Pictures of You

by Josh Malerman

A woman becomes the subject of an artist's mysterious experiment in this intense and dreamlike supernatural thriller from Josh Malerman, bestselling author of Incidents Around the House

Emily's picture of her life is about to change: She's madly in love with her new boyfriend, Jack. And they are about to embark on a life together.

But then everything She wakes up from an ecstatic night out with Jack to find herself in a strange hotel room, with Jack nowhere to be found. When she tries to leave the room, she discovers it's inside a picture frame.

And on the other side of the frame is a strange woman who says she is an artist—and that Emily is her work of art, her masterpiece.

Now Emily must find Jack and escape from the painting and the artist's diabolical vision. Before she was trapped in this nightmarish experiment, Emily's life was about to begin—but is she now doomed to her life becoming someone else's creation?

Josh Malerman's unforgettable and terrifying Incidents Around the House changed the game for horror—and now Malerman has done it again. Pictures of You is a spine-chilling tale of terror that will keep you guessing until the last page—and thinking of the heroine's search for love and meaning of art long after.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Art

288 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 8, 2026

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

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist.

Three Words That Describe This book: art horror, oppressive tension, psychological suspense

The set up is all you need to know, the story reveals itself from the framing (word choice is important) and the way Malerman delivers it. That is why you will want to read it.

The set up-- a couple is on vacation on Lake Michigan, after a night of drinking they both wake up "hung over" and disoriented, but maybe it is more than a hang over because Emily went from being out to waking up trapped in a painting and being held hostage by an unhinged artist and Jack woke up alone in the hotel room, with both phones and no trace of Emily.

A great set up-- you want to read it. Awesome work there. Again, the way Malerman tells it, also increases your enjoyment.

We have multiple points of view here. Emily and Jack yes, but others are added as we go. Chapters alternate. Readers get information from one character and then we switch to another and we overlap in the time frame and get a little more. Back and forth.

The writing is tight. The pacing perfectly controlled to draw out maximum tension. You will squirm with that tension, but in a good way. Watching this spiral out of control, knowing just a little bit more than the characters, but not nearly as much as you want. Held hostage waiting for it all to resolve, but loving every minute of the feeling.

And when the tension is released and the story is closed, Malerman leaves you with just enough unease because readers will be thinking about the power of ART to make people not just feel real feelings but act in real ways. Ways that can be positive or negative. And that is the lingering horror that will not go away.

This one will make you literally beg for the tension to end-- and yet that is a lie because you are reading it for just that reason.

Fans of Malerman will love the easter eggs to his other work here. He is very good about connecting all of his books without making it look like he is trying to. Also, people new to Malerman don't feel like they missed something either.

For reader who like short, intense art horror such as Black Flame boy Gretchen Felker- Martin where you can feel the tension and the "art" and or artist themselves are destructive. But also for fans of oppressive and intense psychological suspense in the vein of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a pretty big fan of Josh Malerman, and I tend to like anything involving artists in fiction. If it’s horror, that’s just a huge bonus. So I was excited for this one. It was quite an experience, and I think it was pretty on par for Malerman as far as how dark and stressful his novels can be. This plot in particular felt so…mean spirited? If I go into detail as to why, it would be spoilery. But it’s very much a “bad things happen to good people” kind of story, and as much as I love horror, those stress me out the most.

I’ve definitely heard somewhere that it’s good advice not to begin a story or a book with your character waking up, or worse yet, waking up confused. Well, many very successful authors do that exact thing and Josh Malerman is one of them. “Pictures of You” can be a frustrating read at times because just like main character Emily, you will desperately want answers but those answers will not be given to you for a long time. And you may find yourself thinking that you would behave a lot differently if you found yourself in this same situation, but I think Malerman did consider this and addressed it.

Both Emily and Jack were very likable main characters, Jack especially. (What a great example of character work! I had a crush on him instantly because I do love a goofball.) Without giving too much away, it’s tough to see good characters treated in a frightening and cruel way. The threat in this story is well crafted and easy to hate. Setting something so dark and ominous in a cute and charming little lake town was great. I knew exactly what this place looked like and felt that I’d been there before.

One thing that bugged me, though: there’s a plot device that’s used repeatedly, almost to the point that it starts to become comical, (to keep it vague I’ll just say it involves darts), and there are numerous reasons why I took issue with this not being considered as maybe being relied on a bit too much, considering the circumstances.

The book does get a bit wordy near the end. But that ending gave an entire star back to the rating. A good conclusion in horror is so tough to pull off. I liked it a lot! As I mentioned before, I like anything having to do with art horror, and this book mixed the two in a new and interesting way. The thriller elements did keep me reading and wondering what was going to happen next. (Also, worrying.)

Parts of this kind of reminded me of that film “One Hour Photo” with Robin Williams. Remember that?

Other Josh Malerman books that I loved: Birdbox, Incidents Around the House, Daphne.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Drinking while potentially pregnant/Harm to a potentially pregnant woman, *Domestic abuse (child)

[megs_bookrack]

ARC received! I love you, Del Rey!!!!

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give *Pictures of You* by Josh Malerman a solid 3.5⭐️.

The story follows Emily and Jack, a couple six months into their relationship, whose lives take a terrifying turn when Emily is kidnapped during a date night. From there, the narrative splits between Emily’s perspective—trapped in her captor’s studio—and Jack’s desperate search to find her. It’s an intense, fast-paced setup that really does feel like a roller coaster, full of tension and emotional urgency.

Malerman does a great job building suspense and keeping the reader hooked, especially with the alternating viewpoints. Emily’s sections are particularly gripping and unsettling, and you can feel the claustrophobia and fear creeping in.

That said, the reason this lands at 3.5 stars for me is the character Helen. She was deeply disturbing in a way that, at times, felt almost too much and pulled me out of the story rather than adding to it. While I get that she was meant to be unsettling, her presence overshadowed some of the emotional core of Emily and Jack’s story.

Overall, a wild, nerve-wracking read with strong tension—but not without its flaws.

[Rachel B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Ugh, this was such a letdown. I’m a fan of Malerman and was hoping for another creepy slow burn like Incidents Around the House. Unfortunately, this fell very flat.

The premise is interesting enough. Our protagonist, Emily, awakens to find herself held hostage by a seemingly crazy woman who insists Emily is in a piece of artwork.

I think this could work as a short story. But there is not enough meat for this to be a compelling full novel. The book is so repetitive, and there is little plot movement for the first half of the book. And there are so many Emily chapters where I found myself mentally screaming, JUST GET OUT OF THERE.

Emily and her boyfriend, Jack - I was cheering for them both to die. They both have the survival instincts of a deer running into traffic. They seem wildly immature. Emily thinks she’s pregnant - they’re both excited, despite not dating that long. Their response? Let’s go on a bender and get blackout drunk! Huh? She’s PREGNANT. Was I supposed to like this woman?

Toward the end, there is a reveal about Emily’s captor that doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s just too contrived. (Some slight spoilers ahead) I was waiting to find out this woman had been stalking Emily, but no, what brought them together was just fate? Happenstance? Bad writing? (Sorry, Josh) Sure. I guess it makes as much sense as the rest of the choices in this book.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I’ve sat on this one for a while now, hoping that it would improve for me, but unfortunately, it just didn’t. To start off with the good- I appreciate this is, in part, a tribute to Malerman’s wife, and I think it’s lovely that she gets the opportunity to be immortalised in fiction by him.

What didn’t work for me was pretty well everything else. I was really excited about the premise of the creepy location where someone has taken the main characters to paint them, but it fell flat quite quickly. We didn’t have any mystery, and we didn’t have any meaning. It was meant to be spooky, but it just felt impotent.

Emily as a main character was no version of likeable. Her immediate desire to go on a bender when finding out she’s likely pregnant raised several question marks (none of them good ones) and her and her partner were just not interesting characters. Unfortunately, for me, it wasn’t even a well put together thriller, and it definitely wasn’t horror- it was just some reasonably boring characters in what turned out to be a reasonably boring scenario.

[Amber Reu · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all have experiences in our lives that impacted us; small moments, words said in passing, or larger statements and grand gestures. These experiences can add to who we are and who we become, or they may take away from us. Sometimes people aren’t aware of the impact they have on us; other times, people intentionally build us up. But there are times when people act maliciously, out of anger or jealousy, and those moments can linger and even drown out the positive. Often, there is a conflict between these two forces, a tension formed between encouragement and discouragement, and we are left to wonder in the aftermath who we may have been without each.

This tension is present in PICTURES OF YOU, Josh Malerman’s latest book (publishing September 8). Malerman introduces us to Jack and Emily, who are now among my favorite characters in recent fiction. The duo is authentic; Emily is smart, strong, and independent, while Jack is charismatic, kind, and funny. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Jack and Emily; you want to join their adventures, grab a drink with them, and add to their jokes. This love we feel for them makes the nightmares Emily finds herself in even more terrifying; Malerman quickly makes us invested not only in the story, but in Emily and Jack as characters, and we care about their fate.

The situation that Emily and Jack find themselves in is already harrowing, but their love for each other increases the stakes. You’ve finally found your person, and now, they’re in danger. PICTURES OF YOU forces us to confront the brutal question of what we would do in Emily’s situation; what are we willing to do to keep the one we love alive? Putting aside what we will do to stay alive, what will you endure and risk to ensure the safety of the love of your life? Put yourself in Emily’s shoes: waking up in a strange bed and in the room with you, there’s a frame on an easel with no canvas and a woman who you can tell is dangerous. It’s horrifying, and when you add in that Jack’s life is also in danger, it’s even more intense. As humans, we often crave independence, we need familiarity, and the ability to be in control. In PICTURES OF YOU, Malerman strips Emily of this; she is stuck in a nightmare and has to save herself and the man she loves. This makes the fear in PICTURES OF YOU raw and real because it plays on our deepest fears with seemingly no solution.

The other characters within the story feel as real and fleshed out as Emily and Jack. This makes the town of Wainscott come alive; we know these people, we can picture them, and it makes what unfolds in PICTURES OF YOU unnerving and horrifying. In addition to the characters, Malerman creates vibrant, rich locations. The setting is immersive, and Malerman places you in the painting with Emily, and her fear becomes our fear. At times, it feels like we are on the bed with Emily or on the ceiling, holding our breath to see what happens next.

Pacing is crucial in a book like PICTURES OF YOU, and Malerman absolutely nails it. The dread and tension build, but moments of levity allow us time to breathe, which makes the fear hit even harder when the reprieve ends. Alternating points of view and flashing between timelines fuel this intensity; Malerman keeps us on the edge of our seat wondering what will come next. Slow reveals and surprises will leave you stunned and make this novel the ultimate page turner. But nothing about the twists in PICTURES OF YOU feels inauthentic; Malerman is thoughtful about when and what he reveals, and it never comes at the expense of the reader. For readers of Malerman’s other works, the subtle connections to other works within the Malerman universe are a fun reward.

When I think of Malerman’s tapestry of art, PICTURES OF YOU makes sense for the next piece. It feels like a natural evolution, the next logical work coming after INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE and WATCHING EVIL DEAD; it’s innovative, thought-provoking, and scary as hell (there’s a scene in this book that I think about daily). There is so much heart in this story, and the theme of encouragement versus discouragement is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Malerman lets us take away what we need from the story; there is no boasting, no preaching, no judgment. He creates the purest of reading experiences, allowing readers to take away their own message, fully trusting them to understand and feel the story without pressure or tricks.

PICTURES OF YOU further cements Malerman as one of the most compelling voices in horror; in a world that often demands our artists stay in their lane, Malerman bucks against it and takes risks, makes no apologies for taking chances, and consistently delivers. His writing is as sharp and smart as ever in this book. And while no Malerman book (nor album or film for that matter) feels the same, the thread of cohesion running through the Malerman tapestry is this: brilliant, bold, and thoughtful storytelling. It’s a testament to Malerman’s strength as an artist that he can reinvent himself with every work. PICTURES OF YOU lingers; it’s the type of book you’ll want to revisit because it stays with you, and it is the horror book I’ve been yearning for, a book to make me feel the same way I did reading INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE, and Malerman, unsurprisingly, delivers.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I see a new book by Josh Malerman, my reader brain basically turns into a reckless toddler in a candy store. No hesitation. No questions. Just smash the request button and deal with the consequences later. After all, this is the author who gave us the unsettling brilliance of Incidents Around the House and the wildly iconic Bird Box.

So of course when Pictures of You appeared, I didn’t just request it—I practically pounced on it like a caffeinated raccoon guarding a donut.

The premise? Deliciously bizarre. A woman wakes up in a strange room she doesn’t remember entering. Her fiancé is missing. A mysterious voice instructs her not to move. And in front of her sits an empty frame… except it isn’t empty at all. Somehow, impossibly, she herself is the subject of the “art.”

Excuse me? Psychological horror mixed with surreal artistic madness? Sign me up immediately.

Sadly… this is where my enthusiasm starts quietly packing its bags.

Let me be clear: the idea behind this story is fascinating. A nightmare scenario where someone becomes part of an artist’s disturbing creation could have been incredibly tense and claustrophobic. The setup promises something eerie, cerebral, and deeply unsettling—like being trapped inside a living nightmare painted by someone with a very questionable relationship to reality.

Unfortunately, while the concept intrigued me from the start, the execution never quite grabbed hold of me.

And believe me—I tried.

I started reading. Stopped. Restarted. Took another run at it later. Put it down again. Returned once more because my stubborn reader brain refused to give up. Somewhere around my fiftieth attempt (yes, I’m exaggerating… but also not really), I finally pushed through to the end purely out of respect for the author and sheer determination.

The biggest issue for me was that the story felt oddly flat despite its wildly imaginative premise. Instead of building tension, the narrative often circled around the same ideas without moving forward in a way that pulled me deeper into the mystery. I kept waiting for the moment where everything would click into place—the point where the dread would tighten like a noose and the story would explode into something unforgettable.

That moment never really arrived.

Rather than feeling trapped in a terrifying artistic experiment, I often felt like I was wandering through a maze that looked intriguing from the outside but didn’t have much happening inside its walls.

Which honestly surprised me, because Malerman is usually brilliant at creating atmosphere. His previous work knows how to crawl under your skin and stay there. Here, however, the story never quite reached that level of tension or emotional pull for me.

The book itself isn’t very long, yet somehow it felt much heavier to get through than expected. By the time I finished, I felt less like I had experienced a gripping psychological thriller and more like I had completed a literary endurance challenge.

And listen—this hurts me to say because I genuinely admire Malerman’s work. He’s one of those authors whose new releases usually go straight onto my auto-approved author list. I will absolutely continue reading whatever he writes next without hesitation.

But this particular story just didn’t connect with me the way I hoped it would.

That said, the premise itself still deserves credit for being bold and unusual. There is creativity here, and readers who enjoy more experimental storytelling might find something to appreciate that simply didn’t resonate with me personally.

In the end, I’m giving this one three stars (rounded up from 2.5)—and honestly, most of that rating comes from the originality of the concept rather than the reading experience itself.

Sometimes even authors we adore write a book that doesn’t quite land for us. It happens. And I’m still very much looking forward to whatever Malerman dreams up next—preferably something that terrifies me so much I have to sleep with the lights on again.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for sharing this mystery written by one of my favorite auto-approved authors in exchange for my honest feedback. 📚

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[Charlotte Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, and the team at Del Rey for providing me this ARC in exchange for a review.

Final star rating: 4 stars.

This was my first Josh Malerman book - he is an author I'd been wanting to read for a while, with Incidents Around the House and Bird Box being on my (ever growing) TBR pile for a while, so I was incredibly excited to be approved for an ARC by him.

The premise is very intriguing and interesting right off the bat: Emily wakes up in a strange place she doesn't remember arriving in to find herself behind a picture frame and a woman intent on making her still-life artwork. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Jack, continues to search for her in a lakeside town.

The book does a lot of things right; the vibes are there and continue to grow throughout, and you genuinely feel scared and unnerved about the situation Emily finds herself in. I also really enjoyed the snippets of the relationship between Emily and Jack. The chemistry in the chapters written before Emily wakes up in a picture frame oozes from the page, and you can understand why the two have fallen for each other. The book is also very laden with themes of art, inspiration, and love, which creates a lot of philosophical and creative questions that relate to each other in an abstract sense - this means you often have to take a step back and really think about the messages and ideas explored.

Where the book loses stars for me is in some of the prose being quite heavy handed and repetitive. While references from other POV characters to the art-world in everyday life work at first, they begin to happen so much that it feels forced. Similarly, sentences continue to be very long and in a manner of stream of consciousness that while at times work, starts to feel over-used.

If you're someone who enjoys a lot of references to art and its philosophy translated into a horror genre subtext, this may be a book that you enjoy, with twists that you probably won't see coming. I'll eagerly be prioritising more Josh Malerman books in the future.

[Cc Readsss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release: Sept 8, 2026
Author: Josh Malerman
Publisher: Del Rey

Rating: 3.75★ 

Thoughts:
Pictures of You by Josh Malerman is an intense, psychological thriller that feels like a Hitchcockian nightmare, pulling readers into a world of eerie suspense and deadly art. Emily wakes up in an unfamiliar room with no memory of how she got there, only to discover she’s the central subject of a twisted artist's creation. With her fiancé’s life on the line, she must use her wits to navigate a dangerous psychological trap that blurs the line between reality and art. The suspense is relentless, and Malerman’s ability to create a sense of paranoia is masterful. As the plot twists and turns, the tension mounts, making it a page-turner that will keep you hooked until the last page. The chilling atmosphere, clever plot, and deep psychological elements make this a gripping read for fans of thrillers with a dark edge.

This book suits someone in the mood for something: tense, mysterious
Pace: fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven?: plot-driven
Strong Character Development?: yes
Loveable Characters?: yes
Diverse Cast?: no
Are Character Flaws a Main Focus?: yes
Main Themes / Tropes:
Psychological thriller, captivity, manipulation, the line between art and life, love, survival, identity

Synopsis:
After a magical night out with her fiancé, Emily wakes up in a strange room with no memory of how she got there. As she uncovers a terrifying situation, she realizes she’s become the unwitting subject of a twisted artist's work, trapped in a deadly game with her fiancé’s life at stake. She must think like an artist to survive, but time is running out.

Favorite Quote:
“The clock is ticking… for being forever trapped.”

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing me with the ARC.
Pub Date Sep 08 2026
What a great beginning, so interesting and original, and then … I’m so, so, so disappointed. The first thing that started to nag on me was the repetitiveness of the narrative. I saw some reviews also pointing this out, and it really bothered me as well. Then we started following the characters discovering things we already know, this is very frustrating - reading about something you know but characters doesn’t. Why should I care or even be entertained, if I know everything and just sit there watching the characters finding it out in the most boring way? Also, the descriptions were very poor; this doesn’t feel like something Malerman wrote. I feel like there should have been more detailed descriptions of the setting and the composition of the “paintings”.
And the cover, it so horrendously ugly that if it was for another author’s book, I’m sure I wouldn’t pick it up. This should have been a short story, it is barley 290 pages and you can basically cut half of it. Not even gonna comment on the unoriginal character’s names. The ending was good, but it’s not redeemable for the entire mess. This is the first book by this author that I dislike and feel disappointed by. Still my faith in his writing capabilities is not dead, everyone can have a bad day, or bad book once in a while.
But hey, he wrote it for his wife, who is an artist. It doesn’t look like he knows anything about painting, except some names of famous paintings. Maybe his wife would have written this book better.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a book full of blank pages. Do the front and back covers "frame" the story? One that doesn't exist? It's an interesting question, but not one I need to read about for 300 pages. Malerman continues to produce brilliantly original, totally unsettling dark fiction, but Pictures of You is a departure for the author. It's not supernatural and it's not necessarily a horror story. You could make the case that it's more along the lines of Malerman's earlier novella, A House at the Bottom of a Lake, which involves a romantic couple falling in love, discovering the titular house and exploring it together even as the mystery threatens to tear them apart, or leave them stranded at the bottom of the lake.

Pictures of You suggests romance in its title and carries that aesthetic through the whole novel, but it's never really clear why the reader should care. The big reveal near the end is absolutely necessary to explain the bizarro plot, but makes no sense logically or in terms of presenting a narrative to wait so long for the revelation. In his Afterword, Malerman references his gratitude to the editor for making sure the story, not the premise comes first. This book seemed to rely on nothing but the latter, truly an example of life imitating art, rather than the reverse. Malerman's writing is always captivating and entertaining, but grab another of his volumes if you're looking for inspiration.

An artful thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

[RavenReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
This had all the ingredients for something tense and unsettling but it just never came together for me. The setup is wild in a way that should work: Emily and Jack are on vacation, find out she’s pregnant, and decide to go out drinking to process it… CHOICES, just saying. The next morning, Emily is gone, and Jack sets out to find her, while she’s revealed to be held captive by an artist. On paper, that’s a great hook: equal parts psychological thriller and horror. But in execution, I was just bored.

Despite being on the shorter side, it felt like it dragged. Josh Malerman leans heavily into ambiguity, which can be effective, but here it felt excessive. Instead of building tension, it made the story feel unfocused, with too many strange, loosely connected threads and not enough payoff. The characters didn’t help either. I never really connected with any of them, which made it harder to stay invested as the story unfolded. There’s a lot happening, but not much of it felt grounded enough to care about.

This fits into my ongoing experience with Malerman which is very hit or miss. His shorter works, in particular, tend not to land for me, and this one reminded me a lot of The House at the Bottom of the Lake in that way: intriguing premise, but ultimately too ambiguous and detached to be satisfying. Not terrible, just frustratingly underwhelming given how much potential it had.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, and Del Ray, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC, All opinions are my own.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Del Ray for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Though I’ve read the short story It Waits In The Woods, this was my first book by Josh Malerman and yowza was this a ride! The description was interesting and I initially assumed it would be a fantasy/supernatural premise and the characters were literally swapped inside the painting and stuck in there. To be honest, I’m still not sure if that’s what happened or if there were just picture frames in the same room and it was a hallucination of the artist?!

Without giving away spoilers, I did really appreciate the backstory of the artist/kidnapper and it is definitely original and nothing I would have expected or thought of! There are also some side characters that have random / unexpected moments with others and I did have times where I was flat out laughing! It felt a little weird to laugh at such a suspenseful story but also broke the tension a little.

I’m not sure if I loved the ending but most importantly this book was definitely an original and unlike anything else I’ve read or even heard about recently. Props to writers for taking chances and just creating work that makes us think sometimes and doesn’t always follow a specific horror or psych thriller template. After seeing so many others comment or mention it, I can’t wait to read Incidents Around the House next!

[Igor DelRey · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I must say to anyone reading this: Pictures of You is NOT a typical Josh Malerman horror novel. If you have read and loved previous horror books by this author before, just know that his new book is nothing alike his previous ones. This new book is not a haunting/paranormal horror story with creepy elements and gruesome scenes. This is also not a story with a mystery that affects a large groupf of people and test the humans' wills and sense for survival.
Pictures of You is about a real person being trapped inside a living art painting. How they got there, why, and how to escape from that.
It is...weird.

To me, it was weird in a positive way. I felt invested the whole time, in the mystery, in the villain's motivations, in the relationship of the couple protagonist. I bought it. I bought the eerie and nonsensical plotline.
I didn't find this book not as nearly as terrifying or creepy as other books from this author, but I had fun with it. I personally don't mind books with conversations on the art scene, the art world of paintings.
I had never read a book like this before. And I'm always grateful to be surprised that way.

I genuinely do not believe everyone will enjoy this book. But...if you're interested in very weird horror stories with a touch of delusional reality and some talk on art, you might consider giving this book a go.
Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Andrea B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into Pictures of You with high expectations, especially as a fan of Josh Malerman’s work; unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land for me.
The premise is intriguing: a woman trapped inside a piece of art, forced to confront both a surreal nightmare and the unsettling idea of being someone else’s creation. It’s the kind of concept that feels ripe for psychological horror and emotional depth. However, while the idea is strong, the execution didn’t fully deliver.
At times, the story felt stretched thin. The pacing dragged, and much of the detail didn’t pull me in as I’d hoped; instead, it came across as filler rather than atmosphere-building. I kept thinking this might have worked better as a short story, where the central concept could have hit harder without being weighed down.
What made this more disappointing is that I’ve really enjoyed Malerman’s other books. Incidents Around the House was gripping and unsettling in all the right ways, and I also liked Daphne and Pearl. Compared to those, this one just didn’t have the same impact.
Overall, while Pictures of You has a compelling premise and some eerie moments, it didn’t fully capture my attention or leave a lasting impression. Fans of Malerman might still want to give it a try, but for me, it fell short of his usual standard.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malerman’s latest will be divisive. “Pictures of You” is not a straightforward tale, and leans more on existential dread than true horror. The premise is simple: A woman, Emily, wakes up as a hostage, forced to pose for a mysterious painting. Her husband searches for her. Malerman’s hyperfocus on Emily’s inner monologue as she goes through confusion, terror, and rage is nearly claustrophobic in its level of detail; as Emily spirals, her thoughts repeat themselves, a litany of observations designed to make her feel safer, and provide her with a sense of control. It’s an experimental deviation from Malerman’s more-forthright horror for which he is known, more like Mona Awad at her most eccentric than anything in “Bird Box” or “Incidents around the House”. “Pictures of You” is concerned about the relationship between artist and subject, muse and art – with a slice of anxious motherhood and objectification thrown in for spice.

“Pictures of You” is unique, I’ll give it that. I have a high tolerance for meandering, and though I enjoyed this, I think it might have benefited from tighter reins as a novella. It’s more of a concept than a book with a plot, and as such, exhausts itself and the reader in its current 300 page length.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from a 3.5⭐️

Emily wakes up in a room with mauve walls and a pink ceiling with no memory of what happened.

A woman tells her to stay still so she can get the picture just perfect. Emily looks at the easel where she sees a frame but no canvas and no paint.

The clock is ticking as Emily slowly recalls the night before and remembers her boyfriend Jack. Where is he and how did she get here?

Pictures of You by Josh Malerman was one of my most anticipated horror novels of the year and I am truly thankful for the opportunity from NetGalley & Del Ray Random House Worlds for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Overall, I found the beginning of the novel to be kind of slow to start. I was confused quite a bit but as I learned more information it slowly came together.

I didn’t anticipate the twist in the middle of the or towards the end of the novel. It was well done and I enjoyed the story telling and the creepy factor throughout the novel.

It wasn’t my favorite horror thus far this year but would recommend if you enjoy horror novels with kidnappings and creepy vibes. I think you might enjoy it. Just so…

Thank you again to NetGalley & Del Roy, Random House Worlds for the opportunity to read an ARC copy for an honest review.

[Beingthismama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read this ARC!

I’m a Josh Malerman fan and when I saw Pictures of You posted on NetGalley I hit the request button so fast. The premise of the story feels like a Criminal Minds episode, which I binge on a regular basis. I was incredibly excited to sit and soak this up in one sitting.

Unfortunately, I did not. I had to force myself to finish it four days later just so I could fairly decide how I felt. I waited a month to post my review just to see if I changed my mind. It pains me to say I did not and officially marked this as two stars.

As I said, the premise of the book is intriguing – a woman wakes up kidnapped by a deranged painter unaware of where her partner is. There’s a setup for horror, for creepy, for intrigue, for suspense. Instead, I was bored.

I agree with other reviewers that this book would have been better off as a short story. There was not enough for me to connect to characters. There was not enough suspense building to keep me hooked. There was too much repetition that provided nothing to the story.

I’m sad this book didn’t end up higher stars for me. I will still absolutely read any future books Josh Malerman releases. This one just was not a hit for me.

[Mo Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘...Pictures of You is a spine-chilling tale of terror that will keep you guessing until the last page—and thinking of the heroine's search for love and meaning of art long after.’

Wrong.

What in the 8x10 hell did I just read? Hate to say it…. but I cannot find anything laudatory to say about this book. Not a single word.

I should have read the blurb before requesting on NG. That’s on me. If I had, the whole “a woman finds herself trapped in a picture frame” would have likely deterred me. 🥴

Pictures of You was absurd and inane in its entirety. With a complete lack of thrill, fright, terror, excitement, understanding, allure, plausibility, sensibility and enjoyment. I had to force myself through it. And man, it was a job. My interest abandoned ship very early on. It could not, would not be held. And it certainly could not be contained.

Dull, disjointed & jerky, monotonous & extravagantly odd. Strange without any intrigue whatsoever.

“Ba-dum tsss.” X 15.😑
“Just so.” X 40 🙄

Sorry. Hopefully other readers will have a better experience.

Thanks to Del Rey for the arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.

Pub: 9.8.2026.

[Rustic Red Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I followed Malerman works for quite a bit, after reading Bird Box since I adored that one. I've read his Black Mad Wheel & A House at the Bottom of a Lake, and those for me was a step down from Bird Box.

But this one is a step down even further it feels like a badly written A24 elevated horror (but not) since it's more of a thriller, with a comic Batman gimmick-villain called 'The Artist'.

I hate that the blurb misled me thinking this would be a full blown horror with:
(a) "she discovers it's inside a picture frame. And on the other side of the frame is a strange woman who says she is an artist—and that Emily is her work of art, her masterpiece."
(b) Another misleading part: "Now Emily must find Jack and escape from the painting and the artist's diabolical vision."- this doesn't happen, well since she's "stuck from the painting"

Honestly the blurb is more interesting in than the book and the lesson from the book was included in the end of it - "heroine's search for love and meaning of art long after". It was also interesting when you get used to the comic villain and when it started to be a thriller, but it's too late - with only a couple of chapters left.

[Kimber Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming September:
Pictures of You by Josh Malerman

Get ready to go to Hell and Bach.
Ba dum tiss.

Join Emily and Jack as they vacation to a quaint little lakeside town in Michigan. These young lovers have no idea what’s in store for them as after a night of boozing. Emily turns up missing, but we know where she is and we learn who she’s with.
Jack goes through unspeakable lengths as Emily fights to survive in a surreal enclosure.
Capturing the artists vision may be their only chance of survival.

This may be one of my favorite reads this year. The fast paced nature of this bizzare Hitchcockesque story shines. I was completely gripped and read it in two sittings.
Reading this after Josh’s previous release (Watching Evil Dead) makes so much sense as to his style. You should never lose a spark or whimsy as an artist—even in the face of hardship and adversity— and that’s a presented theme.
I adored how each chapter bounced from a different character perspective that ties into the whole story.
Josh Malerman has always been nothing but ✨inspirational✨
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Mya Joan Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Pictures of You by Josh Malerman with really high expectations, especially since I’ve enjoyed some of his other work. The premise sounded incredibly intriguing and I was excited for a tense, eerie story. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to what I hoped it would be.

The idea behind the story is definitely interesting, and there are moments where the atmosphere feels unsettling in a good way. Malerman has a way of creating strange, mysterious situations that make you curious about what’s going on. I kept reading because I wanted to see where everything was going.

That said, the book ended up feeling more frustrating than satisfying. The pacing dragged in several places, and I often felt confused rather than intrigued. Some parts felt overly vague, and I was hoping for clearer answers or a stronger payoff by the end.

Overall, it wasn’t a terrible read, but it was disappointing compared to what I expected. There are some creative ideas here, but the execution just didn’t fully work for me

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Emily and Jack are in the small town of Wainscott by Lake Michigan for a little getaway. After a night of revelry, Emily wakes up in a strange, garishly colored room in clothes not her own. When she looks up from the bed, she sees a picture frame and a woman beyond it. A woman who tells her Emily will be masterpiece.
Malerman has crafted yet another of his outside the box kind of stories. However, the description of the book makes it sound much more abstract and "out there" than the novel ends up being. It begins feeling very off kilter and disorienting, but it soon becomes apparent this was done on purpose to put the reader in the mind of Emily upon her waking. Once the tale really gets going, it becomes a very understandable story, mainly about obsession (and art). In several ways, Pictures of You is in the same arena as Stephen King's Misery. And once the disorienting first few chapters are out of the way, the book really becomes a fairly quick read. - 3.75/5*

[Patty Abarno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Incidents Around the House by Malerman, so I was so excited to read his new novel! And it did not disappoint. Emily and her boyfriend Jack are newly in love and are away on a getaway to a small lakeside town called Wainscott. They visit the beach and then decide to go bar hopping in the small town. Through the night, they witness some strange individuals who seem to be watching them and even following them. It is not until the next morning, when Emily wakes up in a strange hotel room and without Jack, that she realizes something is very wrong. A strange woman (Helen) who says she is an artist has captured Emily and put her in a frame calling her her “ masterpiece”. Now it is up to Emily to find a way out of this nightmare and back to Jack. This was a creepy, mind bending read. I really had no idea how this story was going to end and was on the edge of my seat to the very end. I loved the story and gave it a solid 4 stars.

[Kayla Kopke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually love choppy writing styles, but Malerman writes like poetry. The rhythm just works.

This story completely pulled me in. I finished it in two sittings because I had to know how it ended. The back-and-forth between Jack and Emily kept things dynamic and engaging the whole time.

The premise is wild: imagine being on vacation in northern Michigan with your boyfriend of six months, drinking, bar-hopping, having a great time, and then you wake up in a strange bed, behind a canvas… as a piece of living art.

The novel really digs into the idea of art—what it means, what makes something “great,” and how far someone can go in the name of creativity. The novel itself is a work of art.

Because so much of it is visual and atmospheric, I honestly think it would translate incredibly well into a film adaptation.

Definitely a unique, haunting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced digital copy.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

My sarcastic side is in full gear, but I do not like being mean-spirited in reviews. People, hopefully, gave their heart and soul into writing these novels. But ya’ll!! Sorry, my southern comes out when I’m being emphatic. This was a tough one to get through. I have only had one DNF ever and I really try hard to get through books to see if the ending will grab me. Nope. Not at all.

I did something I rarely do. I read a few other reviews before writing this. I thought, “Man, maybe I’m just having a bad day.” I saw there were others that felt this way. This is just a tough read. I’m giving an extra star for creativity in the concept. The blurb really had me excited. But after that, it just falls flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an intense read. Unsettling in the best way possible. I love a good kidnapping thriller with horror elements, and this absolutely delivered.

The dual POVs from Emily and Jack worked really well for me. Every chapter ended with me convincing myself to read “just one more” because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

This is definitely a stressful and disturbing book at times, and there were a few scenes that pushed close to being too much for me. Not enough to ruin the experience, but it’s definitely a darker, more unsettling read.

It wasn’t a perfect book, but it was incredibly gripping, intense, and hard to put down. I had a lot of fun with it overall and would absolutely recommend it to thriller and horror fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy! ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

[Jennifer Tackett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of “Pictures of You”, by Josh Malerman.
This one fell very flat for me. There was no tension or terror in the book, but I did develop overwhelming anxiety from what I think was his intentionally irritating repetition. Using the full city AND state name, citing people’s first AND last names over and over again. “Jeez” 10 times…and we are told (repeatedly) that Jack went to Michigan State University (6 times), but I am from East Lansing and was dying for a name-drop of a local bar or restaurant…you left me hanging, Mr. Malerman. I really enjoyed “Incidents Around the House”, and have had Birdbox waiting for a while but I’m not sure I want to take that chance now.

[Gatorman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes. That was beyond disappointing. I'm a big Malerman fan (Incidents Around The House was my favorite book that year) but this one just didn't work. At all. On any level. Something about art and life and inspiration but written in such a confusing and abstract way that I just stopped caring at some point. Annoying and unlikable characters didn't help things, either. There was a somewhat interesting idea buried in here (I think), but it never came to fruition. I've loved Malerman's quirkiness in the past (things like Unbury Carol and Black Mad Wheel), but this wasn't quirky, it was uninspiring. Fell really flat, which is not the norm for Malerman. I guess everyone's entitled to an off night. Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.