I flew through this book in a single day but it took me a couple of days before I could write the review for it because I needed a little bit of time to collect my thoughts about what I had just read. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this book and I think it was one of my favorites of the year so far, I just have a lot of feelings about it.

In this you’re following a very young girl and how she is being targeted by a spirit/entity/demon that she calls Other Mommy. Other Mommy keeps asking if she will “let her into her heart”. She repeatedly tells Other Mommy no. Over the course of the book Other Mommy gets more and more insistent that she let her in, with more unsettling and upsetting things happening around her/to her and her family as she keeps saying no.

I loved this book so much. I liked that the story was told from the POV of the child. I haven’t read very many stories like that and it was interesting to see that. When your main character in your adult book is only 8 years old there is a lot of stuff that she just isn’t going to know about and reading from that perspective was interesting.

I loved Bella as a character. Being in her head for the entire book was a unique experience for me. I liked her relationship with the other characters, especially with her family. I can’t get too far into the parents because spoilers but I wasn’t the biggest fan of them to put it lightly. The spirit/entity/demon was super interesting. You don’t get a whole lot of background on it so if you go into this hoping to learn what it is or where it comes from your going to be dissatisfied but I still liked it a lot. It was creepy and deeply unsettling and horrifying and I really liked it as a concept.

I loved that her parents didn’t spend half the book not believing her anbout what was going on and were right there with trying to fix things. Reading their efforts to try and girt rid of the spirit/entity/demon was fascinating and while they ended up doing a lot of stuff just flat out wrong I liked that they were actually trying.

I kind of saw the ending coming but I still loved it.

My one major complaint is the monologues. The mom and dad characters have a lot of monologues throughout the book and it can seem a bit plot dumpy but it’s worth it because it ends up being the source of one of the biggest scares in the book imo.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it for horror fans in general and fans of the authors previous work specifically.

Incidents Around the House is a creepy horror story about a little girl, the women with an upside-down face in her closet, and parents who will do just about anything to save her. Honestly, when I first started reading this one, I thought it would be a DNF because of how it’s told which is through the little girl, Bela’s POV. It read like it too which took a lot of getting used to. But the creepy stuff that was happening overshadowed the narrative for me and I found myself really enjoying this one. It’s SCARY. I had goosebumps running up and down my arms when reading and before I went to bed, I was afraid to turn off the lights before leaving the room. This book sticks with you and I know many readers of horror will devour this possession type horror just like I did. Now I’m ready to read Malerman’s entire backlog!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Horror Novels
❥ Possessions and Haunted Houses
❥ Books that will chill you to the core

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay, so this is very creepy!

I kind of have a love/meh relationship with the author’s books. Some I love. Some, I’m ambivalent on. Add this to the Love List!

At first, I thought I was going to get a bit tired of the narrative voice. I’m not best when we’re solely in the POV of a child. However, I was soon completely involved in this story and found myself really creeped out by Other Mommy!

The story mixes a lot of heartbreak with the chills and ends up being a simply fantastic read!

• ARC via Publisher

Thank you NetGalley and Josh Malerman for the eARC!

This review is a more challenging one to right as I don’t read many true horror novels (suspenseful, sure) and so I don’t have a lot to compare this book to.

To begin, the creepy/horror factor was a 10/10. I don’t typically dream (or have nightmares for that matter), but after reading this book, in the dark, at night, I 100% had a nightmare from reading this one. So if you’re looking for that spooky/scary/creepiness, I think this is a great book for that.

I feel conflicted about telling it from the POV from a young child. I think this story could not be told any other way, and that’s what made it so good, BUT it was just a little bit distracting. Again though, I don’t think it would have been intense enough, had it been written in a different way, so I don’t think anything should be changed about it. I thought it was interesting and different and made the book even creepier, the grammar was just a bit distracting at times. But I get why it is the way that it is.

I thought this was an excellent horror novel, and I think it has the potential to turn into a really creepy movie, which I would definitely watch.

All in all, would definitely recommend!

A family’s nightmare brought to life. A young girl has been seeing an entity, who wants to take her place in life. She manages being friends with the being for awhile, until it starts to scare her. At this point, the entity starts to show itself to others, causing the girl and her family to run away from it. But it follows them, and they have to face their own demons in hopes to get rid of it for good.

This book had a lot of family drama. I found it a little strange how the girls parents would get drunk and confess their life secrets to their young daughter in bed pretending to be asleep. She also seemed to have a profound understanding of the world for being such a young girl which was not realistic. I wanted more out of the plot and resolution, so I was left disappointed.

JOSH MALERMAN IS A HORROR GENIUS. Did I stay up too late to finish? Yes. Did I have nightmares afterward? Also yes.

It is rare to find a male writer who writes a true and realistic female perspective, but I always feel like he gets it right. I will beg to read his ARCs forever.

Bella is eight years old and lives with her mommy and daddy. Sounds like a typical family right? But Other Mommy lives in her closet and soon wants more than Bella is willing to give. Bella is trying to navigate a situation that she is much too young to understand. Heck I’m quite a bit older than Bella and I would have trouble dealing with something like this living in my house!
It was such an unusual way to tell this scary story. Bella is after all only a child and all of her limited views of the world around her shine through. I’m not going to talk more about the story, but in my opinion, it’s one definitely worth reading.

That’s right, the author who wrote BirdBox is at it again with a creepy disturbing read, this one much more on the paranormal side. The story is told from the perspective of a child named Bela who encounters a well, strange demon entity thing she calls “Other Mommy” that the family thinks is just an imaginary friend. It's scary as hell. And readers get to enjoy the gruesome drama unfold within this family and the house they live in. Personally I love stuff like this so I had to read it immediately. I enjoyed my experience for sure. Was it the greatest thing I've read? No. But the short time I spent with it was freaky!

4⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc of this book!
This was..a journey, to say the least. I thought the concept was cool and I liked the writing style a lot, but the end was super weird. I didn't like it at all. I'm sure I could enjoy more of his writing in the future, but the end of this one weirded me out in a way that completely confused me. I could recommend this one, but it wasn't for me.

A chilling horror novel narrated from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl named Bela. The story details the haunting experiences of Bela's troubled family, who are targeted by a sinister entity Bela refers to as "Other Mommy." This entity seems to embody a nightmarish version of maternal influence, deeply affecting Bela's perception of her family and her sense of security. The novel explores themes of fear, family dynamics, and the impact of supernatural forces on the everyday lives of its characters. As Bela grapples with the terrifying presence of the "Other Mommy," the safety and stability of her family are increasingly compromised, creating a tense and suspenseful atmosphere.

3.75⭐️
Thank you to #Netgalley & the publisher for a chance to review an arc of Incidents Around the House. I loved the concept of this psychological horror. "Other mommy" seems to live in a little girl's closet, named Bela. She's scared by her at 1st, but eventually she becomes friends with other mommy, She makes her feel better. Her mommy and daddo don't seem as happy as they used to be and fight a lot, which makes her feel scared, so it's nice to have a friend, right?
The story is narrated entirely through a child's voice, which took some getting used to, as her emotions were very matter of fact and flat at times. I loved the creepy descriptions of other mommy. I especially loved the playground scene. It def freaked me out the most. The rest was just a fun time. I found that I read it pretty fast and it kept my attention. I was a little let down by the way the parents tried to solve the problem near rhe end of the story. "Real mommy" is pretty unlikable and doesn't make the best decisions through out. However, I was satisfied with the very ending, as it just felt right. Cinematic even. I feel like this is a memorable story that will stick w/ me.

OH MY GOODNESS!! This book gave me chills multiple times. I was 30% of the way in and couldn't believe how crazy it already was - and it did get creepier and scarier!

The story is told entirely from the perspective of 8 year old Bela. She lives with Mommy, Daddo, and gets to see Grandma Ruth pretty regularly. But she's had a friend for a while, "Other Mommy" who lives in her closet and is her only friend who keeps asking her "Can I go inside your heart?" Bela doesn't answer Other Mommy's question and it seems like Other Mommy is tired of asking the question. As the incidents increase in frequency and intensity, Bela's family rallies to try and keep her safe. But are her parents able to put aside their past and present challenges to do so?

The fact that this is told from Bela's perspective made it that much scarier for me. Other Mommy and the incidents are described in such child-like, simplistic language that it made my imagination run wild with how horrible and frightening everything must really be, since an 8-year olds ability to describe things is going to different than that of an adults. Which also meant I kept seeing the book play in my head as a movie - also leading to the creep factor. I'm reading something light and fluffy after this!!

What would you do to protect your loved ones?
One family is put to the test, when an evil paranormal entity becomes obsessed with their daughter, Bela.

You may not think that a horror book could be scary with a child as a narrator, but this author made it work. The entity in question, known as "Other Mommy", wisely develops a friendship with Bela, before making "her" demands. And it takes some time for others to see her, making Bela more vulnerable.

So, when you find out your house is haunted, the easy thing to do would be to leave. Weeeellll, Other Mommy is one persistent b***h. A good part of the story is the family trying to outrun her, and while I was sympathetic to the exhaustion and stress of Mommy and Daddo (as Bela refers to them), these scenes seemed repetitive at some point. Why? Bela never really takes a stand against the entity.

Bela's innocence plays a big part of the story, often quietly observing the chaos around her, but I wonder if she played a role in encouraging it.
What could she have done differently?
I don't know, but I think this would be a good book club selection, as I think many things are left open to interpretation. Why did this entity select Bela? Why did she do what she did in the end?

Although this book didn't have my heart racing like Bird Box, it did take on a familiar horror theme and turned it on its head, which I liked. From the genre and my review, you'll know if this book is for you or not. If you decide to take it on, prepare to be unsettled.

Josh Malerman is an auto-buy author for me, and this has been on my most anticipated list since the cover reveal.

Not only did it not disappoint, but it is easily in my top (if not THE top) books of the year. This is everything I want in a horror book. The narrative voice was perfectly executed and worked well to create a sense of underlying tension that grew stronger as the book progressed and ultimately resulted in one of the scariest depictions of an entity that I've ever encountered. The imagery for Other Mommy is as stunning as it is horrifying, and I could not put this down.

I also loved the dichotomy of perspectives. The child voice versus the adult reader. The child voice compared to what she hears and does not understand from the adults around her. Just so well done.

Overall, you don't want to miss this book. Incidents Around the House is an instant classic, one I will definitely re-read many times over.

Huge thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

JOSH MALERMAN DOES IT AGAIN. Oh my GOD. Ever since Birdbox Malerman has been a must-read of mine, and Incidents Around the House is terrifying, moving, genius.

Incidents around the House is legit scary. A ghostly “Other Mother” terrorizes a young girl and her family. Malerman expertly brings the reader into his macabre world, into the mind of a terrified, but enchanted, child. Prepare for your childhood bogeyman to re-emerge in your mind as you travel through this deliciously creepy tale. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Malerman is a must-read author for me!

This is not your typical haunted house/possession story. “Other Mommy” isn’t the only thing haunting this family. Malerman has crafted characters who are really grounded in reality. The parents aren’t depicted as being flawless. They make mistakes as parents and as adults. Their daughter, Bela, questions everything around her like most children do, and I love the insight Malerman gives her when she tries to decipher her parents’ moods. Incidents Around the House‘s pacing manages to keep the tension high: there were times where it felt like I was holding my breath while reading. I found myself having to stop and gather myself because it was so scary.

Whyyyyyy do I do this to myself? I am a huge weenie and I hate being scared, so why do I keep reading horror books? I just finished INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE and let’s just say I’m going to make sure my nightlight is plugged in tonight. It was as scary as The Exorcism or The Conjuring, in my opinion.

INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE is about a young girl, Bela, who has always had a mysterious friend. “Other Mommy” lives in her closet, and she always asks the same horrifying question: "Can I go inside your heart?” Other Mommy smells like a sewer, has thick dark hair on the backs of her arms, and sometimes her eyes are on the side of her head. And although she used to remain in the closet, she’s getting bolder: she sits on Bela’s bed, watches her from the bathroom, and then begins following her outside her home to the zoo and the park. Terrifying, right?

Josh Malerman tells this story in a unique, non-traditional way. There are no quotation marks and everything is written in Bela’s stream of consciousness.

I really got into this story and couldn’t wait to finish it. Now that I have, I am really uneasy! I’m sure I’ll have nightmares tonight.

If you like horror movies that deal with demonic possession that make you want to wear a crucifix around your neck or get a little vial of holy water, just in case, you’ll like this one!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey for the early digital copy of INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE in exchange for my honest opinion. It scared the hell out of me!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

This was my first Josh Malerman book and after reading this book, I want to read more from him. We are following the perspective of 8 year old Bela who is seeing”Other Mommy” , an entity that first shows up in the daughter’s closet, but begins following the family around. Other Mommy starts to show herself to not only the daughter, but to other family members and friends which begins a terrifying story. The family quickly starts to unravel and they are desperate to find help in getting rid of Other Mommy,

This was a fast-paced and quick read, I had a hard time putting it down. There were some creepy elements, but nothing that was overly terrifying. I didn’t mind reading from a child’s perspective, but I started getting annoyed with Bela calling her dad “Daddo.” I’ve never heard of someone calling their dad that and it got so repetitive. The ending had me a bit confused and fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for a bigger, more dramatic ending.

If you’re looking for a creepy fast paced horror book to read this summer I would recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.