3.75 - I’m not totally sure how I feel about this one. Individually some of the novellas were far better than others. Some had excellent twists while some were a bit predictable. Overall I enjoyed this book and the story that framed out the novellas. I enjoyed how they were connected and for the most part didn’t think the stories went on longer than they needed to ( )

Welcome to Goblin, a town with a tumultuous inception, a terrifying forest filled with giant, red-eyed owls, an unsettling police force that creeps everyone out, and monstrous topiaries reminiscent of The Shining. It is filled with a cast of unique characters that have a slew of stories to tell and it’s almost voyeuristic the way in which we watch their lives play out on the pages. Fans of Stranger Things will embrace the overall feeling of nostalgia and community, while those who grew up watching The Twilight Zone will revel in the short stories, the deeper undercurrents of thought and moral underpinnings, the overall quirkiness, and questionable denouements. Six stories that are markedly different are brought together and find common ground in this unassuming town with the anomalous name.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own. ( )

Interesting read! Unique stories that were not predictable. Very likable relatable characters. Not scary per se but unsettling. Would have to say ‘The Hedges’ was my favorite. The imagery in this book is amazing and the author’s writing is very compelling. ( )

These six novellas are all connected by the theme of a weird and creepy little town called Goblin. Other than the strange place with a dark history they don't share much else. I had high expectations from the start because I do love home town horror. In Goblin it rains all the time and people are buried standing up. The police force is referenced in a way that made me wonder whether the officers are human, or even alive. I will leave it to you to determine what they are when they play a more prominent role in the last story. Aside from what is listed above there is also a bonus story told in two parts. It begins as a welcome and ends in an epilogue at the end of the book.

My favorite story was Presto which is about a boy who is obsessed with magic, and his favorite magician who comes to perform a midnight show in Goblin. I found it deliciously dark and creepy, and although I was interested in Peter I was mostly enjoying the back story of the magician who started out as a failure before making a pact that gave him real magic instead of tricks. This story was a 5 star read for me.
My least favorite was A Mix Up at the Zoo. It had long passages of dream scenes and the ending was too obvious from the start. I don't care for dream sequences and they always seem over used. It may just be me but when I see pages of italics and I know it's not happening but a dream of what's happening I get the urge to skim. This was a 2 star read for me.
A Man In Slices was a 4 star read for me. It was mainly about a strained childhood friendship, and letting the guilt one feels when wanting to cut ties with someone hold you hostage when you are the only friend they have. If anything this story will convince you to make a clean break before it's too late.
The other three stories landed somewhere in the middle for me and if they were separate novellas I would give them 3 stars each.
I was really enjoying the welcome part of the book and I was so into this story! I was dying to know what this delivery was about. When I finally got to the epilogue where this story continues I was hoping it was somehow going to tie everything together but it mostly stayed in it's own lane.
All in all it was a decent collection that I would rate 3.25 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy for review. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love short stories and every one of these was unique, scary and full of madness. The stories themselves were wonderful, but the way they intertwined with one another was genius. I especially liked the way Malerman wove the history of Goblin throughout all of the stories so you learned everything in small doses, instead of being inundated with boring facts all at once. Definitely recommend! ( )