stop thinking about Daphne, the high school outcast who died suspiciously, and is now said to be out to get her revenge. If you think about her too much, you'll conjure her into existence. When teammates start dying, Kit tries to get to the source of the legend and save what remains of her team.

This book, as Malerman says in the author's notes, is "a love letter" to basketball, horror, and a "correspondence" to anxiety. The anxiety representation is done really well, and I think people who battle anxiety will identify with and appreciate it. Also, there is a lot of basketball, this is about a basketball team. If that's not your jam, you might wanna skip this one.

Personally, I'm a fan of basketball, and also deal with anxiety, so I really identified with this one. The plot is great. The pacing, while slow at first, really picks up and will leave you hooked. The main character is well done. We don't really get much of the teammates, though so they're quite one dimensional. My only real complaint, as small as it is, is the repeated use of the term "ballers." Maybe I'm just getting to be an old man, but I've never heard anyone use the term as much as Malerman does to describe basketball players.

Thank you to Penguin Random House-Ballantine, Del Rey, author Josh Malerman, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Daphne changes the game, and is not the wonderful redhead we know and love from Scooby Doo. Daphne makes you scared to even say her name, and this book hits a ton of punches, you feel like you're in a ring with a professional fighter. I was nervous to see how this was going to end because of the supernatural tones to it. I feel like if you enjoy horror, with multiple layers you will really enjoy this one. For me, I felt my own anxiety creeping through just from reading this one.

Oh how I love a new Josh Malerman but this one didn’t fly for me. Idk what was missing but no, just no. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This was unfortunately a DNF for me. The balance of sports to horror was not what I expected. I could see recommending this to people but it was not for me