I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I know that. This book proves that. So while many of my friends rated this five stars, I'm left scratching my head in confusion.

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This was a short story that I wish would have had more of an ending. It was creepy but I would say more of a young adult spooky story.
Thanks for Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars. I just loved this one. It stuck with me and the themes were so haunting and true to being a teenager. Review to come.

Due to being a high school English teacher, I am often behind on writing reviews. Here is a summary of my initial thoughts.

James and Amelia find a house at the bottom of a lake on their first date. How did it get there? How is everything magically staying in place? Why aren’t the furnishings floating in the water? These are questions they refuse to ask for fear of ruining the mystery.

This was a beautiful story about first love and adventure. I really loved the atmospheric and cinematic feel to this. The suspense was really good as well.

This was definitely one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read and one that will keep you wondering long after youve read it.

The beginning of this was interesting enough and captured my attention, but my personal issue came with my inability to suspend my disbelief for the story. The characters were okay, I did have a little bit of lingering nostalgia for a 17-year-old experience that I never had, and the house itself was interesting. But overall, there wasn't enough for a short novella and too much for a long short story here for me to really enjoy it.

Before I say anything else, I want to say that this book had one of the most humorous, heart-felt, and honest depictions of teenage love I have ever read. It was neither overly saccharine nor deeply cynical, it did not juvenilize and nor did it imbue two seventeen year old with wisdom beyond their years. All horror aside, I was prepared for this to be a train wreck in that aspect, and it was anything but, so hats off to Malerman for that alone.

Or, well, not alone, because the rest of the book - the strangeness, the suspense, the mystery, the, dare I say it, house at the bottom of the lake - was also perfectly eerie in its calmness, unsettling in its completely usual object in a completely unusual space. That's one of my favorite kinds of horror: things that aren't scary in and of themselves, but only make your skin crawl because they aren't where they belong.

<i>A House at the Bottom of Lake</i> can be read in two ways, then, I think: one way, as situational horror, wherein there is a house at the bottom of a lake which is strange and horrifying but also exhilarating and the people who happen to discover it and thus be fascinated and terrified by it are two teenagers on the cusp of falling in love. The other way, of course, is the reason that horror has the potential to capture to captivate us so deeply, which is to say, two seventeen year olds are at the cusp of falling in love, a strange feeling, out of place, an amplification of anything else they've ever known, and that's terrifying and unsettling and gives you that rush of adrenaline that might be fear - or is it excitement? - and also there is a house at the bottom of a lake.

Either way you read it, this is the kind of horror that at first appears softer and gentler than something more fatal, more devastating but which speaks to a deeper, stranger truth where all that's needed to unsettle and indeed change us is something just the slightest bit out of place.

The state I live in has a man-made lake. In fact, when it was made, it was created over a town, and a lot of the houses were never removed. There's even an old cemetery under the lake. It's sort of known in our town, for the ones who have been here as long as I have, that's the lake is haunted. So when this book was going to be released, I knew, based solely on the title, I had to read it. It didn't disappoint. Two kids meet and fall in love while being pulled to this mystery they find at the bottom of a mysterious lake.



Even though the book runs short, the story doesn't. It's haunting and unsettling. I found myself not wanting to read it at night. And even though I swim fairly well, I definitely wouldn't want to be in any lake any time soon. The imagery that Malerman creates is always fantastic. He knows how to write a story and pull you in. A House at the Bottom of a Lake is no exception.



He's done it again. And I can't wait to read what's he'd doing next.



5/5 Stars

Old, abandoned houses and all the mystery and possible scariness they entail are really my jam. But if you put a fully intact and seemingly abandoned house at the bottom of a lake, that is even better in my mind. Josh Malerman does a great job of setting up the story. Two teenagers who fancy themselves in love find hidden tunnels which lead them to the titular underwater house. Through some kind of magic, the house is fully liveable to them. The furniture sits still on the floor instead of floating away, the house is structurally sound even though the pressure of the water should have destroyed it. And though it seems abandoned, it may not be after all. The teens try to play house in it anyways, leading to some really suspenseful and eerie storytelling. I really loved this book, right up until the end. It gets four stars instead of a perfect five because I really don't understand the ending at all. I'm not sure if Malerman wanted each person to interpret it themselves, or if he purposely left it so unfulfilling because he just didn't know a good way to end what is otherwise a really tender allegory about first, young love.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake is a horror story about two teens that discover a house at the bottom of a lake (aptly named book!). I enjoyed the first few chapters as we get to see James and Amelia go on a date and it really brought me back to my high school days. The descriptions of the lake were well-written and I loved the imagery that came to mind when reading them.

I really liked the creepy vibes I got from the book, but I wouldn't classify this as horror story. While this wasn't my favorite novel by Malerman, I thought it was interesting. I think I was expecting something a bit more scary which is why I'm only giving it 3 stars. The book was definitely marketed incorrectly unless I am missing something. I do like how Malerman lets the reader come to their own conclusions rather than spelling it out for them, but for this book, I feel like maybe it deserved a better ending.

**3.5-stars**

During the summer they are seventeen, James and Amelia, go on their first date. They are both nervous, but decide to take a risk. They take a canoe out on a local lake, with some sandwiches and beer; making a day of it. James has spent some time on the busy lake and knows a passageway to a connecting lake that sees less traffic; they can be alone.

It's romantic, it's adventurous and the two really hit if off. As they are exploring the second lake they come across another waterway; a tunnel actually, that the canoe will fit into. They're having so much fun, and not wanting to disappoint one another, they figure why not explore more.

Things get a little hairy for a bit, but ultimately they pop out in a third lake. It seems completely unoccupied. They paddle around marveling at their find and then they discover more. Looking down into the water they spy the top of a house. A house actually submerged under the surface of the lake.

They take turns diving down and cannot believe what they find. A two-story house with an open door and multiple furnished rooms to explore. It defies all logic. How can this be? The two are absolutely mesmerized by their discovery. After that first date they begin to spend more and more time at the house. It has altered their lives, but not all is well in their home below the surface.

This is an interesting novella. I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me loves the speculative side of it, that allows the Reader to imagine the outcome and essential meaning. But another equal sized part of me wants more explanation. Even James and Amelia are confused by it all. How the heck am I supposed to know what is going on?

I did find the writing intriguing. I liked James and Amelia taking a chance on one another and finding and sharing this obsession together. I think they both felt like there was nothing special about themselves and finding this house, and each other, made them special. It gave them meaning.

To me, the house was ominous. It felt like a predator fish that lurks in the deepest parts of the ocean. The one that has a light on its head to attract all the little innocent fishes. By the time they realize they are in danger, it's too late.

Overall, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is a very interesting story. I think I got a good handle on Malerman's style from reading this. I'm definitely interested in picking up more of his work. Personally, I would love to see a continuation of this story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate you!

Eerie. Claustrophobic. Atmospheric.
This is a quick read and packs a punch in the limited number of pages.

The use of the unknown in an underwater setting helps the atmosphere. The darkness, the way being scared can freak with people’s minds is all at play here and it works well together.

This little novella gives me serious OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE vibes. Although marketed as a horror story, it is more of a dark fable, fairy tale. It is about first love, the melancholy but beautiful experience we have as we navigate unknown territory.
This is a bittersweet, surprising read that branches off a little bit for what Malerman is usually known for. It is a welcome deviation from his usual material, and he lands a knockout story that will stay with you for a while.

I have heard my friends rave about this book for years and am glad I finally had the chance to pick it up. I thought the book was extremely atmospheric and creepy - the theme of obsession was really well done. It was also really weird at times and I found myself a little confused - but I think that was the point.

I was curious about this one especially since I loved Bird Box so much!

Off the bat, I felt this book was definitely YA, so just know that and that is the only reason for my lower rating.

The story was intriguing.....a house fully intact at the bottom of the lake in a place where people were warned not to go. But these two take on the adventure and decide to explore. I expected some crazy ending, but it was somewhat mild, and honestly you really have to use your imagination as to how you think the story ends. Which, actually, I kinda liked!

Highly recommended for YA!

After reading BIRD BOX, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d gotten myself into as I opened up this book. What I found was a riveting thriller that kept me invested from the very first pages.

I will be featuring on IG and will include a link to my post in the near future.

I had no clue that out of all the horror I’ve read, characters being underwater would make me so claustrophobic and terrified!! I actually had to put this book down multiple times because underwater is definitely my biggest fear

What an interesting premise! This book was so unique. I read straight through and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Another fantastic installment from Josh Malerman, this novella is a haunting review of the lengths we'll go to to explore teenage love.

This book was amazing. I love Josh Malerman’s books and I was really excited for a good scare, and I got it. I’m not sure what I would call this? Coming of age, but spooky? First love mixed with pulse pounding horror? All of that.
James and Amelia are two small town kids who go on a first date, a canoe trip on a lake, and then they find a hidden lake and a hidden house under that lake. Which shouldn’t be a spoiler since it’s in the title of the book. They become fascinated by their discovery as they are falling in love.
I would recommend this with caution. It’s not a typical horror novella—it’s more spooky magical realism and an exploration of young love. Just perfect.

Review: A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman, a novella by the same guy who brought you Birdbox. Pub Date: 1/19/21
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One sentence synopsis: A boy and girl fall in love sealing their fate at the bottom of a haunted lake but is it really sealed?
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Things I liked: I love a story I can get lost in for a few hours on a weekend morning and that’s exactly what I did. The ca-reepy factor is real. This is one that could be told around a campfire and really spook some people out. It was fun to read a warm sun and cool water book in the heart of winter too, who’s already done with this winter ✋
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Thank #netgalley and #delrey for the drc