THIS WAS STUNNING. One of my most anticipated of the year and it absolutely lived up to my expectations!

My first encounter with Josh Malerman was with his book, Bird Box. I devoured it completely and thoroughly enjoyed the sequel. I struggled a little with Goblin but that’s mainly me struggling with short stories in general. So I was very excited to get an opportunity to read and review his most recent novel, Daphne. I was intrigued by the premise and the main character being a former high school basketball player myself. The majority of the book is told from Kit Lamb’s POV which I enjoyed for the most part with one major exception… a lot of her POV is herself writing in her diary which she named Jolly and she addresses it by name throughout her entries. That was a little strange for me and kind of off putting. There definitely were some scary moments, which I appreciated. I definitely would not want to go up against Daphne, that’s for sure. One of the scariest things was that you weren’t supposed to think about Daphne or she would come for you but when you know you’re not supposed to think about something OF COURSE that will just make you think of it more. I think that affected Kit heavily! She seemed to be constantly thinking about Daphne to the point where she was imaging people around her were speaking Daphne’s name when they actually said something completely different. In some ways it reminded me of a Bloody Mary-esque story. There were times when the POV shifted and it was a little hard to follow. Overall I would say this is a pretty decent horror read and I will continue to look forward to Josh Malerman’s books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was really good! I’ve noticed his books either really hit the mark for me or fall flat. There’s never much in between.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and I enjoyed the sense of feeling on edge throughout the entire book.

Most importantly, I really loved the depiction of anxiety in this book, and I liked how real it felt and how real it was described. Anxiety is something that SO many people struggle with, and I feel like it’s barely ever talked about in books.

Also, the basketball element of this book was really fun! I liked the ultimatums the character kinda played with herself for each shot she took.

All in all, this was a good read.

Daphne is an interesting and creepy story. It's hard to put down once you start reading it. It's perfect for any horror fan.

I am a bit biased with this review and I accept that because Josh is one of my favorite authors. He blows me away every single time and this book did not disappoint! This one seems as divisive as A House at the Bottom of a Lake and I love that one as well, so if you enjoyed that one check this out!

Josh Malerman has had a hold on me since the very first piece of his work that I read. Continuing in his unique fashion he has crafted a tale as riveting as all the rest. Please find time to read Daphne, or you may find yourself the victim of unseen destruction.

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did, but it was a solid horror read that I wish was just a liiiittle scarier. The claustrophobic feel with the anxiety and panic attack parts made up for a lot of the atmosphere and unsettlingness, and it was overall still enjoyable! Gonna recommend it

Malerman is hit or miss for me. Sometimes his stories start great and peter out. Sometimes (like Pearl) they're just not good. This was the former. The premise was good but it just didn't last.

What: slasher-horror, basketball, urban legend
About: an homage to teen slashers takes to the basketball court — a group of female high school athletes are being stalked by the urban legend made flesh of Daphne.
Features: you feel Malerman's love for the game as much as you feel his love for the genre/subgenre
Assets: feels like a sleepover story (Bloody Mary) has become a terrifying reality. Skillfully represents anxiety disorder/mental health in the lens of running from an amorphous, murderous entity.
Obstacles: there's a lot of basketball in here — it's almost another character — and that may turn off readers who can't identify with the love of the game.
Who it’s for: fans of Scream-type slashers looking for something fresh, unique, and original.

I must admit I've had mixed reactions when it comes to Josh Malerman. I've read two other books by him. One I really enjoyed and one I really didn't like at all. I decided to pick this up because it the summary peaked my interest. I'm happy to say I really enjoyed this. It was just the right amount of creepy. I found myself getting very invested in this story. Plus who doens't love a urban legend story. I'm so happy I decided to pick this one up.

I have read from Josh Malerman in the past and was really looking forward to this title. I was surprised that this book didn't click with me. I love basketball and can relate to all of the content regarding anxiety, but for some reason the story still didn't hit me like it has with others. I thought the horror visuals were very well done, and the descriptions of anxiety were also very good. I just got lost somewhere in the middle where they were supposed to meet.

Daphne is Josh Malerman's latest masterpiece. If you liked Birdbox, you'll love Daphne! A must read for those that enjoy a trip to the darker side of life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In their review, one of my friends talked about the way Josh Malerman's writing gets under her skin, and I couldn't agree more. All in all, this isn't an overly scary concept, but it really spooked me! This is definitely one of those books where you just have to go in as blind as you possibly can. You're either going to love it or hate it, but like me, I hope you enjoy the ride!

The horror. The thrills. The atmosphere. Will Daphne kill me?"

This question kicks off an anxiety ridden, paranoia fueled ride! Hold on tight because it’s going to be memorable.

Oh how much I wanted to love this book! The sports setting was not my favourite, so I was skipping them to read the actual story behind “Daphne” which was great!! I have enjoyed Malerman’s books before, but this is not one of them!

Thank you publisher via Netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Daphne.

Daphne is a menacing woman lurking about the town's collective memory and Malerman seeks to tell what happens when the community tries to ignore their biggest nightmare. The book was okay though not the most frightful of Malerman's works.

Maybe if this would have been a short story I would have enjoyed it more. I found it to be overly long and boring. There are some tense parts but this is far from horror and not very thrilling. I would pass on this one and pick up another book by Malerman.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

She sees you when your sleeping she knows when your awake. Daphne is truly terrifying and Malerman has done it again. The slow creeping horror. I love that Daphne was this omnipresent myth lingering around until it wasn't so much a myth anymore. Thank you to Del Rey for the advanced copy

There is nothing scarier than a woman scorned. Maybe that’s why my husband keeps me happy 😉 you know the saying “happy wife, happy life.”

Every now and again I love to dip my toes into the “horror” genre . I’m left breathless and terrified while trembling under the bed and good gosh I wouldn’t want it any other way! Then I take a few months to recover before picking up another equally terrifying book.

Daphne

Ugh, the last time I was this scared was while watching IT earlier this year .

The body count starts piling up and each one more gruesome than the last. This book is perfect for all blood bath chasers.

If you’re looking to scare the heck out of yourself, Daphne is perfect for you .

I finished this book in one sitting and was left completely in awe. Not just from the well orchestrated plot but also from the exceptional writing style.

Before I spoil the ending I will leave you with a little teaser :

It’s the last summer for Kit Lamb: The last summer before college. The last summer with her high school basketball team, and with Dana, her best friend. The last summer before her life begins.

But the night before the big game, one of the players tells a ghost story about Daphne, a girl who went to their school many years ago and died under mysterious circumstances. Some say she was murdered, others that she died by her own hand. And some say that Daphne is a murderer herself. They also say that Daphne is still out there, obsessed with revenge, and will appear to kill again anytime someone thinks about her.

After Kit hears the story, her teammates vanish, one by one, and Kit begins to suspect that the stories about Daphne are real . . . and to fear that her own mind is conjuring the killer. Now it’s a race against time as Kit searches for the truth behind the legend and learns to face her own fears—before the summer of her lifetime becomes the last summer of her life.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing this to me for review.. This is the 4th novel I've read from Josh Malerman (not counting the poignant novella, The House at the Bottom of a Lake). I enjoyed Bird Box the best, but this one makes a strong case for second place among Black Mad Wheel and Malorie, with a few major caveats.

Daphne feels like something in the vein of the Asian horror boom in the wake of Ringu. The story revolves around a high school girls'basketball team, anxiety, and a town unconsciously complicit in the erasure of its memory of the mysterious Daphne. When one of the girls tells a ghost story about Daphne the night before their big game, and how this 7-foot monstrosity will appear and kill anyone who thinks about her, the terror begins. Because once you start thinking about such a supernatural threat that manifests in reality, how can you stop?

Kit is the star player, a girl who struggles with anxiety and can't help fixating on Daphne and the uncertainty of the future. She is our lead character, often through journal entries. There is also a detective investigating the case when the basketball team starts to turn up dead one at a time, a woman with a propensity for overstepping the law to get results. The other ball players receive a brief sketch of background and personality before they run afoul of Daphne in cinematically eerie and gruesome fashions. There's more telling than showing with some of the relationships, but it works well enough. There's a YA feel to the proceedings.

The book moves fast with the atmosphere of inevitable doom you get from the Ju-On/The Grudge series--once the curse targets someone, it's just a matter of time. You wonder how the novel can resolve such a powerful threat in a satisfying way. If you suspect it probably won't, you are correct. If you think you can probably go along with it anyway and it won't make you wonder why an editor didn't laugh and send it back with a note reading, "No, seriously, where's the real ending?", well, you're sorely mistaken. In basketball parlance, the climax isn't just a brick...it's a total airball. I'm not the type to dwell on the ending and usually consider them to be of secondary importance, but this one is undeniably a major disappointment, where I feel like almost anything else would have been better and should have been tried. 

Making the horror a 7-foot female monstrosity essentially crushing these girls to death is a novel idea, although the book's insistence on the viability of a female threat being as believable as a male assailant becomes distracting in the proliferation of women in every dominant role. The coach...the detective...the principal...the chief of police...the grocery store manager...every non parental authority figure in the book. It's a thematic conceit that becomes glaring contrivance, particularly in the dubious assertion that the girls' basketball team "always" beats the boys' team. The boys--who would uniformly be taller, stronger, and faster--aren't losing every game to their female counterparts...probably not any of them. There are also some absurd moments someone should have questioned, like the phrase DAPHNE LIVES proclaimed to have been written behind the refrigerator in a break room. Why would anyone know this?

Still, the build-up and appearances of Daphne are intriguing and satisfying enough to keep the book entertaining, and unsatisfying as it is, the ending does at least carry the specter of doom beyond the pages. This could easily make for an enjoyable J-horror type film....ideally with a new ending.