Some parts of this were genuinely chilling but it just did not cohere for me. The beginning is so slow and repetitive, mostly because it’s from the POV of a child and therefore doesn’t have much depth or detail. Even when the adults start talking more and it starts being more interesting, there’s just so much meaningless dialogue and it all goes on for a bit too long. I feel like I was waiting for the end to really blow me away and then it fell kind of flat. The premise could have been so interesting and I was definitely on board with what it was doing, it just didn’t come together at all in the end.

This was one fantastically dark novel. I'm a big Malerman fan and this did not disappoint. The story of a family haunted by a possibly malevolent spirit who takes the form of "Other Mommy" to young daughter Bela, constantly asking if she can "go into her heart". At first Bela isn't believed, but soon Mommy and Daddo come to realize there is trouble in the home. This is a slow burn that leads to a hard-hitting finale which stays with you well after the final page is read. Malerman at his finest. Very highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic! I actually had issues falling asleep one night all thanks to Other Mommy. I loved the way this was written too - from the viewpoint of Bela as a kid.

Character - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 9
CAWPILE = 3.86

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Let's start by saying that I read this in a day. I absolutely could not put it down. Incidents Around the House is the first book of Malerman's that I've read. A young girl, living at home with her parents, has a friend that lives in her closet that she calls, "Other Mommy". Other Mommy used to be fun, but now all she wants is for Bela to allow her into her heart. She's started acting scary, and her eyes are sometimes on the bottom of her face. Bela and her parents have to find a way to get rid of Other Mommy before someone gets hurt.

The descriptions of Other Mommy were terrifying. I read a lot of horror and don't usually get creeped out, but this one got to me. I highly recommend this one!

INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME!

Josh Malerman is an incredible author. He has frightened me with a murderous telepathic pig named Pearl and a mysterious & vengeful spirit named Daphne. In Incidents Around the House, Malerman created a brand new terrifying figure, The Other Mommy. Our main character, Bela, in this novel, is a young girl who starts to see this creature in her closet. Slowly but surely it gets closer and closer to her until it begins to start asking Bela questions, questions that could mean immediate peril for her. When the Other Mommy starts getting dangerous, this novel takes off at a breakneck pace and it scared me to death.

Incidents Around the House made me afraid to be alone in my house. I was reading this book before bed, for a couple of nights and I was so frightened, that I had to sleep with a lamp on. The scenes in this novel are unlike any other and the writing style will pull you in so deeply that you will feel PART of the terror that is affecting this family. It truly is a harrowing experience. (A testament to the writing powerhouse that is Malerman).

The terror of this novel is also aligned with the themes of this novel. Family dynamics, dark secrets, and perseverance through evil trials abound in this novel and I think the messages are pretty clear. I think it just paired so well and made this story even more touching (and haunting). Trust and believe that this novel is the latest and one of my new favorites by Josh Malerman! Check it out!

Thanks to Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for sending this digital ARC of 'Incidents Around the House' by Josh Malerman.

I was delighted to find as I made my way through 'Incidents Around the House' that we're back in the general vicinity of Josh Malerman's portentous Goblin universe for this novel. Malerman writes some of the most unsettling horror I've ever read than this one is no exception.

From the very outset we're flung into the bizarre experiences of little Bela (and we hear them from her point of view throughout) who lives with her quarreling mother and father. Bela sees, speaks and plays with 'Other Mommy' and - as is rote in most of these fictional scenarios - nobody believes her, even her very well-meaning clearly progressive Daddo. One of the things that makes this novel somewhat different, though, is that other people do begin to see Other Mommy and the action centers around how to get rid of this seemingly malevolent entity who wants to move inside Bela's heart.

I would say that there's nothing overly original in the novel - we've seen the trope of the young child and the evil presence, we've seen the bickering parents, the caring grandparents, the 'Ring'-like bizarre 'female' character emerging from unexpected places - but it's Malerman's skill in creating that completely sideways and unsettling universe and the quality of the writing that lifts it out of the 'usual suspects' category into something far, far better.

Can I go inside your heart?

"If there is one thing I could convey to you, one thing that would take root in you just like the need to eat and sleep, it would be this: try to stay kind as long as you can. For all your life. Always be mindful of what others are enduring. And whatever you do, most of all, don't allow someone else's meanness, someone else's cruelty to get inside of you."

Ohhh, Josh Malerman... you did it again! 😭 This was terrifying and haunting but still finds a way to be beautiful and devastating all at the same time. There were scenes that will definitely haunt my nightmares from here on out and passages that will stick with me, always. So, so, so GOOD!

This book was really difficult to finish. Started strong - imaginary friend trying to overtake your life. Good blend of spooky, creepy vibe. Then just went on way too long. Ending was solid which made up for it and moved it to a solid three stars. Usually love mallerman so was kind of disappointed however can definitely see this re written and turned into a show. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Incidents Around the House.

I think a better title would have been Other Mommy but that's just me.

This author is one of those I have conflicting feelings for; on the one hand I like his novel premises, but on the other hand, his narratives leave something to be desired.

It's not easy to write from the perspective of an eight year old and the author doesn't stick the landing here.

I wasn't a fan of the style and format of the narrative; no punctuation or dialogue marks, but it made for quick reading.

Bela is being haunted by an entity called Other Mommy. At first, Bela is charmed by this visitor, enjoying her company but soon the presence takes on a sinister quality and she realizes Other Mommy has other intentions.

It's up to her parents and grandmother to figure out how to fight back and prevent Other Mommy from 'going inside Bela's heart" but will they figure out how to do it in time?

Who doesn't love the typical horror trope of a house haunting? I love it!

Sure, the narrative got repetitive as the family bounces from house to house, trying to avoid Other Mommy, but soon they catch on that the entity is attached to Bela. Whoops!

There's some tension as the family tries to evade Other Mommy, the stress of keeping ahead of something that's always there, but other than that, nothing else happens.

Not once was I scared. I was creeped out at times, but not scared.

Then that ending...which I expected. You don't really expect a happy ending with a premise like this right?

I was hoping for something scary, something like possession or background as to where Other Mommy came from.

It was also hard to believe all this was being narrated by Bela. She doesn't sound 8; at times she sounds even younger.

Spooky eerie and downright terrifying, Incidents Around the House is further proof that this author can do no wrong!

Expertly written with PERFECT pacing, the book will leave you reeling in the best way!

This is a really scary book in parts and telling it from a perspective of an 8yr old could have backfired but the author makes it work. Not recommended if you are easily scared though

I don't know any other way to say this-- but this book is the scariest book I've read in a long time.

It's not 'just another ghost story'. The protagonist and POV is a small child, which adds a level of vulnerability-- and she doesn't have the adult behavior of second guessing herself.

Plus, the ghost herself-- Other Mommy-- has some of the most terrifying descriptions and actions. In my brain, I would picture her looking like the Japanese statue/internet meme "momo."

Josh Malerman has done it again and produced a hit book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I rarely leave reviews for horror books like this anymore, so please take my advice-- and read this when it's released in June!!

I saw rave reviews for this book and was excited to read it, but it really didn’t do much for me. It wasn’t the story being told from a child’s perspective as much as the lack of punctuation and formatting that irritated me and ultimate use of metaphor that kept pushing so hard while ultimately falling flat at the end. Not a bad read, but certainly not what I was anticipating, either.

This is my third go with this author and as usual, I've been delightfully scared.
I wasn't sure that I liked the POV once I figured out this is the way the story would continue. Being told from the perspective of an 8 year old? But you know what? That really made it all the more terrifying. Thinking the same thoughts she is as she's being haunted/terrorized/harassed by this entity from her closet.
While "other mommy" had me thinking it similar to Coraline for awhile, this one got dark so much faster. I'm not even sure I can pick which was the scariest part out of all the interactions with "other mommy."

And I feel like that ending is just within my grasp of understanding.. like I get it but can't quite figure out how to put it into words. Somehow this was a masterfully crafted horror with touches of...something else. Again, I'm lost for the correct words.

The only thing I'd like to know more about is exactly when "other mommy" started showing itself to Bela. I really thought we might get an answer to that as things really came to a head but I don't feel it was made clear. I look forward to when this books reaches the world and people with the capacity to place intelligent thought behind their review may be able to put down into words how brilliant this book truly was.

Wow. I'm not really sure what to say about this book. At first I was annoyed by the way the narration was; I normally don't like reading a book without quotation marks, etc. But I did get used to it and once I did I literally read this book in under two hours. It was compelling for the most part but I do feel the ending was a bit of a letdown although not too unexpected. I will be thinking about this one for a while. Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this!

I've never actually finished a Josh Malerman book before, but this one I managed to read straight through in one sitting. The gimmicky-seeming premise of having a younger child narrate the entire thing weirdly worked, and it made the book speed through lightning-fast. As far as the plot, there was surprising emotional depth here, and I was on the edge of my metaphorical seat on more than one occasion. There were some small elements that weren't my favorite or didn't quite make sense in retrospect, but the momentum of the narrative really carries the reader through all of that fairly painlessly. And that ending...I could see it (or a version of it) coming, but it was still super effective.

Once I started Incidents Around the House, I could not put it down. This book was terrifying. I’ll surely be having nightmares. There are images from this book that are burned into my brain forever now. An A+ horror.

One of the finest and scariest horror books I’ve read in quite some time. Incidents Around the House follows Bela, an 8 year old girl who lives with her Mommy and Daddo…. along with Other Mommy that comes from her closet at night to persistently ask if she can go in Bela’s heart. Normally books written from the perspectives of children don’t work for me, but Malerman is clearly a master of his craft and made Bela feel real and believable.

The first half of this novel is a wild ride. I haven’t read a book this fast in a while! It reads quickly and the tension is kept at an all time high. The story began to drag towards the end, but still overall was a horrifying and chilling experience. HIGHLY recommend to horror fans. I’ll definitely be going back and reading through Malerman’s older novels.

I made my partner read the first page of this book and he immediately threw the ebook down and asked “who the *** is Other Mommy??” Who indeed.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

There’s something living in eight-year-old Bela’s closet. Sometimes it comes out and sits on the bed. Bela calls it “Other Mommy.” Every day, Other Mommy asks Bela the same question: “Can I go inside your heart?”

Josh Malerman, author of “Bird Box,” has written a brilliant, chilling horror novel. The scares do not come from violence or gore, but from imagery that will have you sleeping with the lights on. The story is told completely from Bela’s point of view, and the author did a remarkable job with making you believe that a child is telling you what is happening. Some of the scenes are on par with “The Shining” by Stephen King and “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub.

If you’re looking for the next best horror novel, this is it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!