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veronica214's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Don't think about it. Don't talk about it. Forget it happened.
"Daphne" will creep up on you. Haunt you. Terrorize you. Replay over and over and over in your head and you WILL NOT get her out.
All I can say is, this book won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I related to it. I appreciate that Josh Malerman expresses the nuances of anxiety disorders through a medium he certainly understands: horror writing.
This novel has no chapters and is one long rambling narrative told though multiple perspectives. It's chaotic. It's what anxiety is. And I honestly couldn't put this book down. Well done!
**contains graphic, violent scenes; child kidnapping
"Daphne" will creep up on you. Haunt you. Terrorize you. Replay over and over and over in your head and you WILL NOT get her out.
All I can say is, this book won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I related to it. I appreciate that Josh Malerman expresses the nuances of anxiety disorders through a medium he certainly understands: horror writing.
This novel has no chapters and is one long rambling narrative told though multiple perspectives. It's chaotic. It's what anxiety is. And I honestly couldn't put this book down. Well done!
**contains graphic, violent scenes; child kidnapping
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Kidnapping
jocyvondoom's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Daphne is the type of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat the whole way... when you think you have it all figured out, things are not what they seem. There were times where I had to go back and read what just happened slowly because I couldn't believe it. This is a book for fans of a chilling story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
louisegraveyard's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Physical abuse, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
desana75's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Cannibalism, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Blood, Stalking, and Child abuse
Minor: Car accident
orasmis's review
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
unsarahble's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Child death, and Body horror
daviddiamond's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This story was definitely giving off some serious "A Nightmare on Elm Street" vibes almost to the point where I thought "Does the estate of Wes Craven have grounds to sue?"
But I digress...
This story about a myth that comes to life to stalk the all-girls high school basketball team has way too much basketball in it especially for someone who doesn't like basketball.
It also felt weird every time the girls refer to their fellow teammates as "ballers"...that happened a lot too.
So in short, some scary moments, some clunky writing and a storyline that didn't fully make sense.
Unpopular opinion, I know.
But I digress...
This story about a myth that comes to life to stalk the all-girls high school basketball team has way too much basketball in it especially for someone who doesn't like basketball.
It also felt weird every time the girls refer to their fellow teammates as "ballers"...that happened a lot too.
So in short, some scary moments, some clunky writing and a storyline that didn't fully make sense.
Unpopular opinion, I know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Stalking, and Murder
leveledmouse's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Let me start by saying I hated Bird Box--one of the worst books (and movies) I've ever had to slog through. This, on the other hand, was GREAT. Malerman handles mental illness and metaphors surrounding that, urban legends, and the slasher genre almost perfectly.
0.5 deducted because I honestly dgaf about sports.
0.5 deducted because I honestly dgaf about sports.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore
markedwithanm's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
connorjdaley's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This author has been an auto buy for me since reading Bird Box (although I don’t always read them immediately). I didn’t get it on release day, but I’m into the timely release.
I strangely read this before/at the same time as/during/ two other reads (Wild Things by Ian Thomas/ Goosebumps: Hall of Horrors: Claws by R. L. Stine) that also starred young kids/teenage girls. It’s interesting to see how all of the author’s portrayed them and the differences. Malerman’s features high school characters from the girl’s basketball team, and it was nice to see him have them act/speak age appropriate. One thing that surprised me though was that it’s meant to be current, but there wasn’t anything indicting the generation in any way in terms of slang.
This book very heavily leans into basketball. It bleeds into the plot, the settings, the characters, everything. As someone that doesn’t really care for it, it made it kind of hard to get into the story for me. While I understand that reading is a way to learn and experience perspectives we do not live ourselves, it just doesn’t work for me in that way. IE. I’ve never been a teenage girl living through the trauma of a horror novel, therefore that’s a perspective I can get behind. However, entire pages about free throws is not the same in my opinion, although I’ve never been a basketball player either.
After reading the afterward where the author speaks to his love of basketball I can accept it though. He also speaks of his experience with anxiety, as this novel goes pretty heavily into bad anxiety, anxiety attacks, and panic attacks. I myself suffer from some pretty bad anxiety, and although what the author is describing does not match my personal experience, knowing it entails a bit of his personal experience makes it more enjoyable.
One writing technique that the author uses that I thoroughly enjoyed was doing away with normal chapters. The novel does feature typical breaking points, but there is not a single conventional chapter in its entirety. At first I think it took me a while to get into in terms to pacing, as well as making a few points confusing, but it lead to one hell of an explosive ending.
Another good entry from the author.
I strangely read this before/at the same time as/during/ two other reads (Wild Things by Ian Thomas/ Goosebumps: Hall of Horrors: Claws by R. L. Stine) that also starred young kids/teenage girls. It’s interesting to see how all of the author’s portrayed them and the differences. Malerman’s features high school characters from the girl’s basketball team, and it was nice to see him have them act/speak age appropriate. One thing that surprised me though was that it’s meant to be current, but there wasn’t anything indicting the generation in any way in terms of slang.
This book very heavily leans into basketball. It bleeds into the plot, the settings, the characters, everything. As someone that doesn’t really care for it, it made it kind of hard to get into the story for me. While I understand that reading is a way to learn and experience perspectives we do not live ourselves, it just doesn’t work for me in that way. IE. I’ve never been a teenage girl living through the trauma of a horror novel, therefore that’s a perspective I can get behind. However, entire pages about free throws is not the same in my opinion, although I’ve never been a basketball player either.
After reading the afterward where the author speaks to his love of basketball I can accept it though. He also speaks of his experience with anxiety, as this novel goes pretty heavily into bad anxiety, anxiety attacks, and panic attacks. I myself suffer from some pretty bad anxiety, and although what the author is describing does not match my personal experience, knowing it entails a bit of his personal experience makes it more enjoyable.
One writing technique that the author uses that I thoroughly enjoyed was doing away with normal chapters. The novel does feature typical breaking points, but there is not a single conventional chapter in its entirety. At first I think it took me a while to get into in terms to pacing, as well as making a few points confusing, but it lead to one hell of an explosive ending.
Another good entry from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Child death, Murder, Body horror, and Violence