Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC of this book.The opinions expressed are my own.

Not sure what I just read. While well written, I felt like I had pages missing at the end because the ending was so abrupt. There were moments of suspense and mystery, but I was left wanting more. The characters seam to be incomplete. While not sorry I read the book, I hate the feeling I walk through an episode of the Twilight Zone and left early.
Rating 3 1/2 stars

A House at the Bottom of the Lake is a novella from Josh Malerman.

"Amelia and James discover a hidden lake while canoeing on their first date. But there's something odd there - an entire house beneath the water. As they explore the house they find many things that can't be explained. But when they hear creaking footsteps on the 2nd Floor they swim away in fear. But the house still calls to them and they must go back..."

Malerman is does a great job putting the creepy in your mind. Standing in a lake or even knee deep in the ocean there's often a sense of something there around your ankles. Malerman makes you think about that while while the teenagers swim around the house. The creepiness of going down into a dark, unknown basement.
Many things you have to just accept with this short book - like how two teenagers can find a working deep dive suit or pay for scuba gear and lessons. But it's fiction, so it doesn't have to be reasonable.

The ending was a bit unexpected. I would have liked to see more about the backstory of the house but Malerman lets the reader fill in the blanks as they choose.

Fans of Bird Box and Malorie should enjoy this short read from Malerman.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date January 19, 2021.***

2 stars

I wish I had more specifics, but I just really didn’t enjoy this book.

This book is unique and almost poetic. There is a great deal of "unknown" in the story. A certain extent of which is left up to the reader's interpretation. The events of the story could be a mysterious chain of events connected to a house under the water or it could be using the house as a representation of other things. For example the house in the lake could be synonymous with the young couple's fledgling relationship.

Like I said, there was a great deal of open interpretation in this novella. It might not appeal to many readers, but I like the ability to "read between the lines" in a story sometimes. For me, it can make it much more interesting. That said, I was a bit disappointed in the extreme vagueness of the ending. Again, I can see the "beauty" in that type of an ending. However, I really wanted firmer answers at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the words contained within are my own.

While short, this story emersed me into the cold depths of the third lake and surprised me with the energy and thoughtless abandon of teenagers in love...with something other than themselves. I read this in one sitting and gladly give it 5 stars.

Imagine what it would feel like as a teenager to find a house at the bottom of a lake that no one else knows about. It would be like having your very own underwater club house. Which is what it is for James and Amelia who on their first date venture through a tunnel to find a 3rd lake with a house at the bottom. But not only is there a house but the house is in perfect condition. Not what you would expect for a house at the bottom of a lake. James and Amelia make a pact not to ask why or how. But when one of them starts to question things turn strange.

Malerman brings us into that childhood wonder of first discovery. Finding something magical that is only shared by two people until the spell is broken and things start to fall apart. Is the house a metaphor for first love or should we take it at face value and become enchanted with the wonderment and eeriness of finding something so perfect at the bottom of a lake untouched by time or the laws of physics.

This book has that awe and creep factor that keep you turning pages. I know many people don't like the ending but I thought it was fitting. What happens when the magic disappears and you start to question how it is being done, do you see things through different lenses? Do you become jaded always hoping to find that magic again? I found this a fascinating book that I could see a book group having many a discussion about. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Josh Malerman writes some unusual stories and his newest work is no exception. The story centers around two teens that decide to go canoeing on their first date. While exploring the area around the lake, they discover a tunnel leading to another lake.

The teens canoe through the tunnel and once on the lake, they discover a house that is beneath the water. Of course, curiosity overtakes them and they decide to dive below and explore. As they explore the house, they also become more involved. The house keeps drawing them in like an addiction.

As far as horror stories go, this was not very scary. Weird and creepy is a better description. I’m wondering if there is more to this story that Mallerman plans to publish in the future because the ending was so abrupt.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and give an honest review.

A good choice for fans of Shirley Jackson. This short book has a lot of great buildup, some spooky scenes in the middle, and then an ending that I suspect many won't like. I found it a bit unsatisfying myself, but the "metaphor for young love" bore out even if the "house at the bottom of a lake" didn't quite.

After reading Bird Box, I was heckin ready for more Josh Malerman, and hoo boy did A House at the Bottom of a Lake deliver those Malerman vibes! Go forth and read it!!

James and Amelia spend their first date canoeing across a chain of lakes. They find a hidden tunnel that leads to a third lake hidden from the public. What they find below the water's surface will change their lives forever. There's a house at the bottom of the lake, fully furnished and totally unbelievable. As the two seventeen-year-olds explore the house, they find themselves falling in love with each other. Falling in love is scary, especially when it's your first time.

This was a beautiful novella that explores first love and all of the emotions that come with it. This is my second Josh Malerman work, Unbury Carol was the first I've read and it's amazing, and I look forward to reading more from him. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Pretty good book with a good story line. I’d recommend more for a younger crowd who enjoy a creepier story. All in all I thought it was pretty good and creepy. Definitely kept my attention.

Josh Malerman became a household name when Netflix picked up Bird Box giving it an all-star cast including Sandra Bullock. His critically acclaimed sequel to Bird Box, Malorie, was also picked up by the box-office, record smashing giant, Netflix. Bird Box and Malerman gained a cult-like following after the debut earning Malerman a spot alongside others of the ever-growing science-fiction, post-apocalyptic horror sub-genre such as H.G. Wells (author of War of the Worlds), Stephen King (author of The Mist) and J.J. Abrams (producer of the 2008 film, Cloverfield). This meant that all subsequent novels and novellas produced by Malerman would probably receive particular attention from critics and film production studios.

In January of 2021 Malerman was set to release A House at the Bottom of a Lake, a novella of the science-fiction genre. As a fan of some of Malerman's other works, most especially Bird Box and Malorie, its soon-to-be released film sequel. A House at the Bottom of a Lake is, at best, a quick and pleasant read. It is not, however, on par with Malerman's more recent science-fiction releases. This book's premise is fascinating at it's core and is exactly as the title suggests: a house at the bottom of a lake.

In the mid to late 1900's there was an abundance of valley's throughout America that were purposefully flooded to create man-made bodies of water. Some of these resulted in whole towns, whose names and locations can still be found on older maps, being flooded. The remnants of which can still seen today. It is a fascinating news story that has long since become a distant memory. However, this premise is exactly what I thought about when hearing the title and author of this up-and-coming publication.

A house, in its entirety, wholly intact and sitting at the bottom of a lake just awaiting someone to rediscover it's secrets? That sounds exactly like the perfect plot to a fantasy or science-fiction novel. I was ecstatic to be afforded the opportunity to read it. I was not, however, prepared for the lax manner in which the tale was told and the anti-climactic feeling I got upon completion. Have you ever read a book and thought that it was just so . . . underwhelming? That is how I felt following finishing this book. Like I had finished a book and was looking for the missing pages. The characters felt unfinished, the story felt incomplete, and the ending felt like it attempted to resolve something and leave a bit of a cliffhanger (it didn't).

Malerman's newest addition to his title list is underwhelming and lacking. A setback (in my opinion) compared to his best known work.

This book caught my attention right from the beginning. There is enough of a description of the house to keep me wondering what's next, but not so much detail that I lost interest. I wanted to know all about the house and this book gave me just enough detail and I enjoyed filling in the rest in my head. I enjoyed the creepiness and psychologic suspense of wondering what's around the next corner, through the door, or up the stairs.

I'm not sure what I just read.
I enjoyed the story and the experience but I'm left a bit confused. The story was quite creepy but what??? Was it a metaphor for young love? That can be magical and scary... I'm really going to have to think on this one... I feel like there must be deeper levels to it.

This is not an easy book to review, but I'm gonna do my best. I loved this story, but it's definitely not going to be for everyone (just like Malerman's other books).

Two seventeen year olds are out canoeing and discover a house underwater. They go down to explore several times. The feelings I got when reading it were.... otherworldly, eery, spooky, claustrophobic,

It's like a coming of age romance mixed with the type of horror that many people today don't think are horror. There are several types of horror, and this reminds me more of the older days of horror. The Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson, and Richard Matheson type of horror.

The writing style was what was needed for this type of story; very immersive, reflective, atmospheric. The ending was incredible to me, but if you like your stories to end nice and neat with everything explained, then it'll irritate you. I like having a little something to be left for my imagination.

The only thing that I didn't care for was the way the sex scenes were written. Totally cringe worthy.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Promoted as a horror story with absolutely no horror involved. More of a teenage coming of age story.

James and Amelia spend their first date canoeing on a series of increasingly remote lakes. The final one requires them to shimmy their canoe through a snug, graffiti covered culvert into a secluded lake no one else seems to have noticed. They should have known when they pulled their way through the culvert to be ready for the unexpected. That’s where they found the submerged house and decided to overcome their uneasiness and explore. The more they visit, the more they want to see. They search out equipment and learn to scuba dive in order to spend more time underwater; propel each other into more discoveries and remind one another not to question why.

House at the Bottom of the Lake is unique. The short page count, unusual premise and symbolism make it a good choice to help break out of a reading rut. The 118 page novella reads quickly. The surprises keep the pages turning. The ending will definitely give readers something to talk about. Not the horror novel some want. But, perfect for those looking for creepy, curious and startling. This is a perpetually threatening jump scare you know is coming. But, it catches you every time anyway. James and Amelia telling each other not to question hows and whys coaches readers into deeper suspension of disbelief as well. Their awkward innocents and growing obsession with the house will engage readers. “The fear ebbed, leaving only the adrenaline of exploration to play with” will resonate with many. The combined adrenaline of fantastic exploration and budding romance will keep the pages turning. Decision making and James & Amelia’s physical relationship make this a better pick for older teens not middle grader readers.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

I liked this more than I thought I would. The entire book is creepy AF and I was beyond intrigued about the concept of house at the bottom of a lake? How do you get there? Once you go inside, can you stay as long as you want and breath? Or is there a risk of drowning? Some of these questions I had initially and some were not. This book had an eerie and spooky/haunted feeling the entire time. Amelia and Jake become obsessed with this house after its discovery and it makes them closer, and not always in a good way; but it is the one place they can share their love for each other safely without being forced tp separate from people who do not want them together.

This book kind of starts in the middle of someone's thought and you have to figure out what is going on. Also there is much character development, so that is kind annoying. To me, the story kind of ends with no real resolution, also annoying. However, I do still recommend it for the level of creepiness.

Thanks to Netgalley, Josh Malerman, and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 1/19/21

This was a great teen book! I wasn’t ready to like this so much but it was fantastic! The characters felt so real to me with how they behaved which helped to really draw me into the story. May I also say, the atmosphere is perfect. The author did a great job of making a creepy setting.

The premise of this story, am ACTUAL house at the bottom of a lake , is what compelled me to keep turning the pages as I read. It wasn't the characters, or character development, or prose (or lack thereof), that kept me reading. It was sheer curiosity about this wild house on the lake's bottom, because what this story lacks is character development and prose. (Even if you like very little prose, this is erring on the side of too little prose).

The beginning starts in a middle of a character's thought, and it takes several paragraphs to even know which character is doing that thinking because there is no prose or true setting. It's as if these characters interact and think in a bubble and the readers have no need to know about anything beyond their spoken and thought words. Occasionally a brief few sentences will remind you that there is a world trying to evolve around these two people, but sometimes it's still not enough to orient you to a scene or even who these characters were before the book started.

'"That's alright", I thought, "because these two teenagers are falling in love. We'll get to know each of them through their discovering of each other." I was wrong. Outside of the character's fascination with the house (and lust for each other), I can't tell you anything about these two characters as people. I can only tell you some uninteresting facts, like where they live, work, and their immediate family members. This left me uninvested in the characters, so no real to root for them or be scared for them in this "horror" novella.

That's not to say there wasn't fear. Well, there wasn't "fear", but I did have a sense of dread. If you have a fear of tight spaces and drowning there will be brief moments of anxiety as these two characters explore the house beneath the lake's surface. Those moments are when the writing style serves the story best. Its brief, straight to the point sentences, add to the sense of tightening and confining spaces. Unfortunately, 95% of the book is written in this style, and it doesn't help strengthen the story or characters as a whole.

If I wrote the review in a similar format of the book it would be like this:
A house. Yes. A house. At the bottom of the lake.
Fascinating. Magical. Why, though?
"Why, though?"
"I don't know."
"How?"
"We won't ask how or why."
"Okay. We won't ask how or why."
He loved her. She was so awesome.
She loved his eyes on her skin.

There's not even dialogue tags during long sections of conversation, or good transitions between which character's head we're seeing the story through. This is trivial, but when added into the total style of the book, it became slightly frustrating. Did it stop me from reading? No, because the premise of the story was too fascinating. I did find myself wanting to skim over these sections when the two weren't actively exploring the house, of course.

Will this book be great for you? If you are looking for "horror", a love story between teenagers (it kept telling us they are falling in love, but all the characters talked about was the house and sex, so I don't quite buy that) or if you're looking for a solid answer to why a house is at the bottom of a lake, then no. The answer to "why" is steeped in symbolism, and you will have to read between the lines to understand (my interpretation of the answer is not here in this review either). This makes for far more interesting story telling, but when so little was given to us with the writing style, it may be too much held back for the reader.

If you come to this story with the sheer purpose of enjoying the exploring of a fascinating mystery sitting at the bottom of the lake, with no real agenda to how and why, or attempting to fall in love with the characters, then you will get more enjoyment out of the story. Plus, it will be a quick read.

This book was given to me for free via Netgalley for an honest review.