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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
This has a lot of potential, but was kind of a flop for me. The lore was somewhat interesting, but the characters were flat and every arc gets wrapped up way too quickly and neatly. A few solid scenes kept it from being a wash.
dark
tense
fast-paced
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was super readable, moved quickly, but it felt 2 dimensional.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
A coming-of-age horror/slasher book!!! I could nOT put this down, work be damned.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Daphne is set in the same fictional universe as Goblin. Characters in the story make several references to the town Malerman fans became acquainted with last year. The two books, while very different structurally, bear a strong resemblance to each other in their content.
Goblin was a book composed of seemingly unrelated novellas that came together in the end, whereas Daphne comprises a series of seemingly unrelated character interactions interrupted by bizarre death scenes. The writing is just nowhere near as sophisticated or as effective as the author's best work in books like Inspection or Bird Box. While Pearl is suffused with B-movie flavor, it's still a clarion call compared to this muddled groan.
Tying together mental health awareness and a strange variety of horror movie tropes, Malerman fails to shed light on either realm, though the Author's Note at the end is as entertaining and interesting as anything in the novel. From a story about a town that collectively forgot one of its most notorious residents, you'll find yourself trying to forget Daphne, too.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC.
Goblin was a book composed of seemingly unrelated novellas that came together in the end, whereas Daphne comprises a series of seemingly unrelated character interactions interrupted by bizarre death scenes. The writing is just nowhere near as sophisticated or as effective as the author's best work in books like Inspection or Bird Box. While Pearl is suffused with B-movie flavor, it's still a clarion call compared to this muddled groan.
Tying together mental health awareness and a strange variety of horror movie tropes, Malerman fails to shed light on either realm, though the Author's Note at the end is as entertaining and interesting as anything in the novel. From a story about a town that collectively forgot one of its most notorious residents, you'll find yourself trying to forget Daphne, too.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced