Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within

by Josh Malerman

From the bestselling author of Bird Box and Incidents Around the House, an impassioned book about a night that changed the author’s life and put into perspective the writing life—and how you too can be inspired to face the fears that might hold you back from doing your best work.

One night, bestselling author Josh Malerman—then just an aspiring writer—watched Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead with his fiancée and two friends. It was a gathering that could’ve gone unnoticed, another date night with a movie, but for Malerman, it became a landmark. It changed the course of his life, and it will inspire you to reflect on your own journey and to discover existing triumphs that are within you already.

Describing the course of the night, Malerman reflects on his life, from his career as a musician to his stack of rough drafts, written prior to ever being published—and on how meeting the love of his life, a fellow creative, opened him to new experiences and new ways of viewing the world they now quest through together.

Malerman deploys his own story to help readers not only write their unwritten stories but celebrate their uncelebrated victories: to find their voice, their vision, and their joie de vivre. By simply describing an uncommon and uncanny night, he guides aspiring writers beyond the blank page to the immortal life of the writer.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror, Memoir, Writing, Biography, Autobiography, Art

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2025

About the author

Josh Malerman is the New York Times best selling author of BIRD BOX, MALORIE, GOBLIN, PEARL, GHOUL n THE CAPE, and more.
He's also one of two singer/songwriter for the rock band The High Strung.

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short history of Josh earlier life, love and how we ended up receiving the best book Josh has written. Loved the insight to how Birdbox ended up in existence and the journey from book to film. Finding out he was also in a band and played the theme song for one of my favourite TV Shows Shameless was great. A great little memoir but did lack some deep emotion for me.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Movie night! Josh Malerman his fiancée (now wife) and two friends gather to watch cult horror classic The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi after he learns that his fiancée had never seen that movie. *gasp* Seriously, the mention of that movie brought back memories for me. As the friends gather, they talk, reminiscent, drink, smoke pot outside, and perhaps even watch the movie. Over the course of the night, reflections will be made, relationships with change, philosophical discussions will ensue, and Sam Raimi's genius will be discussed.

This book is very much a stream of consciousness about creativity, art, writing, purpose, love, relationships,and talent. We learn about his path to writing, the early success of Bird Box and Malerman's thoughts and experiences surrounding it.

This was a fast enjoyable read which can easily be read in one sitting. I enjoyed how Josh Malerman wrote this book. It is intimate, I felt as if were in the room at times as a silent observer watching the friends talk, spat, drink, relate, share, and be vulnerable with each other. They might have gathered to watch The Evil Dead, but they came away changed from their discussions, their openness, their pondering on what it means to be a published author, and their love of the cult classic that brought them together that evening.

This nonfiction book is a memoir of sorts where the author is looking back at one pivotal night in his life at the very beginning of his 'published' writing career. Fans of Josh Malerman's writing will most likely enjoy Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within. Heck, it might even have you wanting to watch The Evil Dead. I know I am chomping at the bit to watch it again!

Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an inspiring audiobook to listen to! I didn’t know this book existed until a few days ago, thanks to my friend Autumn for letting me know about it haha. I wanted to read this because I consider Josh Malerman to be one of my top favorite horror authors, and I love nonfiction books that talk about the love of writing.

I read this even though I’ve never seen Evil Dead, *gasp* I know, how ridiculous 😂😭 but I loved reading this because I love hearing about how passionate he gets about something he loves, and how special it is to share this film with his fiancée and share with her something he loves so much.

I love that this book feels like a stream of consciousness with many inspiring moments talking about writing and what it means to him. I love the idea that you shouldn’t write to sell books, you should write for the love of it and try not to ever lose that. There was just something about this that really inspired me to want to write.

I knocked off a star because I do think it got a little repetitive at times, and some of the conversations felt the tiniest bit pretentious to me haha, but overall this was a really inspiring and refreshing audiobook to listen to! It made me want to reread Bird Box and maybe watch Evil Dead for the first time 😂🤭

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

I found this absolutely insufferable to read. I got to about 31% and had to call it quits. I wanted to power through it for the sake of my NetGalley percentage, but I I just can’t do it.

I thought this was going to be something inspirational, not a big boastful diatribe about the author banging his wife in a public bathroom. (Basically all you’re going to get out of the first essay.)

Everything after that is mostly him bragging about his success and edging you about the phenomenal experience he had showing his wife Evil Dead for the first time, but when I put the book down I still hadn’t gotten to whatever mind blowing spectacle that was yet. I don’t have that kind of patience and frankly, the “my life is incredible!” tone was making me like Malerman a lot less. What a bummer!

There were little nuggets of writing advice to be found throughout, but not enough to make me stay.

I know I didn’t complete this, but I suggest reading Birdbox, Incidents Around the House or Daphne instead. Those are great.

Also, he was a huge fan of Evil Dead but he didn’t even own a copy of the movie? Yes, I’m judging.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within is a non-fiction read by Josh Malerman told as an almost conversation between friends. This book reveals Josh's vulnerability and process through his writing and the start of his career. This is the perfect book for writers and readers alike and offers much inspiration, guidance, and commiserations for anyone struggling to get a break as a writer/author.
I love Josh's books, and this was a great insight into the man himself.

[Danger · Rating 5 out of 5]

So relentlessly optimistic. But sometimes you need to hear it. At the intersection of love and doubt, in the shadows of giants, this is where the good work gets done. All art matters, big and small, and Malerman expresses 1000 tiny truths along the way. Yeah man, this was great.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @delreybooks for the gifted book

TITLE:Watching Evil Dead
AUTHOR: Josh Makerman
PUB DATE: 09.16.25

Watching Evil Dead unfolds during one memorable night when a young, unpublished Josh Malerman, his fiancée Allison, and a couple of close friends—on what was likely their final evening together—gather to watch Sam Raimi’s cult classic The Evil Dead. But this isn’t just a horror movie viewing. It becomes a transformative event that taps into deeper themes: Malerman’s shift from musician to writer, the anxious threshold of creativity, and the powerful current of new love amid creative uncertainty.

Watching Evil Dead is a spark—a burst of inspiration wrapped in horror fandom, love, and the creative spark. It’s not a how-to manual, but it’s a all‑you‑need reminder that fear can lead to creation, and creation to connection.

If you relate to watching, say, Evil Dead at a crossroads in your life—or you simply want a charged evening read that explores how art and love collide—this one’s a strong recommendation.

I found it moving, invigorating, and deeply relatable. Malerman’s night becomes a mirror for anyone who’s stared down their own blank page, final draft, or new beginning. It’s not just a story—it’s an invitation: watch what scares you, feel what moves you, and then chase the thing you’re afraid to start.

#WatchingEvilDead #JoshMalerman #BookReview #Bookstagram #CreativeLife #WritersOfInstagram #HorrorBooks #Memoir #FearAsFuel #EvilDead #HorrorFans #ReadThisBook

[C.J. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the invite to the eARC. Malerman has been an auto-buy author for me for years, so I was excited to see something so different from him for the first time, a nonfiction.

Malerman is offering readers a chance to partake in an incredibly personal and transformative evening with him, his then girlfriend, her cousin and his partner. With snapshots of profundity and also hilarity, this one ticked off some boxes I didn’t even know I was looking for. It features far more ups and downs than I was expecting, and offers a true glimpse into the author’s life and writing thought process. I have seen it compared to King’s On Writing, but to me it’s absolutely its own thing. A living, breathing piece of art. And unlike King’s which features an almost lifelong autobiographical summary, Malerman does his best to never stray too far from that one single night.

Josh, Allison, Kenickie and Rose gather together with alcohol and weed to traverse an immensely important (current) miss—Allison has never seen Evil Dead. It also happens to be the night Josh aimed to answer a question that has been following him like a hellhound: What does a writer deserve? Mentioned previously in interviews, this is much more exhaustive in his journey for the answer. To me, it is a reminder that writing is supposed to happen because you want to do it, you love to write, you even feel a need to get the story out. Everything else that follows is not the prize, telling the story is.

I loved that their night continued with young love, dying love, and of course, Bruce Campbell. From one film to the sequel, to even the remake that must have led hours into the night. There was even mentions of tackling Army of Darkness! I loved the view-screen readers are offered into the author’s processing of art. I feel like I even finished the read with a different take on Evil Dead too, and last night I switched the cable on and BOOM Evil Dead 2 was on, right at the start of the first demon scene. Love when things all line up.

Profound (IMO): “Can I really expect the non-artist to understand that the victory is not in sales but in writing the book itself? Can someone who doesn’t write be expected to understand that the words THE END and not on the dotted line are the finish line?”

Hilarious: “Usually two movies or more means six drinks or more and once you get to three movies … chances are you could be watching Air Bud and not know the difference.”


https://fanfiaddict.com/review-watchi...

[Richard Bankey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey books, the author, and Goodreads for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. I am a huge fan of the author and have read a lot of his horror novels. This is not a horror novel. It is a non fiction book the author wrote telling about a ne spent with his then girlfriend and a few friends watching The Evil Dead. That night watching the movie under the influence of drugs and alcohol was a memorable one for the author. At times I wondered if the author wrote this book under the same condition. You might enjoy this book enjoyable if you are a fan of the author or the movie. But I feel that even if you are both you probably won't enjoy this book. On a positive note the book is short and a very quick read. 1.5 🌟

[Amber Reu · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.18 - you HAVE to listen to the audiobook of WATCHING EVIL DEAD. It’s fantastic, Josh absolutely crushes it

I had the chance to read Josh Malerman’s WATCHING EVIL DEAD early and absolutely love it. You must pre-order it, but here are (so many) thoughts on how much I love this book:

WATCHING EVIL DEAD is brilliant but also: magic, honest, kind (I never thought a book could be kind but, here we are), funny, charming, bright, captivating, inspiring, extremely smart, and intelligent, but also approachable, vulnerable, and relatable. A love letter to being a creative (the music, the writing, the directing, the art) and to Allison. WATCHING EVIL DEAD is the book that we (reader, writer, everyone) all need and guidance and inspiration from one of the best. It sounds so obvious to say, but WATCHING EVIL DEAD is so Josh, and by that, I mean…it’s real, it sounds like him, it reads like him. It feels like a conversation instead of a lecture, it feels like hanging out, talking about life, and that’s perfect. But, WATCHING EVIL DEAD is also so much a needed reminder to take risks and take the steps to make the thing whatever it may be, and if you fail, then that’s ok. There’s so much I learned and took away from WATCHING EVIL DEAD, it feels invaluable. Not only from a creative standpoint, but also to be a better person/friend/wife/daughter.

[Carrie (scary.carrie.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey for gifting me an advance copy of this book! 🫶

My Thoughts:

Watching Evil Dead is a nonfiction novel that centers around the night Josh Malerman and a group of friends introduce his girlfriend (now wife) to the movie The Evil Dead. It’s a story about love, life, creativity, and, of course, The Evil Dead.

Initially, I found the style of this book to be a little jarring. Malerman bounces between insight into the creative process, personal moments from his life, and movie trivia in an almost stream of consciousness type fashion. Once I adjusted to the seemingly irregular rhythm (it definitely finds its beat as it goes on), I really loved this one.

Malerman takes us through his journey to becoming a published author, while falling in love with his future wife. He also gives his thoughts on living a creative life, conquering doubt, and finding inspiration in all aspects of life. The book is filled with hope and encouragement, and is just a joyful read that I plan to revisit again and again.

If you’re a fan of Josh Malerman’s work, or if you’ve ever dreamed of picking up a paint brush, pen, or musical instrument, this book is for you. It’ll leave you feeling inspired and ready to finally become the artist you were always meant to be!

✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️ /5
✔️ Highly Recommend!

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

WATCHING EVIL DEAD is Malerman's ZEN & THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE. In this self-narrated biographical account of one important night of the (artist) author's life, he seeks to answer the question: What does the artist deserve?

The answer is woven thru a recounting of Malerman's evening introducing his then girlfriend (and wife to-be) to Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD. The couple watch the movie with a close relative and his girlfriend. The rest of the evening is spent examining art, artistry, the creative process and, of course, what does the artist deserve for a piece of art they create. And, love. All intertwined as important scenes play out.

I struggled early to understand where the book was going. They didn't start watching the movie until about a third kf the way into the book. Lots of discussion about creating and process leading up to that made it unclear what the book was about based on the title. Once they start watching the movie (and two sequals) the narrative focuses and lands perfectly.

This is an interesting and extremely well written documentary. Something different than you may expect from Malerman but if you dig talk about creativity this will be your cutoff tea.

[Keri Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a self-reflection and walk down memory lane for Malerman. It's a call to anyone who has had that itch to write or create something and has not done it yet. To finish it. Deserve it. Accept it. Go with momentum, intention, ambition, motivation, and eudaemonia. It relives the stages of creativity and relationships. Putting in the work in love and in art and the change that progresses along with the journey. It's about perspective and recognizing when it's time and the turning points in life. It's about the whole experience. But most of all, it's about love and perseverance. And an homage to Evil Dead.

I felt inspired and ready to write my own story after reading this, but also, I just wanted to put on an Evil Dead marathon, which I did!

[Tom Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you deserve? A question linking together the events, musings, anecdotes, drunkenness, and philosophical debates throughout this book. I've seen some people who mistakenly thought this was a book with advice on how to write. While there are bits scattered throughout, when it comes to the writing side, we are asked questions, brought into a world opposites that may not be opposites after all. This was more of a frenetic, weed-soaked discourse on being present, not comparing yourself to others or even to yourself. Can you really have imposter syndrome? Is writer's block real? (I happen to agree with the author on this.)

And then we have a group of four watching Evil Dead, while getting into discussions on life, success, relationships, and the constant changing of ourselves, the inability to remain in stasis. All while blood and gore is on the television, not necessarily in the background, but somehow blending in and taking part in the twisting conversations, like a fifth person.

I've learned that some of the best discussions and breakthroughs can happen while smoking dope next to the garbage cans as bats hurtle above your head. I've learned that you can be taught new things by someone who is watching a movie for the first time. That you average three drinks per movie and the third movie leads to Jackson Pollock paintings on the screen and moments of Zen that may or may not be remembered. I've learned that Josh Malerman has the ability to flow seamlessly from one thought to the next, making tenuous connections that end of making sense. I've learned that sometimes the answers to your biggest questions, the ones haunting you both in silence and in deafening crowds may have already been answered. Sometimes it just takes love, classic films, and the ability to realize that maybe you've been overthinking your concerns.

[Janelle Janson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up! Such a fun book to read!

[Leighanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watching Evil Dead is kind of a book on the creative life, kind of a meditation on love, and kind of a memoir about a specific night.

Josh Malerman is among my favorite modern horror writers, and I was so excited to read some of his nonfiction. I don't normally go in for books on "the creative life," quite frankly (and I probably won't start even after this one). I never feel as though I have anything in common with most of the authors. But having read Malerman's fiction, I knew our Venn diagrams overlapped. Still, I got both more and less than I expected. I haven't been this conflicted about my feelings on a book in a while. Which is...good, I think?

Malerman uses the night of showing his then-girlfriend-now-wife The Evil Dead for the first time as a throughline for examining what he believes an artist deserves. It's a thought experiment of a question, not necessarily a literal one, although it's inspired by his recent Bird Box publishing deal. The other thread that runs through the book is about relationships—beginnings and endings, mostly. (I've seen a couple reviews that hated the whole bit about sex in the old office, but come on, have a little fun.) We also learn quite a lot about Josh's writing habits and his years of writing before Bird Box was picked up. Hey, I love reading about writers' career trajectories. Those bits were great. Though Watching Evil Dead is kind of clunky and the threads of the braid feel a little forced at times, it's also quite lovely. (Despite its charm, this book also reminds me why I don't like watching movies in a group where one person hasn't seen the movie. The pausing, the active commentary, the personal drama, my god just watch the movieeeeeeee.)

And here's why it dropped a star or two for me: I sort of hated the tone of this book. It reminded me of the kinds of repetitive, fake-deep drunk and stoned conversations I hated being around in my 20s, where everyone was very important and there was always one guy who insisted on bringing the topic back to his pet question or theory of the night. (Maybe my Venn diagram collides with Malerman's a little too well.)

Don't go into this book expecting an updated, horror-friendly version of The Artist's Way. Go into it expecting to get to know Josh Malerman. Leave with some inspiring quotes and the urge to reflect on the first time a friend showed you a great movie. And just for fun, try to imagine keeping up with Josh and Co. drink for drink and joint for joint. Good luck.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incidents Around the House is one of my favorite books, so when I saw that Josh Malerman had written a memoir—one inspired by a single night that changed his life and meant to encourage us to find our own voice and take risks, I knew I had to pick it up.

This was a quick read, written more as a stream of consciousness than a traditional memoir. While I’ve enjoyed that style before, the lack of structure here made the narrative feel a bit disjointed at times. It jumps around quite a bit, which can affect the overall flow.

That said, I still really loved reading it. Malerman’s reflections on inspiration, his past, and the process of discovering beauty within himself were honest and heartfelt. His openness about struggling with imposter syndrome especially resonated with me. It’s a book that doesn’t hand you a roadmap but instead invites you to look inward, trust your instincts, and embrace your creative voice, even when it feels uncertain.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

[Dez Nemec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently, I’m in the minority here but I did not like this. Don’t get me wrong – I am a Malerman fan. I have read a LOT of his stuff, and he is one of the authors that I collect as well. I have beautiful copies of his tales illustrated and signed, covered in Brodart and sitting on a special shelf. But this one….nope. It just seemed like a self-absorbed, self-indulgent tale wherein the author gets to talk about himself for a couple hundred pages. Both Stephen King’s Danse Macabre and On Writing encouraged me to be a writer; this bored me to tears.

Oh, and they don’t start watching The Evil Dead until 38% of the way in.

[Dr CG · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It’s like life understands when you stretch, it sees you have more room in you now, [and] decides to use that space.”

“The unknown can extend from the story to the story-teller. And that can become the most powerful scare.”

This story was a breath of fresh air and will be a great motivation for any current or future artists who read it.
He took us down a path that felt so intimate and personal, with his inner fears and the constant echoes of “what do artists deserve.”

Malerman digs into the nitty gritty of what artists feel during all stages of their processes and how sometimes, The Evil Dead can be a template for how we live, work, and process important moments.

My only drawback when reading it was that it did feel a little messy. But not sure if that was by design or not. I think readers are gonna love this one, though!

Thank you to @NetGalley and #DelRey for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

[Steve T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure if Josh Malerman was taking a shot at emulating Stephen King’s classic On Writing, but these books are not the same. Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within is Malerman’s nonfiction story of how he came to write his breakthrough novel, Bird Box, after inviting friends over to watch Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead.

It’s a good story but I’m sure this would have worked perfectly well as a magazine feature. The whole time I thought, well, that’s interesting, but there was never a time when I thought, hey, this needs to be a full-length book.

I enjoyed it, but I don’t need it on my shelf.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh Malernan’s writing can make anything terrifying…and it can feel like having a chat with a buddy over a beer. This stream of consciousness book shows that he is master at letting the reader into his head and therefore is expert at getting into our heads, as well.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

i guess i just don't understand why this had to be 224 pages long, when like maybe it could just be an essay? like for the seventh grade or something?

[Matt M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to feel inspired? Look no further than the new non-fiction book Watching Evil Dead by Josh Malerman. Whether you’re a creator or not, you’ll want to CREATE after reading this book. Malerman’s energy and passion for writing and creating art is infectious and bleeds from the page.

Malerman talks about a pivotal night in his life when he and his then-new girlfriend, Allison (soon to be his wife), go to another couple’s home to watch The Evil Dead because Allison hadn’t seen it. Over the course of the night, the participants discuss what it means to be a successful writer/creator and what it means to be successful.

Watching Evil Dead is an essential book for any horror fan or creative.

Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC!

[Eliz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a struggle read for myself. I almost DNF'd it many times. It was hard to stay focused on the book, lost interest so easily and quickly.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the only failure is not finishing a story that’s been started. In a lifetime of writing, it’s the only true disappointment I’ve ever felt.

I love Josh Malerman’s books and have read most of them, so I was incredibly excited for this writing memoir of sorts. I’ve said before that Malerman is a storyteller and world-builder in the tradition of Stephen King, and Watching Evil Dead: Unleashing the Radiant Artist Within is kind of like Malerman’s version of On Writing with shades of Danse Macabre.

This book is about a pivotal night in the months before Bird Box was published, when Josh, his fiancée, and another couple get together to watch The Evil Dead. While immersing themselves in the world of Sam Raimi’s cult classic, they also reflect on their lives and relationships and muse philosophically about a variety of topics – and by the end of the night, Josh has made some big decisions about the life he wants to live and the work he wants to create.

So you see, this book isn’t just about The Evil Dead. It’s about a young writer who’s just sold his first novel (along with its film rights) and whose life is about to change in ways he can’t yet fathom. It’s about the costs and joys of consciously choosing to live an artistic life, and the incandescent happiness of finding a soul mate who wants to share that life with you. And it’s meant to inspire other writers, too – encouraging them to do the inner hard work required to create authentically. It’s told in an intimate stream-of-consciousness style that makes you feel like you’re right there with Josh and his friends. I get the sense that Josh is an intense person and an excellent conversationalist and found his candor in this book so refreshing.

I prefaced my reading of this book, quite appropriately, with a re-watch of The Evil Dead and The Evil Dead 2. I do recommend that because having the material so fresh in my mind made me feel even more connected to Josh’s story. Plus, those movies just kick so much ass and should be re-watched at least annually anyway.

Now I am just begging for Malerman to release some of his unpublished novels. I need them all. Thank you to Del Rey for the complimentary reading opportunity.

[John J Questore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, thanks to Net Galley, and Del Rey, for the opportunity to read this forthcoming non-fiction book from my friend Josh Malerman.

WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN is a very interesting introspective of a phenomenal author who has made it HUGE in the world, yet still isn't sure if he 'deserves' it or not. I'm of course speaking of Josh Malerman.

Let me start with: This book will NOT be for everyone! Please remember that it is non-fiction, and is written like a weird autobiography. If that's not your thing, then I suggest passing on this one.

O.K., still with me? Good. Now that the PSA is out of the way, let me dive into the review.

If you were lucky enough to not only get your hands on, but actually read, Josh's opus GHOUL N’ THE CAPE, then you know that Josh is a bit of a philosopher. So, just add that to his many talents.

He takes this way of thinking and runs wild with it in this book. We start with Josh wanting to share his love of the movie, EVIL DEAD, with his girlfriend Allison. What we end up with is a drug and alcohol filled night with friends discussing the movie, and what an artist deserves. There's a lot of internal monologue going on in Josh's head - to the point that he struggles with imposter syndrome - which for those who don't know is a persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved, or has legitimately achieved as a result of their efforts and skills. This can have crippling affects on a person, and induce severe anxiety.

However, I think most people will agree that a person that has countless books published (as well as being on the NY Times Best-Seller's list), multiple albums (with a song being used as the theme to SHAMELSS), and stories included in countless anthologies would be considered a success, and certainly due to his talent.

Yet, every step of the way, Josh second guesses himself. Which is actually the point to this book. It truly isn't about the movie (half the time the four friends aren't even watching it) - it's about anxiety, friendship, love, art, and self-awareness.

Now that being said, I couldn't put this book down. Could I have done without the chapter on Josh and Allison in the bathroom of the old EVIL DEAD office building? Sure (and that completely turned off one reviewer), but remember, this is an semi-autobiographical novel, and, well, that part was a little pertinent to the story.

If you want a true picture of what talent is, as well as the affect has on talented minds, look no further than WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN.

[Hudson · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to random house for the copy of Watching Evil Dead
I'm actually kind of scared to write this review and hope they don't blacklist me from future giveaways lol.

My thoughts on this memoir are probably not going to be super helpful to other readers since I have neither read Malerman's Bird Box nor watched Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. I'm also not an artist in any professional sense so I couldn't relate to the inspiration and creativity that was shared by Malerman. So take everything I say with a grain of salt.

I have to admit that I wasn't impressed by this book. While the theme of creating and appreciating art were interesting to me, at times the writing itself pulled me out of the memory and feelings Malerman was trying to recreate. This shocked me because he's an author himself who's written many novels (as he consistently points out) and faced great success. I honestly got really bored by his writing and ended up skimming a lot of his narration. This may be because I haven't read any of his books, so I'm not too familiar with his style of writing.

Another reason why I didn't connect with this memoir is because I'm not an artist myself (for all of you saying "everyone's an artist!" just take a look at my stick figure drawings and poor literacy grades). So I wasn't particularly inspired by anything Malerman wrote about. I was only really able to relate to finding that "radiant artist within" by comparing it to my experience as an engineering student. It felt similar to when I would finally understand the purpose of a certain equation or solved a difficult problem. But this felt like a long shot at trying to connect to the text.

I'm not disappointed by this book by any means, and again thank you Penguin House for selecting me as a giveaway winner. I think this is a great read for people who are in creative arts fields (writers, filmmakers, etc.). It just unfortunately did not strike a chord in me.

[LeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If half stars were allowed, this would be a 3.5/5 for me.

Two pre-requisites to this memoir-novella (novoir?) -- familiarity with Josh Malerman's style of writing & the plot of the original 'The Evil Dead' franchise.

That being said, I think a prominent throughline of Malerman's work is forward propulsion, a gleeful eagerness and an excitement to tell a story. In this particular case, the story being told isn't a figment of his horror-fueled imaginations but a real life event, a night that has stuck in his memory for so many years because it clarified his own feelings on his career and his writing.

There are glimmers of writing advice to be found here, but mostly this feels like a bit of a fever dream retelling of when Malerman truly began to feel like an *Artist* capital A, when he actually allowed himself to see the forest for the trees (so to speak, let's not think about the connection to 'The Evil Dead' just yet). He muses and ponders over whether or not he can be truly proud and excited of a major achievement -- getting his first book deal. The horror elements come in because 'The Evil Dead' is both actually humming (blaring?) in the background but also is taking place in its own way in real life: a gathering of four people, some are friends, some are in a relationship (of varying stages), and a frightening truth is uncovered.

In a sense, this memory is replayed as if it *were* a horror novel. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn't -- sometimes it feels repetitive, sometimes I'm desperate to see how that night ended. In truth, it feels emblematic of Malerman's work but is perhaps one of the more unique "memoirs" I've ever read.

My thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for this ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Delrey for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have had a love/hate relationship with Josh Malerman's books. Some I've loved, others just weren't for me. This one fell in-between.

I really thought the idea of this book was great. It's always interesting to learn the bits and pieces of an author's life, what inspired them, and how they made their writing careers work. They all have vastly different processes, which is fascinating to me. So in this sense, I did find this book to be inspiring and encouraging, not necessarily to become a writer, but to take chances in your life and stop waiting around for things to happen.

On the other hand, the book did feel a little bit chaotic. It was a bit repetitive at times, and then other parts felt a bit like a movie review for The Evil Dead franchise. And while I'm not offended by discussions of sex and drug use, it just felt repetitive with how often these things were brought up and it took away from the overall point of the story.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book, and I liked that it focused on the beginning part of Josh Malerman's career and the moment in his life where he knew his life was about to change. It was a nice little insight into his success as an author.

[Melissa Leitner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 rounding up to 5 stars for GoodReads. I loved my time with this tiny but inspirational book. If anyone knows anything about me, they know that I love all things Evil Dead. I didn't even need to know what this book was about before it was preordered, and then I was fortunate enough to also receive an arc! This is a hard book to describe, but its purpose, which I think is done extremely well, is to inspire. It was so inspiring to read not only about that one night of four people watching The Evil Dead, but also to read about how Malerman was feeling after selling Bird Box. It would probably be a phenomenal audiobook to listen to in his voice because I think his voice shines through from page one. This is also very much a story about love, and it warmed my heart so very much every time he wrote anything about Allison. I'm not sure who exactly this book is for, but it felt like it was for me. I think it is for anyone who has sat down in front of a blank page and decided to put words on paper, or their own drawing, or for any other type of artist.