What a thought provoking and weird little book!
Although I found the writing style to be a tad juvenile, the whole thing was very well written. I honestly felt claustrophobic for the majority of the book. And it takes good writing to bring out sting feelings like that in a reader.
I also felt that the characters were a little two dimensional. So if you’re a character driven reader, maybe stay away from this one. However, the plot and story itself was very well done. I was kept guessing and flipping the pages and ultimately ended up finishing it in one go! I also liked that the ending wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow. I like open ended books but if you don’t, again, maybe this isn’t for you... But for me personally, this is one that I’ll be thinking about for a while!

I really enjoyed Malerman's The Bird Box so when I saw that there were review copies of this earlier title I jumped on the chance to read it. While the premise of two teenagers going on a date on a lake and finding a submerged house with strange things going on inside was interesting and had a lot of potential, this outing felt flat to me. It was less of a horror story and more of a warped romance. Malerman's descriptions and imagery are still good even for this earlier outing. I received a free copy from NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Surreal YA novel about a young couple who found a house underwater and made a decision to explore it. The experience changes their lives and their expectations for the future.

Huh...? I honestly have no idea what I just read, but I didn't like it. I did not find it creepy at all, and the whole insta-love of the characters was cringy AF! And WTF was that ending?!? Thank god this was so short or I would have DNFed.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballatine and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Original pub date was 10/31/16 (UK only?) with a tentative US sale date of December 2020.

Teens Amelia & James meet at the hardware store owned by James' family and James - immediately smitten with Amelia - asks her out on a date to which she happily agrees. What starts out as a casual day of canoeing on a familiar lake during a peaceful Summer day ends up leading the pair to a hidden lake and a secret discovery: under the surface of the unknown lake they see - of all things - the roof of a house . Naturally , the kids are fascinated by what they see and dive down to investigate. James swims down first and lo and behold finds an actual house down there with its front door wide open. After a bit of exploration, he returns to the surface and Amelia takes a turn. Because of its depth in the water, it is immediately evident that diving equipment will be necessary in order to get a better and longer look at what's below the surface so the two teenagers vow to return the following day with the appropriate apparatus.

Over the next several weeks, they explore this underwater dwelling, pondering its origin and enjoying their little secret as they slowly start to fall in love. They encounter creepy artifacts and sense an eerie presence whose existence can neither be verified nor denied, and they keep returning to this lake with its seemingly haunted house until the day they are scared enough to leave and decide to never return.

This book was marketed as a Horror story but although it is creepy and somewhat suspenseful, I wouldn't categorize it as such but more like a YA Magical Realism, as other reviewers have mentioned on Goodreads.

What I liked about this book:

1. Cute romance/not insta-love
2. Imagery good
3. Unique concept
4. Creepy/good haunted house vibe
5. Cool title (although revealing)
6. Quick read (novella)

What I didn't care for:

1. Not much character development (characters not very memorable)
2. Short story but seemed to drag on in the beginning before I felt fully invested
3. Build-up did not lead to anything substantial (ending was weird/unsatisfying based on build up )
4. World-building not very strong

My overall rating for this book is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads. Although I haven't read Bird Box , I have seen the movie and really enjoyed it so I had high hopes for this book since it was written by the same author, Josh Malerman. I was ready to go on an exciting adventure to a creepy, spooky house at the bottom of a murky lake but unfortunately, the excitement rarely came and I was left feeling a sense of disappointment . I really really wanted to like this book but for all the reasons listed above, it just fell flat for me.

This book is very hard to review, as I don’t think I understand it completely. I think it could’ve easily been a 5 star book, but seemed to be lacking in many areas, making it hard to even finish and me with more questions and confusion than I normally would have in a book! It could’ve been my mood, as I’m a very moody reader. I did get chilled, scared, and even shocked a couple places, but was more underwhelmed and confused than anything.

Will make sure to let others know about and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date!

This book was a quick read; I think it would have worked better as a short story or novella. There was some extraneous material that I think could have been cut, but was necessary to have it a full-length novel. The story is unique, and a little fantastical (yes, a house underwater).

The book isn't is captivating as Bird Box, and I don't really see this one playing out (at least in its current form) as a full length movie. If you're looking for an easy read with a unique plot line, though, this book will do it.

Character-wise, I really didn't feel any connection to the two main characters. At first, they seemed like teenage adventurers, by the second half of the book they've become lovers, so their identity feels a little inconsistent. The mystery of the house looms much larger over the characters' stories. Maybe that is why it doesn't compare to Bird Box, I was genuinely interested in what was going to happen to those characters. In this book, my thoughts were, well just go tell someone what you've seen. I mean, you don't think these people would be posting this on social media in this day in age?

I'm not one to spoil endings, but I will say that it didn't exactly go the way I was thinking, which it not a bad thing. I think good thrillers are unpredictable.

Overall, a good read for some entertainment. Don't expect it to linger with you or be profound in its themes, but you will get something unique.

A House at the Bottom of the Lake, by Josh Malerman, will have you gripping the pages through the creepy, haunting, and twisted story of beauty and terror. Josh Malerman does a superb job creating a story with the highest level of spookiness and chills! Although a story of two teenagers searching through a house at the bottom of a lake is an unexpected and unusual setting, Josh Malerman demonstrates his expertise at creating the perfect mood by making everything feel so realistic in the most unusual of places. You cannot read The House at the Bottom of the Lake without feeling like you are living within the dark, twisted, bone chilling, and mysterious hideaway. A House at the Bottom of the Lake is more that just a phenomenal book...it’s an unsettling literary experience that will keep you hanging onto every word! Josh Malerman has a powerful strength and extraordinary gifted talent of taking the worst possible real life fears and turning them into twisted realities that you are living, and not just reading about. His characters are young and innocent, so the dark, scary, and twisty environment escalates the intrigue and horror. His portrayal of the environment and experiences the two seventeen year olds shared will draw you in and are sure to give you spine tingling shivers page by page. The House on the Lake is an unputdownable book of young love and old haunts. A must read 5 star book that will stick with you, pull you in, and make it impossible to escape without finishing the book!
Amelia and James agree to go on a special and unique first date and stumble upon a lake that no one has ever talked about. The secrecy and mystery of their discovery compels them to continue exploring. Their attraction to one another and the lake is irresistible. Their magical discovery is haunting, but they can’t seem to leave and both agree to keep their hideaway a secret. The house is beautiful, eerie, and terrifying. They are fascinated with the otherworldly and addicting appeal of such a magnificent hidden house. As their intrigue of the house increases, their relationship also grows. Filled with high paced tension, rushed adrenaline, insurmountable intensity and the enthralling fears of horrific foreboding, readers hooked from the very beginning. It is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and remind you of what it feels like to be scared of the dark. It is such an unnerving and pulse pounding plot in an environment where you’ll lose all sense of direction and reality, and get lost in the deepest fears of what can only be found in an underwater trap. The ending is interesting and questionable, although I think Malerman did a brilliant job of leaving the reader with as many questions as answers.
Thank you Josh Malerman, Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading The House at the Bottom of the Lake. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest opinions.

I’m just...really confused. I have no idea what any of this was supposed to mean. Why does this exist? What is the point of this story? The ending was absolutly disappointing. I hated it. Actually I hated almost everything about this which is sad because I thought I would love it.

The characters are dull and childish and annoyed me because they just seemed...well to be honest they seemed really unintelligent. Their conversations were weird and not realistic. There wasn’t really a point to anything.

The only thing I did like was some of the underwater house exploration parts. That’s the only reason I gave two stars. But for someone who loves spooky things AND underwater involvement I think this is one of the worst things I’ve ever finished lmao. And really I only did so to catch up with my reading goals. 😬

This book really left me wanting more, and knowing that there is not a sequel which will give me answers is actually quite annoying. I loved the imagery that Josh created in my mind with his colorful descriptions and scenic atmosphere. What I didn't love was the abrupt and unfulfilling ending, and the odd choice to do an underwater sex scene. Wish I had more answers after reading this.

After agreeing to a first date of a canoe trip, Amelia rows with James to a third lake that no one in town has ever mentioned. What follows from there can only be described as a fascinating, magical adventure that the two must hide from others to keep their secret. I found this book to be haunting as well as atmospheric in the sense that it had to be a dream. Yet, to James and Amelia, it became an obsession. I am not sure how or if I would have explored this house underwater. Once inside the house, how spooky to view this house in a way that it seemed as thought a fully functioning house was dropped in the water. There times I thought the house was benevolent but other times the house was quite scary. Even the ending was left to the reader to decide what happened.

After reading and loving Bird Box, I knew I had to read more from the author. I can’t explain how uncomfortable and claustrophobic this book made me as I read it, but in a good way.

It’s a simple story about 2 17 year olds who go on a first day and find a house at the bottom of a lake. What’s not so simple is how finding that house helped form their relationship and change their lives. It definitely had a very open ended ending so if that is not your thing then you won’t like this book, but I love finishing a book and wonder what I just read!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I absolutely loved it and I know it will be with me for a very long time.

James and Amelia are two seventeen year old kids, awkwardly embarking on their first date, while canoeing on this date - they end up finding something unbelievable, an entire house at the bottom of a lake. This house becomes their sacred space, something that just the two of them know about. However, they might not be as alone as they think they are.

I flew through this book way faster that I planned too, but the way Malerman converts the excitement, and fear of the main characters it was too good to put down, I couldn’t not push on to find out what would happen next.

The dialogue, the questionable choices, the awkwardness, and the thought processes of James and Amelia feel very real, very much the way two seventeen year olds going on their first date, and then finding this amazing house would act, speak and think. 
While the characters themselves aren’t complex, I don’t know much about James or Amelia other than where they work and that they’re in love with each other - but it doesn’t matter because the story isn’t about them. It’s about their experience together, finding the house, exploring the house, and honestly I love that. I love that there wasn’t a ton of filler characters or filler scenes that had nothing to do with the actual story. It keeps the story fast flowing and exciting.

I was enthralled by this story from the very beginning. Malerman writes in a way that feels natural, without being overly wordy or dramatic the way that some horror/thriller authors seem to be. Nothing feels forced, or like I am being told that I should feel afraid, I actually felt concern, and fear for the characters.

I loved this book, and I can definitely see myself returning to read it again and again.

I really enjoyed this quick read, it was such an interesting idea. I wanted more when it ended! I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and of course, the house.

First of all, I'm not really sure why a large consensus of people have decided that this isn't horror. It absolutely read to me like a horror book, albeit one that's more oriented to young adults. Horror encompasses so many different elements and other genres, with the main element being that it unnerves or frightens you in some way- sometimes horror only disquiets you. Horror isn't always mind-numbingly terrifying or gory.

That being said, I did enjoy the eerier aspects of this story, and found the main idea of it intriguing. This is a book I've wanted to read for some time now, purely because the idea of it caught hold of me and apparently never let go. However, while I did enjoy this novella in general, I do feel unsatisfied with the ending and overall story. I'm not opposed to vague endings, ones that leave a lot of questions and give little answers; I'm not even against abrupt endings if they're executed properly.

However, this just felt... incomplete. I feel like I missed something, some major and overarching message of the story that I just can't put my finger on. The ending and the story itself seem very metaphorical, but in a way that I can't even begin to guess at or figure out.

In general, it's an interesting idea and I would say it's at least worth a read. Definitely kept my interest throughout. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book kept me reading although I would have loved more explanation. But that's just me as a reader. I think the mystery of it will work for a lot of readers.

Two teens on a first date stumble on something that by many accounts shouldn't exist. A fully furnished, in good condition, house at the bottom of a lake.

This book does and amazing job and creating a truly tense and anxious atmosphere. I felt uncomfortable the entire time reading this it was so well described. I felt the pressure of the water and the creeping darkness. I was really unnerved.

I also kind of like the ambiguous ending but can understand how that can be a hit or a miss with some people.

However, I wasn't this biggest fan of this short book. I don't really feel like the characters were that developed and even though the characters themselves promise to not as how or why... I don't get why. I'm not sure I get the purpose of the house... or the story really.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by Josh Malerman that I have read. I watched Bird Box on Netflix and loved it, so I knew that I would be a fan of his writing.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was a little confusing in the beginning with the narration switching back and forth between James and Amelia, but I caught on pretty quick. The plot of this book is what drew me in. How exciting it would be to find a house on the bottom of the lake. Malerman was able to set the scenes perfectly and I found myself mentally exploring the house with the characters. They had this deep connection to this house that I imagined it might actually be theirs in another lifetime and that the presence they felt was themselves. I was left wanting more from the story and didn't quite fully understand the ending.

Interesting premise!
Definitely not what I had initially expected, which is always welcome!
Metaphorically, I understand this is all about young love, first love. I also felt like a lot could have been linked to addiction. Whether that be love/familiarity/drugs etc.

A little surrealism, a little horror, all together excellent. Malerman is a master of his craft. I enjoyed this story immensely.... though I'm not sure I really understood the ending.