This horror novel really got to me. There's one scene in particular that I don't think I'll forget any time soon, especially not when I'm making my way from room to room after everyone else in the family is asleep. It's told entirely from the point of view of a little girl who has been refusing to let her imaginary friend, Other Mommy, into her heart. Bela doesn't understand what the woman who slips out of her closet at night wants from her, but she knows that it would be a bad idea to say yes. Watching her parents through Bela's eyes as they begin to realize that there's a presence sharing their house with them is a wonderfully creepy experience.

Bela is a little girl who lives with her mommy and daddo in what seems to be a very haunted house. A furry woman whom she named "other mommy" lives in her closet and plays with her whole her parents are working. Other mommy slowly starts to slink her way into Bela and her familys lives until she has everyone so scared. Things start getting very creepy around page 70! I really enjoyed this creepy story. It puts thongs into perspective the way a child may think in a way we don't normally realize. I will be recommending this one to everyone!!

I've long been a fan of Josh Malerman's work, but INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE surprised and moved me in ways I wasn't expecting. It's easily one of the scariest books I've read in a long time -- I know a horror novel is working on me when I start talking back to it as I read it -- but it also locates, with a lot of tenderness and intelligence, the moment when kids and parents alike realize just how big and uncontrollable the world is. There are things too big to understand and there are things too wild to manage that the courage of facing them isn't enough. I loved this book, and I can't wait to force it on everyone I know as soon as it's published.

Josh Malerman delivers a darker, twisted Poltergeist for a new generation. It takes a lot to rattle me and this one had me turning lights on. Terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure. What starts as an another “child sees a ghost” story steadily spirals out of control into a heart pounding nightmare that explodes into a finish that will have your jaw on the floor. Destined to be a modern horror classic. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

3.5 stars rounded up!
INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is Josh Malerman's forthcoming novel and I can confirm that it is both chilling and engrossing. The story follows a family that is haunted by an entity called "Other Mommy," and this haunting becomes the catalyst for painful secrets to rise to the surface.
What I really enjoyed about this read was the point-of-view. It is told from the child's perspective and it is also unconventional in the manner that it relays dialogue and thoughts. Once you adjust to the style of the story, it is one that you burn through pretty quickly.
There are creepy scenes scattered throughout--and as a reader, you are just as desperate to find a resolution. Because our understanding is shaped through the eyes of a child, we are also grappling to understand what it is that is exactly going on. What is "Other Mommy?"
The ending feels like a scene right out of a PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movie. It will work for some readers and might leave others a little frustrated.
I think on the whole, this is a frightening little tale. It was missing some other ingredient that could have made this one a standout. Perhaps more tangible terror, or a scene that is both irrevocable and damaging. I recommend picking this one up if you like hauntings, haunted houses, possessions, etc. It is a well-executed, although imperfect novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a rollercoaster of a read! The tension was palpable - it was just the right mix of spooky with real, palpable fear. The crux of the story reminded me of the film ‘The Babadook’ - taking a familiar emotion/reality of everyday life and juxtaposing it against the innocence & confusion of a small child. In doing this, it arguably ratchets up the tension by using a relatable reality to underscore the scare device. To me, that makes what is on its face a haunted house story even more unsettling.

My thanks to Random House & Del Rey for this advance readers copy, via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this horror book! I’m not someone who gets easily scared or creeped out by many things, but the mix of the main character being a child and a demon in the closet has me creeped out when I’m in the dark by myself. It’s fast paced, jumpy, and creepy without going over the top, and one of the scenes was giving The Shining vibes. Thanks so much #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before it is published!

With a bibliography as varied and strong as Josh Malerman’s, it’s impossible to be surprised when he puts out a fantastic book. His debut, BIRD BOX, put him on the map right out the gate, PEARL was an insane ride, GOBLIN was great, DAPHNE was damn near perfect; enter INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE. Without doubt, INCIDENTS is at least tied with DAPHNE, if not Malerman’s best book yet.

I knew going in I was going to enjoy this book based on how much I’ve enjoyed pretty mhch all of the precious books by Malerman, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with it the way I did and end up finishing it the same day I started. What Malerman does here is so technically smart - from the way his dialogue flows to the branches the story takes - that it left me constantly turning the page. Chapters being short and punchy contributed to the momentum, and the story really only taking time to breathe when it absolutely made sense to kept things flowing perfectly. There’s rarely a wasted scene or word through the whole story.

I’m someone who likes approaching stories as blind as possible, so I try to keep my reviews as light on detail as possible, which I’m sure will reflect through here. What I really want to call attention to is how exceptional the character work is on this story, and how defined the separate arcs all are while they rotate and overlap with each other. It’s hard to fully articulate without spoilers but Malerman threads the needle on scenarios so finely that I honestly felt like elements of my life were on the page, even when I’d much rather they weren’t.

There are two scenes that need called out too, but I can’t speak to them for fear of spoilers, so I’ll simply say: bathroom and finale. Chefs kiss, perfect horror. No notes; Stunning work.

Make no mistake, INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is going to be in every “best of 2024” list you see come December, and will stand strong in what is an already unbelievable bibliography that Malerman has going.

Whatever is next, I cannot wait to read. This is phenomenal work, legitimately spooky, and simply a great story. Easiest 5 stars ever.

Thanks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, obtained through NetGalley.

I received this ARC for my honest review.

I really liked this book. I was able to read it in just two days. I liked the fact that it was told from the prospective of the child, I think that was really unique and different from what you normally see.
Other Mother is so creepy 😳 and that one bathroom scene had me 😱
I highly recommend this book.
I also feel like this book had a lot of real moments where the characters were very raw with their emotions.

After reading the first page, I knew I’d be in for a fun ride. The creepiness starts immediately! I found this to be a quick, easy read. Really enjoyed this one! This is my first book by this author and it certainly will not be my last!

I absolutely loved this book. One of the creepiest, nightmare inducing books I've read in a long time, and that's saying something since horror is my favorite genre. My wife was making a strange "snoring" noise in her sleep, and I flew out of bed. This book definitely got into my head.

One of the scariest books I’ve read in a very long time. Malerman had me second guessing what I saw in the shadows while going upstairs at night. Some of these scenes will stick with me for a long time. “Incidents Around the House” follows Bela, and 8-year-old who lives with her Mommy and Daddo, and “Other Mommy,” an entity that lives in her closet. The book begins with a punch and the horror begins almost right away, and the tension continues to build and build until your own hair is standing on end. In a world where horror endings can really be a let down, I thought Malerman did a good job wrapping it up. Excellent work and a must read for horror fans.

Wow. Bird Box is always my benchmark for the last horror book that fully creeped me out, that made me hesitant to read it at night. I didn't have that experience here - I wasn't SCARED. But unsettled? Yes. Creeped out? Yes. Desperately yelling at these characters to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? Yes. But I have to say, I almost stopped reading b/c of the horrible formatting that I don't really understand. But I pushed through and am glad I did, b/c it definitely, in the end, lent itself to the whole unsettling vibe and the confusion of being a kid in this situation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballentine/Del Rey for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is told from the perspective of an 8 year of Bela. She is being haunted by Other Mommy in here closet and so the chaos begins when her imaginary friend becomes a monster to her and her family.

The family goes on a journey to eradicate this evil force that has come into there lives and along the way learn some tough adult lessons that may or may not be understood by an 8 year old.

The style of the story was told in a very interesting way. It was written in a way that was fast paced but felt more like a script and I think it would present better as a movie or tv. At times it was hard to connect to the story because we were in the mind of an 8 year old that didn’t understand what was happening around her. That being said I believed this was an 8 year old the entire time for better or for worse.

I will say there are some really creepy scenes. I did fall asleep and woke up to a nightmare because of this book, which never happens to me. I only wish there was more of that. I was expecting possession and more supernatural elements in this book that did not happen. I always want more horror!

I found the ending to be confusing and I was left slightly unsatisfied because of that. I didnt feel tricked by other mommy but she sure did freak the hell out of me!

While I enjoyed the story, for the most part, there was a lot of repetition. The ending fell flat, and parts were just plain confusing. I did enjoy the story being told from the child's perspective. It added to the creep factor.

From the start Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman had me creeped out. As a child with an over active imagination, I always thought there was a monster under my bed or waiting in the closet to sneak up on me while I was asleep. Bela, our 8 year old narrator has exactly that with Other Mommy.

At first Other Mommy appears to Bela as a friend, but gets more harmful as the story progresses. As I said I loved the premise and it does take some adjusting to the novel being narrated by an 8 year old. At times, the story does get a little repetitive which bogs down the narrative and the ending was a little bit of a let down.

Beyond those couple of issues of mine, Malerman's novel is pretty solid and creepy with some WTH moments. Passages of long monologs reveal so much of the inner thoughts of his characters. I said, I found Icedents Around the House to be utterly creepy and a high recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I look the alligator in the eye. I wonder what he sees. At night. In here. Do things come out of the closets at no gut in the reptile house? Things that climb over the glass and crouch next to him? Things he thinks are friends but then he isn't so sure? Maybe the alligator doesn't know the answer to the questions he's asked at night either."

OMG! This is my favorite horror book since 'Pen Pal.'

Chilling, eerie, spooky, haunting! This ACTUALLY scared me! This is told from a little girl's perspective, and it's done well. Every character is well developed, with the little girl's mind and age. This story dips and sways in the chaos of being haunted. Other Mommy is utterly terrifying. This story had so many levels. This is a compulsive read, once you start you'll be to captivated, intrigued, invested, to put it down.

OH MY GOD THIS IS ALREADY A CONTENDER FOR MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR!

I was invested.
I was scared.
I was creeped out. Full body chills multiple times.
It affected me in such a way I was paranoid of jump scares in the DAYLIGHT on my outdoor walks.

It moved me on multiple levels.

The POV and style of storytelling was so impactful in the themes of this book.

WOW WOW WOW!
THIS BOOK!!!

I really don't know why I don't read more Josh Malerman books. His concepts and writing are so haunting and unsettling in the very best way. I was very pleased to receive this e-ARC since I previously read and loved The House at the Bottom of the Lake.

Readers who are tired of the usual haunted house story will really appreciate this one. This story is told from the perspective of Bela, a young girl who is being visited by an (entity?) she calls "Other Mommy." The writing style and formatting of this book is incredibly unique. As other reviewers are saying, this one is hard to put down. This is a compulsive read that will have you glued to the page until you reach the ending and finally come up for air.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for proving a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off by saying this is the scariest book I’ve read in a long time. Not since Malerman’s Pearl have I been this scared while reading a book, but it was also heartbreaking. He masterfully wrote this entire book in the young child Bela’s POV. This made me even more invested, because she just wanted Other Mommy to go away but this was just the beginning of her undoing. Every page filled me with such dread, and the jump scares! Ugh!! Behind all of the scares though lies a beautifully crafted story of a broken family. Josh never fails to pull me into the lives of his characters and make me root for their success, and this book was no exception! I will be shouting about this one all year to anyone who will listen!