The most delightful tale of a high school basketball team that gets dismantled via murder. Malerman is a joy to read.

I am not a sportsperson but I was intrigued by the idea of a horror novel that focuses on basketball and Daphne did not disappoint. I grew to care about the girls and to really wonder about the mystery of Daphne-- was she real? How could she be real? As the girls started dying, what was actually happening? I know that I won't forget this book for a very long time.

Josh Malerman writes creative horror. This one pay homage to all things horror, some Bloody Mary, Freddy Kruger and urban legend type vibes…I’m always here for that.

I’ve got to be honest…about 75 pages in I almost gave up because I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story…so much basketball. However by page 100-125ish the story picks up…so give it time. Ultimately, I ended up finishing it in less than a day.

So many parts of this book…especially the way Daphne kills her victims skeeved me out big time. I LOVED it, it was really unique.

Other parts seemed a bit, disjointed / clunky at times…I’d be reading and then have to reread a page. It was very basketball focused, which after reading his acknowledgement section makes sense because he loves basketball and it was big part of his life…I’m just not a big basketball person so that might be why I had a hard time connecting to this book generally speaking.

I didn’t like that there were NO chapters. I’m a big fan of short chapters.

I did like that Samhattan was located in the Goblin (another JM book) universe. I love when authors create their own worlds that stretch over many novels.

TW: Anxiety, depression, bullying, murder, gory scenes, language

*****SPOILERS*****

About the book: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 life becomes the last summer of her life.
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Genre: Horror
Pages: 260
Rating: ⭐️

What I Liked:
1. Um that cover 😍
2. The plot sounded so creepy

What I Didn't Like:
1. Reads like a YA book
2. Waited too long for anything to happen
3. The characters are ALL annoying

Overall Thoughts:
This book is about 3 things;
-Basketball
-Daphne
-Anxiety
And I found it so repetitive and boring

This book is too short for it to feel so long. I felt like nothing was ever going to happen other than basketball and anxiety journal entries. The main character got on my nerves. I don't care about basketball. Also, come on saying the girl's team is better at basketball than the men's team...okay.

I didn't care for the way Josh Malerman writes 14-year-old girls. I'm shocked that there wasn't a pillow fight thrown in here too because that's what girls do 🤷🏻‍♀️

There's a part when detective Carla approaches the girls to ask them questions;
“But what I'm looking for here is any concrete instance, a time you actually saw her talking to somebody who fits that bill. Even if it was just a man asking for directions on the street. ”Why a man?” Natasha asks. Kit shifts on the green chair. Thinks of a tall woman. Taller than McGowan. McGowan says, “Like I said, the strength—”“Yeah, but women are just as strong as men these days,” Natasha says. “We beat the crap out of the boys’ team every time we play them.”Yeah there are women that are strong but as strong as a man. There are so many factors that make this statement false. Men are more likely to commit a gory crime over women. I think the detective just thinking it's a great idea has forgotten the psychological part of it.

The story that Daphne was murdered because she wouldn't play basketball and that's why she was murdered is ridiculous. Just because you're tall doesn't mean that you'll be this awesome player.

Final Thoughts:
I seriously wanted to love this book but the characters in the end just got on my nerves so much and everything – EVERYTHING was centered on basketball. I don't care. I didn't even care. I just wanted the girls to all to be eaten by the monster lady.

I'm sorry but I DNFed this book because it just felt like it would never end.

Recommend For:
• If you love sports
• If you love stories that center around how annoying teen girls are
• Books that feel like YA but are labeled as adult
• A man writing about teenage girls and their chests

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All reviews are my thoughts.

Well, that was….CREEPY! 😱
My husband is currently out on a work trip and my parents offered to watch my kids a couple of nights so I could have rest and ‘me time’ before the baby arrives and what did I decide to do? Read this on my light-adjusting kindle in my pitch-black bedroom alone at midnight. I had to keep shining the light from my kindle around the room because I kept getting scared. And I NEVER get scared! I must have a death wish. 🤣
This was very Nightmare on Elm Street meets Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones. Very graphic. Very gory. I love horror so of course I enjoyed it and even found myself enjoying being a bit scared.
I don’t read horror too much (although I LOVE watching horror) because the stories are usually ridiculous and eye-rolling. I didn’t get that vibe at all with this book. It was very original and could easily be adapted into a motion picture.
I’m a fan of Josh Malerman’s work (and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a Michigander like me!) and will read anything he writes. If you’re looking for a story similar to Bird Box and Malorie, you won’t find it here. Still very great writing and story-telling, yet very different from those two books.
The only drawbacks in my opinion were Kit’s journal entries which seemed a tad redundant and some basketball lingo and players went a bit over my head.
Be sure to read his acknowledgments as he talks about his struggles with anxiety (which was a large theme in the book) and his passion for basketball. Malerman proves that great stories come from passion and life experiences.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book!

It’s heavy on the basketball, light on the horror (more of a thriller) which i wasn't expecting... There was no chapters which i really did not enjoy. I wanted to love it but the story just didn't pull me in.

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.