What do you think?
Rate this book
Incidents Around the House
A chilling horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,” from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box
To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”
When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.
Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel.
But Other Mommy needs an answer.
Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.
To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”
When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.
Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel.
But Other Mommy needs an answer.
Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.
384 pages, ebook
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Josh Malerman
81 books6,875 followersJosh 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.
He's also one of two singer/songwriter for the rock band The High Strung.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,525 reviews
July 7, 2024
I think I've hurt my vocal cords after screaming too much! Well, Josh Malerman seemed to see through my bluff when I insisted I rarely get scared by horror movies and novels because real-life experiences are more terrifying than fiction. He raised the level of fear for pretentious readers like me a notch higher! Now, I'm on the verge of panicking, afraid to walk in my own house. Every cracking sound makes me jump down to the floor, covering my head with my hands and closing my eyes, counting to ten thousand. That's how my dear husband found me and took pictures, which he shared on his Insta, already garnering 15 thousand likes! I hate my life!
Anyways, writing a book review without giving too much away is the toughest job, especially for this book. I can barely say a few words to define the plot. Here they are: Little Bela meets her imaginary friend, "the other mother," who lives in her closet and sometimes appears at her bedside, chatting and giggling with her. She even mentioned her existence to her momma Ursula and daddo Russ, and they acted like it was a joke. But when the other mother talks about carnation or reincarnation, and Bela refuses to let her into her heart, things take a dark turn. As more days pass, Bela realizes the other mother is not her friend; she's an entity that truly wants to enter her heart, growing stronger and following her everywhere. When Bela's family's foundation starts crumbling down, the entity becomes even stronger.
Bela is not the only one who sees her, and there's no escaping this monstrous entity. It traces every step Bela takes. What happens if Bela decides to say yes? Can she save her family, or is there a way to kill the monster before it takes her heart? If there is, what would be the cost?
Oh boy! I've never been so scared by any book! It chilled me to my bones; my blood ran cold! I'm honestly whispering because I lost my voice from screaming at each chapter. I couldn't take it anymore and covered my eyes not to read more, but my prankster husband took the book, read aloud, and dropped it as he cried like a baby! I'm not exaggerating, guys; this book scared the living daylights out of me! But it's incredibly good! The narration style was like it's written by a child, which was a bit distracting, but it never failed to send shivers down my spine.
I cannot give less than 5 stars to this book, the fairest grade, but I warn you—it's extremely spine-tingling. You might want to leave a light on when you sleep for weeks and invite all your relatives to sleep in your living room together for a month. That's how frightening it is. But, absolutely, I recommend it to horror lovers looking for something creative and mind-blowing!
I hope this book gets adapted into a screenplay so I can hit the theaters to watch and scream through the scenes like an opera lady or young Jamie Lee Curtis.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballentine/Del Rey for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
Anyways, writing a book review without giving too much away is the toughest job, especially for this book. I can barely say a few words to define the plot. Here they are: Little Bela meets her imaginary friend, "the other mother," who lives in her closet and sometimes appears at her bedside, chatting and giggling with her. She even mentioned her existence to her momma Ursula and daddo Russ, and they acted like it was a joke. But when the other mother talks about carnation or reincarnation, and Bela refuses to let her into her heart, things take a dark turn. As more days pass, Bela realizes the other mother is not her friend; she's an entity that truly wants to enter her heart, growing stronger and following her everywhere. When Bela's family's foundation starts crumbling down, the entity becomes even stronger.
Bela is not the only one who sees her, and there's no escaping this monstrous entity. It traces every step Bela takes. What happens if Bela decides to say yes? Can she save her family, or is there a way to kill the monster before it takes her heart? If there is, what would be the cost?
Oh boy! I've never been so scared by any book! It chilled me to my bones; my blood ran cold! I'm honestly whispering because I lost my voice from screaming at each chapter. I couldn't take it anymore and covered my eyes not to read more, but my prankster husband took the book, read aloud, and dropped it as he cried like a baby! I'm not exaggerating, guys; this book scared the living daylights out of me! But it's incredibly good! The narration style was like it's written by a child, which was a bit distracting, but it never failed to send shivers down my spine.
I cannot give less than 5 stars to this book, the fairest grade, but I warn you—it's extremely spine-tingling. You might want to leave a light on when you sleep for weeks and invite all your relatives to sleep in your living room together for a month. That's how frightening it is. But, absolutely, I recommend it to horror lovers looking for something creative and mind-blowing!
I hope this book gets adapted into a screenplay so I can hit the theaters to watch and scream through the scenes like an opera lady or young Jamie Lee Curtis.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballentine/Del Rey for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
June 26, 2024
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
UPDATE: The Audible narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill is FANTASTIC
I don’t often read HORROR, and I didn’t even read BIRD BOX, but every once in a while, a book from this genre appeals to me-and this was one of them.
It was told ENTIRELY from the UNIQUE first person perspective of eight-year-old Bela, a girl who is being targeted by a ENTITY who calls itself her “OTHER MOMMY”.
YOU CAN RUN-BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE
“Other Mommy” is looking for carnation (reincarnation) as she wants to LIVE again…
“CAN I GO INSIDE YOUR HEART?”
She pretends to be friends with the vulnerable Bela, as she tries to manipulate her way in.
AND SHE IS GROWING IMPATIENT
I felt the DESPERATION of Daddo, Mommy and Grandma Ruth, as they try to save Bela.
And, I felt TERRIFIED for Bela.
Like the movie, “A Quiet Place” by John Krasinski and Michael Sarnoski (which I loved) the EVIL is lurking just out of view, but you can always FEEL its presence.
This story is accurately described as “a chilling horror novel about a haunting” and I think it would also translate well to the BIG SCREEN.
I finished this last night and I woke up, STILL THINKING about the ending!!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Del Rey for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
UPDATE: The Audible narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill is FANTASTIC
I don’t often read HORROR, and I didn’t even read BIRD BOX, but every once in a while, a book from this genre appeals to me-and this was one of them.
It was told ENTIRELY from the UNIQUE first person perspective of eight-year-old Bela, a girl who is being targeted by a ENTITY who calls itself her “OTHER MOMMY”.
YOU CAN RUN-BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE
“Other Mommy” is looking for carnation (reincarnation) as she wants to LIVE again…
“CAN I GO INSIDE YOUR HEART?”
She pretends to be friends with the vulnerable Bela, as she tries to manipulate her way in.
AND SHE IS GROWING IMPATIENT
I felt the DESPERATION of Daddo, Mommy and Grandma Ruth, as they try to save Bela.
And, I felt TERRIFIED for Bela.
Like the movie, “A Quiet Place” by John Krasinski and Michael Sarnoski (which I loved) the EVIL is lurking just out of view, but you can always FEEL its presence.
This story is accurately described as “a chilling horror novel about a haunting” and I think it would also translate well to the BIG SCREEN.
I finished this last night and I woke up, STILL THINKING about the ending!!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Del Rey for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
July 3, 2024
I think she’s getting closer. Even though she’s already in the house. Even though she sits next to me on my bed.
Closer. That’s the word I think of.
She used to just stand in the closet and stare at me. Then she came out. Then she started talking.
Then she started asking.
Yeah, I couldn't put this creepy book down.
When I read the description about "Other Mommy", my first thought was Coraline. But while both books are narrated by young girls who encounter a twisted malevolent version of their parents, Incidents Around the House is definitely not a book for children.
I didn't give it five stars because it got a little bit repetitive at one point in the middle, and , but I came close a few times. The story is pretty much everything I look for in horror-- genuinely scary, hard to look away from even as I feared to turn the page, with weird and complex family dynamics playing out in the background.
I don't always love books from a young child's perspective but Malerman did a good job here. Eight-year-old Bela was realistically naive without being too annoying.
I also felt it created a very particular kind of suspense as Bela still lives in a child's world of fairy tales and magic and so does not react to the horror on the same level as the reader. It was somehow worse to watch her engage curiously with the terrifying "Other Mommy" while I was screaming "oh my god, run!"
I guess this means I should stop putting it off and finally read Bird Box.
May 16, 2024
I could have finished this book last night, but I had to stop because it was super late and it was scaring the fu … uh, crap out of me. I actually did a marathon read of the remainder this morning so that I wouldn't have to read it past bedtime again. So, yeah, I guess that's pretty high praise for a horror novel? And I'm not one who usually gets super freaked out over what I read, either. It's kind of like an adult version of Coraline, except way, way scarier.
Honestly, I started out thinking that I wasn't going to like this book much. I'm not generally a huge fan of novels narrated by young children, and the narration in this one just seemed extra juvenile. There's also no quotation marks around the dialogue, which is something that normally drives me bonkers. By the time I was several chapters in, however, I was completely hooked. There's just something so very, very creepy about a child casually talking about such utterly terrifying events. And somehow the lack of quotation marks just adds to the creepiness of it? I have no idea why, but it does.
And this book is definitely terrifying. I'm a middle-aged adult woman and I couldn't handle reading it in the dark. I know I've already compared it to Coraline, but it could probably be more accurately described as Coraline meets Paranormal Activity. There are short bouts of terror followed by lots of panicked “Oh, shit, what was that and what do we do about it?” And Other Mommy is just so freaking creepy – she makes the demon from Paranormal Activity look like a fluffy (but admittedly menacing) kitten.
I have to say, though, that I did kind of see the ending coming. I mean, not the exact circumstances, of course, but the last few pages of this story weren't exactly a huge surprise. That's not to say that they weren't scary, because they were. I just think it's the only way that this book could have ended, really.
My overall rating: 4.8 stars, rounded up. Incidents Around the House is perhaps one of the scariest horror novels I've read since Stephen King's The Tommyknockers in the late 80s.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
Honestly, I started out thinking that I wasn't going to like this book much. I'm not generally a huge fan of novels narrated by young children, and the narration in this one just seemed extra juvenile. There's also no quotation marks around the dialogue, which is something that normally drives me bonkers. By the time I was several chapters in, however, I was completely hooked. There's just something so very, very creepy about a child casually talking about such utterly terrifying events. And somehow the lack of quotation marks just adds to the creepiness of it? I have no idea why, but it does.
And this book is definitely terrifying. I'm a middle-aged adult woman and I couldn't handle reading it in the dark. I know I've already compared it to Coraline, but it could probably be more accurately described as Coraline meets Paranormal Activity. There are short bouts of terror followed by lots of panicked “Oh, shit, what was that and what do we do about it?” And Other Mommy is just so freaking creepy – she makes the demon from Paranormal Activity look like a fluffy (but admittedly menacing) kitten.
I have to say, though, that I did kind of see the ending coming. I mean, not the exact circumstances, of course, but the last few pages of this story weren't exactly a huge surprise. That's not to say that they weren't scary, because they were. I just think it's the only way that this book could have ended, really.
My overall rating: 4.8 stars, rounded up. Incidents Around the House is perhaps one of the scariest horror novels I've read since Stephen King's The Tommyknockers in the late 80s.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
July 16, 2024
Kids say creepy things. They regularly have imaginary friends and seem aware of things not readily visible to adults. They wage constant nocturnal warfare at bedtime, battling tooth and nail with nightmares and boogeymen…but what if these invisible monsters somehow became real? What if their once insubstantial, ephemeral grasp on the fabric of reality became corporeal, and they tore their way forth into our side, leaving the veil of separation in tatters? No one would be safe, inside or outside, day or night, awake or asleep.
From the author of Birdbox comes a new spine-chilling horror novel written in the POV of a haunted and hunted 8-year-old little girl named Bela. She is a lonely 8-year-old little girl who struggles to make friends and is much too perceptive of the adults around her. Mommy and Daddo appear to have life figured out, but their illusion of a happy family will start to deteriorate, leaving room for evil to slip inside. Bela starts to see the cracks in the foundation of her parents’ marriage, but her parents are too caught up in their own troubled lives to notice how she’s been affected or what’s been visiting her to give the comfort and attention she’s been missing. A demonic presence, known as Other Mommy, has been attracted to the family, and it makes itself comfortable by settling into shadows and dark spaces within the home. Problems between her parents start to gain momentum, creating a veritable feast of negative energy for a demonic entity. Other Mommy makes nightly visits with escalating frequency to befriend Bela and trick her into giving it what it desperately wants: an invitation to be inside her heart. After Bela finally realizes Other Mommy may not really be her friend, she tries to resist the entity on her own, but it only seems to agitate the thing more, making it more aggressive than it was before. She starts to believe she’s the reason her parents aren’t happy and her Other Mommy is acting different, so she begins to consider letting the malevolent creature into her heart by simply acquiescing to a seemingly innocent request: Can I go into your heart, Bela? Afterall, they were friends once, and friends do nice things for each other…
Josh Malerman knows how to scare the pants off people! I was absolutely possessed with a desperation to know what happens to this little girl and her troubled family; however, I got the heebs so bad I had to pace my reading, and even that didn’t stop the nightmares from visiting. This horror story mirrors the disturbing tale of Coraline with the presence of Other Mommy preying upon a conflicted and vulnerable young girl who realizes the entity’s true sinister intentions far too late. Coraline’s Other Mommy is believed to be the Beldam, a malicious witch who lures and bewitches neglected children with the end goal of possession and consumption. The Other Mommy in the novel similarly befriends and lulls Bela into a false sense of security and friendship and belonging. This was easily accomplished by preying on her innocence and loneliness. The Other Mommy can be viewed as a supernatural warning for parents who aren’t actively present and invested in their children’s lives; their absence in any capacity can leave a child very vulnerable and may garner the attention of real life evil, going undetected until damage has been done and innocence has been taken. Malerman’s writing is intentionally simplistic, which skillfully conveys a realistic and convincing childlike stream of consciousness. Initially, I was a bit leery about the story being written from a little girl’s POV since I incorrectly thought it would limit how scary the story could really be. If anything, it made the experience more dread inducing and distressing because it limits how much information the reader can get at once, which helps develop a stronger emotional attachment to the little girl by eliciting the same desperation and helplessness she was feeling. I think having restricted doses of information also tremendously intensified the thickening tension, ominous atmosphere, and sinister foreboding within the story. Malerman deftly brushes such vivid and horrifying illustrations into your mind’s eye you will feel like you are watching a horror movie come to life within your own head! Specifically, the way I envisioned Other Mommy manifesting and shifting around the house had my heart beating a lot faster!
Incidents around the House is the first book I have read from this author, and I absolutely loved this supernatural thriller, so I will definitely be reading more from Malerman’s collection of scary stories! I highly recommend reading this book but get ready for a good scare! Horror fans will quickly devour this demonic horror story… but even the most imperturbable could be frightened enough to check under the bed, secure the closet door, and sleep with the lights on…
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House & Ballentine, Del Rey for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. Publication is June 25th!
From the author of Birdbox comes a new spine-chilling horror novel written in the POV of a haunted and hunted 8-year-old little girl named Bela. She is a lonely 8-year-old little girl who struggles to make friends and is much too perceptive of the adults around her. Mommy and Daddo appear to have life figured out, but their illusion of a happy family will start to deteriorate, leaving room for evil to slip inside. Bela starts to see the cracks in the foundation of her parents’ marriage, but her parents are too caught up in their own troubled lives to notice how she’s been affected or what’s been visiting her to give the comfort and attention she’s been missing. A demonic presence, known as Other Mommy, has been attracted to the family, and it makes itself comfortable by settling into shadows and dark spaces within the home. Problems between her parents start to gain momentum, creating a veritable feast of negative energy for a demonic entity. Other Mommy makes nightly visits with escalating frequency to befriend Bela and trick her into giving it what it desperately wants: an invitation to be inside her heart. After Bela finally realizes Other Mommy may not really be her friend, she tries to resist the entity on her own, but it only seems to agitate the thing more, making it more aggressive than it was before. She starts to believe she’s the reason her parents aren’t happy and her Other Mommy is acting different, so she begins to consider letting the malevolent creature into her heart by simply acquiescing to a seemingly innocent request: Can I go into your heart, Bela? Afterall, they were friends once, and friends do nice things for each other…
Josh Malerman knows how to scare the pants off people! I was absolutely possessed with a desperation to know what happens to this little girl and her troubled family; however, I got the heebs so bad I had to pace my reading, and even that didn’t stop the nightmares from visiting. This horror story mirrors the disturbing tale of Coraline with the presence of Other Mommy preying upon a conflicted and vulnerable young girl who realizes the entity’s true sinister intentions far too late. Coraline’s Other Mommy is believed to be the Beldam, a malicious witch who lures and bewitches neglected children with the end goal of possession and consumption. The Other Mommy in the novel similarly befriends and lulls Bela into a false sense of security and friendship and belonging. This was easily accomplished by preying on her innocence and loneliness. The Other Mommy can be viewed as a supernatural warning for parents who aren’t actively present and invested in their children’s lives; their absence in any capacity can leave a child very vulnerable and may garner the attention of real life evil, going undetected until damage has been done and innocence has been taken. Malerman’s writing is intentionally simplistic, which skillfully conveys a realistic and convincing childlike stream of consciousness. Initially, I was a bit leery about the story being written from a little girl’s POV since I incorrectly thought it would limit how scary the story could really be. If anything, it made the experience more dread inducing and distressing because it limits how much information the reader can get at once, which helps develop a stronger emotional attachment to the little girl by eliciting the same desperation and helplessness she was feeling. I think having restricted doses of information also tremendously intensified the thickening tension, ominous atmosphere, and sinister foreboding within the story. Malerman deftly brushes such vivid and horrifying illustrations into your mind’s eye you will feel like you are watching a horror movie come to life within your own head! Specifically, the way I envisioned Other Mommy manifesting and shifting around the house had my heart beating a lot faster!
Incidents around the House is the first book I have read from this author, and I absolutely loved this supernatural thriller, so I will definitely be reading more from Malerman’s collection of scary stories! I highly recommend reading this book but get ready for a good scare! Horror fans will quickly devour this demonic horror story… but even the most imperturbable could be frightened enough to check under the bed, secure the closet door, and sleep with the lights on…
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House & Ballentine, Del Rey for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. Publication is June 25th!
June 9, 2024
Whoa, buckle up, folks! This book has it all: creepy kids, haunted happenings, family drama, spine-chilling scenes, and jaw-dropping moments. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started this book, but what a pleasant surprise! I've been on the hunt for another creepy kid/haunting story after finishing a few similar ones, and this book totally delivered. Josh's imagination is off the charts!
Meet eight-year-old Bela. Her family means everything to her—there’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But then there's also Other Mommy, a sinister entity who asks her every day, "Can I go inside your heart?" When terrifying events around the house start to suggest that Other Mommy is getting tired of asking the same question over and over, Bela realizes that if she doesn’t say yes soon, her family might be in serious danger.
I picked this book up and simply couldn't put it down. Kudos to Josh for creating such a masterpiece! Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC.
Meet eight-year-old Bela. Her family means everything to her—there’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But then there's also Other Mommy, a sinister entity who asks her every day, "Can I go inside your heart?" When terrifying events around the house start to suggest that Other Mommy is getting tired of asking the same question over and over, Bela realizes that if she doesn’t say yes soon, her family might be in serious danger.
I picked this book up and simply couldn't put it down. Kudos to Josh for creating such a masterpiece! Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC.
June 16, 2024
The only incident around here is that I read this whole book. This is a very short read, and it took me forever to get through this. The choppy short sentences from eight year old Bela were painful to read, and this story was not creepy or scary to me at all! I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did. I guess the ending is good, but if you can suffer through this to get there, then more power to you. This book is labeled as a horror novel, but I would label it as a children’s book.
Bela, Daddo, and Mommy all live together. Bela sees “Other Mommy”. “Other Mommy” lives in her closet. Now “other mommy” comes out of the closet. (Do you like my second grade sentences? Because this is what you’ll get throughout the whole book). Other Mommy comes to Bela everyday and asks to go inside her heart. Oh no, what should Bela do?
At first, only Bela could see “other mommy”, but now others can see her too. What is happening? How will we ever get rid of “other mommy”? If you’re curious, please read this book to find out.
There are many five star reviews for this book, and others are loving it. However, this book just didn’t work for me. I wanted to be scared, and I wasn’t at all. I would also read a few pages and doze off (which is not a good sign).
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine, and the author for an ARC of this book in which I am leaving an honest review.
Publication date: June 25, 2024
Bela, Daddo, and Mommy all live together. Bela sees “Other Mommy”. “Other Mommy” lives in her closet. Now “other mommy” comes out of the closet. (Do you like my second grade sentences? Because this is what you’ll get throughout the whole book). Other Mommy comes to Bela everyday and asks to go inside her heart. Oh no, what should Bela do?
At first, only Bela could see “other mommy”, but now others can see her too. What is happening? How will we ever get rid of “other mommy”? If you’re curious, please read this book to find out.
There are many five star reviews for this book, and others are loving it. However, this book just didn’t work for me. I wanted to be scared, and I wasn’t at all. I would also read a few pages and doze off (which is not a good sign).
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine, and the author for an ARC of this book in which I am leaving an honest review.
Publication date: June 25, 2024
May 17, 2024
"Can I go inside your heart?
Bela, a precocious 8 year old, loves her Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth more than anything in the world. Lately, though, there is Other Mommy that lives inside her closet and wants to be her friend. Before long, Other Mommy, is coming out of the closet and asking Bela things that make her uncomfortable. She mentions Other Mommy to her parents but of course they think it's the wild imaginings of a child.
Until, they have a house party with friends and one of those friends also sees Other Mommy causing her to run screaming from the house and confirming that their daughter was telling the truth.
Who or what is Other Mommy? You'll have to read this to find out!
Do you like to be scared? Then this is the book for YOU!!!
I worried that a book being narrated by an 8 year old would be too annoying and juvenile but I was so wrong. Bela gave this story authenticity and it was so effective in frightening me to see things through her eyes. Other Mommy is straight out of a nightmare. To see her parents fumble time and time again through this hellscape they now found themselves in really got under my skin. I wanted so badly for them to have a happy ending.
Josh Malerman didn't just knock this out of the park, he knocked it into another dimension. He blew me away with his debut, Bird Box, but nothing else I have read of his has impressed. I couldn't finish either Pearl or Daphne and I wondered what happened to the genius writer that created the world of Bird Box. Well, I've found him again. This is the caliber of work I have expected of him. Absolutely everything about this book worked for me. The dialogue, the atmosphere, the foreboding sense of dread had me shivering. A real peak through your fingers kind of book because the horror is inescapable. AND. IT. NEVER. LET'S. UP. So don't think your going to get comfortable at any time while reading this, you won't, and it's for that reason why I can't praise this book enough.
For me this is a horror lovers dream (nightmare?) come true! EVERY STAR IMAGINABLE! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
Bela, a precocious 8 year old, loves her Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth more than anything in the world. Lately, though, there is Other Mommy that lives inside her closet and wants to be her friend. Before long, Other Mommy, is coming out of the closet and asking Bela things that make her uncomfortable. She mentions Other Mommy to her parents but of course they think it's the wild imaginings of a child.
Until, they have a house party with friends and one of those friends also sees Other Mommy causing her to run screaming from the house and confirming that their daughter was telling the truth.
Who or what is Other Mommy? You'll have to read this to find out!
Do you like to be scared? Then this is the book for YOU!!!
I worried that a book being narrated by an 8 year old would be too annoying and juvenile but I was so wrong. Bela gave this story authenticity and it was so effective in frightening me to see things through her eyes. Other Mommy is straight out of a nightmare. To see her parents fumble time and time again through this hellscape they now found themselves in really got under my skin. I wanted so badly for them to have a happy ending.
Josh Malerman didn't just knock this out of the park, he knocked it into another dimension. He blew me away with his debut, Bird Box, but nothing else I have read of his has impressed. I couldn't finish either Pearl or Daphne and I wondered what happened to the genius writer that created the world of Bird Box. Well, I've found him again. This is the caliber of work I have expected of him. Absolutely everything about this book worked for me. The dialogue, the atmosphere, the foreboding sense of dread had me shivering. A real peak through your fingers kind of book because the horror is inescapable. AND. IT. NEVER. LET'S. UP. So don't think your going to get comfortable at any time while reading this, you won't, and it's for that reason why I can't praise this book enough.
For me this is a horror lovers dream (nightmare?) come true! EVERY STAR IMAGINABLE! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
February 2, 2024
“That’s the trick. The whole trick. With aging, with living, with enduring this life. It’s all about heart. How long can you maintain an open heart and an open mind in this world, how long can you sustain being kind to other people, no matter what they say or do.”
ok, Josh Malerman might’ve just redeemed himself for me with this one. Incidents Around the House is more of a psychological horror following a young girl named Bela and her parents Ursula and Russ. the horror of this story comes in the form of an entity called “other mommy” who’s attached itself to Bela under the fake guise of friendship. I’m happy to say that this did deliver on the supernatural/haunted elements with somefun creepy moments spread throughout. i wouldn’t say i cared for the characters necessarily though (especially Ursula who i wished would get kicked down the stairs by the ghost), but i found all the drama behind their family dynamic to be very entertaining and i was consistently curious the whole time. in the end, i actually felt bad for Bela, as she’s just a child who can’t really differentiate between this false sense of friendship and the real danger of this “other mommy” and what it plans to take from Bela..everything.
i also want to mention that the story is told through Bela’s pov, so it’s written in a way that shows that— through odd formatting and dialogue, with a added innocent coated lens. it could be distracting for some, but i feel like the author did a good job balancing the narrative overall.
thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
ok, Josh Malerman might’ve just redeemed himself for me with this one. Incidents Around the House is more of a psychological horror following a young girl named Bela and her parents Ursula and Russ. the horror of this story comes in the form of an entity called “other mommy” who’s attached itself to Bela under the fake guise of friendship. I’m happy to say that this did deliver on the supernatural/haunted elements with some
i also want to mention that the story is told through Bela’s pov, so it’s written in a way that shows that— through odd formatting and dialogue, with a added innocent coated lens. it could be distracting for some, but i feel like the author did a good job balancing the narrative overall.
thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Want to read
June 21, 2024ARC received! Thank you, Del Rey!!
This sounds creepy AF. I can't wait!!
This sounds creepy AF. I can't wait!!
June 21, 2024
My thanks to Random House/Ballantine, Josh Malerman and Netgalley.
O.K. So, maybe now I know that Malerman and I will seldom get along. Matter of fact, I have decided that I'm totally fucking done with his stupid bullshit stories.
Since Bird box I've been reading his shit and I'm mostly disappointed. This was it for me. I'm finally done with his fucking regurgitated crap! Fuck him, and his very limited imagination.
O.K. So, maybe now I know that Malerman and I will seldom get along. Matter of fact, I have decided that I'm totally fucking done with his stupid bullshit stories.
Since Bird box I've been reading his shit and I'm mostly disappointed. This was it for me. I'm finally done with his fucking regurgitated crap! Fuck him, and his very limited imagination.
March 29, 2024
"I don't believe Josh Malerman simply wrote INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE. I believe he lit some candles, uttered an incantation in a forbidden arcane language, took parchment and quill in hand, slipped into a deep trance, and when he awoke, this book had appeared. Because that's how it reads. This novel feels channeled, whispered onto the page by something unseen. Something malevolent. INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is a shocker, a modern horror classic that scared the absolute hell out of me."
--Jonathan Janz, Author of VEIL and CHILDREN OF THE DARK
--Jonathan Janz, Author of VEIL and CHILDREN OF THE DARK
June 27, 2024
Incidents Around the House was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024, and as it turns out my biggest letdown.
Pros:
The descriptions of Other Mommy’s appearance scared the bejeezus out of me.
It terrified me how the entity wasn’t just bound to the house, but could haunt Bela, anywhere, anytime.
Bela’s innocence, such as mispronouncing the word ‘reincarnation’ as ‘carnation’ unaware of just how much danger she was in freaked me out.
Cons:
All the characters were insufferable, including Bela.
Most of the plot was boring – endless discussions of sleeping arrangements, eating, drinking, dancing, arguing grew tiresome.
The ending was underwhelming.
I don’t mind a child narrator, nor it being written in a unique way to accommodate this. Room by Emma Donoghue 100% worked for me. The short, unstructured, unformatted sentences utilised here didn’t.
The dialogue was cringy.
What was with the existential rantings adults employed when talking to Bela? I’ve never heard of parents sprouting philosophy like this to an eight-year-old child. It was so weird.
I have Birdbox through audible, but not sure I’ll ever read it now. Someone please tell me it’s better than this?
My opinion is very much in the minority – most of my Goodreads friends have highly praised Incidents Around the House, but I’m unable to recommend this title.
Pros:
The descriptions of Other Mommy’s appearance scared the bejeezus out of me.
It terrified me how the entity wasn’t just bound to the house, but could haunt Bela, anywhere, anytime.
Bela’s innocence, such as mispronouncing the word ‘reincarnation’ as ‘carnation’ unaware of just how much danger she was in freaked me out.
Cons:
All the characters were insufferable, including Bela.
Most of the plot was boring – endless discussions of sleeping arrangements, eating, drinking, dancing, arguing grew tiresome.
The ending was underwhelming.
I don’t mind a child narrator, nor it being written in a unique way to accommodate this. Room by Emma Donoghue 100% worked for me. The short, unstructured, unformatted sentences utilised here didn’t.
The dialogue was cringy.
What was with the existential rantings adults employed when talking to Bela? I’ve never heard of parents sprouting philosophy like this to an eight-year-old child. It was so weird.
I have Birdbox through audible, but not sure I’ll ever read it now. Someone please tell me it’s better than this?
My opinion is very much in the minority – most of my Goodreads friends have highly praised Incidents Around the House, but I’m unable to recommend this title.
May 19, 2024
What a great year for horror fans everywhere! Why? There have already been a few books released this year that surely will be contenders for my Best Horror of 2024 list, and now I have added INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE.
Young Bela has mentioned "Other Mommy" several times to her family, but no one seemed to be listening. Other Mommy lives in Bela's closet, or at least she used to. She used to be confined to Bela's room, but now she seems to be following Bela, even on a trip to the playground. No one is really paying attention though, until finally Bela's real mommy gets a glimpse of her. From that moment on the tension steadily hums as the scares get darker and more frequent. As Bela's parents search for answers, the only answer that they come up with is to tell Bela to continue saying "No" when Other Mommy asks her if she can come in to Bela's heart. What is Other mommy trying to accomplish? Why has she attached herself to Bela? You'll have to read this to find out!
Nearly 400 pages flew by in what seemed like seconds to me. I was so engaged with this severely dysfunctional family, I did not want to put this book down. The mystery of Other Mommy was intriguing as was the family's hunt for someone that could help them. Aside from all this, there were other family dramas occurring and all of that just added to the realistic feeling of this fast paced familial nightmare.
As a seasoned horror reader of 40 some odd years, rarely does a book actually scare me. I must admit though, that at times, this one did. The visual of Other Mommy as drawn by Malerman's incredible imagination is going to haunt me for a long, long time.
I say, BRAVO! My highest recommendation!
*ARC from publisher.*
Young Bela has mentioned "Other Mommy" several times to her family, but no one seemed to be listening. Other Mommy lives in Bela's closet, or at least she used to. She used to be confined to Bela's room, but now she seems to be following Bela, even on a trip to the playground. No one is really paying attention though, until finally Bela's real mommy gets a glimpse of her. From that moment on the tension steadily hums as the scares get darker and more frequent. As Bela's parents search for answers, the only answer that they come up with is to tell Bela to continue saying "No" when Other Mommy asks her if she can come in to Bela's heart. What is Other mommy trying to accomplish? Why has she attached herself to Bela? You'll have to read this to find out!
Nearly 400 pages flew by in what seemed like seconds to me. I was so engaged with this severely dysfunctional family, I did not want to put this book down. The mystery of Other Mommy was intriguing as was the family's hunt for someone that could help them. Aside from all this, there were other family dramas occurring and all of that just added to the realistic feeling of this fast paced familial nightmare.
As a seasoned horror reader of 40 some odd years, rarely does a book actually scare me. I must admit though, that at times, this one did. The visual of Other Mommy as drawn by Malerman's incredible imagination is going to haunt me for a long, long time.
I say, BRAVO! My highest recommendation!
*ARC from publisher.*
February 20, 2024
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Incidents Around the House is a story about what secrets really haunts us and want to take over our lives. Told from the point of view of a young girl named Bela, she seems to have a happy life with her parents, and a friend who lives in her closet she calls Other Mommy. But when Other Mommy keeps asking Bela to let her into her heart, it's only the beginning of troubles for Bela's family and all they hold dear.
Just like he gave an entirely new spin on boogeymen and slashers in Daphne, Josh Malerman seems to have taken popular paranormal films and novels like Insidious, Paranormal Activity, A Head Full of Ghosts and The Exorcist, et al, and managed to reinvent the haunting/possession trope. Other Mommy is an entity very unlike any other entity of its ilk. And it's been years since I found any novel to be really scary. But the manner in which this book was told built a palpable dread right from the opening pages and feelings of genuine anxiety the longer the story went on. This was one hell of a unique take on a classic theme and a genuinely frightening story from start to finish.
Incidents Around the House is a story about what secrets really haunts us and want to take over our lives. Told from the point of view of a young girl named Bela, she seems to have a happy life with her parents, and a friend who lives in her closet she calls Other Mommy. But when Other Mommy keeps asking Bela to let her into her heart, it's only the beginning of troubles for Bela's family and all they hold dear.
Just like he gave an entirely new spin on boogeymen and slashers in Daphne, Josh Malerman seems to have taken popular paranormal films and novels like Insidious, Paranormal Activity, A Head Full of Ghosts and The Exorcist, et al, and managed to reinvent the haunting/possession trope. Other Mommy is an entity very unlike any other entity of its ilk. And it's been years since I found any novel to be really scary. But the manner in which this book was told built a palpable dread right from the opening pages and feelings of genuine anxiety the longer the story went on. This was one hell of a unique take on a classic theme and a genuinely frightening story from start to finish.
July 17, 2024
Good night, Daddo!
Good night, Mommy!
Mommy and Daddo leave my room.
I pull the covers up to my chin.
Other Mommy comes out of the closet.
Yikes!
As if that's not bad enough, Other Mommy has started asking, Can I go into your heart?
This chiller, as related by an eight-year-old child, is honestly the creepiest thing I've read this year.
It was my daytime book, as I didn't dare read it before bed.
She used to come only at night. Then sometimes during the day.
The first time I saw her in the daylight I hid.
Aw, c'mon, Other Mommy. Play by the closet monster rules - NO DAYTIME VISITS!
Good night, Mommy!
Mommy and Daddo leave my room.
I pull the covers up to my chin.
Other Mommy comes out of the closet.
Yikes!
As if that's not bad enough, Other Mommy has started asking, Can I go into your heart?
This chiller, as related by an eight-year-old child, is honestly the creepiest thing I've read this year.
It was my daytime book, as I didn't dare read it before bed.
She used to come only at night. Then sometimes during the day.
The first time I saw her in the daylight I hid.
Aw, c'mon, Other Mommy. Play by the closet monster rules - NO DAYTIME VISITS!
June 10, 2024
Bela is just your normal eight year old girl, living her her parents, Mommy and Daddo, with her Grandma Ruth also nearby. Bela is a resourceful and curious little girl who is much smarter than perceptive than anyone can imagine. She also sees another force within her familiar home, specifically her closet, named Other Mommy. Other Mommy visits Bela daily asking her "Can I go inside your heart?" Bela has refused this proposal each time, but Other Mommy is starting to get impatient and with her presence growing more and more intense, Bela understands that she must make a decision to save her family.
INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is my favorite Josh Malerman novel yet. I really enjoyed Bird Box and I loved Malorie, but this book blows all of Malerman's previous books out of the water! This book is told through the eyes of an eight year old, so the POV is very unique and I think that Malerman portrayed it perfectly. I really felt that I was following Bela around during this time, which also led for a very scary horror novel experience. This book is scary, bookstafam! I was hypnotized and scared all at the same time. If you watched and enjoyed the movie Insidious, THIS IS YOUR BOOK! I loved the premise of this story and it kept me engaged the entire time. I read this book in one sitting and can guarantee that this book will be in my 2024 best reads of the year!
INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is my favorite Josh Malerman novel yet. I really enjoyed Bird Box and I loved Malorie, but this book blows all of Malerman's previous books out of the water! This book is told through the eyes of an eight year old, so the POV is very unique and I think that Malerman portrayed it perfectly. I really felt that I was following Bela around during this time, which also led for a very scary horror novel experience. This book is scary, bookstafam! I was hypnotized and scared all at the same time. If you watched and enjoyed the movie Insidious, THIS IS YOUR BOOK! I loved the premise of this story and it kept me engaged the entire time. I read this book in one sitting and can guarantee that this book will be in my 2024 best reads of the year!
June 25, 2024
This was one of the creepier books I have ever read. It reminded me a little of a video game I played from a young child’s perspective. I think the world is a lot scarier when you are an adult looking through the eyes of a child. The writing of this one was simple, it was all the perspective of a child and unlike some writing this child presents as a child and not like an adult. The age is a little unclear but she’s young and reads like a young child. I’m not going to get into the plot, I think this book is better if you go in blind and slowly immerse yourself in this horror.
January 14, 2024
Let me start off by saying this is the scariest book I’ve read in a long time. Not since Malerman’s Pearl have I been this scared while reading a book, but it was also heartbreaking. He masterfully wrote this entire book in the young child Bela’s POV. This made me even more invested, because she just wanted Other Mommy to go away but this was just the beginning of her undoing. Every page filled me with such dread, and the jump scares! Ugh!! Behind all of the scares though lies a beautifully crafted story of a broken family. Josh never fails to pull me into the lives of his characters and make me root for their success, and this book was no exception! I will be shouting about this one all year to anyone who will listen!
May 7, 2024
I have not read a book this terrifying in a long time. I was literally afraid to read it at night - when I typically read! There is something about the simplicity of the writing that inspires pure fear. The book is told from the child’s perspective and you learn and understand things as she would. The author gives just enough snippets from the parents to drive a more clear description of the haunting. It is utterly terrifying!! I think the less you know about the premise of the book, the better. This book is 5 stars all the way. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
January 15, 2024
Let me start off by saying that I have a unique perspective on this utterly terrifying book.
Way back when I was talking with Josh and we were discussing excitedly our next books, plot, character, the feel of each book and when we were getting to the end of the call Josh said ‘Why don’t we write these at the same time and share our work every 10k?’ I immediately said Yes. Trust me you would have too.
Once I got off the phone with him, that’s when I started to panic, what had I just agreed to? My first drafts are usually my brain throwing up on the page and now I’d agreed to share them, every 10k with a New York Times Bestselling author. I couldn’t back out now and so I began writing my novel ‘I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet’ whilst Josh wrote ‘Incidents Around The House’.
We got to 10k pretty quick and the first swap occurred. It was incredible, it was like I was reading a serialised novel, I love Josh’s work, he’s great, but to get a look behind the curtain, to see his first draft, to work with my dear friend and a man and a writer I hold in high esteem was an experience I’ll never forget!
I didn’t need that first 10k to know what a terrifying book this was (it’s the scariest thing he’s written, and one of the most terrifying books I’ve read) - Josh had chilled me to my core in the opening few lines, and the need to keep reading was as if he’d conjured a spell, I was pulled under and you will be too, into the deep undertows of despair.
This process continued until both books were completed, roughly in a week of each other, and each Friday we’d have our pages, there was some unspoken responsibility whilst writing as we settled into our rhythm, each Friday, without fail, we’d have our next 10k.
This book contains a number of scares which still haunt me to this day, I’ll never be able to use the toilet again without thinking of a scene in here - trust me, when you discover it, you won’t either - it’s been a year and it still haunts me!
The soul of this book centres around a little girl, she’s our main protagonist - and Josh nails it, her voice, her views on things that happen, she’s now a character that lives rent free in my mind and for that I’m delighted. It might be that I have children and so this aspect of the book sung from the page as I read it, but it might also be that Josh just smashed this one out of the park.
I’m so proud to have read this book as it was written and I’m proud with the reception it is getting from the reading community, I expect big things for this book - bestseller, film, awards you name it! And Josh deserves it all! What is also amazing to see is the early reception are all raving at how terrifying it is, and it is, so it’s awesome to see it land and hit the way it is…
Good luck sleeping after this one!
Way back when I was talking with Josh and we were discussing excitedly our next books, plot, character, the feel of each book and when we were getting to the end of the call Josh said ‘Why don’t we write these at the same time and share our work every 10k?’ I immediately said Yes. Trust me you would have too.
Once I got off the phone with him, that’s when I started to panic, what had I just agreed to? My first drafts are usually my brain throwing up on the page and now I’d agreed to share them, every 10k with a New York Times Bestselling author. I couldn’t back out now and so I began writing my novel ‘I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet’ whilst Josh wrote ‘Incidents Around The House’.
We got to 10k pretty quick and the first swap occurred. It was incredible, it was like I was reading a serialised novel, I love Josh’s work, he’s great, but to get a look behind the curtain, to see his first draft, to work with my dear friend and a man and a writer I hold in high esteem was an experience I’ll never forget!
I didn’t need that first 10k to know what a terrifying book this was (it’s the scariest thing he’s written, and one of the most terrifying books I’ve read) - Josh had chilled me to my core in the opening few lines, and the need to keep reading was as if he’d conjured a spell, I was pulled under and you will be too, into the deep undertows of despair.
This process continued until both books were completed, roughly in a week of each other, and each Friday we’d have our pages, there was some unspoken responsibility whilst writing as we settled into our rhythm, each Friday, without fail, we’d have our next 10k.
This book contains a number of scares which still haunt me to this day, I’ll never be able to use the toilet again without thinking of a scene in here - trust me, when you discover it, you won’t either - it’s been a year and it still haunts me!
The soul of this book centres around a little girl, she’s our main protagonist - and Josh nails it, her voice, her views on things that happen, she’s now a character that lives rent free in my mind and for that I’m delighted. It might be that I have children and so this aspect of the book sung from the page as I read it, but it might also be that Josh just smashed this one out of the park.
I’m so proud to have read this book as it was written and I’m proud with the reception it is getting from the reading community, I expect big things for this book - bestseller, film, awards you name it! And Josh deserves it all! What is also amazing to see is the early reception are all raving at how terrifying it is, and it is, so it’s awesome to see it land and hit the way it is…
Good luck sleeping after this one!
January 30, 2024
This. THIS is the standard that every horror novel should follow. This is EXACTLY what I would want and expect a horror novel to be. Because horror novels this scary is an anomaly rather than the norm, I want to give this book to everyone who writes/wants to write horror novels and say, THIS IS THE STANDARD THAT WE WANT! MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS PLEASE!
I don’t think I have ever had this much fun reading a horror novel, consistently from start to end. Sure, I’ve read horror that’s been ehhhh at the beginning and middle but was unputdownable at the end. But never before have I read a horror novel that was consistently scary and unputdownable from page one. I can’t get over how good this was.
This book reads almost like a movie. To me, watching a horror movie feels really different from reading a horror novel. And can we all agree that horror movies are always scarier than horror novels? With this, you know you’re reading a book but it feels the same way you feel when you’re watching a horror movie. This is the closest to the same level of scary from a horror movie that I have ever read in a book.
Having this book be narrated by a child is genius. Because of that change, I’ve never read a horror novel like this one. It adds a layer of innocence to a terrifying situation, where the reader can see that things are very much not okay, but the childlike innocence of Bela makes her so nonchalant about all of the terrifying things that happen. This child sees the other mother poke her eye through a hole in the ceiling to stare at her, then goes into her room right after, where she knows the other mother is waiting. Bela also mentions how before it started to get creepy, she used to play fun games with the other mom, such as “staring contests”. Yes, an entity with eyes at the bottom of its face having a staring contest with you sounds like great fun. Oh the innocence of children.
“Weren’t we friends before? I think we used to laugh together. But now I don’t know if I’m remembering that right. Maybe it was just me who used to laugh. And Other Mommy just watched.”
Another thing I love is that this takes place is the same universe as Malerman’s other books. They even visit Goblin and a small part of the story takes place there!
This comes out in June. Plan to get your book club together and read it together! I always prefer reading on my own, but I prefer watching horror movies with a friend or two. Since this book is the closest standard of scares to an actual horror movie that any book has ever met, this book would be perfect for a group reading it together during a cozy evening get together or sleepover. Also, I’m gonna need a follow up or epilogue to this. Surely it can’t just end like that?
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
I don’t think I have ever had this much fun reading a horror novel, consistently from start to end. Sure, I’ve read horror that’s been ehhhh at the beginning and middle but was unputdownable at the end. But never before have I read a horror novel that was consistently scary and unputdownable from page one. I can’t get over how good this was.
This book reads almost like a movie. To me, watching a horror movie feels really different from reading a horror novel. And can we all agree that horror movies are always scarier than horror novels? With this, you know you’re reading a book but it feels the same way you feel when you’re watching a horror movie. This is the closest to the same level of scary from a horror movie that I have ever read in a book.
Having this book be narrated by a child is genius. Because of that change, I’ve never read a horror novel like this one. It adds a layer of innocence to a terrifying situation, where the reader can see that things are very much not okay, but the childlike innocence of Bela makes her so nonchalant about all of the terrifying things that happen. This child sees the other mother poke her eye through a hole in the ceiling to stare at her, then goes into her room right after, where she knows the other mother is waiting. Bela also mentions how before it started to get creepy, she used to play fun games with the other mom, such as “staring contests”. Yes, an entity with eyes at the bottom of its face having a staring contest with you sounds like great fun. Oh the innocence of children.
“Weren’t we friends before? I think we used to laugh together. But now I don’t know if I’m remembering that right. Maybe it was just me who used to laugh. And Other Mommy just watched.”
Another thing I love is that this takes place is the same universe as Malerman’s other books. They even visit Goblin and a small part of the story takes place there!
This comes out in June. Plan to get your book club together and read it together! I always prefer reading on my own, but I prefer watching horror movies with a friend or two. Since this book is the closest standard of scares to an actual horror movie that any book has ever met, this book would be perfect for a group reading it together during a cozy evening get together or sleepover. Also, I’m gonna need a follow up or epilogue to this. Surely it can’t just end like that?
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
June 26, 2024
*changing this from 3 to 2 stars because if i’m honest…. 😬😬😬*
I think I read a different book than everyone else…
Written from the perspective of an “eight year old”, which I wasn’t expecting and is definitely an interesting approach. At times, Bela seemed much older than her eight years and at other times, she seemed much younger. Unfortunately, I don’t think this perspective really did the story any favors except the fact that it was a quick read. It makes for a binge-able read as there is a lot of dialogue between Bela and her parents and because her thoughts are limited to that of a child. I think because of that though, the story felt superficial and it read more like it should have been a novella if that makes sense? Ultimately, it didn’t work for me. I'll give three stars but I think that's me being generous.
You might enjoy this book if you enjoy prose like this: “It’s later now. Dark out. I slept. But I’m awake again. The window is still open. Mommy thinks I’m sleeping. I can tell.” A quote pulled directly from the book.
I would recommend if you are looking for a fast read and a story that’s heavy on jump scares.
Thank you Del Rey, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy. Available 06/25/2024.
I think I read a different book than everyone else…
Written from the perspective of an “eight year old”, which I wasn’t expecting and is definitely an interesting approach. At times, Bela seemed much older than her eight years and at other times, she seemed much younger. Unfortunately, I don’t think this perspective really did the story any favors except the fact that it was a quick read. It makes for a binge-able read as there is a lot of dialogue between Bela and her parents and because her thoughts are limited to that of a child. I think because of that though, the story felt superficial and it read more like it should have been a novella if that makes sense? Ultimately, it didn’t work for me. I'll give three stars but I think that's me being generous.
You might enjoy this book if you enjoy prose like this: “It’s later now. Dark out. I slept. But I’m awake again. The window is still open. Mommy thinks I’m sleeping. I can tell.” A quote pulled directly from the book.
I would recommend if you are looking for a fast read and a story that’s heavy on jump scares.
Thank you Del Rey, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy. Available 06/25/2024.
July 16, 2024
Things this book did well:
- Described the entity (“Other Mommy”, which, Coraline?) in a truly frightening way, such that I could not read this right before bed without needing a palate cleanser. Plus my house creaks too much.
Things this book failed at so badly that I can’t believe all the current ratings because all I could think about THE WHOLE BOOK was how bad these things were:
- Dialogue. What. Who is saying these things??
- Also, dialogue, more like monologue….. in the middle of all of this crazy shit, EACH character takes the time to sit down this child AT LEAST FIVE TIMES and give soliloquies that 1. are insane to say to a child and 2. nobody would ever actually say. Each one is chock full of some trying-to-be-deep metaphor or psuedo philosophy that was written for people to quote on goodreads. Sorry!!
- Plot. I get that things were chaotic but so much was going on and punctuated by so many speeches that it was… difficult to follow. Skipped over actual interesting things (hello Grandma???) in favor of repetition, describing the same things over and over. Nothing comes together in a satisfying way at any point.
- Concept. The sad part is that when they finally reveal what the entity’s target is and how they’re gonna solve it….. that’s like, actually an interesting idea that is subsequently blown up by 5 more of the most boring and repetitive monologues put to paper.
- Voice. The problem is that “little girl narrator” has been done so many times, sometimes to great effect, that when it’s bad… well. it’s bad. It was giving “what an adult man thinks a little girl thinks about and feels.”
I am so sorry I didn’t mean to go on this long but all the good reviews floored me and I got swept away
- Described the entity (“Other Mommy”, which, Coraline?) in a truly frightening way, such that I could not read this right before bed without needing a palate cleanser. Plus my house creaks too much.
Things this book failed at so badly that I can’t believe all the current ratings because all I could think about THE WHOLE BOOK was how bad these things were:
- Dialogue. What. Who is saying these things??
- Also, dialogue, more like monologue….. in the middle of all of this crazy shit, EACH character takes the time to sit down this child AT LEAST FIVE TIMES and give soliloquies that 1. are insane to say to a child and 2. nobody would ever actually say. Each one is chock full of some trying-to-be-deep metaphor or psuedo philosophy that was written for people to quote on goodreads. Sorry!!
- Plot. I get that things were chaotic but so much was going on and punctuated by so many speeches that it was… difficult to follow. Skipped over actual interesting things (hello Grandma???) in favor of repetition, describing the same things over and over. Nothing comes together in a satisfying way at any point.
- Concept. The sad part is that when they finally reveal what the entity’s target is and how they’re gonna solve it….. that’s like, actually an interesting idea that is subsequently blown up by 5 more of the most boring and repetitive monologues put to paper.
- Voice. The problem is that “little girl narrator” has been done so many times, sometimes to great effect, that when it’s bad… well. it’s bad. It was giving “what an adult man thinks a little girl thinks about and feels.”
I am so sorry I didn’t mean to go on this long but all the good reviews floored me and I got swept away
December 30, 2023
Well that was utterly terrifying. Off to collect my thoughts into something more coherent but holy everloving hell.
July 7, 2024
Ghosts aren’t what they used to be. Hell, horror isn’t what it used to be. And that’s a good thing. That means the genre is maturing.
Remember when ghosts were floating bedsheets? They were good for a jump scare around a campfire, that was about it. Sure, they were a subtle acceptance of death, but never anything upon which to dwell. Ghosts were relatively harmless.
In Josh Malerman’s new novel, “Incidents Around the House”, the ghosts are all grown up. And they ain’t harmless at all.
Probably one of the most terrifying horror novels of the year, if not the last five years, “IAtH” is more than just a ghost story. It’s a story about childhood and innocence and the loss of both. It’s about family and dysfunction and bad parenting and good parenting (and how, more often than not, the two are sometimes indistinguishable) and reconciling with one’s past. It’s about karma and reincarnation and sacrifice. It’s about the very fine line between love and hate. It’s about life and death and after-life and how utterly incomprehensible those are to anyone, especially children.
It’s a ghost story in which the ghost isn’t really a ghost.
It’s all of that, and it’s still scary as fuck.
Historically, horror doesn’t get a lot of credit for its literary merits. Thankfully, a renaissance seems to be happening in the genre, where writers like Paul Tremblay, Catriona Ward, Stephen Graham Jones, Sarah Gailey, T. Kingfisher, Grady Hendrix, Josh Malerman, Cassandra Khaw, and many more are reshaping the genre by adding substance and nuance to a genre that, for many, is still looked at as insubstantial and one-dimensional.
Remember when ghosts were floating bedsheets? They were good for a jump scare around a campfire, that was about it. Sure, they were a subtle acceptance of death, but never anything upon which to dwell. Ghosts were relatively harmless.
In Josh Malerman’s new novel, “Incidents Around the House”, the ghosts are all grown up. And they ain’t harmless at all.
Probably one of the most terrifying horror novels of the year, if not the last five years, “IAtH” is more than just a ghost story. It’s a story about childhood and innocence and the loss of both. It’s about family and dysfunction and bad parenting and good parenting (and how, more often than not, the two are sometimes indistinguishable) and reconciling with one’s past. It’s about karma and reincarnation and sacrifice. It’s about the very fine line between love and hate. It’s about life and death and after-life and how utterly incomprehensible those are to anyone, especially children.
It’s a ghost story in which the ghost isn’t really a ghost.
It’s all of that, and it’s still scary as fuck.
Historically, horror doesn’t get a lot of credit for its literary merits. Thankfully, a renaissance seems to be happening in the genre, where writers like Paul Tremblay, Catriona Ward, Stephen Graham Jones, Sarah Gailey, T. Kingfisher, Grady Hendrix, Josh Malerman, Cassandra Khaw, and many more are reshaping the genre by adding substance and nuance to a genre that, for many, is still looked at as insubstantial and one-dimensional.
April 22, 2024
As kids, many of us would have our parents check under the bed and in the closet for monsters and of course there was nothing there. Not the case in this book. Bela is our 8 year old narrator who has a Mommy and Daddo who she loves very much. We also learn she has someone else in her life, her Other Mommy. This story pulls you in from the beginning and keeps it going until the very last page. We learn more about the relationships in this family as the story progresses and how our pasts will come back to haunt us in our future. This story was the perfect mix of creepy and touching all in one. Daddo is my favorite character, he is his daughter's best friend and tries to do any and everything he can to help her throughout this scary journey. This story made me let my guard down at times and then hit me out of nowhere. That was very unpredictable in the best way. This book helped me get out of my reading slump because I needed to know what would happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a quick, spooky read with real life issues intermingled.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, & Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey for this ARC, it was excellent!!
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, & Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey for this ARC, it was excellent!!
June 16, 2024
Thank you so much to Del Rey and Josh Malerman for this chilling horror book. It was about Bela, a girl who loves her family more than anything. She loves her Mommy, Daddo, Grandma, and even Other Mommy, a tall hairy creature that lives in her closet and asks her every day “Can I go inside your heart?” Terrifying things start happening around around the house, and Other Mommy is getting tired of asking the same question over and over.
Bela realizes that Other Mommy is going to make her pay, and only the bonds of her family can keep her safe. But there are cracks in her family she never knew about, and as secrets start to unravel, Bela has to decide if she wants to give Other Mommy an answer or run for her life.
Thoughts: This book was SO CREEPY! I loved that it was from Bela’s perspective, and Malerman did such a good job of writing from her point of view. This story is so great because of what it doesn’t say. It leaves the horror up to the reader’s imagination, and you feel that something is waiting for you in the dark. You can feel the build of dread as this family tries to do everything they can to escape Other Mommy.
The story was about childhood trauma and family dynamics and innocence. Malerman explores the way our childhood affects our adult lives, and the things we carry with us. I thought the juxtaposition of Bela with the party her family throws and all the guests was especially well done. I couldn’t put it down for a minute and I want to go back and read some of Josh Malerman’s past books! 5-stars!
Bela realizes that Other Mommy is going to make her pay, and only the bonds of her family can keep her safe. But there are cracks in her family she never knew about, and as secrets start to unravel, Bela has to decide if she wants to give Other Mommy an answer or run for her life.
Thoughts: This book was SO CREEPY! I loved that it was from Bela’s perspective, and Malerman did such a good job of writing from her point of view. This story is so great because of what it doesn’t say. It leaves the horror up to the reader’s imagination, and you feel that something is waiting for you in the dark. You can feel the build of dread as this family tries to do everything they can to escape Other Mommy.
The story was about childhood trauma and family dynamics and innocence. Malerman explores the way our childhood affects our adult lives, and the things we carry with us. I thought the juxtaposition of Bela with the party her family throws and all the guests was especially well done. I couldn’t put it down for a minute and I want to go back and read some of Josh Malerman’s past books! 5-stars!
July 10, 2024
4.25 stars
Relentlessly atmospheric, experimental with obvious flaws, Incidents Around the House is unapologetically written for the devoted horror fans; immediate point of reference comes to mind is the 2022 horror film Skinamarink, which utilizes a similar overarching tropes: intentionally obscure narrative through a child's POV. While the novel successfully delivers on scares, tension, and a sense of dread, I can also see it being criticized for being overly vague, lacking a traditional narrative arc, and an inconclusive ending — some of which I actually consider to be the story's strength, while others might be areas where the novel should've gone through a few more rounds of refinement.
One of my favorite Josh Malerman stories is A House at the Bottom of a Lake, and this feels like a continuation of that writing style — where the horror element can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. With the concept of innocence and parenthood being repeatedly brought up, it is easy to make correlation between these subject matters and the supernatural presence (the writing even encourages it at times). But then there will be outlier scenes where they can only be read as one way rather than open for analysis... The lack of consistency is where I bump into some frustrations with Incidents Around the House's narrative — I wish the author's intent is made a little more clear.
Still, I commend Josh Malerman for pushing the boundary and writing outside the box, as Incidents Around the House contains some of the more original, grotesque imagery, and genuinely chilling sequences (people you are talking to is not who you think they are never cease to scare me). Yes, while this novel (at least my experience with it) has trouble deciding whether to be metaphorical or literal, and would potentially work better as a novella, it is already one of the more memorable reads of this year!
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Relentlessly atmospheric, experimental with obvious flaws, Incidents Around the House is unapologetically written for the devoted horror fans; immediate point of reference comes to mind is the 2022 horror film Skinamarink, which utilizes a similar overarching tropes: intentionally obscure narrative through a child's POV. While the novel successfully delivers on scares, tension, and a sense of dread, I can also see it being criticized for being overly vague, lacking a traditional narrative arc, and an inconclusive ending — some of which I actually consider to be the story's strength, while others might be areas where the novel should've gone through a few more rounds of refinement.
One of my favorite Josh Malerman stories is A House at the Bottom of a Lake, and this feels like a continuation of that writing style — where the horror element can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. With the concept of innocence and parenthood being repeatedly brought up, it is easy to make correlation between these subject matters and the supernatural presence (the writing even encourages it at times). But then there will be outlier scenes where they can only be read as one way rather than open for analysis... The lack of consistency is where I bump into some frustrations with Incidents Around the House's narrative — I wish the author's intent is made a little more clear.
Still, I commend Josh Malerman for pushing the boundary and writing outside the box, as Incidents Around the House contains some of the more original, grotesque imagery, and genuinely chilling sequences (people you are talking to is not who you think they are never cease to scare me). Yes, while this novel (at least my experience with it) has trouble deciding whether to be metaphorical or literal, and would potentially work better as a novella, it is already one of the more memorable reads of this year!
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
June 28, 2024
FINALLY A SCARY BOOK THAT DELIVERS
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,525 reviews