Ratings7
Average rating3.7
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Malorie comes a chilling story that revolves around a mysterious small town, revealing its sinister secrets one by one. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL • “Must-read horror.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with the master storyteller Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Welcome to Goblin. . . . A Man in Slices: A man proves his “legendary love” to his girlfriend with a sacrifice even more daring than Vincent van Gogh’s—and sends her more than his heart. Kamp: Walter Kamp is afraid of everything, but most afraid of being scared to death. As he sets traps around his home to catch the ghosts that haunt him, he learns that nothing is more terrifying than fear itself. Happy Birthday, Hunter!: A famed big-game hunter is determined to capture—and kill—the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl who lives in Goblin’s dark forests. But this mysterious creature is not the only secret the woods are keeping. Presto: All Peter wants is to be like his hero, Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world. When the famous magician comes to Goblin, Peter discovers that not all magic is just an illusion. A Mix-Up at the Zoo: The new zookeeper feels a mysterious kinship with the animals in his care . . . and finds that his work is freeing dark forces inside him. The Hedges: When his wife dies, a man builds a hedge maze so elaborate no one ever solves it—until a little girl resolves to be the first to find the mysteries that wait at its heart.
Reviews with the most likes.
The Goblin police are going to haunt me for the rest of my life.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and I am so lucky that I was given an ARC to review. I have absolutely loved everything Josh Malerman has written and this was no different. Although, some of the short stories in this collection fell a bit flat to me, I loved how they were all interconnected. The prologue was so strong that I was hooked from the beginning and read majority of this in 2 sittings. All the stories had their own creepy story and the build-up was really well done. They all start out with setting the scene and then slowly get creepier and creepier. Josh Malerman will always be one of my favorite authors of all time.
Thank you to Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
Goblin by Josh Malerman is an awesome book telling the story of a strange and haunted town through six interrelated novellas. Think Welcome to Nightvale meets The Twilight Zone all told by Josh Malerman. I loved the prologue and felt genuinely scared. I also loved most of the stories in the book. Makerman has succeeded in telling a very atmospheric story. One novella felt too long and another didn't seem to connect with the rest of the book that much. The ending seemed a bit confusing and left me with unanswered questions. Despite these criticisms I loved the book! Very different than Bird Box, but really great. 4.5 stars!