This is probably the creepiest horror book I've read in a long time. Mallerman is at the top of his game with this one. One of the elements that struck me most deeply about this book are the unnamed, undefinable thing haunting the family, and it's relationship to the daughter. This problem becomes more than just the daughter's unsettling imaginary friend; in the interest of avoiding spoilers I hesitate to say anything more.
This has a similar feel to the films It Follows and The Boogeyman, and the creep factor and uneasiness keeps going through to the end.

Wildly eerie and terrifying. The voice of a child always makes horror books go to the next level.
This is good. A bit long winded, but still pretty good and recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I rated this 4.75 stars, rounded up to 5.

Bela is a young girl who has an imaginary friend she calls "Other Mommy," but is she really a friend? She definitely isn't imaginary...

Bela's story starts in the thick of it all. Other Mommy has already been a menace harassing Bela, trying to convince her to let her into Bela's heart. Shortly afterwards, Other Mommy appears to the adults in Bela's life; from here, they flounder around, trying to find help and figure out how to get rid of this entity.

As someone who isn't easily scared, I found this book actually terrifying. There wasn't any backstory or closure to what Other Mommy really was, and why she was so fixated on Bela, which kept her mysterious and made her a lot more horrifying. A lot of the fears I had as a child were 100% revisted with Bela's haunting, particularly that scene in the bathroom at Grandma Ruth's friend's house.

It was interesting reading this from Bela's perspective; the way her thoughts bounced around were actually childlike, and it was more effective making the story feel more terrifying. I also liked her perspective of her parents, and how she would hear and interpret their conversations. I didn't care the parents in general, especially the mother. The way they reacted was only human, but it frustrated me for Bela's sake.

This felt like I was watching a movie and I couldn't look away. I was hooked from the start to the finish, and what a ride this was! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this one.

From the first page I was immediately hooked! And thankfully, I stayed that way!!!

This book is so creepy in such a classic way and I just loved it. I read 60% of it in one sitting and I would’ve continued but I was getting scared and I needed to go to bed. Closets are gonna be scary for a moment. I swallowed up the last bit in an hour or so.

I’m happy to say it’s a five star read for me after a handful of mediocre threes.

Highly recommend if you love horror where the bumps and creaks in the night just might kill you. Thank you to NetGalley, Josh Malerman and Del Rey Books. I’ve written this voluntarily.

This is a deeply disturbing and unsettling novel with a first person narrator in 8 year old Bela. Bela has been keeping a terrible secret, Other Mommy, with her stretchy body and a face that moves all over her head, has been living in her closet. And every time Other Mommy comes out of the closet, she quietly asks Bela, “Can I go inside your heart?”

Bela always says no, but Other Mommy is getting bold. Other Mommy begins ahowing herself to Mommy and Daddo and others.

An achingly beautiful horror story, written from a child’s perspective, about families and loneliness, lies and betrayal, love and trust, anxiety and denial. Bela is sensitive yet perceptive and though, on many levels she does not understand her parents, she sees and hears more than they do.

Malerman is a wonderful writer and creates a claustrophobic tale of terror and tension.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Josh Malerman for providing me with an ARC copy of Josh’s new novel.

I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was definitely very creepy. I read it in a 36 hour period because I wanted to see what was going to happen to the family being affected by the evil entity.

Things that I really liked in the novel:
-The character development and the fact that they were consistent throughout.
-The vivid description of the entity and the way it appeared differently was really creepy. Especially, the whole eyes situation.
-The ending really worked for me. I was curious how the story would be wrapped up and I really liked the choices the author made.

Things that weren’t so great:
-initially, the format really bothered me but once I just got into the story, I was able to get beyond that.
-While the characters are speaking with the little girl, they are using words that are way over the head of any child that age. That dialogue should really be “dumbed down” so that it’s age appropriate.
-I can’t imagine any parent sitting next to a supposedly sleeping child and talking about the things that these parents discussed. I appreciate the information from the monologues but they really should be from a different source like a journal or letters to someone else or even internal dialogue.

I will definitely recommend this book to fellow horror enthusiasts. I thought it was well paced and kept my interest throughout. I’ve read other novels by this author and, once again, he’s done a great job.

This was so deeply disturbing. I was actually scared and that’s really hard to do with a book. Super dark, super engaging, super good. I hated everyone except Bela and I really felt her sense of not being heard. Of being a fixture in the background of her parents lives. Loved this.

I loved this book! It was atmospheric and thought provoking. The parents were such unlikable characters. It reminded me a lot of Coraline but with grown up themes

💫📚 ARC Book Review 📚💫

Title: Incidents Around The House
Author: Josh Malernan @joshmalerman
Pages: 218 (e book)
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Horror
Pub date: June 25, 2024 📚

Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest review

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! Every little creak or sound would creep me out! It doesn't help that I mostly read this at night!

I think what was more scary was reading this from the little girls perspective. I could feel her fear and it reminded me of when I was scared of monsters or things in my own home.

I got chills reading this at certain scenes! The writing was great, and the story was interesting! I needed to know what "Other Mommy" wanted! It was driving me crazy.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I will forever be traumatized by other mommy asking, "Can I come into your heart?" Uhmmn nooo!! Get away from me you creeper was always my thoughts and what I would say everytime 😂 but for real that is super creepy man. 😳

I highly recommend if you like:

💫 Paranormal
💫 Horror
💫 Suspense
💫 Thriller

Be sure to check this out when it comes out! 😊

This was such a compulsively readable horror book! I flew through this in a day and just could not wait to find out what was happening. Filled with creepy moments, I really loved learning about this family and the aspect of the Other Mommy. Told from the point of view of a child as she is telling us about what is happening with the Other Mommy and her family. I do think that some people will be turned off by the POV character, as it does feel like authentic but I found I liked this perspective.

While I did life the creepy moments, I did wish for more especially at the beginning. There could have been a bit more of a build up with all of horror elements for me. I was hooked by this, wanting to know how and why this Other Mommy was interested in Bela. I can't say that I loved where the story went overall but it was just such a fun read that I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I’m going to have to start checking my closets and under my bed before I go to sleep…

A short book, but it packs a punch. I finished in one sitting. This book gave me the chills and Malerman sets up really effective scares - I felt like a little kid again.

The story is told from the POV of a lonely, young girl Bela who encounters an entity she calls “Other Mommy”. The structure of the novel is almost like a stage play as we the readers observe the drama unfold for both Bela and her family.

For fans of the Insidious franchise, Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, and Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts.

“Can I go into your heart?”
I think this is a story that will stay with me for a while.

⭐️4.5 stars⭐️

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

***A big time thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book!***
Incidents Around The House is the story of a young girl named Bela. On what seems like a nightly basis, Bela is visited by at first what seems to be an imaginary friend that she refers to as “Other Mommy.” Other Mommy slinks from Bela’s closet and pleads with Bela to “let her into her heart” and switch places with her. Bela knows that she should say no to this, but her Mommy and Daddo seem to be having a lot of relationship issues that Other Mommy says that she can make better…

What a truly discomforting tale this was! This is the second book of Josh Malerman’s that I have read, the first being Birdbox. What makes this book truly unique is that it is mainly told from Bela’s perspective, and Malerman does a great job putting you in the headspace of a little girl who is being terrorized by a creature/ghost that she initially thought was her friend. The tension and creepiness slowly builds higher and higher and had me tearing through this book to see what happens next.

My only gripes with the book is that all of that tension doesn’t always pay off like you’d want it to and the ending leaves us with more questions than answers. I still highly recommend this book and know that “Other Mommy” will be sticking with me for a long time.

Josh Malerman's Incidents Around the House

Let's delve into this, shall we? I have been a big fan of Josh Malerman since I initially watched the now-famous Bird Box on Netflix. Since I'm an avid reader I wanted to read the book after watching the movie and so began my journey into Malerman's world, delving deeper into Goblin and Samhattan. I've since read A House at the Bottom of a Lake (absolutely loved it), Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas (loved most of the stories), Daphne (OMG what a wild ride there), and Spin a Black Yarn. While I love short stories, novellas, and full-feature novels, I must say I tend to enjoy the short story collections more because I can feel satisfied at finishing each story in a short amount of time, whereas novels take me longer, what with my work schedule and personal life rudely interfering with my introverted (some may say antisocial/loner/hermitage) life. But I digress, onto my review.

I was given an ARC of Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman from NetGalley because I've reviewed every Josh Malerman book, I've read so needless to say I was excited to get my hands on this book and visit Malerman's world once again. We get to meet a very innocent eight-year-old girl named Bela who lives with her Mommy and Daddo and her Grandma Ruth, who visits often and we immediately find out that Bela also has another family member, Other Mommy. Other Mommy is not seen or heard by any of Bela's family or friends, only Bela has the pleasure of talking to her and seeing her. Other Mommy is her friend, you might say she is Bela's bestest friend ever, but she is always asking Bela a question that makes Bela feel anxious and scared: "Can I go into your heart?" What does that mean? Bela thinks she knows because she's heard Daddo and some of his friends talk about carnation, but she isn't really sure what carnation means. Other Mommy is getting really tired of asking Bela if she can go into her heart so little by little, she begins making herself known, she is getting stronger, bolder, and demanding that Bela answer her question.

Incidents Around the House is a slow-burn adventure following Bela around in her daily life with Mommy, Daddo, and Other Mommy as well as all of the additional characters involved as the story progresses. I did have a hard time keeping myself tuned into the story so while the total page count is only a mere 256 pages, I often found myself stopping for weeks at a time to listen to my audiobooks and read other shorter stories, but I always found myself coming back to Bela to find out if she ever answered Other Mommy's question. I will say, you won't regret reading this one, but I suggest trying to read it in a shorter period to get the biggest bang at the end of that slow-burn fuse.

The characters were well thought out and meshed together well, including the true-to-life family issues such as lying, loving, and cheating, but their world revolves around Bela and they refuse to let anything bad happen to her. I would have liked to see more engagement with Grandma Ruth and Lois, but overall, the story is well-rounded and a delight to read. I did figure out the end before I was halfway through the book but I'm pretty good at guessing that 50/50 ending.

So go ahead and grab a cup of coffee, get comfy in that overstuffed and threadbare chair, and soak up the story, or shall we say haunting, of Bela and her parents, you won't regret it.

My favorite quotes:
"…if you ask enough times for a favor, people 'eventually say yes'."
"…you can only 'tempt' someone for so long before they give in."
"…sometimes it's nice to just vent. Sometimes when you complain, it's not because you want to be told how to fix it. You just wanna say it sucks. Because sometimes it just sucks."
"…sometimes I wonder if you're supposed to marry someone with a similar floor plan."

I received an advance review copy for free courtesy of NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 ⭐️'s. I received this ARC months ago, and I am mad at myself for letting it sit unread on my Kindle for so long. Incidents Around the House is phenomenal. It touches on so many heavy themes told through the lens of a child. It would make an excellent book club read. There is so much to discuss and interpret - especially the ending!

What I loved 💕📚
Malerman's writing is eerie and unsettling from cover to cover. Most horror books take a little while to build up the terror, but this gets your heart racing immediately. I also enjoyed the weird format. It took a second to adjust to the writing style, but once I did, it made the story more engaging and addictive.

What I could have done without 🚫📚
Some daunting monologues are sprinkled throughout the fast-paced plot. Thankfully, these scenes were few and far between, but they shifted the book from a creepy thrill ride to a patronizing lecture. To be fair, the context was usually a parent attempting a life lesson speech to their young daughter, but once you learn about the mom and dad, you'll see they are the last people on the planet to be offering any advice 😬. The weird rants are the only reason I shorted the book half a star, and it is because those moments pulled me out of an otherwise captivating story.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Incidents Around the House. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it!

Huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Netgalley, and of course Josh Malerman for this ARC.

I loved this book. I found myself lost in the imagery and I had to put it down quite a bit cause I got scared at multiple points in this book.

Eight year old Bela has a complicated relationship with an entity found living in her closet. She refers to her as 'Other Mommy', which is terrifying and complex on so many levels. Her Mom and Dad (Mommy and Daddo) have their own complications to sort through, and Grandma Ruth is never too far behind to help wade the rough waters.

Here are the things I loved:
-Bela, for one. We are getting this story from her POV, which I am down with an eight year old narrating a story. It gives an unreliable, questioning voice that sends you in your own whirlwind.
-The relationships. I love complications, so that led the way. But I love Grandma Ruth and her interactions through the book. I felt the the timing of her stories and advice was really well thought out.
-The imagery. Josh Malerman makes me feel like I am sitting front row of a horror movie of my life playing out right in front of me. Though this book is worlds different from BirdBox, I had that same feeling, only this one hit me a little harder in the spooky center of my brain.

Here is the ONE thing I didn't love:
This happens super early on in the book so I don't consider this to be an actual spoiler, HOWEVER, my only fear with sharing my thought here is that it might make someone else dislike this for no reason other than the fact that it was pointed it out. That being said.. I have blocked it out incase you want to skip over.
Parts of this story are told from the Mom and Dad's POV, in the way that they are putting Bela to sleep for the night, and they start talking to themselves, which gives Bela more of a clue of her parents life, outside of her eight year old perspective. So, I get it, with this being told from her perspective, however, I have trouble imagining myself doing that - talking about grown up stuff out loud in front of my eight year old. Whereas what was being said was important to story, I am just not sure how I feel about the way the information was given.

Overall, I am so happy I had a chance to read this ARC. I am looking forward to June 25th, so that Josh Malerman can give you some of the same nightmares he has just given me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication! My review will appear on my blog on 5/29/24. I will also feature the review on Instagram that same day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable, and retail sites.

Review:

I looooove a good haunting/ghost story, especially when they color outside the lines. I've read so many of these types of novels that I can be hard to impress, but that was not the case with Josh Malerman's "Incidents Around the House." In this book, readers are taken on a chilling journey through the lens of eight-year-old Bela, whose new friend, "Other Mommy," is not at all the safe imaginary friend the adults in her life think she might be. From the very first page, Malerman's creative storytelling immediately pulls you into the dark and twisted world of Bela's sweet on the surface but dysfunctional at the core family, and it's not long before the lines between reality and nightmare begin to blur.

As with most children, Bela's family is everything to her. On the surface, everything seems great for the most part, even though Mommy and "Daddo" occasionally disagree, and sometimes Mommy comes home smelling like other people. Bela is very observant, and though her parent's behavior sometimes confuses her, she relishes the fun times when they're all together as a family, laughing, cuddling, and playing games.

When "Other Mommy" opens Bela's closet door one night and says "Hello," it frightens Bela, but the more Other Mommy comes around, the more Bela begins to warm up to her. But then Other Mommy asks Bela a haunting question: "Can I go inside your heart?" This question sets the tone for the rest of the novel, and as the incidents around the house escalate, Bela realizes that saying no to Other Mommy may come at a terrible cost. Malerman expertly weaves a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, wondering whether Other Mommy can be stopped and, if not, who will ultimately pay the price for Bela's decision.

One of the most striking aspects of this novel is Malerman's ability to capture the innocence and vulnerability of a child while simultaneously exploring themes of family, love, and sacrifice. Typically, when we read novels about hauntings or possessions, we see them through an adult lens. There was something very unsettling reading about it through the innocent perspective of a child. Bela is at the age where she is bordering on the wonder of early childhood and that time when we start to become a little more perceptive and notice subtle differences - especially in the way adults behave. She's starting to pick up on things that don't seem right between her parents and trying to reconcile that with how she used to see the world. When Other Mommy first appears, it's scary, but Other Mommy seems friendly enough and offers Bela a sense of comfort. Still, Bela feels that something isn't quite right, but she can't fully comprehend the horror about to unfold within her home.

Malerman's creative approach keeps the plot engaging. The palpable tension and suspense create a sense of unease that lingers long after the final chapter. Several scenes had my skin crawling (hello toilet scene!), but about 2/3 of the way into the novel, it all started to feel repetitive and stalled out a bit. I felt like I'd already experienced several scenes and craved some forward movement. I was also a little annoyed with the author's stylistic choices (no quotation marks and no paragraph breaks when the adults would speak for extended lengths of time.) I realize he was trying to frame it like a kid might frame a story, but it didn't quite land for me. Still, it wasn't enough to completely ruin my overall enjoyment.

This is a chilling, unforgettable novel that will leave your mind spinning. I'll be thinking about it for a while. If you're a fan of unconventional horror narratives that push boundaries, this book needs to be on your radar. Leave a light on while reading and prepare to be terrified and ultimately moved by this tale of a family that is haunted in more ways than one.

I have not read a book this terrifying in a long time. I was literally afraid to read it at night - when I typically read! There is something about the simplicity of the writing that inspires pure fear. The book is told from the child’s perspective and you learn and understand things as she would. The author gives just enough snippets from the parents to drive a more clear description of the haunting. It is utterly terrifying!! I think the less you know about the premise of the book, the better. This book is 5 stars all the way. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Very creepy and had me pulled in and unable to stop reading! Loved every second of this read - from the family dynamics and how they mirrored the horrors they faced, very well done

The book follows Bela, a young girl who used to have a friend called Other Mommy. Other Mommy would come to her at night, talk to her, make faces, and make her laugh. Other Mommy didn’t have a face like other people have faces either, oh no, hers was wrong, looked almost upside down. Her body was grotesquely large, and she doesn’t walk like a normal person, she’d slide around the floor, or hang from the closet. In other words—Other Mommy was fucking terrifying.

As time went on, Other Mommy got more and more daring with testing her and Bela’s friendship. She’d creep out more often, and asked Bela one question over and over again—Would Bela please let her into her heart? Bela gets more and more confused about her feelings towards Other Mommy, especially since Other Mommy can look and sound like other people, and doesn’t know what she should do.

Jesus. I’m creeped out just writing this review. Malerman has outdone himself with this novel, making a psychological horror that slowly drags you down into madness, not sure who or what to trust by the end. It reminded me of Coraline, where the other mom kept wanting to sew button eyes onto Coraline—but if Coraline was written for children, Malerman’s novel is written for only the strongest-willed. Might have to sleep with the lights on tonight (but it’s totally worth it).

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Prepare to be utterly enthralled as you dive into this heart-pounding narrative that grips you from the very first page and refuses to let go. Experience the tension and suspense as you navigate the world through the eyes of a child, a perspective that adds a unique and captivating layer to the story. With every turn of the page, you'll find yourself holding your breath, fully immersed in the gripping tale spun by an author whose talent shines brightly. Just as with their previous work, prepare to be deeply moved and utterly spellbound by the raw emotion and spine-tingling fear that permeates every chapter. This is a reading experience that will leave you feeling exhilarated, seen, and utterly enthralled.