I enjoyed this one, but it did miss the mark a little for me. I was hoping to be more creeped out that I was, but I feel like this one never really found it's footing. It is definitely unique being written from the POV of an 8 year old and is a super bingeable read, but the characters and the plot just never fully sunk it's teeth into me. I wanted more tension and build up and feel like things moved a bit too fast, but then once we got about half way, things seemed to drag. Overall enjoyable, but likely won't stick with me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of "Incidents Around the House" by Josh Malerman.
Reading a book written from a little kid's perspective was a novel concept for me and definitely enhanced the creepiness factor.
The first 60% of the book are fresh, dynamic, and engaging, thanks to its unique writing style. It feels like the book is being propped up to be a horror movie script, with its short and precise scenes and choppy dialogs. The scene is masterfully set, and the descriptions of the entity are vivid and bone-chilling. I could not wait to see how the book ended.
I am sorry to say that the last third of the book fell apart for me, and the ending did not live up to the expectations. I was left somewhat confused and disappointed.
That being said, it is definitely a good base for an engaging horror thriller, and I would be curious to see a movie based on this book.

THIS WAS SO SCARY! I loved every minute of this and truly was scared to get out of bed to go pee at one point. If I wasn't so scared I would have stayed up all night to finish it in one sitting lol.

I enjoyed this book! Fast-paced, creepy premise, great monster. The second act didn't quite hit, but the ending more than made up for it. I can see this becoming a movie really easily!

"Who is good and who is bad? What is right and what is wrong? You ever think, Bela, how people say that light shows what things really look like, but they also say that light and dark are equal and need each other and you can’t have one without the other and so . . . is it so crazy to say that maybe what we see in the dark is the truth too?"

This is a really creepy novel told from the perspective of a child named Bela. Bela like a lot of children has an imaginary friend. But hers lives in the closet, and tells Bella she's her other Mommy. Other Mommy is constantly asking Bela to let her into her heart, to reincarnate her and bring her to life. And then Other Mommy starts appearing outside the closet, haunting Bela wherever she goes.

This was entertaining and scary..thank you Random House Ballantine for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Incidents Around the House” by Josh Malerman is a pretty unique horror book. It’s told from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl named Bela, which takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do, it really pulls you in. Bela's voice feels authentic, and you get drawn into her world and the creepy stuff happening around her.

The plot centers on Bela and her encounters with 'Other Mommy,' a sinister entity that comes out of her closet and wants to "go inside her heart." Things get more intense and scary as 'Other Mommy' starts affecting Bela’s family. The tension builds up well, and there are definitely some moments that will freak you out. I wouldn’t recommend reading this before bed unless you enjoy nightmares.

Bela’s relationship with her family, especially with her dad, who she calls Daddo, is heartwarming, though the constant use of 'Daddo' can get a bit annoying. The story gets pretty intense when 'Other Mommy' shows up at a party her parents are having, and everything starts going downhill from there. Malerman does a great job of making you feel the fear and anxiety of the characters.

One thing I liked is that Bela's parents actually believe her about 'Other Mommy' and try to help, even if they don't always get it right. The book also touches on some family drama, which adds another layer to the story. However, sometimes Bela seems a bit too understanding for her age, and the way her parents talk about adult stuff in front of her feels off.

Overall, this book is a quick, creepy read that’s perfect for spooky season. It’s different from your usual horror story, and that makes it stand out. I'd give it 3.75 stars for being such a unique and unsettling read. If you’re looking for something to give you chills, this is worth picking up.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Josh Malerman for allowing me to read your book.

Thank you to Random House for the advanced readers copy!

To me, this book was written to be made into a movie. It was so vivid, even though it was told from the point of view of an eight year old. I was so hooked, I cannot remember the last time I finished a book so fast! I did not want to put it down. And the way Other Mommy was described... I'm gonna need someone to do some fan art of her because I definitely need a visual! Really great scary story, and it's one that will age well too.

Incidents Around the House is a horror story told through the perspective of eight year old Bela. Bela has been having visits from a strange entity that seems to live in the closet, known only as 'Other Mommy.' Bela tries to keep Other Mommy hidden from her parents but the longer the entity goes without getting what it wants, the more the activity increases, and soon Other Mommy is no longer confined to Bela's room, or Bela's eyes. Now, Bela and her parents are faced with the dangerous task of destroying Other Mommy before it ruins their family.

Though having a young child as the narrator for a story is not a new idea, and I do think it made sense for the story to be told this way, I think it ended up taking away more than it added for this one. I felt like I was kept at arms length and never fully pulled into the story. In addition, being in the simple working mind of Bela led to strange sounding dialogue and way too much repetition. Plot wise, it felt like a lot seemed to happen while simultaneously, nothing happened - because every plot point happened so quickly that we didn't get time to sit with each different scenario the family was faced with.

Despite this, something the book does get right is the horrific descriptions of 'Other Mommy' which lead to some terrifying imagery. The scare factor is high in terms of the number of scary scenes throughout, but again, the feeling of not being fully drawn in to the story made these scenes lack the feeling of terror I was looking for. The upside to reading from Bela's perspective means that this is an extremely quick read and very binge-able - this could definitely be completed in a day despite the length of it!

Overall, there was some things I enjoyed in this book but at the end, I was still left wanting *more* from the story, *more* from the scary scenes, and *more* from the ending itself.

As someone who loves horror, I have read a lot of different books in the horror genre. This is the first book that truly scared me. The atmosphere was tense and made me feel like there was something constantly sneaking up behind me. The writing done in the POV of the child main character was richly developed and felt like I was being told a story by her without being too infantilizing. The relationships were well built and each character was realistic and interesting. I also loved the nod to Malerman's novel Goblin and bringing us back to that world for a moment. The ending was not what I saw coming and made the entire lead up even scarier on reflection. This is one of my favorite horror books I have ever read and the only one to give me actual nightmares.

A chilling tale that will keep you up at night reading. Other Mother is sinister and you won’t soon forget her.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley exchange for my honest opinion.

I'd heard how scary this was, and my "fear threshold" has gotten pretty high in recent years, but this was absolutely terrifying. Brave stylistic choices paid off here, big time. Malerman's best yet.

I had to give myself time to process this scary, creepy awesome book.!

I had to sleep with the lights on and read this during the day. I had an imaginary friend as a little girl but nothing like this and thank goodness. I was truly creeped out reading Incidents around the house and if you like creepy, scary books this one is definitely for you.

Thank you Netgally, Josh Malerman and Del Ray for the ARC of Incidents Around the House.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced readers copy of this book. I like horror very much, I really was looking forward to reading this but man was I disappointed. It got great reviews so maybe it's just a book that wasn't for me. It felt very much like 'tell not show' writing and the end was overwraught and dramatic. I don't think I'll be reading anymore by Malerman.

Many thanks to @randomhouse @delreybooks #ballantine and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 6/25/24.

Well, on a good note, this was a super fast read. On a bad note, this book just wasn't  for me. This book has so many 5 star reviews, so I definitely recommend reading it if the blurb seems up your alley. It was creepy and scary in many parts, but many parts were repetitive, and I just got bored with the book, probably because the whole book is told through the view of an eight year old girl.

Eight year old Bela has her mommy and daddo, but she also has a secret "Other Mommy" that used to only hide in the closet, but now she goes all around. Other Mommy asks Bela every day if she can "go inside her heart," but Bela is scared, and she knows that Other Mommy is starting to get mad and restless.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

Eight year old Bela is a pretty typical kid, with a mostly typical family - her Mommy, Daddo, Grandma Ruth…and Other Mommy. Other Mommy is the entity that lives in Bela’s closet, who asks to “go inside” Bela’s heart every time she appears. As increasingly alarming incidents begin occurring, the family realizes that the longer Other Mommy is denied, the more danger they’re in. As things worsen, the only safety is in family but the Bela begins to see that her family isn’t exactly what she thought it was. Can the family pull together to cast Other Mommy out, or will she get the answer she’s been looking for?

I’ve read several of Josh Malerman’s books, including Bird Box, and find that the more of his work I read, the more I love it. I love when there are throwbacks and connections to his other works, and their centralized settings. That said, none of Malerman’s work that I’ve read has been as truly unsettling as this one. It took me three days to read Incidents, and that’s only because I refused to read it at night or when I was home alone. This book had me seeing things in a pile of laundry, had me jumping at every creak or noise. It’s hard to say too much without giving away important details, but a book narrated by an 8 year old is somehow so much more unsettling than one narrated by an adult. The story is intense right up until the very end and finishing it felt like running face first into a wall. I definitely recommend it if you like unconventional horror that keeps you guessing and makes you want to leave the lights on.

“Can I go inside your heart?”

Incidents Around the House is a novel told from 8-year old Bela’s perspective. I loved the choice of the story being told through her eyes, because her perspective provides an innocence and a vulnerability that contrasts with the elements of horror, violence, and family dysfunction that play throughout the story. What adds to the horrors is that as the reader, you know what you’d do the situations that arise, but you are stuck seeing an 8 year old battle with weighing her options of what is good and what is bad.

Now, Other Mommy. There were parts that involved Other Mommy that were truly the most chilling things I’ve read, and it made me regret reading this at night in bed. Just the image of someone sliding on their belly across the floor… no 😫 I loved how terrifying Other Mommy is. I felt like she served not only as an entity trying to possess Bela, but as a metaphor for the real world horrors trying to ruin her innocence.

This was a chilling, fast paced read that had me frozen at times as though Other Mommy herself just appeared to ask me that dreaded question. And though my answer for her is a hard no, my answer to you is yes, yes you should definitely read this!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

Incidents Around the House actually scared me and left me unsettled. It's a story of a haunting told from the perspective of a young child. I feel like that made it even scarier and creepier as we're seeing it through her innocent lense.

Other Mommy has been haunting Bela day and night asking to be let into her heart. Bela just wants her friendship but isn't sure whether she should agree to this request. She just wants her family to be happy and wonders if maybe this would fix things. Other Mommy starts ramping up the danger though as she's getting tired of continuing to ask the same question and get no answer in return. She's getting restless, stronger and bolder and she won't wait forever.

The ending was creepy, spooky and left me unsettled and I love that this book delivered that visceral terror.

Thank you to Josh Malerman, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this as an E-ARC.

This starts out as a run of the mill "child sees a ghost" horror story. While the plot of the story follows the same constructs as most stories of this nature, the way it was written by the child's perspective, and the pace at which the story unfolds is well done and entertaining. There were several parts of this story that had me hiding my head under the covers. It truly gave me the creeps. The good creeps. The kind of creeps that you want when reading horror. I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a typical horror story that does extremely well at being its own. Written by a true professional.

Malerman definitely captures the creepy vibe here, but honestly I could not read an entire horror story written from an 8 year old's perspective/voice... I found the beginning fabulous and eerie and all the things I've come to expect from Malerman. Unfortunately, after a while the language/voice just wore me down and I couldn't keep going. I think interspersing the child voice with a third person narrator would have helped A LOT. It's also possible that this is one where an audio format - or a movie, frankly - would work better than a traditional book. I struggled mightily with the short, choppy, simplistic sentence structure and the repetitive nature of the writing that resulted. Even in a relatively short book, it was too much to keep me engaged. But if you can get past that, there's a seriously creepy tale here... When I first realized what "carnations" meant, I had goosebumps that wouldn't go away for a full five minutes!

And the award for scariest book I have ever read goes to...
@joshmalerman's Incidents Around The House. That's who the award goes to. I was fortunate enough to receive an e-arc of this one (thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse). It comes out June 25, 2024, so get your preorders in now because you will not want to miss this.
This book blew me away. It's short and extremely tight
- no dilly-dallying or unnecessary fluff. The scares are frequent and intense. How does one create jump-scares in a book? Ask Malerman and read Incidents Around The House.
Seriously, there are multiple sequences that made me jump and even more that had me downright shivering and my goosebumps rising. Other Mommy might be one of the most terrifying entities l've experienced in any media... books, movies, shows, you name it, Other Mommy is probably the scariest and they're going to stick with me for a loooooong time.
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The atmosphere was eerie and creepy as hell. The stylistic choices were INSPIRED. Incidents Around The House felt so cinematic at times I legitimately felt I could HEAR it. Having this all be from the POV of a child: brilliant. And that only added to the atmosphere and the scares. It's that innocence of a child - those incomprehensible moments, those creepy and terrifying moments, watching adults react to this situation — all from a child's eye... extremely unnerving and immeasurably effective.
Incidents Around The House is straight-up scary.
Malerman absolutely crushed it and I cannot wait for more of you to read this — mainly to yell at more people about it and to post quotes/specifics. I'm giving this one an EASY 5/5. One of the best of 2024 for me.