Definitely creepier than my usual reads, but it pulled me in right away. The concept of “Other Mommy” is genuinely unsettling, and the child’s POV made it even eerier. It kept me hooked throughout, even if I didn’t totally love the ending. Still, I’m glad I read it—dark, weird, and surprisingly emotional.

I wanted to like this book, but I could only get about halfway through before deciding to put it down. The premise is intriguing: creepy things happening around the house, a child being creepy and weird, and the idea of something or someone else is in the house. For some reason though it never clicked. The pacing felt slow, and I kept waiting for something to truly grab my attention. Instead, it just kind of dragged. The idea is there, but the characters felt a little distant, and I found myself wanting to rush through the story or not really absorbing what I was reading.

I might pick this book up in the future, but as for now I have DNFd it. If you love subtle, creeping horror and don’t mind a slow build, it might be worth a try—but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this digital book. Unfortunately, this book was not for me, but I do think others will enjoy it. This is the first horror I've read from a child's POV, and I just could not connect to the characters. HOWEVER, If I would have saved and read this book in the fall I probably would have appreciated it more, so that's a me problem.

An interesting read that kept me turning the pages. This was my first Josh Malerman and it read so quickly. However, I had such a hard time with the absolutely atrocious parenting in this book. It took me out of the story a lot.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on April 6th, 2025. Links provided.

Incidents Around the House is a psychological horror novel told form the perspective of eight-year-old Bela, who finds herself haunted by a malevolent entity known as “Other Mommy.” The story explores Bela’s struggle to comprehend the entity, which pretends to be a friend while slowly growing stronger and more insistent in its demand to take possession of her heart. The novel delves into the fragile dynamics of Bela’s family as the supernatural force begins to test their bonds, particularly highlighting the tensions in her parents’ marriage. Written in a way that reflects Bela’s innocent perspective, the narrative employs unique formatting and dialogue, which helps convey the childlike confusion and fear surrounding her terrifying situation. The book weaves together supernatural elements with family drama, creating a chilling atmosphere of dread and impending danger.

I thoroughly enjoyed Incidents Around the House for its unique approach to horror. The story is deeply unsettling, especially as it’s told from Bela’s point of view, which adds a layer of innocence and confusion to the terror. Malerman’s ability to convey Bela’s emotional state through unusual formatting and dialogue was a creative touch, though it might be distracting for some. I can imagine, with the right narrator, it would be even more impactful as an audiobook. What I found particularly engaging was the slow, building sense of dread that came not just from the supernatural presence of “Other Mommy,” but also from the unraveling family dynamic. Bela’s parents, particularly her mother, Ursula, were frustrating at times, but that only made the tension more real and palpable. I was genuinely intrigued by the family drama, even if I didn’t always root for the characters, and I felt deeply for Bela, who was caught in a terrifying situation she couldn’t fully understand. The eerie atmosphere and emotional undercurrents kept me hooked, and I could definitely see this story being successful on the big screen. The main reason it was not a five star read for me was because I felt like it was just a bit too long, with certain parts of the book being repetitive and therefore unnecessary.

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Incidents Around the House in return for my honest review.

Josh Malerman may have just written the best horror book I have read in a long time. It is a narrative from a child's perspective that captivated me from the first page. I was so engrossed in this story with all the characters and their deep secrets. The ghost/demon part was the right amount of scary, I could see it playing like a movie in my mind. As this dynamic family searches for peace from "Other Mother" their secrets come out affecting Bela. The voice of Blea is so truthful as this would be a natural reaction. In the end, I am left questioning so many things, in a good way. I would love for this story to continue. A novel that left me questioning what is our innocence and do the things we do bring us bad karma. Did Mommy and Daddo bring Other Mother upon Bela with their secrets? This may be my first novel by Josh Malerman but it will not be my last. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced roller coaster ride.

I really loved the unique premise of the novel told as a haunting through the eyes of the child being haunted. The fresh perspective and formatting worked so well here. It would be a five star read if not for the abundance of the word "piqued" to the point I thought I was going crazy.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman was WILD. This book had me double-checking every dark corner and hesitating before opening closet doors. Malerman does what he does best—creeping you out in the most unexpected ways.

What I loved? It’s simple but so effective. The tension builds so naturally that before you know it, you’re on edge, questioning every noise around you. It’s not just about monsters or gore; it’s the paranoia and feeling like something’s always lurking.

And can we talk about Bella? Her innocence pulled me in and made me feel SO many emotions throughout this story. It’s like she brought a little light to all the darkness, which made everything harder. I was rooting for her the whole time. 😩❤️

It’s creepy, it’s clever, and it sticks with you. Seriously, I haven’t read a horror book this good in a minute. If you’re looking for something to keep you up at night, THIS is it.

Highly recommend—just don’t read it alone. Or near a closet. You’ve been warned.

This book redefined ways to give me the chills. "Other Mommy" really got under my skin, even as a childless adult. This was a fun and unique story with an engaging writing style! I was hooked from the start.

This could have just been a short story instead. There was so much unnecessary drama between the adults. I didn't care about anything happening and the kid acted younger than 8 years old. All the conversations that the adults were having with her were not appropriate to have with a kid. I did think that "other mommy" was creepy, but I would have rather it be completely focused on the horror.

Wow! This is one of the scariest books that I’ve ever read. The fact that this is from an eight year old girl’s perspective was horrifying. I was anxious throughout most of this book. While reading it, I was trying to figure out what was really happening. The “Other Mommy” entity in this book is frightening. This book definitely gave me horror vibes, mystery vibes, and it’s truly unique. The “Can I go inside your heart” phrase will forever stick with me. I can see this turning into a horror movie. I give this chilling horror book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!

Be sure to read the content warnings before reading this book. Some of the warnings include death and murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Josh Malerman, and Random House Publishing | Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone that loves horror and suspense!

Bela lives with Daddo, Mommy, and other mother. Only Bela can see the other mother, who lives in her closet. You would think this would be scary but unfortunately it failed. The scariest part of this book for me was Bela’s actual mom. She is truly a nightmare, not only does she overshare with her eight-year-old daughter, she is absent half of the time. Daddo is an okay character, but he is doing his daughter a disservice by putting up with his wife’s cheating, lying ways.
The concept of the story was good, but its execution could have been improved. I feel like it may be scarier as an audio book or told from another perspective. The story is narrated from the child’s perspective, which is confusing. At times she exhibits the behavior typical of a four-year-old, while other times, she displays characteristics more akin to those of a twelve-year-old.
Thank you to NetGalley for This ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The POV of a child is tricky. Often, the voice will veer toward too old, too precocious for the actual age. On the other hand, as is the case with this book, it veers too young. Rather than eight, Bela sounds significantly younger, and this sometimes serves as a distraction from what is going on. And the adults often don't sound realistic, and this variance strikes a chord that makes certain sections lag or threw me into a state of disbelief as I questioned whether or not adults would actually speak this way either to each other or to a child.

All that said, however, there are genuinely frightening sections in this book, and I read it quickly.

Three and a half stars rounded down.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for review.

“I’ll keep asking until you answer like a friend, Bela. And you must be a friend. Because if you’re not, then why play nice?”

Incidents Around the House was literally unputdownable! I was completely enthralled from the first page. It was delightfully terrifying and I can honestly see why it’s been nominated for a Bram Stoker award. The characters were incredibly well written, even Other Mommy, who was just flat out evil and horrible. Bela and her family faced such terrible challenges as they tried to find a way to get rid of this entity that has become obsessed with Bela. They are tortured and have no idea who can help them or where they can go that’s safe. I can’t imagine feeling like if I turned to friends and family, that I’d be putting them in genuine danger. As a parent, I can’t imagine the feeling of helplessness that would come from facing a foe that you can’t protect your child from. This book had me creeped out all the way through and I am definitely going to read more of Malerman’s work, but I am gonna need a good romcom first, or a Disney movie

Wow, mixed feelings after finishing this book. The cover and synopsis had me hooked to read this dark, paranormal, horror tale. I love a good paranormal horror story. This story is told from the pov of an eight year old girl, Bela, who has a closet monster that keeps asking “Can I enter your heart?”. The vibe of suspense and terror were definitely there, only it left me wanting answers. The story at times left me annoyed that there was a lot of storyline that was never explored, grown adults trying to kill an entity with knives and Daddo in repetition, it was just uncomfortable for me. I did think toward the end that there were some metaphors for Bella’s heart and maybe the story was deeper than I expected, I was left with a ton of questions and will probably be thinking about this one for a while. Give it a read. Pub date was June 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was AMAZING! So creepy, so atmospheric, and so unsettling. I love a good haunted house story and this one did not disappoint. Josh Malerman is an author to watch!

Josh Malerman hits us with another new classic in Incidents Around the House. I've read all his works, and this one is among my favorites, perhaps only behind Bird Box and Malorie. Incidents digs deeper into emotional horror than Josh usually does, the reflective tone of a precocious child's perspective lending weight to the horrors she faces--whether those horrors are supernatural or familial. Witnessing a child's hope and trust be stripped away in the face of existential danger is more horrific than the danger itself. On a technical level, Josh writes a believable child's voice, which is almost never done well in horror. I spent a lot of this book thinking, "this would make an amazing movie" and also "I'm not sure I could watch this as a movie..." It is rich and cinematic, with complex characters and vivid descriptions. One of the best horror novels out in 2024.

Josh Malerman’s Incidents Around the House starts off strong, with an eerie premise and an unsettling atmosphere that lingers. The story follows a young girl, Bela, who begins to notice strange happenings in her home—whispers in the dark, objects moving on their own, and an ominous presence only she seems to sense. Malerman’s signature tension-building is on full display, and the book excels in creating a creeping dread.

However, while the suspense is compelling, the execution feels uneven. The narrative unfolds in a way that sometimes meanders, and the resolution doesn’t fully pay off the buildup. The horror elements, while effective, lean more on repetition than escalation, making the story feel stretched. Fans of Malerman’s work will appreciate his knack for eerie, psychological horror, but this novel lacks the punch of Bird Box or Goblin. A decent read, but not his strongest.

Just give this one five stars, put up your other books, and just accept that this is one of the scariest books ever written.

Incidents Around the House is told from the perspective of an 8 year old, with the whole book written in the style that an 8 year old would write and speak. The limited punctuation really gives a fresh approach to writing, one which I loved.

It's a very fast-paced book, and it will be hard to put down. The simplistic style of the book is what makes it scary, which felt fresh.

One of the most frightening novels I've ever read!

I read this in one sitting. The book is told from the perspective of 8-year-old Bella. The style is unique. There is limited punctuation, and the dialogue is indicated by indents instead of quotations. Despite this, I was never confused by the style. Bella's short, choppy descriptions made for a quick read. I did check out the audiobook after I finished the ebook. The narrator is incredible. She sounds just like a little girl. If I revisit this book, I will go with the audiobook.

The story is fast-paced and action-packed. It's like the film Poltergeist (1982) cranked up to eleven. The scares go hard and they never let up. You feel this family's exhaustion as they are continually terrorized by the malevolent entity in their home.

I also appreciated Malerman's realistic and unique take on combating this entity. The family quickly learns that exorcisms are not as readily available as they are in the movies. Most people refuse to help out of fear or disbelief. Even fewer people are equipped to take on such an entity.

My critiques are minor. A few words and phrases seemed odd coming from a kid who cannot remember the word "reincarnation", like describing her father "changing lanes" while driving. What kid even pays attention to that kind of thing?

Three different adults also use the word "piqued" when describing stressful situations. As in the father saying "You caught us at a real piqued moment" and the mother saying "Everything is so piqued." I have rarely heard this word used in this way so having so many different characters speak like this felt more like the author's voice than the character's.

There were also moments where I wanted more description and immersion in the story. Like when Bella describes the Other Mommy's face as being "big and crazy." I wanted to know what she was seeing.

The themes of the book resonated with me. The phrase "we're only as sick as our secrets" came to mind. The idea that souls are like houses that can become haunted if we allow negativity to take hold of us.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a truly shocking and relentless paranormal thriller with discussion-worthy themes. The exploration into family secrets and the intensity reminded me of Hereditary (2018). I pictured the monster as being similar to the bug-eyed face from the Momo challenge or the entity from the Smile films.