Wow! This is one of the scariest books that I’ve ever read. The fact that this is from an eight year old girl’s perspective was horrifying. I was anxious throughout most of this book. While reading it, I was trying to figure out what was really happening. The “Other Mommy” entity in this book is frightening. This book definitely gave me horror vibes, mystery vibes, and it’s truly unique. The “Can I go inside your heart” phrase will forever stick with me. I can see this turning into a horror movie. I give this chilling horror book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!

Be sure to read the content warnings before reading this book. Some of the warnings include death and murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Josh Malerman, and Random House Publishing | Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone that loves horror and suspense!

Bela lives with Daddo, Mommy, and other mother. Only Bela can see the other mother, who lives in her closet. You would think this would be scary but unfortunately it failed. The scariest part of this book for me was Bela’s actual mom. She is truly a nightmare, not only does she overshare with her eight-year-old daughter, she is absent half of the time. Daddo is an okay character, but he is doing his daughter a disservice by putting up with his wife’s cheating, lying ways.
The concept of the story was good, but its execution could have been improved. I feel like it may be scarier as an audio book or told from another perspective. The story is narrated from the child’s perspective, which is confusing. At times she exhibits the behavior typical of a four-year-old, while other times, she displays characteristics more akin to those of a twelve-year-old.
Thank you to NetGalley for This ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The POV of a child is tricky. Often, the voice will veer toward too old, too precocious for the actual age. On the other hand, as is the case with this book, it veers too young. Rather than eight, Bela sounds significantly younger, and this sometimes serves as a distraction from what is going on. And the adults often don't sound realistic, and this variance strikes a chord that makes certain sections lag or threw me into a state of disbelief as I questioned whether or not adults would actually speak this way either to each other or to a child.

All that said, however, there are genuinely frightening sections in this book, and I read it quickly.

Three and a half stars rounded down.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for review.

“I’ll keep asking until you answer like a friend, Bela. And you must be a friend. Because if you’re not, then why play nice?”

Incidents Around the House was literally unputdownable! I was completely enthralled from the first page. It was delightfully terrifying and I can honestly see why it’s been nominated for a Bram Stoker award. The characters were incredibly well written, even Other Mommy, who was just flat out evil and horrible. Bela and her family faced such terrible challenges as they tried to find a way to get rid of this entity that has become obsessed with Bela. They are tortured and have no idea who can help them or where they can go that’s safe. I can’t imagine feeling like if I turned to friends and family, that I’d be putting them in genuine danger. As a parent, I can’t imagine the feeling of helplessness that would come from facing a foe that you can’t protect your child from. This book had me creeped out all the way through and I am definitely going to read more of Malerman’s work, but I am gonna need a good romcom first, or a Disney movie

Wow, mixed feelings after finishing this book. The cover and synopsis had me hooked to read this dark, paranormal, horror tale. I love a good paranormal horror story. This story is told from the pov of an eight year old girl, Bela, who has a closet monster that keeps asking “Can I enter your heart?”. The vibe of suspense and terror were definitely there, only it left me wanting answers. The story at times left me annoyed that there was a lot of storyline that was never explored, grown adults trying to kill an entity with knives and Daddo in repetition, it was just uncomfortable for me. I did think toward the end that there were some metaphors for Bella’s heart and maybe the story was deeper than I expected, I was left with a ton of questions and will probably be thinking about this one for a while. Give it a read. Pub date was June 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was AMAZING! So creepy, so atmospheric, and so unsettling. I love a good haunted house story and this one did not disappoint. Josh Malerman is an author to watch!

Josh Malerman hits us with another new classic in Incidents Around the House. I've read all his works, and this one is among my favorites, perhaps only behind Bird Box and Malorie. Incidents digs deeper into emotional horror than Josh usually does, the reflective tone of a precocious child's perspective lending weight to the horrors she faces--whether those horrors are supernatural or familial. Witnessing a child's hope and trust be stripped away in the face of existential danger is more horrific than the danger itself. On a technical level, Josh writes a believable child's voice, which is almost never done well in horror. I spent a lot of this book thinking, "this would make an amazing movie" and also "I'm not sure I could watch this as a movie..." It is rich and cinematic, with complex characters and vivid descriptions. One of the best horror novels out in 2024.

I had so much fun with this one. I think there were a few times I was annoyed by the constant "Daddos" but otherwise I think it was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the ending but I did see it coming. I will for sure pick up another book by this author.

Josh Malerman’s Incidents Around the House starts off strong, with an eerie premise and an unsettling atmosphere that lingers. The story follows a young girl, Bela, who begins to notice strange happenings in her home—whispers in the dark, objects moving on their own, and an ominous presence only she seems to sense. Malerman’s signature tension-building is on full display, and the book excels in creating a creeping dread.

However, while the suspense is compelling, the execution feels uneven. The narrative unfolds in a way that sometimes meanders, and the resolution doesn’t fully pay off the buildup. The horror elements, while effective, lean more on repetition than escalation, making the story feel stretched. Fans of Malerman’s work will appreciate his knack for eerie, psychological horror, but this novel lacks the punch of Bird Box or Goblin. A decent read, but not his strongest.

Just give this one five stars, put up your other books, and just accept that this is one of the scariest books ever written.

Incidents Around the House is told from the perspective of an 8 year old, with the whole book written in the style that an 8 year old would write and speak. The limited punctuation really gives a fresh approach to writing, one which I loved.

It's a very fast-paced book, and it will be hard to put down. The simplistic style of the book is what makes it scary, which felt fresh.

One of the most frightening novels I've ever read!

I read this in one sitting. The book is told from the perspective of 8-year-old Bella. The style is unique. There is limited punctuation, and the dialogue is indicated by indents instead of quotations. Despite this, I was never confused by the style. Bella's short, choppy descriptions made for a quick read. I did check out the audiobook after I finished the ebook. The narrator is incredible. She sounds just like a little girl. If I revisit this book, I will go with the audiobook.

The story is fast-paced and action-packed. It's like the film Poltergeist (1982) cranked up to eleven. The scares go hard and they never let up. You feel this family's exhaustion as they are continually terrorized by the malevolent entity in their home.

I also appreciated Malerman's realistic and unique take on combating this entity. The family quickly learns that exorcisms are not as readily available as they are in the movies. Most people refuse to help out of fear or disbelief. Even fewer people are equipped to take on such an entity.

My critiques are minor. A few words and phrases seemed odd coming from a kid who cannot remember the word "reincarnation", like describing her father "changing lanes" while driving. What kid even pays attention to that kind of thing?

Three different adults also use the word "piqued" when describing stressful situations. As in the father saying "You caught us at a real piqued moment" and the mother saying "Everything is so piqued." I have rarely heard this word used in this way so having so many different characters speak like this felt more like the author's voice than the character's.

There were also moments where I wanted more description and immersion in the story. Like when Bella describes the Other Mommy's face as being "big and crazy." I wanted to know what she was seeing.

The themes of the book resonated with me. The phrase "we're only as sick as our secrets" came to mind. The idea that souls are like houses that can become haunted if we allow negativity to take hold of us.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a truly shocking and relentless paranormal thriller with discussion-worthy themes. The exploration into family secrets and the intensity reminded me of Hereditary (2018). I pictured the monster as being similar to the bug-eyed face from the Momo challenge or the entity from the Smile films.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman 🚪Hands down the creepiest book I’ve read! Creepy kids, slightly open closets, paranormal being, seances????

This was told in the POV of an 8 year old little girl & it absolutely worked for me. The first 40ish percent was so so scary, I had to put the book down before I scared myself too much. It amazes me how a book can still give you that jump scare feel.

I read this while we stayed at a 200 year old hotel in Ireland & my soul left my body a few times

Slight slight issue with how it ended, I wanted more closure BUT it was still so eerie & unsettling.

If you’ve ever watched the movie ‘Mama’ this gave those same vibes

I definitely recommend if you want to truly get scared, you like unique POVs, you like short chapters, jump scares, and you thought there were monsters in your closet as a kid

I'm only going to comment here because my score is purely on my tastes and not what I think others could get out of the book. A lot of people like a slow burn but unfortunately I don't have the attention span for it. It took me too long to read it because I prefer a go go go intense horror that keeps you on your toes. I do see why so many did enjoy it though, it was very original and emotional. I will be checking out more from this author though because this one may have been a miss for me but I loved Birdbox.

This novel left my heart beating. I really enjoyed the story and the fact that it moved at such a fast pace that I was left breathless at the end. Malerman doesn't always hit the mark for me, however, this novel really brought him screaming right back into the top of my authors I love list. Highly recommend

This is the story of a haunted family composed of two emotionally immature parents and the daughter they inappropriately lean upon for support—and the entity Other Mommy who lives in Bela’s closet and who has started expanding her ghastly reach past the closet door. There’s a cast of characters from outside the home as well, the absolute best of whom is Grandma Ruth.

The metaphors are strong with this one. So is the cringe, but only because it’s so believably awful. While I didn’t find this one quite so terrifying as others have—rather terrifyingly sad—this story definitely held me in its grip, and I wanted nothing more than a resolution for Bela. I’m still a little unsure about the ending, but I also can’t imagine it any other way.

Full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6224328134

<b>[TW/CW: Language, cheating, drinking, drug use, alcoholism, toxic parent relationships, anxiety]</b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
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 same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must 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 on the brink of unraveling. But Other Mommy needs an answer.
<b>Release Date:</b> June 25th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Horror
<b>Pages:</b> 371
<b>Rating:</b>⭐ ⭐ ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Cover
2. Some parts were so creepy
3. Writing was int3

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Asking if she is asleep 1,000 times
2. Repetitive over and over
3. So bored
4. Hated the narration from a child's pov

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<b><i><small>{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}</small></i></b>

I kept wondering how does Bella even get any sleep. Her parents are always coming into her room and talking to her while she's trying to sleep and not even just saying a few words, but carrying on full-blown conversations. Asking her over and over if she's awake.

<b><u>All my notes on this book somehow got lost so you get the shorter version. </u></b>

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
It just felt like so much when she was after Bela over and over page after page that it just came off boring and repeative.

I dnfed 311 pages into the book. I was just too bored. I felt like I was twirling in circles and the book never progressed based the same stuff that was mentioned over and over.

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<b><small>Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. Incidents Around the House is a pretty fun popcorn horror book. I don’t think it’s anything super unique or noteworthy but it was a very quick and enjoyable read.

The writing is super simplistic since the story is told from a child’s POV. Still, I believe the author was successful in creating a creepy entity and a constant sense of unease. I also liked Bella and I liked following the events from her perspective. Her innocence and her unawareness of the true danger she’s in definitely adds to the overall tension.

Pacing was the biggest issue for me.

3 starts.

TL;DR: really wanted to like it, but this is probably the nail in the Malerman coffin for me. I don't expect I'll be reading another horror novel by the author after slogging through this. I've never been happier for a demon to succeed.

This book.. I have no words.
Not only were the demon/ghost parts scary- there were some seems that gave me actual goosebumps.
The entire rest of the book was as well. Just not in a supernatural way. It gave us a glimpse into the lives of troubled adults through the eyes and ears of a child. There was one particular character I wanted to physically slap, but at the same time I found myself saying, “awe man, poor thing”. “We listen and we don’t judge”. This was my first Josh Malerman book and after the show this book put on, it won’t be my last.

I couldn't get past the formatting in this book. It just was not going to happen. I tried but I couldn't do it. Interesting premise and good reviews from the community, but if you're particular about the format in your books, look elsewhere.