Malerman is one of the most original authors in the horror genre and while I enjoyed most of his books, this one was just a three star (average) read for me. "Daphne" is a YA horror story with both a coming of age storyline featuring a group of high school girl basketball players and a horror novel for those who like "Nightmare on Elm Street" type stories. The novel is set in Samhatten, Michigan and the girl's basketball team is coming off a big win. The main character is Kit, a talented player who is struggling with anxiety. There are also several different viewpoints from Kit's teammates and friends and from a female police detective who gets involved when these young women are found murdered one after another.

The novel is called "Daphne" as this is the name of a folklore character on the order of bloody Mary, only in this case, thinking too much about this person brings her to life. We are never quite sure what thinking too much really means and the story intertwines this with the main characters anxiety and the trials and tribulations teenagers feel as they navigate their future. The book is not very long but a lot of time is spent on interior thoughts and the 'magic' basketball rim which serves as a magic 8 ball to the teens, I enjoyed the ending when things began to escalate but I was never sure about what the author was trying to convey about the murders.

In an afterward, Malerman talks about his love of basketball and his desire to talk about anxiety and while I don't mind sport stories, I'm not sure this one was really successful. Mostly YA content with gore and child/teen murders. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

This one seemed rather boring and uninteresting. Still a huge fan of Malerman's but just really struggled through Daphne.

Anytime I'm reading a book and am easily pulled away from it by TV/Video Game/other form of entertainment, that's typically an indicator of how much I'm enjoying that particular book. Daphne made it pretty easy for those other things to capture my attention more.

3 stars based on the fact that I finished it and will continue to read Malerman in the future.

Daphne by Josh Malerman was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. This book was a let down to me. The first half was so hard to read and it didnt really pick up until 3./4 of the way through. As always I will not go into the plot except to say it is along the lines of a supernatural/ghost/serial killer story written apparently for the Young Adult readers. If you, or someone you buy gifts for, is a hard core fan of Josh, please pick this book up. If you want to experience Josh for the first time, lean toward his earlier works.

3 Stars

I'll be honest. I went into Daphne a bit skeptical. "A basketball ghost?" I know that's a lazy summarization but after reading the book's synopsis, that was my takeaway. A vengeful spirit brutally stalking a high school basketball team. Huh. I don't know about all that. I mean, I am the reader who skipped through several chapters of Quiddich matches in the Harry Potter books because they were "too sportsball-y" So when I admit that I found this psychological horror/slasher-esque/coming of age story about Kit and her teammates and the terrifying events befalling them in their beloved hometown of Samhattan to be immediately, irresistably compelling, I think I was more surprised than anyone. So, yeah...not really a book about basketball. I mean there's practice and there's games and there's sportsy jargon being tossed around and comraderie between the friends, but running through all of that, overshadowing it, underscoring it, are a number of other things. How secrets have a habit of festering and never staying buried, how darkness and demons are better faced than ignored, how it's important to talk about about the uncomfortable things, the painful things, even the pants-shittingly terrifying things. How we are more than the sum of our parts--more than our anxiety, more than being a basketball player, more than being the "funny one", or "the good one"--but that said, we have to acknowledge and honor those parts of ourselves, too, and that's what makes us whole. So well done, Malerman. I guess you made me read about a basketball ghost, after all.

This would make an amazing screenplay. As a book, the first 2/3 worked and was fairly creepy but then toward the end things just started happening and I'm so confused about what the explanation for it was. I know that in horror we rarely get it tied up in a nice bow but this one was just .... done? And no real explanation for how the events from the past lined up with what was happening in the present. Maybe the whole thing was a metaphor or maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it. Either way, I enjoyed it for the most part and firmly believe it would make a stellar movie.

I want to thank #netgalley and #JoshMalerman for letting me read an eArc of #Daphne. It took me a little while to get into this one. I was actually just about ready to give it up but then it started to pick up the pace. Once it really got going I loved it. It has just the right amount of horror and there is a small twist at the end I didn’t expect. However that being said I did feel like the ending was a little abrupt. I would have liked a little more explanation as to how Daphne was able to do what she could. But overall it was good and as always I love that it’s set in Michigan which is my home state. Give the no book a go it’s worth it!

Josh Malerman is very hit or miss with me. Unfortunately, DAPHNE was my least favorite work by him so far. The concept didn't draw me in. I found the description of Daphne to be too silly for me to take seriously (even if her revealed history was horrible). The beginning struck me as awkward and set me off on a bad note. There's a lot of filler, I felt like, and a lot of inner dialogue that was unnecessary and repetitive. That being said, I can see how others may find this an exciting story. There are some gruesome sequences and, despite my complaints, I felt there was a level of suspense palpable at all times.

This one goes firmly to the top tier of Malerman's releases.

Part slasher, part coming-of-age.

The premise is very quirky. It's definitely quirkier than anything else he's written so far. I assure you it's different from anything else you've ever read, but Josh pulls it off.

I know I'm being vague. This is extra vague, even for my reviews. I just want you to get the full impact of this really original book.

<i>Daphne</i>.

<b>Say her name.

Hear the story of her murder and how she came back to the small town and crushes skulls with her powerfully large hands.

Once she’s in your mind, she will be there until you’re dead. </b>

Though I originally found this book very slow to start, once I got about 40% through I felt it hit its stride. Dark and twisty, this horror novel isn’t as good as <i>Bird Box</i> but worth the read.

Unfortunately this just really wasn’t what I was expecting. That might be a bit unfair because we shouldn’t expect different books by an author to all deliver the same affect but I went into this expecting the unnerving thrill I got from Bird Box and Malorie and that just isn’t what I got. I felt like this story was lacking in depth and missing the horror elements I was anticipating. I definitely will keep reading Josh Malerman’s books but this one just wasn’t for me.

The first several chapters of this book were hard to get through. I had trouble with the parts about anxiety. Suffer from it myself but do not get panic attacks. Maybe that's why I didn't understand it. Felt like the beginning was all about anxiety and not much plot. It got better towards the end and I was able to identify more with the characters.

Assume that this is classified as YA? If not I think that it should be marketed towards teens. Suspect someone that loves basketball as much as the author might enjoy the book more. It was well written but I definitely liked Bird Box better!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC.

Loved the premise of this book and found it to be a different kind of slasher and kind of a reprieve from all the "final girls" ones out there.

I just felt like there was a lot missing for me. I wish there was more to Kit's journal entries since they were so prevalent in the book. I also feel like the build up seemed a bit last minute and almost unfinished at the end.

Overall a decent read on my end but it will probably read better for the super slasher fans.

Cool little slasher type story from legendary horror author Josh Malerman. I was hoping for a bit more supernatural aspect to it, but I enjoyed the story overall.. Alot of the book has a very anxious tone to it, so i definitely hypes up the action.

I want to say that I enjoyed every minute of this book- even the dark parts. Malerman also wrote Bird Box- you may recognize the movie on Netflix or have read the book. I was probably one of the only people to throw that book across my room halfway through, I hated it so much.

Daphne, however, is completely different from Bird Box. In every way. The story is about an Urban Legend of a woman named Daphne back in the 90’s who haunts the basketball team after they bring her name to existence again after years of silence. There were parts of this book that made me cringe, and not want to be alone. There were also sections where I felt old because I lived through the 90’s in high school. For anyone in their 30’s and up, this book will bring nostalgia. Daphne was a woman to be feared completely- 7 feet tall, wearing all denim, dark hair, and Kiss makeup (from the band Kiss). I can see this book being turned nto a movie

The main character Kit suffers from major panic attacks. Throughout the book, you read about what she goes through with the attacks and how she deals with it. It is explained in full detail and she writes in a journal to talk them through. Malerman’s afterward explains that he has dealt with panic attacks. I have too- Since my junior year in college. When I couldn’t feel my legs or arms while crawling up the stairs in my sorority house and my roommate had to drive, then carry me to the hospital entrance, realizing that I had suffered a panic attack.
If you are a horror fan, you will absolutely love this book! The depth, nostalgia, small town Urban Legend. All of it! Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC of this creepy book!

Josh Malerman continues to creep me out with his latest novel, Daphne. A realistic look into debilitating anxiety coupled with what appears to be a town secret involving a mass murderer had my heart racing for the entire book. Don’t miss this one.

I'm trying to come up with words right now. I really am. But my feelings after finishing this book are just consumed with all the emotions. DAPHNE is part coming-of-age, part slasher horror, and part psychological thriller. Daphne, herself, well... is she a ghost? An urban legend? A real, live monster? One thing is for certain: the more you think about her or talk about her, the closer you are to climbing into your own coffin and sealing it forever.

Our main character, Kit, is a star. She's a great friend, excellent basketball player and teammate, and she suffers from anxiety in a major way. How Josh Malerman is able to navigate the mental health landscape almost in tandem with Daphne (the character) is remarkable. I FELT all the stress and pressure and fears as the book progressed. I held my breath. I relied on Kit to calm MY nerves as she battled her own fears and anxieties by writing in her journal for us, talking with her friends, or getting lost in the love of the game of basketball.

I grew up loving the game. I was a better baseball player, but I liked backyard/neighborhood basketball a ton. From pickup games with the neighbors to more fun things like 21, Horse, Around the World, etc, basketball gave me an outlet as a kid and a way to connect with my own brother and his world. But he actually was on the school basketball teams. He had a lot of those pressures that Kit had. So that made reading about this all the more relatable to me as I have seen it with my own eyes.

I loved all the WNBA player's names dropped throughout. I grew up a huge Lady Vols fan so it pained me slightly to keep reading the names of all these phenomenal players from UConn (seeing as Lobo, Taurasi, and Bird were extremely responsible in crushing us all the time lol). And what does this matter? Well this was just one more way that Malerman pulled *ME* into this story. I was into every facet of this story.

There are some scary parts that I read during a thunderstorm where the power went out (NOT COOL!!). There's just this looming, suffocating feeling throughout a lot of it --- Daphne is always coming. The anxiety is always building. The pressure is always building. The stress is unforgiving. The absolutely crippling and paralyzing fear grows. It just WORKED for me in this book.

I loved it.
I hope you love it.
And I hope you can find reasons to connect with it on multiple levels like I did.

just could not get into this book, struggled for over a week to read this one. just not a fan. some may like it, but for me was just all over the place and no where near the level of writing that he has put into his other works. hurts to give it one star, but i just didnt like it, and i really wanted to, wanted to like it but just felt like it was written for kids and not me.

Josh Malerman is a new favorite writer of mine. Everything of his I read becomes an instant fave.

Daphne is a freaky, weird, relatable bit of slasher fiction. And it's my favorite of this currently "hot" genre. Josh Malerman and SGJ are doing it best.

Great characters, creepy small-town setting. Secrets and fear and anxiety, lots and lots of anxiety.

feels very mediocre and watered down - almost too simple to even be good ya
daphne is just not a super interesting scary woman and i didn’t connect enough w the characters to feel more than the appropriate amount of bad when they died
the book felt too short to have the proper build up to the twist at the end - pacing is weird and uneven

Wow. Well, this is why I’m not sleeping tonight. What I thought would be a thriller/horror story turned into an absolute nightmare with musings on anxiety, panic, and the power of the mind. I had to set it down several times because I needed to escape the things I was seeing on the page. Very well done- and I am excited to read more of his work.