Bird Box is one of my favorite books, so I was super excited to receive an arc for this. Sadly, it fell flat for me. It just didn't have the same appeal.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I read it all in one sitting and didn’t want to put it down, yet I did have a couple of strong problems.

Mostly, these kids didn’t act like 17 year olds. Secret scuba classes, spending the night out on a lake without even bringing up what parents would say, impossibly long strings of first awkward first date stories. It would be much more believable if the were 21, or I’d the fact they were 17 wasn’t mentioned so much.

I can’t tell how I feel about the ending. I don’t think I like it. It’s certainly going to be a hit or miss type of thing for most people.

This is a book I‘ll continue to think about.

A totally disappointing book. The only reason I finished it is because it is mercifully short. Two teenagers who barely know each other and are totally inexperienced at diving become obsessed with exploring a two-story house submerged in a hidden lake. They find loads of things that can’t be explained, and guess what? They never are explained. Two very cardboard characters with no personalities to grab the reader. An implausible situation met with a ridiculous response. No closure. An unsatisfactory ending, like the author got as sick of the characters as I did. Stilted writing. Creepy stuff for the sake of creepy, but not thrilling or mysterious, just creepy. Not worth the time I spent to finish it.

I'm very torn on A House at the Bottom of a Lake.

The Good: great idea. Intriguing. Chilling level of suspense without the deep seat of horror. Immediate storytelling with no excess "purple prose" to get in the way. Easy and very quick read - took me about an hour.

The Bad: You can tell it was written by a man. Abrupt. The characters are very two dimensional, giving you no real investment in the story. There's no background to either of them and no personality, giving you no weight as to why they are so drawn to the house. I have never read a more clinical description of sex. Also, as someone who has learned to scuba dive... there is just too much suspension of disbelief required to read this.

Great concept, amazing images to burn into your imagination, good quick read.... just wish the characters weren't cardboard cutouts.

I have been wanting to read this title for quite some time, as I've seen it during my rabbit hole searches for my next read. I have to say, A House at the Bottom of a Lake (HBL) did not disappoint and was everything I wished it could be. I have not read Bird Box by Malerman, so this is my first novel.

James and Amelia quickly fall in love not only with each other, but with a house. A house that just so happens to be completely submerged in a hidden lake. Secrecy, fascination, and obsession take hold of them as they begin their dives into the house below.

This title is not long and I read it in one sitting, quickly devouring chapters. Which, I truly loved because of the perspective change and how they mirrored one another. Exploring the house was very exciting this way because sometimes I would be disappointed to know we'd be heading back to the surface before our next dive in.

I could picture everything. Nothing was too descriptive and it felt like just enough, Enough to let my mind wander, but to also keep me grounded. All of the environments felt eerie, but magical. Scary, but safe. Empty, yet so full.

I would not suggest entering this book with a specific want. I would not go in trying to label its genre. I went with it and at times I truly felt like I was on the raft waiting for the next dive. Experience the story and take time to digest It. HBL is truly wonderful and I defintely plan on giving it another read in the future.

This is a tough one to rate. The writing itself was very descriptive and beautiful, but the storyline...wow. I don't even know what to say about it. It was completely nonsensical and left me with more questions than were answered. Just be aware - as other reviewers have said - this is most definitely NOT a horror novella. The other book I've read by this author was Bird Box, so I had certain expectations going into this book which may have also colored my reaction to this one.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm in for a Josh Malerman book. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me as well.

Two teenagers go on a date, go to a lake, through a tunnel to another lake. To find a house at the bottom of the lake. This should have been a spooky, weird read. And don't get me wrong it started out like that. The house at the bottom of the lake was strange, spooky and I could not wait for things to happen. And that's when it went downhill for me.,.. because nothing happened. The element of strangeness wasn't enough for me and I wanted more.

It was definitely readable. I wanted to know what happened, what panned out but all the while I was hoping for the bizarre to become weird and eerie. But for me, that did not happen.

Hopefully, this will work for others.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I spent a good portion of my read trying to figure out the genre of this book; horror, romance, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, coming of age, all of the above? I never figured it out.

This book was intriguing. I found it difficult to breathe at times, especially when I imagined myself under water, pitch black, cold, and exploring a.... mystical house? I kept thinking they would become trapped in the house under the lake.

Yet...the ending....not a satisfying conclusion. Too many unanswered questions, but maybe that's the point. Not everything can be explained??

I would recommend this read for a book club. There's some great discussion points, plus this story leaves you wanting to talk about it. To try and figure out what the heck is going on.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake is a very interesting story about two 17 year olds who find a house at the bottom of a secret lake. They investigate the house and tell nobody about it. The house defies everything they know. The house brings both characters happiness. The story is suspenseful and makes you want to keep reading.

The story is an interesting concept but doesn't explain the how and why of the house. It might leave some readers confused about it. The ending could have been better also.

All in all it's a quick and fun story to read.

First dates are rarely magical, but for James and Amelia they find magic beyond anything they could ever imagine. Magic that will thrill and scare them. The find A House at the Bottom of Lake.
James worries that a simple canoe trip on a still lake will not be exciting enough for Amelia. No need to worry, for Amelia finds it perfect. While exploring the beautiful and secluded "second lake" they find a hidden way to a third lake that no one has ever told James about before. The find that they third lake feels a little "off". They find a dead fish floating up to greet them. They paddle further and they find something below the water. Something that looks like a roof. They dive in a discover A House at the Bottom of the Lake. A house where the beds are still made, where the dishes and knick-knacks are undisturbed, a house with an open door. A house waiting to be explored.
This tale is mystery of the best kind, the magical kind. Not a who-done-it mystery, but enchantment. Do not ask "why" and do not ask "how". These are the only "house rules". I enjoyed exploring with James and Amelia and shared in their thrills and fears. #netgalley #AHouseattheBottomoftheLake

This story was really strange, yet engrossing. And I am not sure how to classify it - was it a mystery with a romance thrown in or was it a horror story? Whatever it was, it kept me reading. I kept thinking "whats going to happen next" and I kept turning the pages.

I really enjoyed the writing style and I could totally picture the story as it was happening. I wasn't reading - I was playing a movie in my head.

So why 4 stars not 5? Two reasons. The first is that I didn't like the ending. Now how it could have ended differently, I dont know, but I hate feeling like I need more. Maybe thats a good thing that I was left wanting? But I dont deal well with ambiguity. The second reason it wasn't 5 stars is that I leave my 5 star reviews for WOW! 4 stars means I really really liked it, but I didn't get that extra wow kick. I don't want to give too many 5 star reviews because then how do you rank them all?

I will be reading other books by this author.

If you’re seventeen or, if you ever were seventeen, this book was written for you. I believe you can read A House at the Bottom of a Lake purely for the enjoyment of the story or as an allegory representing the sometimes-frightening passage of teenagers into adulthood. Either way, it’s well done.

In this novel, two teenagers take a canoe out onto a lake, then to a second lake, and finally, to a third, previously unknown lake. To get there, they take chances, scraping the sides of the pristine canoe, as they must lay down and push through a narrow tunnel to get to this third lake where they find the house, under the water. Their obsession with the house and each other grows with each visit until they go too far. What is too far? What happens when you go too far? Well, that’s the story.

There were moments in the beginning when my belief was almost stretched to the breaking point, then the uneasy feeling of dread and escalating tension pulled me back in, and the story never lost me–after that, in fact, I couldn't put it down.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake will be published on 19 January 2021.

Thanks to Random House Publishing – Ballantine Del Rey, #NetGalley, and the author of #AHouseattheBottomofaLake for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback, this is it!

I really enjoyed this book. The story was lots of fun and the characters were well developed.

I need to thank NetGalley for my ARC of this novella.

The story was creepy and the sense of dread built nicely throughout the story. It was a fun read.

I hated the ending. It could have ended on a much more satisfying note, but the author chose to take it in a different direction that left everything opened ended when it could have ended with much more closure for the characters.

The ending is why it only got 4 stars - I still recommend it but not as strongly as I would have with a better ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The story was well written and kept me interested all the way through the narrative.

This was a super fast read for me. I was hoping for more horror elements, but this is more suspenseful than anything. Every time James and Amelia go into the house, a sense of dread sinks in. Ultimately, I felt the characters were under-developed, as was the plot and the characters’ relationship. I wanted more from this than what I got, but it was entertaining at least.

Seventeen year old James works up the nerve to ask out seventeen year old Amelia. Their first date is to borrow James' Uncles' canoe and go to the lake. The lake is rather busy so they go to lake number 2 which is quieter but they find a tunnel that leads to a hidden lake. It's beautiful and serene but when they look down, they see a large house under water that seems perfectly preserved.

I loved the prose and the way the author made the house a living breathing entity. There were some parts that caused you to quicken your breathing but the horror or suspense never materialized. I was rather disappointed in the ending.

So, this book is definitely different and has my mind wondering tonight!
James and Amelia are two 17 year old teenagers and they are starting to date and so of course they decide to go against the norm and go canoeing. They canoe along different lakes until they find a secret spot, a secret third lake and at the bottom of the lake there is a house.
Now, once they first discover the house at the bottom of the lake their relationship takes it to a new level because they have something that they consider thiers and soon the house at the bottom of the lake consumes them. Their thoughts, their relationship and of course their time. Any available time that they can get together they are at the lake. But, just because the house is at the bottom of the lake does not mean that no one is home. Some creepy stuff starts to happen while they are at the lake and the whole vision of the house at the bottom of the lake takes a whole different turn.
I liked this book. I really think that this book is very heavy in symbolism of young love and the toll it can take on a person but the ending is very open ended and can be interpreted a million ways but, I think it's amazing in its own way. It's definitely very thought provoking.

I really liked this book. It was beautifully written and really terrifying. However, it just seemed to end with no explanation. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an early arc in exchange for my honest opinion. A very different type than I’m used to reading but very hard to put down!

2.5 stars rounded up

What did I just read? I am not sure. Plus, the ending, I do not even know what to say about that.

Two teenagers go on a date, to a lake, through a tunnel to another lake. What? Only to find a house at the bottom of the lake. I like to think that I am a good swimmer, but I don't think I could hold my breath that long or see so well under water......Nor, do I feel I would do so well with diving equipment with no experience using it. But I am not seventeen, on my first date, in a canoe, on a lake...

Jeepers. This was original. I cannot think of anything like it. But it was also strange yet compulsively readable. I was not quite sure what was going on and yet I had to keep reading to find out, only to have THAT ending and I am still not sure what I read. Especially the ending. I am not even going to mention that as I cannot form a coherent thought on that.

Bizarre, original, strange, interesting, slow. Ugh! I was all over the place reading this novella. One can read this in one sitting. It was a quick read for me. I still do not know what to make of this. I enjoy magical realism but cannot quite figure this one out...and yet.... I could not stop reading it. It's like driving past an car accident. You don't want to look, you know you should not but you can't help it and slow down, do some rubber necking to see the gruesome sight. That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book.

If you read reviews, they are at both sides of the spectrum. You will either really appreciate this one, not like it or be somewhere in the middle with me. You got to hand it to Malerman, he does have original ideas. What goes on in that mind of his?

I think fans of fantasy will enjoy this more, especially YA readers. I'm hit or miss with fantasy but I do appreciate his creativity. The descriptions of the house and their time exploring/experiencing it were my favorite parts of the book.

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing - Ballantine Del Rey and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake was totally not what I was expecting, but absolutely amazing!

While on a first date, canoeing around a lake, a young couple finds a secret entrance to a connecting lake. While exploring the secret lake, they find an impossible house completely submerged and, being teenagers, decide to explore the house further.

Since the book was listed in the horror genre, I was expecting a lot more, well, horror, but A House at the Bottom of a Lake is more of a mystery slash coming of age story, with a slightly horror subplot. This book was short and extremely quick and easy to get through. I read it within a day or two, but that might have been because, kind of like Amelia and James needing to continue to explore the house, I needed to finish reading this book.

If you’re looking for more of a horror story, this one might not be for you. I requested this as a Halloween read and was a little disappointed that it wasn’t scarier. However, I did really enjoy the book and think that as long as you aren’t going into it hoping to be scared out of your mind, then you should definitely read this one too!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this ARC! I was intrigued by Bird Box. I read it in one day and thought about it for a long time after I finished it so when I had a chance to request this book I was really excited. I read a lot of YA books so this book was not outside of my genres. The writing was really good and every word drew me further and further into the story. The story was very odd, but in a good way. It was so creepy! Other reviews say it isn't horror, but I must be a wimp because it scared me. I'm not sure how I feel about how the book ended. I'm still puzzling over it and what it meant. But the writing, I have to repeat that the writing is so good it was a pleasure to read the words.