Josh Malerman is an author I have recently started reading and I just finished Daphne when I requested this book.
I found the plot to be really interesting with the book beginning with Emily waking up in a pink room being told not to move by an artist who is at the end of the bed she woke up in.I really enjoyed this book ,specially with being a illustrator myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Josh Malerman for the ARC.

Josh Malerman has quickly become an author I’m interested in reading, even though horror isn’t usually my go-to genre. I read one of his previous books and really enjoyed the writing, the atmosphere and the way he could make a story feel completely gripping, so I was excited to pick up Pictures of You. Thankfully, it lived up to the expectations I had.
The premise is certainly intriguing: Emily wakes up trapped in a strange situation involving an artist and a painting, while her boyfriend Jack is left desperately trying to work out where she has gone. From the beginning, there’s a real sense of disorientation and mystery, and I found myself wanting to keep reading simply to understand what was actually happening. Malerman is particularly good at creating that feeling of uncertainty where you’re constantly questioning what is real and where the story might be heading.
I also really liked that Emily and Jack are genuinely in love. So often in this kind of story, a couple is already falling apart, but here their relationship gives the reader something to root for.
Where the book lost me slightly was the second half. The beginning was compelling and wonderfully strange, but the story eventually became more focused on ideas about art, perception and what makes something meaningful. Those themes are interesting, but they were explored repeatedly enough that the pace began to suffer. I also found myself wishing that more actually happened within the painting. The concept felt as though it could have been pushed much further into darker, stranger territory.
That said, I think the book is exactly the right length. Despite the slower sections, the writing remains clever and atmospheric throughout. The ending worked reasonably well, even if I was expecting a little more of a dramatic payoff.
Overall, Pictures of You is an unusual, imaginative and thought-provoking read. I admire the originality of the concept and Malerman’s ability to create such an unsettling atmosphere. If you enjoy psychological horror, unusual premises, art, or books that leave you wondering what on earth is really going on, it’s certainly worth picking up — particularly as the darker autumn evenings start to arrive.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Pan Macmillan/Tor Nightfire, for the arc.