Josh Malerman's Incidents Around the House is the best. Period. This book, which I eagerly devoured nearly in one sitting, is his best work yet. Malerman offers a fresh take on the genre, which I don’t think I can even define without spoilers.
The genius of Malerman's storytelling lies in his ability to craft a world that is both familiar and unsettlingly mysterious.
Incidents Around the House is a S-tier novel that deserves all the accolades it can get and I’m sure will get. It's a rare gem that redefines its genre, proving once again that Josh Malerman is a master of his craft. This book has left an indelible mark on me, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I haven’t felt this deeply connected to a book in recent memory.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this advanced copy for review!

2.5 stars

I saw some really great reviews about how terrifying this story was and they convinced me that this would give me the chills and scares I'm always looking for. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the case for me.

There were definitely things I liked about this book. The idea of the "Other Mommy" entity reminded me of Japanese horror and I had a specific image in my mind when we were first introduced to this character. I thought being able to visualize something scary would help me get into the spooky vibe. There was a scene involving the main character Bela with a friend on a playground that definitely gave me the creeps, so I would say that was done very well. I thought that same tone might show up later in the story, unfortunately that was not the case. I did enjoy the characters of Russ/Daddo and Grandma Ruth, and Evelyn was also fun.

Sadly, this one just didn't work for me overall. I think part of that is my fault as I'm not a huge fan of stories told from the POV of a very young child. Being in Bela's head for the entirety of the book meant that we were seeing everything from her perspective, and as a very young child, that meant no nuance, no grittiness, no deep thoughts or feelings. While we did get a glimpse into the experiences of the adults, it was all still filtered through the lense of Bela and I just wish we'd had more.

While this book didn't work for me, I can definitely see how it would work for other readers. The paranormal horror is definitely present, the ambiguity around what the entity actually is could be very appealing. There were two dogs and no animal cruelty, a huge bonus for me. If you like a story that builds slowly, creaking stairs, movement out of the corner of your eye, then this could be for you.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had the privilege of reading Josh Malerman’s latest novel, Incidents Around the House, earlier this year in February and was completely floored. Told from the perspective of a young girl who is being targeted by an entity she calls Other Mommy, this book will stay with you long after you’ve finished. The story is both claustrophobic and cinematic – bringing to mind such recent films as “Skinamarink” and “Cobweb.” I anticipate that this will be a big horror novel of 2024 and there will ultimately be a film adaptation.
I will admit the POV storytelling from a child was initially a struggle to push through, but there is genuine terror and horror in her voice. Being in a young person’s head certainly added to the creep factor as well. Incidents Around the House was a bit of a slow burn although I walked away thoroughly satisfied and spooked (the ending will certainly divide readers too).
A special thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced copy; Incidents Around the House will be published in June.

Incidents Around the House hooked me from the very first scene. It has Coraline x Insidious vibes, which I loved. The storytelling is smooth and quick to read. I found myself flying through pages and unable to set it down. The story is told through a child’s POV, which ups the creepy factor and makes the stakes seem even higher. The main character, Bela, is adorable. I absolutely loved her and wanted to protect her at all costs.

While the main character may be cute as a button, the story gets dark. There are several unsettling scenes that bring back that childhood fear of the monster that seems to hide in every child’s closet. In addition to literal monsters, this book also addresses the metaphorical monsters that live in our everyday lives—our sins, our secrets—and how, when kept locked away, they can consume us along with those around us.

Overall, I really loved this book. There was one part that I wasn’t as thrilled with, but the good parts definitely outweigh the bad ones. So, I guess the question is will this book go into my heart? The answer is yes. But will you let it into yours? That’s for you to decide! Release Date: June 25th, 2024.

Ratings:

Plot: 🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸 /5
Characters: 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️💁‍♀️💁‍♀️💁‍♀️ /5
Scare meter: 👹👹👹 /5
Overall: 🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪 /5

4⭐️

This book gets a full extra star because I honestly did feel pretty scared and stressed out for a lot of this book.

Overall, despite some minor issues, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had me feeling genuinely scared at times. The unique storytelling style, fast pacing, and interesting twist on the imaginary friend concept all worked together to create a captivating read.

Even though the resolution and approach to solving the main conflict left something to be desired, the overall experience was positive.

Josh Malerman Is a hit or miss author for me. This one was a hit. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this advanced reader Copt. My review is voluntarily my own.

"She used to just stand in the closet and stare at me. Then she came out. Then she started talking. Then she started asking."

Bela, 8 years old, innocent and vulnerable, lonely. Bela needed a friend, "Other Mommy has been my friend for as long as I can remember. She used to wait till night to come out of the closet...It seems like Other Mommy is always peeking night or day...She wants to go into my heart."

Imagine a young child trying to navigate her world with Daddo Russ and Mommy Ursula, who are often at odds, in a marriage seemingly fragmented. "I wish Mommy were home to fall even more in love with Daddo." In the guise of friendship, a malevolent being holds Bela's hand, laughs with her, and explains the give and take of friends while talking of "carnation". [Reincarnation in Bela's words]. Other Mommy has become impatient. Bela is confused and continues to waiver, unwilling to let Other Mommy go into her heart.

"Incidents Around the House" by Josh Malerman is a tale of horror described in first person narration by an eight year old. Surprisingly, it works quite well. At first, Bela's parents laugh when told about "Other Mommy". The creep factor escalates as Mommy Ursula, with flashlight in hand, casts a light in Bela's room and feels like she is being watched. Daddo's philosophy is, "If you ask enough times for a favor, people eventually say 'yes'." Should Bela say yes to Other Mommy?

The shadowy, beastly, dark creature had more than just Bela in her grasp in this tale of horror. Grandma Ruth, among others, are drawn into the nightmare as Other Mommy battles to capture Bela's innocence. A "scare the living daylights out of you" read.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Del Rey and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me a MONTH to read. I really, really was not feeling it for the first 14 or 15 chapters. But once I hit that point, I was invested in the story. Other Mommy’s ever-changing shape and orientation was extremely creepy and left me unsettled which I loved.

That being said, I think this book was a bit drawn out and anti-climactic. The scene involving going to Frank’s house was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the story as we already knew Other Mommy could follow them to other locations, and the reader was already led to believe that Russ had some sort of idea of Ursula’s infidelity. And the second they mentioned a secret, it was obvious what it was. The ending was a bit too abstract for me and left a lot to be desired. It felt abrupt after pages and pages and pages of running from Other Mommy.

Another thing I couldn’t get past were the rambling monologues every character seemed to have at least three of. Several times I begged aloud for these people to stop talking.

3 stars is the most I can give and it’s almost entirely because the descriptions of Other Mommy did actually give me the creeps.

I want to preface by saying that this is my first Josh Malerman novel. As an avid lover of horror, it feels a bit blasphemous, but I did it!!! Ok?? I’ve finally read one!
This is the story of Bela. She is a young girl living with her mommy, Daddo, and Other Mommy. Other Mommy comes from the closet, and at first, is Bela’s friend. They talk to one another, have staring contests,(oh my god) and laugh. But, Other Mommy quickly starts asking Bela to do something for her, something that Bela cannot give an answer to.
As Other Mommy becomes an even bigger force, she isn’t just showing herself to Bela. Other people witness the horror of Other Mommy which takes us on a journey (in Bela’s brain) of trying to get rid of her. A truly terrifying take on hauntings, demons, poltergeists, whatever SHE is.
The descriptions of Other Mommy seriously made me scared. While reading this at night in bed I found myself needing to go to the bathroom, but too nervous to leave the safety of my covers. Truly took me back to my childhood of thinking, “idk if I can outrun whatever might be hiding in the bathtub.” And for that, Josh Malerman gets an A+. But, by the middle of the novel, it felt a little repetitive. The notion of banishing Other Mommy kept going and going and going.
And the end…. I’ve had to reread it a few times because it seemed to happen so quickly. Like I said, this is all taking place in Bela’s mind, a very young and innocent girl. It’s different and makes it more spooky, but also made the ending really confusing for me. Definitely going to have to read some reviews when the book comes out that may answer some questions I have.
At the end of the day, this is a horror book with…. Heart. (Iykyk) It touches greatly on the innocence of children, what we should or should not expose them to, and how to handle tough situations with as much care as we can.
Scary, fun, reads like a movie. I’m just a LITTLE confused - and maybe that’s my own fault idk.
If I ever see Other Mommy, it’s on sight.
3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman follows Bela, an eight year old girl that has been seening a ghost that she refers to Other Mommy. In the past Other Mommy has only stayed in Bela's room, Lately Other Mommy has been following Bela around the house and has even ventured outside. Other Mommy is always asking Bela if she can have her heart. Bela wants to be friends with Other Mother, but she is scared of her. Now things are getting out of hand and her parents have seen Other Mommy. They don't know who to turn to help them out with getting rid of Other Mommy. This was a fast paced book that I couldn't put down and read in 2 days. This book is for anyone who loves a good ghost story. Read a like authors would be Riley Sager, Stepen Graham Jone, Grady Hendrix, Simone St. James, and Jennifer McMahon.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never read or watched Bird Box, and this was my first foray into Josh Malerman’s writing. And boy, was it one helluva foray.

The formatting of this book was *weird.* Let’s start with that. It took 2-4 chapters for me to get comfortable with the dialogue style, and even after growing used to it and even liking it, there were moments where I was confused as to whether a character was speaking. Part of this had to do with the punctuation errors. It wasn’t often, but here and there the dialogue punctuation would be completely wrong and it kind of threw me off whenever it happened! Incidents Around the House could do with another proofread before its publication date.

Beyond that, it was a decent read. I was absorbed enough to start and finish the book in a single day, taking a few minutes here and there throughout my shift to hide from management and finish a chapter. The writing style is simplistic and without much detail, which was perfect since it’s told from the POV of an eight-year-old. The lack of detail felt very much like listening to a child describe the events of their life without the vocabulary needed to flesh it all out. And the horror? Top notch. Excellent.

There were moments where the book truly dragged. The endless drudgery of car rides, motel rooms, and places to stay got boring fast. When things were happening, the book was great. When nothing else was going on…it was just kind of meh. For this reason alone, I’d rate this book 3.5/5.

If you liked Coraline, you’ll eat this one up.

HOLY SHIT. Just finished my book of the month, year, decade - Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman stopped me in my tracks over and over again. Genuinely feels like a future classic - everything works, all the way to the perfect ending.

It’s a stunning horror book, delivering the experience I’m always looking for when I start something new in this genre.

Loved the style, removing quote marks has such an impact on the pace and feel, everything flows together so eerily. The style definitely increased the fear factor. Really, really smart choice.

Loved the protagonist, the voice was so simple and so sad. And it’s scary! It gave me goosebumps several times! I was scared to put it down and scared to pick it up. For real, this thing is frightening.

Incidents Around The House has this sustained tension that’s unlike anything else I’ve read this year - it put me most in mind of Come Closer and The Shining, which is high praise indeed. Loved it, loved it, it’ll be at the top of my top 10 of 2024 for sure. Loved it!

Here’s the thing…I read a lot of horror, and I can appreciate a well-wrought scary book, but I rarely get scared. Josh Malerman has an impressive back catalog which I’m ashamed to say I’ve only begun to dip into. As usual, my excuse is, too many books, too little time. I called the first Malerman I read, Daphne, a new horror classic. It was heartfelt, with a great main character, and most of all damn scary, even to a jaded horror fan like me.

Now comes Malerman’s new one, Incidents Around the House, and let me tell you, this book is creepy as fuck.

Incidents Around the House takes the trope of the monster in the closet, and he twists it up into a razor-sharp dagger that digs into the base of your skull. For a young girl named Bela, that monster is an entity named Other Mommy, who with one simple, seductive question—”Can I go inside your heart?”—it turns Bela’s world upside down. And not just Bela’s, because Other Mommy is soon too restless, and too powerful, to stay in the closet. What follows is a breathless, deadly race for survival against a malevolent, insidious monster.

If that was all Incidents Around the House was, it would be enough—it would be a crackerjack horror novel. But Malerman has more in mind. The entire novel is told from Bela’s point of view, and the voice Malerman gives her—true to her age but insightful, terrified but impossibly brave, worried for her parents and grandma but with enough love in her heart to want to protect them at all costs, even if it puts her in incredible danger—is a master class in authentic voice and sustained tension.

I think people are going to be talking about Incidents Around the House at awards season, and for years to come.

Incidents Around the House publishes on June 25, 2024, and is available for pre-order now.

One of the best books I've read this year! Terrifying and written in a way that made me believe it was actually coming from the POV of a child. Had to finish all of it in one sitting because I was glued to it the entire time. This book is worth your time.

Normally I don't enjoy books written from a child's perspective as they seem to either be written with a mentality too young or old for the character's stated age or so horribly repetitive it's reduced to jumbled babble. I'm so happy to state this is not the case with Incidents Around the House. Not only was the narrative voice believable for the character, Bela also displays the often uncanny intuitive understanding that make young children slightly terrifying. Eerie and unsettling, the plot kept me riveted and up way past my bedtime, checking the closet occasionally to be sure the door was still closed. Malerman does an excellent job building tension and dread while crafting a stomach churning monster out of our forgotten childhood fears.

This book scares the pants off me so good job Mallerman! I highly recommend it for a suspenseful and fear inducing ride. It was thrilling with horror aspects and so interesting.

thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an early copy!! this was my first by this author & I am wanting to read more. This book was the closest I’ve ever gotten to “reading” a horror movie. I was hooked beginning to end. This book is creepy af, suspenseful, & truly horrifying.

I read this in one sitting! Its non stop from start to finish, had me on edge the whole time just waiting for that "jump scare". It has been a while since I've read a horror book that got me so hooked and gave me anxiety. The characters are amazingly developed, the main character is a 8year old named Bela and i love how she's so witty and mature and brave. The characters were so relatable from the parents relationship with their daughter Bela to their struggling marriage. The Paranormal entity called "Other Mommy" scared me so bad that i had to check my kids closet. Other mommy reminded me of the movie "MAMA" in how the entity befriends the child and becomes attached. The book was so fast paced that when i got to the end it felt like i was on a rollercoaster and then suddenly it was over and I was left thinking.....what just happened! Not everyone will like the ending but the ride is worth it. My first 5 star read of the year thank you Josh Malerman for freaking me out in the best way! PICK THIS BOOK UP!

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

As kids, many of us would have our parents check under the bed and in the closet for monsters and of course there was nothing there. Not the case in this book. Bela is our 8 year old narrator who has a Mommy and Daddo who she loves very much. We also learn she has someone else in her life, her Other Mother. This story pulls you in from the beginning and keeps it going until the very last page. We learn more about the relationships in this family as the story progresses and how our pasts will come back to haunt us in our future. This story was the perfect mix of creepy and touching all in one. Daddo is my favorite character, he is his daughter's best friend and tries to do any of everything he can to help her throughout this scary journey. This story made me let my guard down at times and then hit me out of nowhere. That was very unpredictable in the best way. This book helped me get out of my reading slump because I needed to know what would happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a quick, spooky read with real life issues intermingled.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Josh Malerman, & Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey for this ARC, it was excellent!!

First, I would like to preface that this review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley. Thank you for this opportunity!

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman is a psychological thriller that puts a unique take on the "monster in the closet" horror trope. Bela and her parents (Ursula & Russ) discover they have an entity in the house that Bela knows as "Other Mommy." As stated by Bela, this entity becomes "closer" as time goes on and "Other Mommy" becomes more and more bold in her attempts to press Bela to "let her into her heart" and help her "do carnation" by trading places. Not only do Bela and her parents have to face the obviously terrifying presence of this horrific entity in their house, but they also have to face their own secrets, pasts, and internal struggles at the same time. To some characters, it may be unknown to them at times of which struggle is more difficult to face. Will this trying time bring this family closer together or drive them apart? Will they find a way to finally bring this terrible real-life nightmare to an end?

Upon reading the synopsis, I was intrigued. I read a few reviews and was apprehensive due to the various takes on the author's approach on POV of this novel, which I understand. I do see how some may not be fans of this style, but with that said, I do personally think I enjoyed it and found it to be a fun change of pace from my normal reads. I can honestly state that I have not read a novel with the formatting and style like this one before, which is something that I give kudos to for taking risks and stepping out of the norms!

The story is told through the POV of an eight year old girl named "Bela." This child's perspective was also represented through formatting, dialogue, and style in which the narrator's inner thoughts were expressed (such as run-ons when she was particularly stressed, and the way in which the paragraphs were shorter and more separated).

To add balance to having the POV of a young child, monologues from adults in Bela's life (her parents and grandmother, for example) were the main way of delivering readers information about the other characters, adding context, as well as trying to add some depth/meaning to everything going on beyond (what we were shown through Bela's POV). I understand why this was done and found their "secrets" and confessions (most often when they thought Bela was sleeping) to be quite interesting.

With that said, there were times, especially towards the end of the novel, where those monologues were VERY long (multiple pages for one character without paragraph break). It was slightly overwhelming and I was worried I'd miss important details by trying to keep up without losing stamina or focus. However, the monologues were often when the adult characters were themselves quite stressed and mentally all-over-the-place, and the POV is a child, so this in a way conveys how the interactions between them must feel in their perspectives.

Again, this was an ARC copy and therefore an "uncorrected proof," so if there were any aspects I would potentially want to see any sort of change or improvement to, it may have been the length/structure of those previously mentioned monologues. Additionally, I am not quite sure I feel about the ending. It felt rather rushed, but perhaps that was the point and author's intention? It left me with more questions than answers, personally-- but, I do know that some readers might enjoy that as it leaves them with that feeling that I do sometimes see in horror novels and/or movies.

Lastly, while this isn't important to the review of the story, I just wanted to add that I had lots of fun with the novel's setting (Michigan!) as I am a fellow Michigander myself, and I found it exciting to learn that this is where the author is rooted!

Overall, I did enjoy this read and found many aspects to be unique and thought-provoking. Not only was there the sense of anticipation and anxiety with the characters when things got intense, but there were also additional topics that prompted reflection about humanity and morals, as well.


(Thanks to Netgalley, Random House, & Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!)

Seriously creepy.
Bela, a precocious eight year old starts getting visits from an entity she calls the “Other Mommy”. The visits are benign at first, and even welcomed, but eventually Other Mommy becomes more demanding, and showing herself to family and friends, much more threatening.

Highly recommended.