Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I'm behind on my reviews, and I apologize for that.

I DNF's this novel. I had a difficult time with the chosen narrator, as it seemed the voice of the character didn't always match the age. I also found every character unlikeable, so much so that I could not bring myself to finish it.

Absolutely loved this one! Spooky, incredible imagery and a vibrant main character. I don't always love a child lead in a book but this one worked fantastically well and was believable throughout. Will recommend!

I really loved the beginning of this book and couldn’t put it down. After a while, it started to seem a bit repetitive and just lost its spooky appeal. BUT - I still enjoyed the story. I love spooky, creepy, thriller, horror, suspense type stories and I went into this thinking that’s what it was. Unfortunately, other than the description of “other mommy,” it wasn’t very creepy at all. I didn’t hate this book, and would definitely still tell people to read it, but it just was not what I expected based on the synopsis. I will say, the ending left me intrigued!
Thank you Josh Malerman, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC edition to read for review!

Incidents Around the House is told from the perspective of 8-year-old Bela, who is haunted by Other Mommy and asks Bela if she can go inside her heart.
I had high hopes for this book, but I overall found it a letdown. I like that the book is told from the perspective of a child because oftentimes horror novels are told from an adult perspective. However, I did find Bela quite immature at times and acted half her age. I did not really care about Mommy because she makes questionable decisions in the book, and all her monologues were a slog to read through. Daddo is a little more likable because he is trying to help Bela and figure out what can be done, but Daddo also has boring monologues. Also, Mommy and Daddo have a lot of arguments that I just wanted to breeze through and get back to the story. As far as Other Mommy, I found the scenes with her creepy, especially the descriptions of her. That said, outside of the scenes with Other Mommy, not much happens. Bela, Mommy, and Daddo bounce from house to house trying to escape Other Mommy, and that is pretty much the whole plot. I did not like the ending because Grandma Ruth had her own long monologue, and then the book ends shortly after.

I loved that this book was narrated by the daughter. I love when we can get inside the heads of children and see what they are thinking about us adults. I found this book creepy from the very first page. I didn’t want to put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen.

This book utterly creeped me out, this author has a way with wording things, even in a child’s mind so well. The short chapters helped me feel more in Bela’s head, they made it more believable.

I recommend reading this one in the fall, especially during the Halloween season. It’s the perfect way to kick it off.

A fun "haunted house" type horror story that feels very different from the rest of Malerman's work but would be a good entry point for readers who are new to horror or Malerman.

The story has creepy, unsettling vibes throughout and ramps up at the end for an unforgettable finale that pulls no punches. Expect to be surprised!

The premise had real promise, and there were a few genuinely creepy moments early on. Unfortunately, the story lost momentum quickly, with inconsistent pacing and underdeveloped characters. The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. I wanted to like this more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.25 stars. Incidents Around the House presents a unique and unsettling premise, with a chilling atmosphere that builds throughout the novel. The idea of "Other Mommy" is original and deeply disturbing, and there are several moments that successfully deliver genuine tension and unease.

However, the choice to tell the story entirely from the perspective of an eight-year-old made the narrative feel overly simplistic. While this point of view added a layer of vulnerability, it also made the book read more like a young adult or middle-grade thriller, which may not appeal to readers expecting a more mature horror experience. The pacing also felt slow in places, which impacted my overall engagement with the story.

Despite these issues, the book still offered a fresh take on the haunted house trope and explored family dynamics in an interesting way. Readers who appreciate psychological horror with an unusual narrative style may find it worth the read.

This book was a masterclass in quiet terror. Josh Malerman has such a brilliant way of weaving dread into the most ordinary moments, and somehow it lingers long after the last page. It’s not just scary, it’s unnerving in the kind of way that follows you into your own home, makes you listen more closely to the silence, and question the dark just a little more than you did before. I loved every minute of it, even when it made me want to sleep with the lights on. Highly recommended for anyone who loves atmospheric, house-centered horror done right.

This book was just ok. I finished it, but didn’t really care to.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm not typically a horror reader, but this book captivated me from the first sentence and I didn't put it down until I finished! The imagery Malerman created was like nothing I've ever read before and truly kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved that this story was entirely told from the little girl's perspective which just added even more to the creep factor! While there was a lot of disturbing things about this story, overall I appreciated the message conveyed by the end of the book.

I will definitely be reading from this author again in the future!

This is a chilling story of the monster in the closet from the perspective of a little girl. We don’t really know how old Bela is but she is portrayed as quite young and quite unaware of the meaning of things she hears and observes. I felt some moments of eeriness as the story progressed and we learned more about Bela, the entity haunting her and her family’s efforts to deal with the situation. Overall a fast and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE – by Josh Malerman

‘To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”’

‘Mommy and Daddo leave my room. I pull the covers up to my chin. Other Mommy comes out of the closet.’

Though this book does not tick all the boxes for me, it is a Creepy-Good fright fest.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey (Penguin Random House LLC.), for providing me with an eBook ARC of INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE at the request of an honest review.

This horror book was so unique! Our narrator is 8 year old Bela, and that gave such an interesting point of view. Other Mommy, the creature hiding in Bela’s closet, gave Coraline vibes…until she didn’t because Other Mommy was much creepier. The only issues I had with the book was the pacing of the story. It felt like some things were repetitive, or the story would feel stagnant at certain points. But overall, I really enjoyed the unique perspective, the spookiness of Other Mommy, and watching the ebb and flow of the family dynamic as they tried to save Bela. If you’re a horror or thriller fan, I’d recommend this to you!

It was properly creepy. I feel like this may be the one instance that if it were adapted to screen that it might be better than the book 😬 the child narration was definitely a different POV but overall I enjoyed it.

I devoured this book. It had me hooked from the start. I could have done without so many long winded monologues from the adult characters but I’m still rating 5 stars because I loved everything else.

Incidents Around the House is an intriguing, unsettling and atmospheric read. While the writing is vividly eerie and vividly paints a sense of dread, I found some parts more compelling than others. The atmosphere consistently maintains a creepy tone, but a few pieces felt a bit too slow or lacked the punch I was hoping for. Overall, it’s a decent read for fans of slow burning horror — atmospheric and unsettling, but not consistently thrilling.

This book was mega creepy. I love creepy! I stayed on the edge of my seat the whole time and stayed engaged in the story.

I love sitting in the dark by an open window while reading a good horror story, letting myself feel the creepiness envelop me. It isn’t as easy to find books that give off those vibes anymore, but I found one in this book.

This book was very unique and fun! I loved the child's perspective of the story. Creepy but still such a fun read. I've been commenting to all my other creepy book readers!