This was just okay. I really like Malerman sometimes, but this is really a YA novel and I'm just not into YA.

Daphne takes elements from the brilliant 80’s horror genre, tosses in some basketball references and tops it off with a dose of good old fashioned anxiety.

Daphne is a 7 foot tall, jean jacket wearing, rock music listening campfire tale figure who’s legend says that if you talk about her she’ll show up and murder you with her bare hands.

It’s an ensemble cast consisting of the ballers who are Samhatten high’s girls basketball team led by their star, Kit. Kit also suffers from anxiety. Anxiety is a big element in the book pulled from the author’s personal life. We also get some chapters from the perspective of a new transfer female detective.

The ballers have a get together after a big win and a certain campfire tale is told setting the events in motion. Lots of fun 80’s slasher style and a look inside the mind of a teenage girl who can’t get out of her own mind.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, different ballers as well as Detective McGowan. Each girl feels like an actual teenage girl. I’m quite impressed with Mallerman’s ability to do this. At the same time I’m relieved by the chapters with McGowan to get out of the mind of a teenage girl while she digs into the history of Samhatten’s Daphne legend and it’s origin.

This is a fun read for horror fans, basketball fans or anyone who wants a taste of 80’s horror from Mallerman’s capable hands. Solid music references too.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine / Del Ray for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

The author's note acknowledged that the idea for Daphne was not originally for a novel. I wish it had remained as a short story or novella, because the idea of anxiety as literal monster is solid but not for 300+ pages. This got very repetitive and increasingly absurd and hard to follow as it went along, and it simply ended.

Again, I like the idea that when you change your thinking you can overcome things, but it made for an anti-climax of a story that was in desperate need of a big finish to make up for the slow pacing of the beginning and middle.

Let me just say this real quick before we move on: urban legends are my jam, my bread and butter. If I could smear an urban legend on some toast and eat it, I totally would. I swallow them up, and that is just what Josh Malerman has given me. Sustenance. He’s given me sustenance!

Synopsis: Kit Lamb is no stranger to anxiety; she battled it before she heard the legend of Daphne. The panic was real then; it’s even worse now. Daphne. She’s dead, but here’s the thing, if you think about her, she’s alerted to your existence, and she’ll come for you. The power of thoughts! I won’t spoil the legend itself. You’ll have to read it for the nitty-gritty details. Just know that this book is equal parts horror and psychological thriller. It’s perfection.

Book Descriptors:

Penetrating. One of the first things you’ll notice is that Josh Malerman penetrates the mind and everyday anxieties of the teenaged girl with such grace and precision, therefore creating a sympathetic main character to root for and believe in. It’s pretty incredible. Exhibit A: “You would think that after one anxiety attack, and after surviving it, you would never fall for it again. But that’s the nature of anxiety and depression, isn’t it? They fool you into believing them. Every time.” Preach on, Mr. Malerman, preach on.

Eerie: Okay, so eerie is just a fancy way of saying horrifying, am I right? In the case of this book, that’s a yep! The legend of Daphne haunts every page. Daphne crouches in the corner of every paragraph. She hides behind the curve of every comma. Be careful how you hold the book; she’ll get you. She’s probably watching you now as you read this review. She’s making a victim list and checking it twice. You’re on it now. Oops.

Hypnotizing: This is one heckuva spooky story: “Her name really is like the wind. Blown into town, crossing the cemetery…pulling that graveyard air with it…through the streets and open windows…into the bedrooms of every boy and girl.” I mean, come on!!! Are you not creeped out?! But also, are you not entertained?! This book will strangle you with your own fear, but you’ll stay. You won’t move. You won’t look away. You will barely breathe. You’ll be scared of being seen, and still, you’ll stay. It’s just that good.

In short, stop reading my words, and start reading Josh Malerman’s. Add it to your Spooky Season TBR. Just read it. It’s too fun to miss!! You’ll be reminded of all the reasons you started to love creeptastic stories in the first place.

Daphne by Josh Malerman is a horror novel about Kit and her HS basketball team. I loved the premise in which, at a team sleepover, one of the girls tells a ghost story about a player who had mysteriously died in the past and will come back to kill anyone who thinks about her. Kit and her teammates have a game where they’ll ask a yes or no question before making a shot and if they get it in, the answer is yes. Kit asks if Daphne is going to kill her and makes the shot. Unfortunately for me, I was bored through most of the book. I liked the parts when Daphne was seeking her revenge but that was it. If I had not received the ebook on Net Galley I probably would not have finished it.

This book drew me in quickly and I was anxious to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed the mental health talk about anxiety and the friendships that were shared in this story. I'm not a huge fan of basketball, but I felt this was done where it didn't matter if you're a fan or not, you could still follow the main story without feeling overwhelmed with basketball references. With all that being said, the ending fell flat for me and felt rushed. There was so much leading up to the ending and it just didn't do it for me, so I removed one star for that reason. I'm glad I read it and I look forward to see how it rates with other readers.

A promising premise that unfortunately did not deliver for me.

This adult horror novel read like YA and there were many times I felt bored reading it.

It was a chore to read and even after getting halfway through, I had to DNF.

This was my first Josh Malerman book and although I did not have a positive experience with Daphne, I am still interested in exploring his backlog.

Daphne by Josh Malerman is a small town urban legend story with lots of twists and terrifying encounters with Daphne, this town’s boogeywoman.

Super quick read as I felt the need to see each chapter through and couldn’t stop wondering who would be next. The scariest thing about this book, and this villain, is that she takes up residence in your mind. If you think about her, she’ll find you.

This book made me feel like I did the first time I watched Nightmare on Elm Street. Freddy gets you in your dreams and Daphne gets you in your thoughts.

Loved this book!

On the surface, the concept is simple. A small-town legend. A girl who was bullied and killed who exacts revenge on a new generation. We've seen this before. Only not quite like this.
Daphne brings the trademark Malerman energy, its novel length never feeling stretched-out or overlong. It's the thematic elements that bring this book to life. Kit, our main character, is plagued by anxiety. The parallels Malerman draws between anxiety and small-town murders are not obvious (arguably their best quality) but genius. Malerman also plays with the idea of being able to think items into existence, whether they be tangible things or ideas. These examinations, told through inner monologue and diary entries are fascinating to wade through and think about. It makes for true psychological horror.
One of the best elements of Daphne lies in basketball, something I did not anticipate being so crucial to the story. Malerman captures not just a love of the game, but the love through the eyes of a teenager who eats, sleeps, and breathes it. Asking the rim is sure to draw up some nostalgia for any player, former or current. Malerman's appreciation of the sport bleeds onto the page and goes a long way toward fleshing out Kit as a character.
Daphne takes all the things Malerman does best and plays the hits. It buzzes with energy, it revels in ideas that only this author could have presented in such a way, and it crawls under your skin.

Every small town has an urban legend. In Samhattan, Michigan that is Daphne. The girls basketball team is ready for the big game and decides to have a sleepover the night before to prepare. What they couldn’t prepare for was breathing life into Daphne and resurrecting a revenge driven slasher for the ages.
What Malerman brings to the table in Daphne is a beautifully written love story of facing fears and the game of basketball. Our lead character,Kit Lamb, suffers from anxiety and chronicles this in her journal she affectionately calls Jolly. Kit learns of Daphne and throughout the novel we learn of her past and how this seven foot tall myth gained her notoriety.
My opinion of this book is 100% a must read if you read and enjoyed anything else by Josh Malerman. The opening line sets the tone and pace of the book and the style is a pleasure to read. I have been a horror junkie for as long as I can remember so I sometimes forget to mention trigger warnings. There are scenes of violent deaths and some child abuse.
#daphne #netgalley

This was a crazy, perfect, scary trip to Samhattan. I loved everything about this story, the characters, the location, the villian. Just don't think about her!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!!

After finishing this book, I read in the acknowledgements Malerman expressing that Daphne is a love letter to horror, to basketball, and also to anxiety. This made me really see how powerful this horror story is. It's anxiety that the main character, Kit, deals with and it's the ghost story of Daphne that really burrows in the girls basketball team's minds which creates the reality of the horror itself. It's the constant unwanted thoughts of this scary ghost, Daphne, that brings her to life to actually murder her victims.

This is brilliant horror. I felt like the writing is similar to Stephen King 80's-90's era which I love. I definitely recommend this to horror fans!

Out September 20, 2022!

Kit Lamb and her basketball mates hear a story about Daphne; a ghost who murders teens. When two of the team members are brutally murdered, they can’t help but wonder if it’s Daphne.

If you like urban legends come alive stories, here’s one for you. I enjoyed the story but it wasn’t such a phenomenon as Bird Box was for me. The story felt like young adult because much of the narration is a teen and some is her writing in her journal. That said, it was still pretty gruesome and scary. Daphne is the new Bloody Mary.

“And if the woman comes from those who think too much… well thank God she wasn’t the only one thinking. But can she stop?”

Daphne comes out 9/20.

Kit Lamb loves basketball, suffers from anxiety, and is on the precipice of adulthood. It’s the big game and she’s shooting a free throw for the win. She and the other ballers on her team always ask the net a question before they throw…if it goes in it’s a yes, if not it’s a no. She makes it, a cause to celebrate, but no, her question was not a happy one. The night before at a sleepover with her team the Samhattan boogeyman was brought up…Daphne. You’re not even supposed to think about Daphne, let alone say her name out loud. ☠️

Kit Lamb is a great character. You can feel her anxiety and her panic attacks seem so real. Malerman is one of my favorite writers. His writing is great here too. It did seem a little monotonous at times. A little repetitive. Maybe it’s because I’m not a huge basketball fan. For that reason it took me a while to get through. But the payoff was so good. It’s reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street and made me very nostalgic for 1980’s horror films. The description of Daphne is utterly terrifying. A solid 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, & Ballantine for the privilege of reading an advanced copy.

"Daphne" is a very draggy horror novel. The concept of this book sounded so fun and intriguing. But halfway through, I became bored and frustrated with the protagonist. I felt like passages and descriptions were repeated to death. The writing was so simple and patronizing at times. I've never read from Josh Malerman, but I couldn't stand his prose. It was so wooden and forced. I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but I'm looking for a horror novel with more bite and gore.

Another great read from Josh Malerman. His books always have great characters, great story, and great pacing. Liked the basketball that was involved. Couldn't stop reading. Can't wait for the next book from Josh Malerman. #Daphne #NetGalley

Sadly I had to DNF this one at 40%. It was so cringy that it was basically unreadable for me. I had such high hopes with this one because Malerman has been such a hit author for me in the past but I feel like he is so inconsistent with his work. This was straight up a YA novel about basketball playing teens and there’s a detective thrown in there whose POV is literally pointless. I’ll continue to try reading his other work but this was a hard pass for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne takes place over the summer before college for Kit and her fellow basketball team. Before a game, the team gathers and one of them shares the story/urban legend of Daphne, a girl from many years ago who died, but the circumstances aren’t clear. Did she take her life? Was she murdered? There are many stories surrounding it. It is also noted that she is out for revenge and will come for you if you think of her.
Soon the teammates begin to vanish one by one. Is it Daphne? How can they stop her? There’s also an underlying message in this story on anxiety intertwined with coming of age. This was a 3.5 slow burn read rounded up to 4. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

With Daphne, Josh Malerman has combined his (and my) love of horror and basketball and wrapped it up in a coming of age novel featuring a 7 foot serial killer that will haunt you long after you finish the book.

Daphne reads like it's a 1980's slasher. It's Nightmare on Elm Street, except you don't need to be sleeping, you just need to think Daphne into existence. Think about her too much and she'll be right behind you. When the Samhatten girls basketball team hear the legend of Daphne, they begin thinking about her and bodies start to pile up. That classic slasher movie vibe is there from beginning to end, it was amazing and this book feels like it's destined to be on the big screen.

Peeling back the layers of this gory onion further and you will find a thoughtful narrative on anxiety and how it affects people. Readers get to be inside the minds of Kit and her teammates and get to feel their anxiety and feelings. Malerman ultimately examines how confronting your problems is the best way to solve them.

It's a slasher with heart, written only as Josh Malerman could write it. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a wonderfully creepy horror story. By the same author as Bird Box and Mallory, but I liked this one so much more!
*
Daphne is a woman who died years earlier (how exactly is debated), and legend has it that she will come back and kill people (mostly student athletes) who think about her too much. Kit, a high school basketball star, doesn't want to believe it until members of her team start dying.
*
This is quick and creepy, with plenty of deaths but not especially gruesome ones. I really enjoyed the tie in to ghost stories, and how real they feel, and the power that superstitions have over each of the players. I also really liked how it handles Kit's anxiety, giving her more depth than a typical horror story final girl.
*
I got a tad lost with the ending, and the role one character ended up playing, but otherwise highly enjoyed this.
*
Read if you liked My Heart is a Chainsaw, The Ring, Candyman, or any campfire ghost story like Bloody Mary.