I was really excited to read this because I have loved other Josh Malerman and I tried reading this from the beginning twice and just couldn’t get into it unfortunately

A phenomenal horror read, perfect for anyone with anxiety. They way Malerman intertwined psychological horror with a real monster element was perfect. This was clearly a personal book for the author to write and I am so glad he did. The way this perfectly captured what it's like to be haunted by your own mind was something I have never seen done so well. Loved it!!

I thought this story was going to be so great. However, I’ve noticed that Josh Malerman stories are pretty hit-or-miss. This was a miss. I think this could have been a really great short story but it just kept dragging on. I did not care about any of the characters and absolutely hated the diary entries.

I really struggled getting through majority of this book. I felt nothing for the main character Kit, and felt she had no substantial personality. Automatically because of this I didn’t really care about her fate which isn’t great when it comes to a slasher. The main reason you keep reading is to see if that character lives. If you don’t care for them then that drive for reading is immediately a non factor. Also Samhattan… really? I very rarely roll my eyes at town names but this one got me. It was made even worse with the constant use of Samhattanite. All of these things were minor when compared to my main problem with the book which is that the journal entries weren’t need in my honest opinion. All they did was slow the book down. They were meant to show what anxiety is like and I suppose they did this, but surely there would’ve been a better way. All of this being said the kill scenes were awesome and the ending was actually pretty good. Pair this with the police detectives point of view sections (which I loved), and I consider this to be a low 3 star read.

My thanks to the author the publisher and netgalley for a chance to read this novel.

This was a fun read. As someone who played basketball and went to school with Candice Parker it was fun to see her name in print. Not the scary novel I was expecting but none the less it was one that I enjoyed because it brought up the concept of thinking something into reality. Great concept and cannot wait for his next book.

I am unable to post my review of DAPHNE by Josh Malerman, as it will be featured in SCREAM Magazine.

I've been a huge fan of Josh Malerman for a long time now and I was a bit unsure about this book. I had no reason to be unsure, I thought it was fantastic!

I highly recommend it!

I love the unique premise. It started out slow, and I almost DNF’d, but pushed through and in no time, found myself speeding through the book. I loved the mystery and suspense and felt as if I was living in the book. Definitely not my last Josh Malerman book!

Okay I love a good horror story especially a slasher one and Yes!! Give me all those 80's Nightmare on Elm Street vibes; except in this one you don't have to be asleep just think about Daphne!

In this story we follow a group of basketball players after they hear the urban legend about Daphne the night before a big game. This story was a little slow to take off, but once it did I couldn't stop and didn't want to put it down. I loved reading about the girl's friendships and even with all of their issues how they came together and bonded as a team. For anyone that has experienced playing on a team this should bring back great memories (I mean hopefully not of a 7 foot serial killer killing your team members off one by one, but of the good times). This book was definitely quite different than anything I've read, however I have come to expect that from Josh Malerman's books. I would consider this more of a psychological horror, and I thought the story provided thoughtful insight into the power of the mind. The addition of the very real struggles of those with anxiety, panic, and the intense horror that often accompanies it was so important in today's atmosphere. I think so many people struggle with these types of issues and this story gave hope for finding the strength to face those fears and have control over one's thoughts and life. Suffering from anxiety myself I know how terrifying our minds and the fear of our own imagination can be. What a fun story that had so many sides to it. Well done once again Josh well done!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the author Josh Malerman for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest review.

Another very strong outing from horror master Josh Malerman. Daphne hits all the right notes right up to a very satisfying ending.

Daphne by Josh Malerman is about Kit Lamb, a member of her high school basketball team. A team member tells a ghost story about Daphne, a girl from their town who supposedly died under mysterious circumstances many years ago. The story goes, Daphne is hell bent on revenge and comes after anyone who talks about her. Shortly thereafter, Kit’s team members start getting picked off one by one. Kit is now in a race against time to figure out what’s going on before Daphne comes for her, and she has to confront the way her own thoughts make her a target.

This book is pretty pointedly about anxiety and panic attacks, and Malerman hits that right on the money. Kit’s thoughts and descriptions of her anxiety are so accurate it was slightly unsettling for me. Despite that, however, this is definitely my least favorite Malerman novel that I’ve read. There was little character development and the basketball commentary was a bit heavy, and I’m a basketball fan. Are high school basketball players really calling themselves “ballers” these days? I sincerely hope not. It made me cringe every time. If you like his stuff, this is worth a read, but don’t expect Bird Box (which I adored).

Thank you @netgalley and Random House - Ballantine!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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A story about a Bloody Mary-like urban legend come to life, which drew me in right away - I am a sucker for anything involving an urban legend. Daphne is a terrifying allegory for anxiety (personal and cultural), as any urban legend should be - though I did find it interesting that rather than some sort of truly evil villain out to get children, Daphne was described from the beginning as simply being a pretty weird person. I thought the journal entries were the most interesting part of the book and I think it lent a lot to the characterization of Kit. also enjoyed the exploration of how Daphne's story got twisted over time and the truth was forgotten. This story is definitely weird and different, but fun. My main complaint was there was too much of a focus on Basketball, and it didn't seem like the game itself was integral. I also found that it dragged at times.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Daphne up until the ending. I feel like the ending was rushed and it knocked a few stars off for me. I also would have liked more backstory on Daphne and the crimes she committed. Other than that, The story was fun, creepy and original. I also like the whole spin on “Bloody Mary” and chain letters etc.

As a fan of basketball it was cool to see it take center stage throughout the novel. I’m still a little bothered by the abrupt ending but I would recommend this his book to a friend especially if that person is a fan of the cliche happy ending.

I love Josh Malerman, I own every book that he’s put out and he’s one of my favorites. But I just couldn’t do it with this story and I’ll tell you why. It had nothing to do with Malerman but the MC has terrible anxiety which is described in great detail. I too have terrible anxiety so every time I tried to read and the MC would describe her anxiety or her panic attacks it would seriously trigger me. I have tried on so many occasions to get into it because 1. I love slashers so much 2. I LOVE basketball so I’m crushed I was unable to get a couple of chapters in. I will try to read it again in the future so wish me luck!

The protagonist was so, so annoying that I was on Daphne’s side. Not sure if Malerman has spoken to a teenage girl in the past decade but Kit read like she was a middle schooler. Disappointing considering how much I love sport-centric stories and horror!

This was my first Josh Malerman book, and to be honest, it just was not for me. Like other reviews have stated, this is a very basketball heavy book. While I appreciate the sport, I have always been a soccer player and dancer, so I do not understand or even like the basketball player “culture”. I could not appreciate it, but feel as if basketball is the sport of your heart than this book is a love letter to you.

I did truly appreciate the take on anxiety that the author presented, the journal entries in particular were original and gave a good insight into the inner working’s of Kit’s head. The writing was well done in that it definitely felt like a book about high schoolers. A lot of times with books with main characters that are teenagers I am left feeling that they are much older than they are presented to be, but not so with this book.

The writing style just did not work for me. It was very disjointed and bounced all over the place timewise. This was made even more confusing because there were no chapters or even paragraph breaks anywhere, let alone when switching between timelines. It was a different type of formatting, that while original, just did not work in my opinion. All that said, I will be giving another one of this author’s books a read. After reading other’s reviews and seeing similar thoughts, I think it is this book in particular that I do not click with rather than the author.

Imagine living in a town with the Boogeyman (or Boogeywoman, as it were). She's there, lingering around the fringes of everyone's mind. In order to summon her, all you need to do is think of her. It's that easy. But once you start thinking, you can't stop. And not unlike Santa, she sees you when you're sleeping, and she knows when you are thinking of her...

Kit and her basketball friends are at a sleepover when they are told the story of Daphne by a teammate. Daphne, the local legend, was supposed to be nearly 7 foot tall, an outcast that loved heavy metal music. And as many outcasts do in literature and movies, she met a horrible end at the hand of some mean classmates. Ever since, she has been haunting the people of her town that deign to even THINK about her, which is rather scary. Have you ever tried not thinking about something? You always end back thinking about it. ALWAYS.

Great unique take on the Boogey(wo)man tale. Loved it.

I wanted to love this. I've wanted to love Josh Malerman's work since Bird Box. The concepts are all interesting and original, but somewhere the writing just becomes tedious. Daphne had little horror action and entirely too much basketball talk I would feel my eyes glaze over. Someone will love this book, but it wasn't me.

This short ghostly book packs a PUNCH! Daphne and this book truly scared me...to the point of needing to put the book down several times, so know that going in! But if you look to be scared, read this now

In the small town of Samhattan, the girls' basketball team gets together one night, and a friend tells the story of a local legend, Daphne. The key to surviving Daphne's wrath is never thinking about her. But many town members can't help but devote their thoughts to her now that the story has resurfaced. Will anyone survive?

This book was SO good! I loved reading it and had so much fun piecing the story together. It was a mix between gore and psychological horror. The kill scenes were great, and I thought that Daphne would be coming for me at any moment. It does get a bit bloody so keep that in mind if that isn't your thing.

I thought the basketball element was a great addition since I am a fan. I know many people in my life that I will be recommending this to! Sabrina… If you are reading this, expect a copy for Christmas.

I liked having all of the points of view. Even with the constant shift, I felt we got to know Kit well. Her struggles with anxiety hit very close to home.

So this Halloween, don't think about her. Don't even say her name. She will come for you.

Thank you to Del Rey, Josh Malerman, and Net Galley for my gifted copy.