Great book of short stories. Josh Malerman continues to impress. Fans of the horror genre will not be let down by Josh's writing.

Loved this book. Gobbled it up. Malerman seems to create a mythos when he creates, not just a story, as in Bird-Box, this is also a whole new world. Stories that interlock, and when he whispers them in your ear, your heart explodes, but it's a fine way to die. You can hear the author grinning as he writes this, its more fun than some of his heavier works, but with plenty of suspense and creative creatures.

After Bird-Box, this is my second favorite Malerman. Thank you, Josh. More please.

Finally! Goblin is available to the wider public. An endlessly inventive series of shorts all taking place in the titular town. Fantastic mythology that would make the perfect basis for a television series (or more stories!) A great place to visit, although you wouldn't want to live there. Malerman is an idea factory!

I have read Malerman's other novels and the only one I cared for was Bird Box. It was excellent. I didn't finish his last one. These short stories were mediocre. More like they were written for middle -grade children. Just not close to the writing he did with Bird Box. I truly hope that he gets better. The man has potential, we have seen it. So far, for me at least, he's been a one hit wonder.

I highly enjoyed these twisted tales. Some of the stories ended a little more abruptly than I liked, but they were all interesting and kept me reading. My favorite was The Hedges. I think my students at my library will enjoy these stories.

This is the 2nd book I’ve read by this author. Like many people I read Bird Box. I enjoyed it well enough. But after reading this, I don’t think this author is for me. The writing and stories weren’t bad AT ALL. He’s very skilled at weaving together creepy tales. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time but I struggled to get through this book. I loved the opening. And enjoyed parts throughout most stories.

Malerman is an extremely talented author and is great at creating tension. That said I found this collection a bit uneven. I like the idea of all the stories creating a "novel" or at least a narrative of the town itself, but some of the stories are not as strong as other. The first was great, the last was amazing, some in-between much less so. Well worth a read if you're a fan of the author, but it's more of a curiosity for people who are already fans I would say. Still enjoyable. 3/5 stars.

Malerman has become one of those authors who Is guaranteed to entertain. Whether it’s his novels, short fiction, or anything in-between, I haven’t found a Malerman piece that I don’t like. His unique ability to slowly ramp up tension until you’re just aching for it to snap, is on full display in Goblin.

This collection of unique novellas all center around the town Goblin. A town that is as dark and bizarre as its namesake. Mallerman somehow builds a place that is incredibly fleshed out and realized while only showing us the tip of the iceberg. The threads that run between the stories (and the town) all tie together, yet run deeper than I could imagine. This, the town of Goblin, is the real star of this book. The place feels like a living, breathing thing, one that will scare the crap out of you.

Each of the stories are extraordinary in their own way. There were some I enjoyed more than others, but all had the ability to suck me in while refusing to let go. My only problem was in the endings. Most stories just fell flat or petered out without the big crescendo you were craving. Yes, I wanted more by the time each ended because they were so good, but at the same time I wanted that big bang, the payoff, the thing that almost all seemed to lack. That being said, they were still well worth the read, I just wanted more.

Overall, Goblin is a book that feels much deeper than what you see on its surface, and if you get too close, it might suck you under.

Josh Malerman’s Goblin is a novella of six stories that showcase various citizens and visitors to the mysterious town of Goblin.

Overall, the novellas are just the right amount if weird and creepy to keep you guessing and reading. By the last novella, though, I felt like the characters seemed less unique and followed an archetype; therefore reading became a bit mire tedious toward the end as I felt less invested in the main characters and what happens to them.

As a fan if Malerman, I still recommend reading this one as it does fall nicely into the horror genre and his writing style is easy to enjoy and digest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a ride . Goblin, Not a place you think you want to visit, yet intriguing enough to actually go. All stories but one had me from the first word. Take a ride down to Goblin, you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Del Rey for allowing me to read the are of Goblin by Josh Malerman.
I am torn about this book. I'm not sure if I loved it or hated it.
The writing is good as usual and the book was creepy. Mt. Malerman does a great job with descriptions, so much so that if you are prone to nightmares, do not read this book at night! The stories all started out promising - intriguing characters, great storylines. Then they seemed to lose focus. Maybe more editing would have helped the stories to be "tighter".
It might just be me, but I didn't understand the ends of most stories - many seemed like a an anti-climax and needed one more sentence to actually be a conclusion to the story.
I think Mr. Malerman is a talented author with an amazing imagination!

A very interesting, very original and very strange collection. I love the little connection in every story and the spooky feel each one brings. Great for feeling the Halloween vibes whether it be the time of year or not.

I'd like to thank #NetGalley for the opportunity to read Goblin by #JoshGalerman. I found the book to be very intriguing the first story grabbed my attention and it continued to be held through the entire novel. I have to say that I love the fact that the book is set in Michigan as that is my home state. My favorite short story though was about the Great Owls. The first night I read the book I had mildly bad dreams, I kept dreaming about someone telling me they needed more parts, if you read the book you'll figure out what I am talking about. I want to give my many praises for this novel it is so very worth the read.






































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Goblin is a dark horror anthology by author Josh Malerman. The novel consists of six short stories, plus a prologue & epilogue that centers on an unusual small town known as Goblin, MI. The town of Goblin has a disturbing history, founded in the blood of the town’s settlers. A bizarre town in which the residents all seem to have an odd tale to tell, it never stops raining, and the dead are buried standing up. Reminiscent of King's 80's cult classic "Tales from the Darkside", each of the novellas presented are individually unique but contain familiar characters and events throughout to tie it all together. Here is a spoiler free preview of each of the stories included:
Prologue: Welcome- A man is asked to deliver an unusual package to one of Goblins founders.
A Man in Slices-A late night confession causes a man contemplates his friendship with a very troubled individual.
Kamp- A man who is convinced he will die from being scared to death.
Happy Birthday Hunter! - Goblin's most famed hunter makes a Birthday wish to add the one animal he can't have to his collection.
Presto- A remarkable magician and his assistant show Goblin's residents the most terrifying trick of all.
A Mix-Up at the Zoo- A man's new job at the zoo results in some dark fantasies.
The Hedges- A young girl, the first to complete Goblin's hedge maze, tells the police what she found.
Epilogue: Make yourself at Home- The conclusion to the prologue in which we finally discover what was being delivered.
Although it wasn't one of my favorite reads by this author, Goblin was a nice escape into a bizarre town where the residents are just as odd. A quick and entertaining read that will have you keeping the lights on at night.

“Goblin” is the story of tortured, tormented, haunted town told in six novellas and it is quite a mixed bag. I really like “Goblin”, but I don’t love it. It has a sort of campfire scary story feel to it. Each story packs some wonderfully crafted town histories within their arc as well as intriguing characters. while the stories are entertaining and somewhat eerie I never found any to be as scary or intimidating as the title and cover art would have you believe. Most of the novella’s in here are composed of lots of great ideas but none of them ever mesh into really great pieces of horror fiction. They are just kind of fun,spooky, or sad and that’s ok I still had a good time. I waffled between 3 and a half or 4 stars on this one. Probably closer to 3 and a half. Give it a shot!

Welcome to the cursed town of Goblin, very aptly named; a place where Halloween might be every day in one way or another. The stories are atmospheric, the inhabitants Gothic and morose. That being said, they keep your attention all through the book, from page to page of sadness and revenge.Save this one for a dark and rainy day, as it rains in Goblin nearly every day and will set the perfect mood.
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3.5 stars rounded up since no one does 1/2 stars
Very good characters and a creepy town. Love all the short stories/novellas tie together. Just felt like something was missing.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author and enjoyed the 6 different short stories that all took place in the same town. It was a fantastic fast read. Very well written. All the stories were nice and creepy. Highly recommend!

Pub date: 5/21

Welcome to Goblin! Here we find a town that isn’t so different than any other small town until you look a bit closer. To do this, we will traipse through to meet Goblin’s inhabitants who are more than a little off.

This collection of novellas starts by leading us through a “legendary love” that calls for giving without limits.
Next we find ourselves with a man who is terrified of absolutely everything. Kamp is a man who has disassembled his entire life to try to keep his fear at bay, but are you really living if you can’t even trust your own shadow?
Happy Birthday, Hunter is basically what would happen if one of the children from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory survived to become a big game hunter. We are also properly introduced to the North Woods where there are rumors of whispering witches and other wild beings.
Presto reminds us that all magic is not created equal. I’ll leave it at that.
A Mix-Up at the Zoo is where these novellas start getting good (in my opinion, anyhow). This is a story of a man who is great with kids and animals, but can feel a darkness creeping up on him. He does what he can to try to escape these feelings, but is it too late?
The Hedges was my favorite story by far. When his wife dies, a man spends his time building a maze out of hedges that is so elaborate that no one has made it through....until a little girl figures it out. What is our prize in the center of this maze? What kind of trouble will it bring to our characters? Knowing Goblin and it’s propensity towards the uncanny, it’s safe to assume some things are better left hidden.

This book took me awhile to get through. It wasn’t that it was poorly written or even boring, but there was just something off to me. Some of the endings were kind of meh. That being said, Goblin really does pick up in the second half. Is this a perfect book? No. Is it worth reading? I think so.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House/Ballentine, and Josh Malerman for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

**I received an ARC from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how this was 6 different short stories but they all took place in the same town. It was a good read. Very well written. Each short story was good and creepy. Loved it.