This was a quick read and really creepy. I flew through the beginning but by the end it did get a bit repetitive. Took off a star for the ending.

“Can I go inside your heart?”

This book was sooooo creepy and I can’t wait to buy a psychical copy so I can foist it upon everyone this upcoming spooky season! Eight year old Bela has a friend nobody else can see. At first Other Mommy only lived in the closet, but now she likes to sit in Bela’s room. And talk to her about (rein)carnation. Soon Bela realizes Other Mommy might not be her friend after all

Josh Malerman did such a great job creating an unsettling environment. Everyone should feel safe in their home, but after reading Incidents Around the House I found myself not wanting to peer into darkened rooms. I felt like I was watching a movie unfold as I read this book that’s how well described each scene was and if you like scary movies I think you will enjoy this quite a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Malerman took inspiration from horror movies as this book felt so cinematic and I felt there were a few scenes paying homage to The Exorcist and Paranormal Activity.

And that ending. I’m still thinking about it!

Finally, I’d HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. I tandem read this with the audiobook and the narrator was great!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for a review copy.

Malerman is a favorite of mine. I’ve read all of his work and have them all. This one is being hailed as truly creepy and I agree. Definitely check it out if you like being creeped out late at night!

Alright, this was definitely a very creepy book, and I was not expecting a child's perspective, which made it even creepier. It's a ghost story, a family drama, a coming-of-age story, a loss of innocence story, and a surprisingly brutal look and love, death, and facing mistakes of the past. It's a lot more than I expected from a horror novel.

So why the 3 stars? Well... A lot of it was repetitive, particularly because of that child's perspective, and there were definitely plenty of sections where I wished the book would move along. As a reader, you understand what's going on more than the main character and, at fist, the gimmick of figuring it out though the eyes of a child is a fresh and intriguing one. But, it quickly gets old, and you're left waiting for the child to figure it out, over and over again. It's also a fairly predictable novel - you may not know the overall arc right away, but you can always tell what's coming next, and especially you can always tell when the spooky stuff is coming (which makes it less spooky). The writing itself, as with previous Malerman books, wasn't anything mind-blowing, though it's to the point and it gets the job done. The ending was... a lot, but after a while I was expecting it.

Weirdly, I think this would be more effective as a novella or a movie because I think the story would benefit from being more condensed. But I would still recommend it to horror fans looking for a family drama driven ghost story.

What I loved: This was scary to me and I am hard to scare! There were some very tense, nail biting moments. I liked Bela and her grandma.

What I didn’t like: the parents are perfect examples of people who should never procreate especially the mom. The last 20% or so felt really long and drug out and the ending was very Blair Witch Project to me and what I mean by that is you know how it’s going to end but the whole time you’re hoping for something different.

Overall it was a great read with some very scary moments. I liked it so much I bought a copy from book of the month even though I got an ARC from NetGalley.

I was so excited to read this ARC but unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. The "unique" formatting in the book made it hard to follow who was speaking, and often resulted in re-reading the same sentences. I've found that child's POV storytelling doesn't work for me as it ruins the writing style and parents came of unrealistic in how they treated and spoke with Bela.

I know a lot of people loved this book but I wasn't a fan.

Josh Malerman is such a talented writer. Incidents Around the House is such a chilling book. An absolutely effective horror novel. HIGHLY recommended to all horror fans!

Thank you to Random House for my copy of INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE. This one is out June 25!

This book was soooooo creepy. I loved it, it was so entertaining until the conclusion. It felt rushed at the end and just needed an ending but honestly, up until then it was a slam dunk for me. I still recommend going on this ride with Josh Malerman.

This book was definitely creepy! I read a lot before bed, and almost didn't want to read this in the dark. I like how Josh Malerman's books all tie in together, a little bit. I was definitely on the edge of my seat wanting to figure out what is going on and if they can get rid of Other Mommy. The narration is done but Bela, who is 8, so it definitely has a childlike aspect to it. Overall, it was enjoyable and creepy!

This is a chilling and fast-paced story from the perspective of 8-year-old Bela as she grapples with the reality that there is someone (or something) living in her closet and no one believes her.
Bela calls her “Other Mommy” and Other Mommy has only one question for Bela: “Can I go into your heart?” Bela is certain she knows the answer but as incidents around the house start becoming more and more frequent, she is questioning the grounds on which her answer is formed.

I’ve never read a horror story from the perspective of a child (R L Stine doesn’t count) and it was really interesting to see Josh Malerman’s use of dramatic irony to convey what was happening as we, the audience, knew what was going on before Bela could.
While the blip describes Bela as an 8-year-old it was never truly stated anywhere in the novel and while reading this I thought Bela must have been around 6 or 7 years old.
I liked Malerman’s stylistic choice of not using proper punctuation for dialogue as it gave the reading a more child-like feel but it did become confusing at certain points to decipher who was speaking and what was internal dialogue.
I found Bela’s dad to be a very likable character but the grandma was my favorite, I think. I would love the opportunity to have a sit-down with Bela’s parents because who do they think they are? No spoilers, but Bela’s mom can especially catch these hands!
I read this book in 2 days which is the fastest I’ve read anything, ever, I think. Partly because it was so good I couldn’t put it down and because it was so scary I needed to know how it was resolved before being able to sleep.
Safe to say I did not sleep well and I needed to call my boyfriend to sleep on the phone with me so I “wouldn’t be alone”…
There are images that will stick with me forever and I don’t know if I should ask for financial compensation or give the author a high-five..

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC in return for an unbiased review of Incidents Around the House.

The writing style, in reference to how Malerman does dialogue, took some getting used to. This is my first book by Malerman so I'm unsure if this is just his style or specific to this book. But I eventually got used to it and everything flowed a bit better as I was reading. As did my feelings toward Bela, she was a bit annoying at first, as are most 8 year olds I suppose but still, she got a bit better as things ramped up.

I really loved the entirety of the book once it was all said and done! And I absolutely want more of the story because it feels like there was more. 😂

The characters were all...fine. Daddo and Grandma Ruth were great, Bela got better, Mommy was...well I know we aren't supposed to truly enjoy her. Brian, WTF? I want to know for sure what Other Mommy so I can fully understand why Brian is so excited about seeing and touching "one of them". Was is ever stated that she was for sure a demon and I missed it?

Reading from the lake scene and on late at night and all of a sudden my kid is in the door way....dear god, I yelled at him. 😂 don't worry, he's a teen.

Josh Malerman is doing his best to make himself the best horror writer working today. Since releasing Birdbox, he has had a new release almost every single year, and each one of his books is fantastic. His new novel, Incidents Around the House, might be the novel that cements him as not only a household name in horror but in all reading communities.

Narrated by Bela, the eight year old child of Ursula and Russ, there is something in their house, an entity that wants Bela to call her “Other Mommy” and allow her to “enter her heart.” When Other Mommy starts to show herself to other people besides Bela, like her mother and father, people at a party, and everywhere Bela tries to go, the novel becomes a novel of a mother and father trying to protect their child, fighting for survival, while working through the problems that they have in their marriage. They think that being a team will be the only thing that will drive Other Mommy away.

This story moves fast, and this creates a tension that rises and rises. The reader is about to break along with Bela and her family. Malerman makes us feel like we are part of the team, trying to come up with the plan to fight this threat by creating an empathy toward Bela’s mother and father. Bela's parents are deeply flawed, making mistakes in their marriage and in their lives. The fear and threat of Other Mommy makes them reevaluate themselves and their worry feels genuine and palpable. Anyone who is a parent of a child that sees a poltergeist coming out of their closet would have the same reaction, not only of fear and anger but also of protection, You would do exactly what Bela's parents do, try to keep yourself between the entity and your child. Malerman makes the problem they have a human one. Unlike many horror novels, the parents in Incidents Around the House look for answers, for an expert on the internet, for some sort of help, and there is none. The feeling that this is how the situation would play out in real life, that there were no real experts to get rid of a spirit haunting your house is well explored. 

This is the fifth Josh Malerman book I have reviewed, and this is high on the list of his best work. I like the characters, the story moves swiftly, and in the end, all we want is for Bela to be able to go back to being an eight year old again.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book makes me think of creepy porcelain dolls coming to light and coming for me at night. It's imaginary friends taken to an entirely different level. It's the perfect read for those who love a great horror show, like the Amityville Horror. However, it's NOT the book to read at bedtime if you plan to sleep. It definitely kept me looking around my room. Ooops.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman in exchange for an honest review. I have read a few Josh Malerman books and thought I knew what to expect from this book, I was delightfully surprised. This book scared the bejebers out of me. I found myself trying to speed read just so I could find out how it ended. I kept guessing what would happen next and each time I was wrong. I got to the end and I was left speechless. What an amazing and frightening book.

Oh my gosh this was the perfect level of terrifyingly creepy and unsettling!!!! I read this at night after the family went to bed, which is the PERFECT time to read a book like this.

8 year old Bela lives with her Mommy and her Daddy. And then, there’s “Other Mommy.” What her parents initially assume to be a fun imaginary friend is a presence in Bela’s life whom she herself loved and looked forward to visits from. Until Other Mommy started asking her the same question every night: Can I go inside your heart?” Uncertain of what this means, afraid of what would happen to her, Bela always says no. But as more time passes, Other Mommy is losing her patience, her demeanor becoming less warm and friendly, her visits more frequent, and her behavior more bold. Soon, even Bela’s parents begin to notice strange sounds, smells, and an odd presence.
Other Mommy is starting to get angry and is making threats, showing Bela that her continued resistance could have devastating consequences.

Chilling, super creepy, and unsettling, this was a page turner for sure and one I cannot stop thinking about. Horror and thrillers involving children are always doubly creepy, but this one achieves that goal without being too disturbing in the wrong way. Perfectly balanced, smart, adrenaline-pumping!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Josh Malerman for this fantastic horror/psychological thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

I’m a big fan of Josh’s books and I was so excited to read Incidents Around The House. Like Malerman’s other books, Incidents is creepy as hell. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of a child and it really feels you are a fly on the wall in Bela’s home.

I loved the short chapters and I flew through this book so quickly. At this point I’ll read anything Josh writes!

This book is about a disturbed little girl named Bela who says a figure in her closet that she calls other mommy. Her parents are beside themselves trying to help her but other mommy might be more of a problem than what they believe that Bela has made her up.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

I was super excited about this book but it took me a long time to finish. I don’t know if it was the style of writing or what threw me off but I didn’t love this book as much as other people did. It’s a decent read, I just wasn’t “wowed” by the ending like I had seen reviews mention.

I wish we could do half stars or more because technically this was a 3.5 or 3.75 but not a 4 or 5 in my opinion but I’m glad others loved it.

I will always eat my words, when I started this book I told everyone I hated it was told from an 8 year old's POV and I hoped we get others, but that is what made this book one of the few that scared me. Time after time Malerman blows me away with how well he can write a horror scene.

The part of this book that had me on edge is that you only get information from this kids POV, and in that there is a simplicity to most the story telling. When something happens there are no deep diving questions, or research that you would normally get in a book like this. There are no decisions made, as the reader you are pulled along like the child is. Even when the horror started bleeding to other people we still only see it from this ones kids eyes. Normally the lack of information would ruin it for me, but I was so just lulled by this kids world view that I didn't need. I felt terror a child would, and not just the supernatural, but from being a kid and having parents stuff going on,

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and the author for an arc of this book. It is filled with absolutely everything that I like about the horror genre - hauntings, creepy ghost, characters that I am rooting for and characters who actually do something about the ghosts instead of ignoring them till halfway and making stupid decisions later on! This book spooked me out so much so, I jumped and checked my surroundings multiple times while reading some of the scenes and did not even realize when a seemingly normal scene turned creepy af. The only thing I had to get used to was the child-like way this book is written, it was tiring to read repetitive mentions of 'Mommy says' and 'Daddy says' and it took me some time to adapt to it. This book was so refreshing in its concept, I felt it was so much more than just horror, but I would not like to give out any spoilers 🤫 Definitely recommended to all horror fans and read this if you don't like gore in your books but love a good plot.

Eight-year-old Bela loves her family - Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Ruth... Other Mommy. Every day Other Mommy asks if she can go inside Bela's heart, and she is starting to lose patience.
I loved how this book was a horror told from the perspective of a child. Children, of course, think, behave, and speak differently to an adult, so I found this change to be refreshing.
However, I found the story to be too disturbing for me, so unfortunately I did not finish.