This will absolutely be in my top 3 for the year. I had such a great time with this one.

I savored this book, which was difficult because I wanted to binge it. But, I needed it to last as long as possible. I wanted to submerge myself in these scared feelings for as long as I could because when I talk about my particular favorite kind of horror, this is it! Give me haunted house or demonic possession anytime… but this both was and wasn’t either of those! There is so much more to this story.

First of all, what a unique perspective to have this be solely from the perspective of an eight year old girl. There are things her mind doesn’t fully understand, creating a contradiction within her. She is terrified of this “Other Mommy” because it is objectively scary, but she doesn’t truly get the full grasp of WHAT is so terrifying about it… so she is seeing the reactions of the adults around her, the people she is supposed to know and trust to care for her. I found it fascinating.

Bela is seeing “Other Mommy” in her closet. She had a question for Bela, one that could be very serious! It’s when “Other Mommy” starts venturing out of the confines of Bela’s closet and her bedroom that Bela becomes truly scared of her.

This was just such a freaking awesome book. I loved the innocent point of view in Bela and the visual horror in this was epic! I was having full on out loud reactions to some of these scenes. I had to close the book and look over my should multiple times.

I highly recommend this! Read this book!

Bela's closet has a friend, that friend known as other mommy just wants to come inside Bela's heart. Other mommy wants to switch places with the eight year old girl. When Bela continues to say no, other mommy becomes angry. Strange things start happening within the house. Things even Mommy, Daddo, and others can see. Other Mommy won't stop until she gets what she wants.

This was told by eight year old Bela, so the conversations were slightly different. Bela is being haunted and chased, others are terrified when they see it too. Incidents Around the House will leave you feeling slightly creeper out at the very least. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Genuinely scared the **** out of me!

I can't wait for everyone to read about OTHER MOMMY!! She's absolutely terrifying.

This MUST be turned into a movie!!

This book thoroughly unsettled me and will be a crowd pleaser for readers who love dark, haunting horror told in a truly unique way.

Incidents Around The House is a chilling account of a haunting seen thru the eyes of a child. This is a totally fresh spin on the haunting story unlike anything I've read before. It takes a familiar plot and makes it so much more menacing and disturbing thanks to watching events unfold thru a young child's perspective and with their limited understanding of events. It took me a few chapters to connect with the unusual narrative style, but once I found my rhythm with the storytelling, I was caught in the grip of this sinister tale. 

This book had me closing the closet door before going to bed and will linger in my thoughts for a while. The slowly building sense of uneasiness and dread as well as a sort of disconnect from the adults motives and actions, just as a child would experience, made this a gripping horror story that stands out in a sea of haunting tales. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/Del Rey for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

Let me flat out say that Josh Malerman’s latest book “Incidents Around the House” is a true paranormal horror novel. I don’t know what keeps Mr. Malerman up at night (maybe he sleeps soundly and he just comes up with these ideas - or maybe he connects odd things together and they work into stories), but this one was an interesting read. This story is told from the perspective of eight-year-old Bela which I found an interesting take. While I felt sympathy for Bela, her parents I didn’t really care for - though at least Daddo seemed to want to do something at times. I did like Grandma Ruth and Lois, as the provided some balance to Bela’s parents, but for the most part the adults were there and floundering a lot (though when a paranormal thing happens, you realize that “the boys” from Supernatural aren’t that easy to reach …). While having this story from Bela’s perspective was interesting, there was a large chuck in the middle that felt repeated and both of Bela’s parents did these long monologues (mainly Bela’s mom) that, well, droned on and I started skimming through them - and I’m not sure I missed much of the story. The ending, I felt, wasn’t solid, but it was satisfying for me. Mr. Malerman writes in metaphor, which sometimes is easy to understand and at other times vague … so that’s sometime to note, I feel, as the ending may not be to everyone’s taste. Was this my favorite book by Mr. Malerman? No, but it was a solid one that I’d recommend to those who have liked his other books. 3.5 stars overall, rounded up to 4.

Without question, my favorite Malerman book yet.
This one was beyond creepy.
Loved how the POV was from someone at their most vulnerable, a child. Brings back so many “ There’s something in my closet” memories.

Thought it was very unique in the way it was written. told in the view point of a young girl, living with Mommy and Daddo, the viewpoint does create a very spooky atmosphere at times. Bela finds herself being visited by "other mommy" in this haunting tale. Overall four stars, really felt like i was watching a horror movie and it kept my attention throughout the book. had a real sense of dread and you just never knew where it was going next or what was about to happen. Bravo Josh on a great one.

thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for early review.

I love horror movies and books. This book gave me chills in a way a really good horror movie would. I feel I can see it as it plays. It is very well written and fast paced! I will definitely recommend it to my fellow horror book lovers!

I could not put this book down, even though I desperately wanted to because I was scared out of my mind. I loved all of the characters, even selfish Ursula. I especially loved the conversations Russ had with Bela—they were so poignant and special. While I didn’t love the ending—I wanted it a bit happier-I loved the structure, pacing, and mood of this novel. My heart is still racing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

Josh Malerman’s INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is a parent’s nightmare down-spiral, one that’s difficult to shake off. It felt like it was written during a feverish meditation, with Malerman’s both inner child and grown-up philosopher on full display at the same time. From the moment I started it, I couldn’t put it down, especially as the previews for The First Omen played in the darkened theater and my buttered popcorn fingertips stained the iPad screen. I had to finish it as the last preview played, and even when the movie began, all I could do was think about what I’d just been hit with. Highly recommend this straightforward, compelling tale—Malerman’s best work yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray / Random House for sending this ARC. All opinions of this book are my own.

💀Can I come into your heart?💀

So I’m sure you’ve seen the insane amount of positive reviews for this one so far…. And I have to agree with them!

This book was absolutely horrifying. It’s told from the perspective of Bela, and innocent young kid. She’s been seeing “Other Mommy” for awhile now. She lurks in the closet, always asking Bela if she can come into her heart.

But Other Mommy is becoming more insistent. She’s starting to follow Bela everywhere. Even during the day.

This book is a blend of psychological horror and domestic horror. Not only do we focus on the horrors of the other mother haunting Bela under the guise of “friendship,” but we also see Bela witnessing her parents arguing and growing more distant.

I found the perspective being told through a young kid made this story even scarier. The innocent lens she puts on things made the scary scenes stick with me.

And let’s talk about the other mother for a moment. 👏🏻 What a horrifying monster. The descriptions of “her” had me glancing over my shoulder and shutting my doors. Absolutely terrifying. Perfect nightmare fuel.

Just be aware going into this that because it’s told through Bela’s perspective, the formatting is a bit different. There are no quotations for characters talking and the dialogue may seem a little off—but this is all done on purpose to put the reader in a childlike mindset.

I’m giving this one a solid 5 stars!

Special thanks to @netgalley @joshmalerman and @randomhouse for the advanced readers copy!

I love Josh Malerman's books, especially The Bird Box, Goblin, Daphne and A House at the Bottom of a Lake. This book was a bit different since its told from a child's point of view. It was a bit trying to get used to the child Bela's speech not using quotes. She lives with her parents and The Other Mommy, a frightening creature that comes out at night. Other Mommy has a scary request from Bela. At first you may think this is an imaginary friend but when other adults see the creature, they are extremely frightened of her. This isn't one of my favorite's of Malerman but it was definitely a creepy story.
'

Good GOD this might be my favorite Malerman story (it’s hard to beat Pearl but it just might).

Told from 8 y/o Bela’s POV, Malerman does a mostly fantastic job of capturing a realistic story told from a child’s perspective while maintaining a cohesive plot and timeline that makes sense. There are a few times that I definitely had to readjust my suspension of disbelief, and almost every time had to do with adult characters giving monologues to this central child. Bela, learn to walk away sometimes, your family likes to hear themselves talk.

I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every minute of this book, and found myself having to keep my lights on at night. The descriptions of Other Mommy really got under my skin, and I don’t scare easily with monsters. The combination of simulated childhood fear + the environment of mounting tension was *chefs kiss*

I don’t want to give too much away, but the overall themes leading to the ending were very heavy and crafted masterfully. You start the book thinking the villain is very obvious, and end it with the unsettling question of what you just read and how to process it.

I can see audiences getting put off by the lack of quotations, but I sincerely hope those people stick it out. This is a gem of a horror book that left me disturbed.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman is a creepy and spooky tale, told from the point of view of the young daughter in the family. I enjoyed this spin on the pov. I will recommend this title to patrons at my library.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing House-Ballantine/Del Ray Books as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #DelRayBooks #IncidentsAroundtheHouse #JoshMalerman

Title: Incidents Around the House
Author: Josh Malerman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/ Del Ray Books
Publication Date: June 25, 2024

This is one creepy book. Malerman has painstakingly crafted a story that is creepy and emotional and he has done it in such a way that keeps the reader guessing until the last page. Bela’s story crawled out of my closet and under my skin where it remains still. Bela is an eight year old girl who lives with her Mom and her Daddo. She also lives with a sinister entity called the “Other Mother”. She wants to trade places with Bela. Why would she want that? All Bela knows is that the Other Mother used to stay in her closet but now she won’t even stay in her house. She’s getting stronger and bolder because she needs to know if she can go into Bela’s heart.

Just writing the synopsis gives me a delightful case of the shivers. Mr. Malerman’s sheer skill as a writer put me through a slow and excruciating experience with every creak and murmur whether on the page or in my house. As “Other Mother” crawled around the pages, terrorizing Bela and her family, I found myself enthralled and creeped out. I’m not easy to scare at all. I think this is the closest a book has ever come to haunting me after I turn the last page. Well done, Josh!

Bela is a unique child and Malerman’s writing gives her a voice that reflects this. Her innocence plus her old soul make for an effective and sympathetic protagonist.

All in all, this novel was effective and compelling. I don’t have the words to explain how much I loved it. This is easily the best novel by this author that I’ve read and that’s saying a lot! Don’t read this at night!

There are not many stories told from the POV of a child and it's something that I believe, from time to time, really does work. Especially when it comes to horror. You're seeing a monster through a child's eyes and they're not understanding of what's going on or why everyone is acting the way they are. For the first half of this book, I think it really works. You're following Bela, reading her thoughts, understanding why she feels the way she feels. The second half of this book is where the story kind of lost me. We're being drug around, going from place to place, putting other people in harm's way, and then landing on a beach with a strange woman and being told something horrible by probably one of the worst mothers. That leads us to the ending, which I thought was very anti-climactic. So much is happening - possibly we will get answers - then, it just ends. I was left wanting more of an explanation than anything. Why was this happening to Bela and her family? Is the monster real or a metaphor? If it is a meant to be a metaphor, why are other people seeing it?
Maybe I just like having the feeling of closure, and I know sometimes not having closure works as well. For this story, I felt like more detail should have been given even if we are reading from an 8-year old's POV and all the detail wouldn't be there from her eyes. Like I said, the first half of this book was very good, the creep factor was there. You got the eerie vibes and the monster in the closet feel. The second half just felt rushed into a head on collision of an ending.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Randon House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Josh dialed the creep factor up as far as it can go. What would you do if you were a kid and a creepy woman who comes out of your closet kept asking to “go into your heart”? Would you say yes?

Josh Malerman never fails to serve his readers unique stories, which is why I get really excited with each book he cranks out.

Incidents Around the House is no exception. I love the idea of a child POV. You don't see that too often. This one was a bit of a mixed bag, though. I thought the child came off a bit redundant on phrases, and while that makes sense (it's a kid!) It didn't translate that well. The creep factor was certainly there, though I was hoping for more of an ending. Regaurdless, I love Josh's books, and I think this will be a big hit for the horror community!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this opportunity!

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman is one of the freakiest books I have ever read in my life. I found myself forgetting to breathe as I read it and often realized I was literally crying because it freaked me out so badly. I will give a very, very brief summary. It is written from the POV of a child about a thing in her closet that's been paying her visits. It wants to be "let inside" her heart. Soon, she begins seeing it in other parts of the home. And then, it is not confined to the walls of the family's house...and eventually...other people can see it too. It's a book
that reminded me what it was like to be a child, and honestly, I felt being a child was very difficult. The overwhelming thing I recall from ages 3-10 is 100% “what the fuck is even happening right now?” And never knowing what’s next or, worse, what’s expected of me. And that’s freaky. I felt that way every second of my little life, and that made for a nervous, anxious childhood. To be fair, that’s how I feel as an adult, but now I’ve had nearly 50 years of experience acclimating to it. Reading this child's story took me back to that unsettling place of vast uncertainty; sitting with the echoing reverberations of that anxiety through the lens of a monster/haunted house/demon story/possession story, rendered those feelings doubly alarming. I didn't actually parse in the end what was happening/what had happened, and that's fine. That's perfect, actually. I feel like those alarming feelings of WTFery as a story is amping up are so infrequently sustained throughout the course of a book and all the way through the end-- and Malerman has executed it masterfully. Isn't it funny, though, how those things we fear so dreadfully, eventually become those fascinations that delight us? As a child, I hated never knowing exactly what was going on, and yet, as an adult, that's the hallmark of some of the most excellent stories for me.

I won’t lie: I literally wept from fear while reading this book! There was something about the innocence of Bela’s perspective coupled with the rising tension in the novel that made the danger feel so close and immediate. I was reading it while rocking my baby in the nursery, and I felt like Other Mommy was looking over my shoulder! I could totally envision a movie in the style of Hardcore Henry, where the entire movie is viewed through Bela’s eyes directly.