My first thoughts as I began reading the first pages of this book was, "what a charming pair of teens". James and Amelia are bumbling away nervously as they get to know each other, in a charming sort of way. With a title like, A House at the Bottom of a Lake, charming doesn't stick around too long. I knew the creep factor would soon show up in this story. I enjoyed the charm seeing these two go through the early stages of getting to know each other and eventually getting brave enough to go out on a first date. Although I feel Josh Malerman brought the true creepiness of this book late into the story, I feel like part of what made this book feel scary early on was the way Malerman played with my psyche. There was enough going on to make me feel uncomfortable with James and Amelia exploring the house at the bottom of the lake, and that I feel was story's strength due to Malerman's writing. Was it the most creepy story I have ever read? Absolutely not, but these two charming teens are just so likable you can't help but want to stop them from being naive teens.

Bird Box and Malorie from Josh Malerman were excellent reads and A House at the Bottom of a Lake is just as fantastic as those two books. A different vibe for sure but we don't want the same thing over and over again, right? I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read. Once I started, the charm pulled me in and the creepiness spit me out.

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.

This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.

Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.

Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.

James and Amelia are about to go on their first date. His plan isn't to go out to dinner or to see a movie, but rather to pack a picnic and go canoeing on the lake. Jame's Uncle Bob lives on a lake that is full of tourists and speed boats in the summer, but there is a second lake, one less crowded where they can be alone, enjoy the beauty of nature, and get to know each other.
They soon discover a third lake, one that appears that very few people know about, one where they can see a house on the bottom of the lake. Crazy kids, what would you expect them to do other than explore this seemingly impossible underwater world together! The house is vast and creepy, and there is much to see. As they repeatedly dive, they learn about each other and start to fall in love. The book didn't end in the horrific way that I imagined, but that's okay since, to me, it was more a story about discovery and the wonders of the unknown.
It is a quick read, only 118 pages on my Kindle. A beautifully written tale about youth, taking a chance, and love. 4.5 stars.

This was unexpectedly addicting to read. It’s hard to put a review into words because you really need to go into this knowing the LEAST about the plot. Basically, two kids are going on a first date adventure canoeing and things take an unexpected turn. You can definitely take away multiple meanings from this book and the whole storyline. It was beautifully written and I really felt submerged and thoroughly creeped out.

Josh Malerman is a master-storyteller and he proves it with A House at the Bottom of a Lake,. It's elusive, transportive, fascinating, captivating, everything I expect of a Malerman novel. You're going to want to put this book on the top of your TBR.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Josh Malerman for providing me with an ARC of the title A House at the Bottom of a Lake!

What an unnerving concept that feels like it's straight out of a fever dream! I loved it! Amelia and James were most certainly a fun couple to follow along with. This was so, so strange but I couldn't turn away from it, and I was disappointed it wasn't longer. I found myself holding my breath along with the characters, and I also experienced an extreme sense of claustrophobia while being underwater. This was just brilliant. An easy read, so if you have even the slightest interest, read it!

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this title!

I usually write reviews within a hour or two after finishing a book while the details are still fresh on my mind. With this novella, I couldn’t do that. I had to let it sit in my head and digest over almost 24 hours before I could even think of writing a review. This little book packed such a big punch.

Set mostly between two teen characters, this book focuses on their first date. They decide to go canoeing to break the tradition of “dinner and a movie.” What they end up discovering is so much more than either of them hoped. A hidden lake with a house just under the water. The two characters begin to explore the house, unaware of what else might be inside.

What I loved most about this book was it’s unnerving atmosphere. I read it all in one sitting at night in the dark and found it very eerie and compelling. I think this book also deals heavily in metaphor as the exploration of the house mirrors the exploration of a first love. I thought the characters had very distinct voices for such a short book.

My biggest complaint is that the climax was kind of muddled. While the rest of the book is excruciatingly detailed to the point where I could almost feel the water in my lungs, I found some of the end details kind of hazy and hard to imagine. The overall end of the story was excellent but the few scenes right before it were kind of confusing.

I would give this book an overall 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I just read the author's new work, MALORIE, so I was surprised to see another book coming in December. Then I learned that this book was actually published in Great Britain in 2016 but not in the U.S.

It is an odd, silly story that really doesn't go anywhere. Amelia and James are on their first date, canoeing in the local lake. They find a second lake, and then, following a very narrow tunnel, a third lake, under which they discover a house sitting on the bottom, undamaged and operational. They agree not to ask questions about how or why, but instead just enjoy it. I found that decision very hard to accept, even for 17-year-olds. The rest of the story was just as hard for me to accept.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing an ARC.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman starts off as sweet romance that starts between two teens, Amelia and James. This was the only thing that at first kept me from reading this as my first impression was that I didn't want a romance to read. But this is something much darker, more sinister than your first taste of true love. The fact that their attraction to one another is somehow tied to the house they find makes this story unique and very hard to put down. It seriously creeped me out. The author has quite the gift for making situations so tense filled you have to put the book down in order to breathe. The descriptive writing had me pulled into the cold depths of the lake and peeking around corners for the boogie man. Highly recommending this book to everyone for an exciting, scary, suspenseful dive into a great summer read.

This was a rare and weird story but I really liked it. I don't want to give it all away but it's a young couple who find a house at the bottom of a Lake. What about that? I mean it's down there to be explored. Yeah that is the name of the book I know that, but how else to describe it without telling everything about it? They go down, they come up. Of course they learn things about themselves as things go along. It's worth your time to see how things go as they go up and down. Oh and it's short so you can read it pretty fast. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for letting me enjoy this, I have read every book by this author and I sure hope they make a movie out of this one too,

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for giving me an e-book Review Copy. I love the originality of Josh Malerman's writing. Amelia and James' curious love story was interesting, nostalgic and quick. All I'm left with saying is, strange strange book but I enjoyed it and look forward to the re-release in December.

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I've seen this book touted by some of my favorite horror reviewers, so I cheered when I was approved for this title. I'm a huge fan of Malerman's work, and having just finished Malorie, I couldn't wait to dive in.

Literally.

Amelia and James are seventeen and about to go on their first date. They decide to canoe, end up at a mysterious lake, and make a startling discovery. There's a house at the bottom of the lake, and over the following weeks, they decide to explore.

While I think this book will be polarizing because it doesn't scream traditional horror, I absolutely loved it. First, I'm a sucker for a coming of age tale, and rarely do we have such a quiet focus: two kids, about to fall in love, on the verge of something much bigger than themselves. The dialogue was awkward and cringey and perfect for the tone. They make terrible decisions, as most teenagers do. When they decide to explore, my first question was: wait, how are they going to see anything? Who can open their eyes under lake water? To which I realized I'm old now and way too concerned about my contacts. Their curiosity is fresh and bold, and as much as I wanted them to be smarter, I also couldn't wait to see what was inside.

And it's creepy. I've read a few narratives with houses/towns submerged (The Last Time I Lied and Violet to name a few; I think there's even a spy movie on Netflix with this as the subject) and it never ceases to terrify me. There is something inherently creepy about being under water and not knowing what you'll encounter. Claustrophobic to its core, I held my breath every time they dove and read these pages faster. Malerman creates some of the most beautiful imagery in this house, and the prose alone is enough to warrant discussion. I've said this before, but Malerman is a master of literary horror, and I wouldn't be surprised to find this used in a classroom.

At its heart, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is a story of first love and the unknown--of embracing something terrifying for the hope of something great, and experiencing rather than questioning.

Big thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Yes. Yes. And you guessed it, more yes. This book had me hooked from the beginning. I could not put it down. There are two things that really stand out for me:

- The seventeen year olds actually fee like seventeen year olds;
- THE ENDING. I love a good ending where you’re able to make up your own conclusion and/or leave with more questions. It makes it more of an experience and has a lasting affect.

Will 100% be recommending this to everyone I know.

This short novel by Josh Malerman is nothing like the others, but that’s part of its enjoyment factor. Two teens find a house beneath a lake, and at first, they fall in love with it. But can they keep their pleasure between themselves or will life get in the way? Find out by reading this one-time story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A House at the Bottom of a Lake.

I'm always looking for a scary, suspenseful story (and have yet to find one that meets my standards) so I was excited when my request was approved.

This is a short story, a novella about two teenagers, both 17, that go canoeing on their first date. It is otherwise a regular date until they end up somewhere else, a forgotten third lake and see a house at the bottom of the lake.

The rest of the narrative has the two teens falling in love as they explore this strange and unusual house.

How did it get here? What is its purpose? Why did the both of them find this house?

None of these questions are developed or examined, and though I enjoyed the teens' exploration and the general uneasiness of this house, the story left me wanting.

I'm not sure what the author is really writing about; a house at the bottom of a lake or how innocent and fragile first love is.

I don't mind ambiguity in a story, including the ending, but there were more questions than answers.

The characters were not well developed, since the novella is so short, and the ending felt abrupt.

I definitely wasn't scared, not once, but it takes a lot to spook me. The story had potential and could have been scary if the author had gone in a different direction.

I'd recommend this for fans of the author, or looking for something different to read.

"It's what I've been looking for my whole life. It's something so nonsensical that it makes fun of every sensible thing in the world. It's impossible. But it's here."

Nostalgic. Haunting. Suspenseful. Immersive. Could you walk away from a creepy house in a place it shouldn't be?

I've been anxious to read Josh Malerman with the recent hype around his stories, and this is my first. Needless to say, I will be reading much more! His writing is excellent and smart. His characters are nostalgic and complete, their journey familiar and relatable. These two awkward, stupidly brave kids transported me right back to my teenager years, when I so badly wanted to believe in magic and hauntings, but anything that initially presented with that smokey, eerie glimmer of the otherworld swiftly fell flat into reality. Malerman's story goes all the way, completing the what ifs of my younger years steeped in So Weird, Goosebumps, and Stephen King.

This short tale gets a full 5 stars from me for the following reasons:
- I was truly creeped out as I read this at night especially. I read horror regularly but infrequently, so I can understand how a horror aficionado may not be creeped out, but I soaked up (pun not intended) that wonderful bone chilling nervousness and leaned right into it. It's pretty legit horror that is not bloody, gory, jumpy, or cheap--my favorite!

- The writing. Oh man, the WRITING. It's one of those immersive, creative, melodiously written stories that makes me want to write. Malerman's pacing is genius. Is there some formula for writing dialogue to description to reflection to more dialogue? Because if there is, he's mastered it. The plot moved with grace and efficiency, pulling me along in suspense and hunger for more.

- By way of content warning and as part of my review, there is brief teen sex. It's not totally necessary, but I appreciate that for a scary story there isn't actually any other content warning needed. It's soooo refreshing to read something creepy that didn't involve kidnapping, child death, or other things I just don't need in my brain.

- The setting is colorful and captivating, as clear in my mind as a movie. Man, this would be a great movie. I read it fairly quickly, I had a hard time putting it down so I read it while I brushed my teeth, while I ate, while I walked around the house trying not to walk into door frames and wall corners.

- I can't stop thinking about it. The ending. What a great ending.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review! It was a right treat. I will be posting a review and photo on Instagram in the next week.

An original premise that’s deliciously scary and creepy. While canoeing on a first date, James and Amelia find a secret tunnel to a third lake. Discovering a huge house in the water beneath them they decide to explore and what they find is other worldly and impossible. Not asking how or why the house exists they spend their summer falling in love, learning to scuba dive and exploring the interior of theIr secret place.
I loved this story up until the ending which I found too ambiguous and disappointing If I were to rate the ending alone I’d give it a 0-1. Because the rest of the story was terrific, I give it a 4

There is no other way to put this so here it goes…I disliked this book. I found it very weird, I found the dynamic between the characters unrealistic, I didn’t like the writing. It was marketed as horror and it definitely wasn't. It was just, overall, a huge disappointment. I made myself finish it, which ended up kind of putting me in a reading slump. I had gone to multiple bookstores in search for this book and found out it was a print-on-demand title…now I know why. Luckily, I didn’t buy this book. I ended up borrowing it from my library. This book was a complete waste of time and I should have DNF’d it but it was really short so I just suffered through it. My opinion is probably in the minority for this book, but I really didn’t like it. I do own Bird Box and am still looking forward to reading it. I have heard many good things about it and it sounds right up my alley. However, this one is a definite no for me.