Reviews

Daphne by Josh Malerman

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4.5 stars

A metaphorical horror about anxiety, this follows after A House at the Bottom of a Lake as my favorite Josh Malerman I've read to date. From certain aspect, Daphne can even be interpreted as 'A House at the Bottom of a Lake 2.0', as both novels depict an abstract human condition as an enigmatic, yet physicaly present threat (a sunken house and a murderous entity respectively).

The writing is vivid and intense, as expected from Malerman, particularly in the appearance of Daphne (and how she shows up), as well as the brutal violence akin to special effects from 80s horror flicks — slightly comedic in its over-the-topness, but still packs a punch in its aggression. Told through a rotating roster of internal monologues (no formal chapter stop in this one), Daphne is a downer; characters' erratic rambling and spiraling thoughts can make for a VERY anxiety-inducing reading experience (I can only stomach it in short sittings). Even though this presentation is effective and thematically on-point, I would caution picking this up when you're in a slump.

Daphne is not perfect, there are a few side plots that feel inconsequential, and it stumbles when it tries to 'explain' the event in a rational manner; but as an expressionistic exercise in articulating anxiety and effect of trauma at varying scales, this is extremely accomplished. Not a material for a 'fun' time (the only fun aspect is its connection to Josh Malerman's other fictional work), but for sure worth checking out when you're in the right mindset— it also reminds me a bit of My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

njdarkish's review

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2.0

I had a really hard time getting into this one. I just didn't really care about the characters or the plot. And that's fine, some books just don't work for some audience members.

matasatan's review

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5.0

5+

I loved it!!

jewelsbooks2531's review

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

kaleereads's review

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4.0

need a netflix movie adaptation immediately. daphne is a bit of a slow burn but once it starts, it doesn’t relent. this novel has been on my radar since it was released last year, but it came back up to the top of my list again after I binge watched yellowjackets and was looking for a similar vibe in novel form. Our story follows a high school basketball team that is being picked off one by one by a local urban legend. the body horror and gore is pretty gruesome and the tension and jump scares are very effective. The ending is a little too rushed and ambiguous for my liking. I’m all about ambiguity especially in horror, but it felt like the author was trying to make a lot make sense at once and it kind of fell flat. but ultimately I had a blast reading this book and can definitely see myself rereading this the same way I rewatch my favorite slasher movies.

jjwalkerwrites's review

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“Are all dreams just sitting there, ready for me? Are my dreams waiting for me to stop being so afraid?”

I really enjoyed this one. A story from Josh Malerman about Daphne, a tall, denim wearing local legend that’s long haunted the small town of Samhattan. Thing is, she’ll only get you if you’re thinking about her.

It’s fast, frantic, and the idea of needing to stop thinking about something, knowing that will only make it worse, is a great backdrop for terror. I’m also pretty sure this is the closest a book has come to giving me a ‘jump scare’.

While this has all the fun of a summer slasher, it’s more than that. At its heart, Daphne is about anxiety. How it creeps up on you, how it consumes you, and the courage it takes to overcome how awful it can make you feel.