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damesies's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hauntedvictoria24's review
5.0
While I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, My favorites are 'Half Of The House Is Haunted' because of its creepy atmosphere and unique storyline and 'Engrov' because of how well the suspense aspect is written. I would reccommend this book. Special Thank You to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication.
sarahlopod's review
3.0
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
Josh Malerman seems to be a very hit-or-miss author for me! I first read Bird Box by him and absolutely loved it. I also really enjoyed A House at the Bottom of a Lake, which is a *very* divisive book with a goodreads average of 3.21. So this collection of novellas brings my average rating of his books from 3.83 (not bad) to 3.38 (not great). (PS I'm keeping track of my author averages for an upcoming project... not sure when it's coming but keep an eye out!)
The order of the novellas in the book actually matches my enjoyment of them. The first, Half the House Is Haunted, was probably a solid 4 stars from me. The writing style and presentation was unique in this one so it took me a bit to adjust but the tension was excellent. I felt like it didn't quite stick the landing, but still a good read! Argyle presents a unique take on the serial killer, probably also a 3.5 or 4, and is worth a read as well. Some of it fell flat for me, but overall it was an interesting read. The Jupiter drop was also somewhat unique, probably 3 stars. I don't have much to say about it; it was interesting, but I found it ultimately unmemorable.
Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM) was a major flop for me. Maybe 2.5 stars? Parts of it were really good! But it didn't quite tie itself together and the ending was pretty anticlimactic. Egorov is the longest novella in the book, and it certainly feels like it. I started off kind of bored, got really interested, and then ended up just skimming to get to the end. Probably a 2.5 as well? I felt like a lot could have been left out or shortened as it lost my attention a lot. The concept is verrryy good though.
I had originally rated this 2 stars, but writing the review made me realize there were stories I liked! Egorov just took me so long to read and bogged me down so much that I had forgotten. I'm going to up it to a 3 (so Malerman's average rating from me is now a 3.63) because there were certainly aspects that I liked. This currently has a 3.65 (with only 334 ratings) on goodreads, which feels accurate to me. I definitely see this being a divisive collection, especially since I feel the quality varies a lot within it. I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this, but wouldn't suggest bumping it to the top of your list either. I'll definitely be picking up more by Malerman though because I know I enjoy some of his writing!
Josh Malerman seems to be a very hit-or-miss author for me! I first read Bird Box by him and absolutely loved it. I also really enjoyed A House at the Bottom of a Lake, which is a *very* divisive book with a goodreads average of 3.21. So this collection of novellas brings my average rating of his books from 3.83 (not bad) to 3.38 (not great). (PS I'm keeping track of my author averages for an upcoming project... not sure when it's coming but keep an eye out!)
The order of the novellas in the book actually matches my enjoyment of them. The first, Half the House Is Haunted, was probably a solid 4 stars from me. The writing style and presentation was unique in this one so it took me a bit to adjust but the tension was excellent. I felt like it didn't quite stick the landing, but still a good read! Argyle presents a unique take on the serial killer, probably also a 3.5 or 4, and is worth a read as well. Some of it fell flat for me, but overall it was an interesting read. The Jupiter drop was also somewhat unique, probably 3 stars. I don't have much to say about it; it was interesting, but I found it ultimately unmemorable.
Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM) was a major flop for me. Maybe 2.5 stars? Parts of it were really good! But it didn't quite tie itself together and the ending was pretty anticlimactic. Egorov is the longest novella in the book, and it certainly feels like it. I started off kind of bored, got really interested, and then ended up just skimming to get to the end. Probably a 2.5 as well? I felt like a lot could have been left out or shortened as it lost my attention a lot. The concept is verrryy good though.
I had originally rated this 2 stars, but writing the review made me realize there were stories I liked! Egorov just took me so long to read and bogged me down so much that I had forgotten. I'm going to up it to a 3 (so Malerman's average rating from me is now a 3.63) because there were certainly aspects that I liked. This currently has a 3.65 (with only 334 ratings) on goodreads, which feels accurate to me. I definitely see this being a divisive collection, especially since I feel the quality varies a lot within it. I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this, but wouldn't suggest bumping it to the top of your list either. I'll definitely be picking up more by Malerman though because I know I enjoy some of his writing!
theablibrary's review
4.0
A creepy and captivating book about a man who can create nightmares with his stories. The book is full of horror, mystery, and twists. It made me feel scared and fascinated!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
jurassicreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
itsonmytbr's review
4.0
Spin A Black Yarn is a compilation of horror novellas, similar to the style of Malerman's previous collection Goblin. Each story is moody and unique. They are all set in Malerman's Samhattan, and many include references to the same possibly evil corporation. However, there's much less tying the stories in SABY together than there is in Goblin. This left me searching for reoccurring characters or plotlines where there weren't any, and now I am tired.
"Half the House is Haunted" is your traditional haunted house story, except only parts of the house are haunted. A brother and sister are the only ones who seem to notice. The sister, being older, uses the ghosts to torment her brother.
In "Argyle" a man on his deathbed confesses to all of the murders he wishes he had committed.
"The Jupiter Drop" follows a man on his vacation from Earth to the center of Jupiter, as he tries to sort out his guilt for what happened back on Earth. There's a lot of guilt in this book.
In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer," a monstrous couple are forced to confront the things they did to become rich and successful. The dialogue reminds me of a Hemingway short.
"Egorov" takes us back in time to when Samhattan had horses walking its streets. Two triplets get revenge on the man who tried to kill their third. This one was WAY too long. It had a great style, similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart", but it was so repetitive that it was hard to finish. A few chapters could have been cut out.
A few more connecting threads between the stories would have made "Spin a Black Yarn" a five star read, but four is good too.
"Half the House is Haunted" is your traditional haunted house story, except only parts of the house are haunted. A brother and sister are the only ones who seem to notice. The sister, being older, uses the ghosts to torment her brother.
In "Argyle" a man on his deathbed confesses to all of the murders he wishes he had committed.
"The Jupiter Drop" follows a man on his vacation from Earth to the center of Jupiter, as he tries to sort out his guilt for what happened back on Earth. There's a lot of guilt in this book.
In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer," a monstrous couple are forced to confront the things they did to become rich and successful. The dialogue reminds me of a Hemingway short.
"Egorov" takes us back in time to when Samhattan had horses walking its streets. Two triplets get revenge on the man who tried to kill their third. This one was WAY too long. It had a great style, similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart", but it was so repetitive that it was hard to finish. A few chapters could have been cut out.
A few more connecting threads between the stories would have made "Spin a Black Yarn" a five star read, but four is good too.
marzipan9's review
4.0
Spin a Black Yarn is 4 short stories and a novella/novelette. My favorite of the five was The Jupiter Drop, a story about a man who takes a 2 month vacation dropping through Jupiter's atmosphere in a glass apartment. You get to feel Steve's despair as he decides to take the trip, and as he grapples with the loneliness despite having any AI companions he could have. Argyle was a strange trip, as a man admits he had been surprising serial killer urges his entire life while on his death bed. The morbid fascination of his children, the denial of other family members and close family friends as he keeps speaking, undeterred.
Half a Haunted House is told in a really interesting way, in alternating conversations with a brother and sister who grow up in a very strange house, all the way through the death of the sister. I really enjoyed the storytelling on this one, though it was a bit hard to get used to the childish back and forth the story starts out with. Doug and Judy buy the Washer tells the story of a rich couple, obsessed with being the Joneses so that everyone keeps up with them, use their brand new toy for the first time, and get quite a bit more than what they bargained for. They definitely found out what "For what we spent on this" actually means to them.
Finally, in Egorov, the remaining two triplets seek vengeance for their murdered brother. This one was a big draggy for me, I think I got used to the pacing of the short stories, and expected this longer novella/novelette to have the same pacing.
I found this to be a decent short story collection, and I really enjoyed the fact that all of the stories had ties to Samhatten, where we first met Daphne last year.
Half a Haunted House is told in a really interesting way, in alternating conversations with a brother and sister who grow up in a very strange house, all the way through the death of the sister. I really enjoyed the storytelling on this one, though it was a bit hard to get used to the childish back and forth the story starts out with. Doug and Judy buy the Washer tells the story of a rich couple, obsessed with being the Joneses so that everyone keeps up with them, use their brand new toy for the first time, and get quite a bit more than what they bargained for. They definitely found out what "For what we spent on this" actually means to them.
Finally, in Egorov, the remaining two triplets seek vengeance for their murdered brother. This one was a big draggy for me, I think I got used to the pacing of the short stories, and expected this longer novella/novelette to have the same pacing.
I found this to be a decent short story collection, and I really enjoyed the fact that all of the stories had ties to Samhatten, where we first met Daphne last year.
guarinous's review
4.0
Five grim tales are featured in the latest work by horror starboy Josh Malerman. Malerman, working within his fictional, interconnected geopgraphy (Goblin, Samhattan, East Kent, etc) drags his characters through some bizarre situations: a sister who repeatedly asserts to her brother that "half the house is haunted", a man beset by guilt who signs up to be dropped through the planet Jupiter for two months on a new "thrill ride", a father on his deathbed who reveals some dark urges, and a rich couple who buy the latest trendy gadget only to find themselves staring at an unwelcome mirror instead.
Pros:
- These stories are page turners! With the exception of the final one, all of them really fly by.
- Half the House is Haunted manages to be both actually scary and actually moving at the same time...very tough to pull off in a tired genre!
Cons:
- The final story deflated my sails a little bit. I probably would have given this collection five stars overall, but I thought the last one dragged a bit.
Four stars. Malerman is firing on all cylinders, and doesn't look ready to slow down any time soon.
FFO: connected universes a la THE KING or Lovecraft, writers on top of their game and supremely confident in their craft.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley*
Pros:
- These stories are page turners! With the exception of the final one, all of them really fly by.
- Half the House is Haunted manages to be both actually scary and actually moving at the same time...very tough to pull off in a tired genre!
Cons:
- The final story deflated my sails a little bit. I probably would have given this collection five stars overall, but I thought the last one dragged a bit.
Four stars. Malerman is firing on all cylinders, and doesn't look ready to slow down any time soon.
FFO: connected universes a la THE KING or Lovecraft, writers on top of their game and supremely confident in their craft.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley*