Terrifying! This book was fantastically creepy. The way it was told through the eyes of the young child protagonist reminded me of Room, as the child narrators are unaware of how horrifying their experiences are to adults, and I thought it really worked for this story as well. My immediate reaction to the ending was disappointment, but I have now been thinking about it for the last 24 hours, and trying to fit all my theories and questions into some kind of cohesive picture is just what happened--so I'd say it was a successful ending even if I didn't necessarily love it. Highly recommended to horror fans!

This book was a good read. It definitely gave me a bit of Coraline vibes with "The Other Mommy" aspect, but it is a story that will stay in my head for a long time after reading it. I've read Malerman's Goblin and enjoyed his writing style and intricate details in stories and that made me interested in reading this story. This book will be good for people who are thriller fans and like to be spooked out.

There were parts of this story that gave me goosebumps. I was reading at night and sometimes had to put it down because I just couldn't take the feelings of dread. There are scenes that are truly terrifying. Reading from the child's POV didn't bother me as much as I expected it to, in fact, I thought it was really the best way to tell this story. However, the parts where the parents were ranting and venting while she was "asleep" simply so that we, as readers, could get more details didn't really work for me. It pulled me out of the story because it just didn't feel very realistic to me. I also thought that the running around frantically from house to house seemed a little ridiculous (but so were the adults) and repetitive. The ending really pissed me off but it made sense. This one was all about the experience for me. The horror/paranormal aspects were done so extremely well I thought I'd have nightmares. This would make a fantastic movie. I felt this one, chilling to the bone. 4.5 rounded up.

Read if you like:
👻 paranormal/haunting
⏩ fast-paced
💤 not being able to sleep at night

Bela is a young girl who begins talking to “Other Mommy” who lives in her closet. Other Mommy begins to terrorize the family, which is extremely frightening. This book is perfect for October reading as it is very creepy.

Bela loves her mom and daddo, but she is starting to dislike Other Mommy. Other Mommy lives in Bela’s closet but is gradually able to move more freely about the house nowadays. As the Other Mommy gains strength she starts to scare eight-year-old Bela. Gone are the nights where Bela and Other Mommy would play and have fun. Now Bela’s nights are filled with the strange sounds and disturbing faces that Other Mommy gives her. But Bela is starting to realize that maybe the Other Mommy isn’t the friend she used to be when the Other Mommy continuously asks to “let me into your heart” and something called reincarnation. Bela can only tell Other Mommy “no” so many times before she will ultimately give in.
Overall rating 3/5
Is it a haunted house? Is it a possessed child? Is it a demon? NO it is a horrible explanation that made absolutely no sense to me. Why do this to the reader? The eerie and gothic style of the book was fantastic and reeled me in right away. With a constant sense of fight or flight this book had me holding my breath. I was so excited and creeped out but was let down by the so-called reasoning behind the incidents. However, the ending was pure gold and I loved the abrupt cliff hanger. I wished we would have gotten more time in the closet “world” and more of a revelation into what the other mommy truly was. If you like Stephen King’s style of writing then this book is a definite read for you.
*Thank you to Josh Malerman, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I’ve read several Malerman books, but this one may be my favorite – and that’s saying something considering the horrifying novels he’s written.

A malevolent entity Bela calls Other Mommy lives in her bedroom closet. At first, she seems like a friend to the little girl. But lately she’s started venturing outside the confines of Bela’s room and asks if she can go inside Bela’s heart.

When Bela’s family learns about Other Mommy, they’re terrified and search for help and ways to protect her. As a parent, I easily understood their fear, frustration, and desperation after their efforts failed. Mommy and Daddo’s relationship is fractured, and I wanted to throttle Mommy for her actions. No spoilers here, so the less said about the plot the better, but there are several sections where my eyes widened in horror. If you’re reading in bed, make sure to check your closet – maybe even double or triple check – before settling in with this book.

This story is written in a unique way. Most of it is told from eight year old Bela’s perspective, and quotation marks around the dialogue are nonexistent. It feels authentic and adds to the overall feeling of dread in my opinion. I also enjoyed the mention of the town of Goblin, another Malerman book.

If you’re a horror fan, you’ll want to get your paws on this one. Recommended for believers of nothing that hides in the closet can be good, readers who get a thrill out of reluctantly looking over their shoulder, and fans of well-crafted, downright scary stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An absolutely fabulous new work by favorite Josh Malerman. I will legit read anything he writes! Highly recommend and will purchase for all library locations.

I received a free digital copy of “ Incidents Around the House” via Net Galley. My thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley.
This is a book of which I can honestly say , When you sit down to read you realize that you will not want to put the book aside. In a few pages of reading, I was drawn into the narrative flow that was extremely creepy and disconcertingly real. A little girl, Bella, who is about six years old has a new friend in her closet who when asked her name says, “ I’m your New Mommy”. New Mommy wants to be very close to Bella. So close that she wants to be part of Bella. Very much a part of.
The story is told in a conversations and dialogue. There is not much exposition or description ( world building to use the current phrase) , but there doesn’t need to be because the narrative is compelling. Bella’s parents unbelief becomes fear for their daughter’s safety and their own, as who - or what ever is attacking Bella grows in strength, forcing them to flee their house . The story moves rapidly to ever more heightened tension and inevitably to a finale that left me at first satisfied and then very uneasy. “ What did I just read.?” , I thought. A damn good horror story written by a master . Josh Malerman give the reader more than meets the eye is a short, gripping tension laden book. Highly recommended ( maybe not for.bedtime reading though.)

Easy five stars. No bad language , no sexual images.

Unfortunately I can’t say this book is for me. I started reading the ebook and couldn’t get into the children’s talk so I put it down to come back to later. I then was able to listen on audio and I did get a little more into the book. I did enjoy the creepiness of the book but I really struggled with relating to the characters and seeing it from their POV. Overall I think I would enjoy the authors work from a different plot or POV but I can’t say I really enjoyed this book. I do have horror friends who loved it though! So I know it’s just my personal preference.

This is great, it just isn't for me. Has this author ever been around a child? Has he ever been a child? Adults do not usually talk to kids this way. It felt inauthentic, maybe like AI wrote it. I am not sure. It just didn't feel real or relatable to me.

I don’t get scared often when it comes to reading horror books. This one absolutely terrified me. There was so much dread in this one and it was such a dark read. My favorite part had to be the pov of the child. It was a little slow at times and the ending had me in for a loop. I rated it 3.75/5 because of that!

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. woah this was spooky and borderline terrifying. the author's decision of having the viewpoint from a child was the part that really made it excellent, you don't know if a child is a reliable narrator or not. however, it is kind of twisted for a child to have to know whats going on at all.

I literally read this in 24 hours! I really enjoyed the writing and I thought the fact that it was in a child's point-of-view was unique and genius. I think Bela deserved so much better than what she was dealt. I felt like her parents weren't great and I just wanted to shake both of them. I really enjoyed the concept of this read and will be picking up more from this author!

This one scared me. Creeped me out and not sure if it’s because I have little ones or what but absolutely don’t read it at night. I swear I heard my floor creek and my soul almost left my body.

I definitely recommend reading this now or spooky season, it will leave you feeling some type of way. And that ending, ugh! Reminded me of the movie Paranormal Activity.📚

Incidents Around the House is a CHILLING paranormal horror, and it had me hiding underneath the covers! I don't recommend reading this at night, or if you're alone a cabin in the woods. Or if you have small children... With imaginary friends.

This book left me questioning EVERYTHING.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc in return for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 25 June 2024

Thank you Netgalley and Del Ray for this ARC copy of Josh Malermans’, Incidents Around The House. The story being told in the point of view of a child made this more of an “uneasy/on edge” feeling throughout the read. I enjoyed the story throughout, however wanting more with the ending. This is my first read from this author, and I am looking forward to reading more of his work!

Not sure how I feel about the ending but was very creepy and a good start to the season where I’m drawn to these types of books.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite Malerman novel since Bird Box. This book excels in creating a deeply creepy and atmospheric experience that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Malerman’s storytelling shines through with its use of imaginary friends, a concept that adds an extra layer of eeriness. For me, imaginary friends have always held a certain unsettling quality, and Malerman harnesses that perfectly to amplify the tension throughout the novel. The slow build-up is particularly effective, gradually ramping up the creepiness and drawing readers into its haunting world.

Malerman excels in crafting well-written characters, and the portrayal of Bela is especially impressive. Accurately depicting children in fiction can be challenging, but Malerman manages to do so with nuance and authenticity, adding depth to the narrative.

Creepy 😭 this is why I won’t ever have kids, too many creepy things happen 😂 I really enjoyed this book and it sufficiently creeped me out. It kinda reminded me of the Grudge, and tbh that movie scared me when it first came out lol. Josh Malerman is becoming a great horror writer and I’m glad more people are being introduced to his writing. If you’re into horror movies, hauntings or being creeped out, give this book a shot! You won’t be disappointed!

The creepy goodness I've come to expect from Josh Malerman! Always happy to see new stories from him. Can't read this after dark!