ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What does one do when they find a mysterious house? Explore it, of course!

James and Amelia are a couple of seventeen-year-old kids who go canoeing on their first date. While exploring a secluded lake, they find what appears to be house sitting on the bottom.. Intrigued, the two teens start to explore and try to uncover the secrets of both the house and their budding attraction.

A House at the Bottom of the Lake is a short and starkly written tale filled with symbolism. Malerman expertly creates an atmosphere filled with equal parts dread and excitement. Like the characters, I found myself wanting to solve the mysteries of the house, yet terrified of what may lay behind the next closed door.

I savored the creepy vibe that pervaded and weaved itself throughout the narrative, and I really enjoyed watching the teens' experience falling in love for the first time amid the strange discovery of the house

Initially, I disliked the ending of the book, but the more I thought about it, the more I changed my mind; I think it fits with the eerie, fantastical feeling of the story as a whole.

I found this book to be refreshingly weird and touching.
what I liked:
I loved the feel in the beginning of the book. I loved how the lake was described. I loved how i could feel the thoughts and feelings of the two teens. It made me want to root for them both and to see good things happen between them. I could relate to what they were going through and the insecurties even. I loved how it was written. I also loved the tensions and fears leading up to the plot. When it got to the part of discovering the house. I felt what an interesting thing to find. I was drawn into it.

what I did not like so much:
I think what turned me off a little in this book was the parts that seemed to not make any sense like if they were swimming in water how did they walk on the bottom in the mud. This seemed to clear up as I learned that things in the house did not do what they were suppose to either. Later as things come about in the house I was kinda disappointed. I liked it either to go magical fantasy or real literally and the plot seemed to do neither instead it went to a metaphor or allegory style. I did not like that as much. It left me a little confused especially towards the end.

overall:
I still liked this book a lot. I had to go back and think on it a little but I liked it and felt the emotions throughout it. I felt it was creative and pulls at the feelings.

This book was not for me. I struggled with the writing. I guess I went into it expecting more since he was the author of Bird Box (which I haven't read). If this is his normal writing style then I won't be reading it.

This novella was an excellent piece of subtle horror fiction. The strangeness of the house beneath the water combined with the sense that someone or something would appear from the murky house, behind a door, or suddenly in a room, was enough to keep me on edge and creeped out. Josh Malerman worked masterfully with the elements of the creepy-murky-lake theme, the something-physically-amiss-to-be-unsettling theme, the underwater-anything-could-go-wrong theme ... I love an unsettling yet non-flashy horror, and this was very good. Malerman's mind clearly works in wonderfully, creatively creepy ways and I can't wait for more of his imagination to reveal itself.

This short book is definitely creepy. It starts out sweet with two teenagers on a date in a canoe on a beautiful hidden lake. They discover a huge two story house underneath the water. They become obsessed exploring the house with scuba gear but the more they visit they less they want to be above the water in the real world. Something is very odd about the house and there are scenes that are very chilling. Could someone or something be in the house with them?

I had heard of A House at the Bottom of a Lake several years ago, after the initial buzz surrounding Bird Box. I loved Bird Box, but knew that this one was very different, and rather difficult to get a hold of. So now that it's getting its proper release, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. And I've heard that this one is weird and polarizing, but I like weird and polarizing. And I liked this. Yes, it is absolutely a book that is not for everyone. But if you enjoy magical realism and books that are horror-but-not-quite-horror, you would enjoy this. It doesn't wrap up neatly, and you may finish it with more questions than when you started, but Malerman is a talented writer and it's worthwhile just to live in his prose for a while.

In this spooky novella, two teenagers found a house at the bottom of a lake on their first date. This is my first time reading by this author and i was very excited to read this novella.
There are so many things that I like about this book, the atmosphere of being underwater in an unusual place was absolutely terrifying. If you're claustrohpic and scared of deep waters like me i recommend you to grab this creepy and magical book right now.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Del Rey for this arc in exchange for an honest review

This was a fun and quick read about two teenagers finding a house at the bottom of a lake on their first date. The house's existence seems impossible and there are no clues as to how it ended up in the lake or why. As they explore more of the strange house they fall in love.

Great spooky atmosphere with the underwater house. The story is a nice mix of adventure and the awkwardness of first dates and love. However, this book raises a lot of questions and answers none of them. It left me wanting a longer story with some explanation to the house. It felt like the plot and story were set up, but let unfinished.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest view.

I *loved* Malerman's Bird Box. Seriously, it was one of the best books I read in 2015, and I've even refused to watch the movie, ignoring my love for Sandra Bullock, because the book was so good that I didn't want to see a movie ruin the story.

That led me to have very high expectations for the rest of the books he has published. Those expectations were so high that I haven't found myself willing to pick any one of them up because I didn't know if they'd live up to Bird Box. So when I saw this one on Netgalley (I guess they're re-releasing it?), I decided it was time to take a chance.

Sadly, this one didn't live up to my expectations. In Bird Box, not being able to "see" along with Malorie really amped up the tension. It felt like Malerman was trying to re-use that idea in this one, and it fell flat. In Bird Box, we never got an explanation for WHY the events were happening. In this one, we never got an explanation at all. Just some wacky ending that explains nothing and makes little sense and never seeing past the "maybe."

I guess my disappointment is evident, but if you're going to read a Malerman, my suggestion would be Bird Box. This one was a letdown, so I can't recommend it.

The story itself was decent and I enjoyed the intrigue and the premise, but I was just left wanting more on every level. More depth to the characters, more story, more explanation. It just didn’t seem developed enough for me to really enjoy.

Meh.
This novella was just okay. I am glad it wasn’t any longer. It was just enough to push me through to the end which I didn’t even understand.

Unexplored old houses fascinate me whether they are in a swamp or at the bottom of one, so when I read the premise for this one I did have to pick it up, despite teenage romances being one of my least favorite things to read about.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake was well written and fast paced, and kept my attention. While novellas often struggle with not being long enough, I feel like this one was just right. While I had my doubts about it, I thought it was a pretty solid read by this author and while I didn't exactly find it spooky, I enjoyed the premise a great deal.

Two seventeen year olds go out on a first date canoeing and discover the eponymous structure. A place that doesn’t seem to obey any known laws of known physics, casually ignores gravity and eludes all explanation. A place as magical as first love itself. And so their summer romance proceeds to unfold above and below the waters, inextricably linked to the mysterious subaquatic abode. And that’s probably all I can say about the plot without giving things away. It’s a lovely story, really, Malerman sets a certain mood and a tone and maintains them throughout. It’s shadowy story, murky, uncertain, strange, beguiling. The two leads are engaging, especially considering their youth. Though technically this can be considered YA, it’s more along the lines of all age appropriate. It’s certainly on the darker side of things and may not be suitable for some younger audiences, but it doesn’t insult the intelligence of the older audiences either. It reads very well, an eerily atmospheric tale of a strange place that shouldn’t exist and yet…it’s an intriguing concept, it almost seems like a work of art or dream inspired, in fact the excellent cover of the book creates a mood just as much as the writing. Not enough of a concept for a proper length book and the author was definitely aware of it, at 118 pages it comes out just right for maybe as many minutes of entertainment. Shorter would have worked too, longer…probably not. Just right as is. A nice dark read. Not a ride…more like a midnight swim in the stygian waters among its secrets. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I'm not sure what I just read. Is this really the same author that wrote Bird Box? Short, weird, and the ending made no sense.

This is a story about curiosity.

Reading this was such a surreal genre defying experience. There were frightening elements, but primarily it’s about the mixed bags of discovery & longing. There was a romance element, but it felt like it was more about the melancholy aspects of first loves- like inevitable endings. Overall, this was a lovely strange little story.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group for this e-Arc! This review will be published on goodreads & will remain posted indefinitely.

As a huge fan of Bird Box, I was beyond excited to get my hands on a publication by Josh Malerman. And... what did I just read! This novella was weird, charismatic and somewhat sexy within the magical realism vibe.

Two teenagers, Amelia and James, are on a romantic first date: canoeing on the lakes. And all is well until the find a creepy abandoned house literally at the bottom of one of the lakes. Of course, they decide they're going to mess around.

Let's just say this was absolutely mysterious, totally weird and not obvious - the best I can do is say that fans of "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" by Iain Reid will love this one in a sense that when you finish, you still aren't sure what happened and are likely going to search the internet for answers. That being said, it's not a horror, so don't be put off by this categorization.

This book is not for everyone, but if you like weird books like I do, "A House at the Bottom of the Lake" is just incredible.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not a huge fan of cliffhangers but a interesting read with a clever concept. Wish it was a bit longer.

My first thoughts as I began reading the first pages of this book was, "what a charming pair of teens". James and Amelia are bumbling away nervously as they get to know each other, in a charming sort of way. With a title like, A House at the Bottom of a Lake, charming doesn't stick around too long. I knew the creep factor would soon show up in this story. I enjoyed the charm seeing these two go through the early stages of getting to know each other and eventually getting brave enough to go out on a first date. Although I feel Josh Malerman brought the true creepiness of this book late into the story, I feel like part of what made this book feel scary early on was the way Malerman played with my psyche. There was enough going on to make me feel uncomfortable with James and Amelia exploring the house at the bottom of the lake, and that I feel was story's strength due to Malerman's writing. Was it the most creepy story I have ever read? Absolutely not, but these two charming teens are just so likable you can't help but want to stop them from being naive teens.

Bird Box and Malorie from Josh Malerman were excellent reads and A House at the Bottom of a Lake is just as fantastic as those two books. A different vibe for sure but we don't want the same thing over and over again, right? I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read. Once I started, the charm pulled me in and the creepiness spit me out.

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.

This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.

Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.

Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.

James and Amelia are about to go on their first date. His plan isn't to go out to dinner or to see a movie, but rather to pack a picnic and go canoeing on the lake. Jame's Uncle Bob lives on a lake that is full of tourists and speed boats in the summer, but there is a second lake, one less crowded where they can be alone, enjoy the beauty of nature, and get to know each other.
They soon discover a third lake, one that appears that very few people know about, one where they can see a house on the bottom of the lake. Crazy kids, what would you expect them to do other than explore this seemingly impossible underwater world together! The house is vast and creepy, and there is much to see. As they repeatedly dive, they learn about each other and start to fall in love. The book didn't end in the horrific way that I imagined, but that's okay since, to me, it was more a story about discovery and the wonders of the unknown.
It is a quick read, only 118 pages on my Kindle. A beautifully written tale about youth, taking a chance, and love. 4.5 stars.