**4.5-stars rounded up**

On its own, this may have been a 4-star read, but the story mixed with the stellar audiobook narration made this such a fun and memorable experience. I thought this was fantastically-eerie, and I appreciated the nods to the town of Goblin from Malerman's earlier work. The horror imagery was also so well-imagined.

For me, Josh Malerman is an author who I either love his work, or don't. Luckily, this was a complete success. I would say this is my favorite of his books that I've read so far.

In this story, we are following Bela, an 8-year old girl, who is perpetually haunted by a malevolent being she has taken to calling Other Mommy.
At first, Bela sees Other Mommy as a friend, but over time Other Mommy has grown a lot scarier, and a lot more persistent in her efforts to get Bela to 'let her into her heart'.

When horrifying incidents begin happening around the house, it becomes clear that Other Mommy is getting tired of waiting. It's growing bolder and seemingly more powerful. Even Bela's parents can no longer explain away Other Mommy as being a figment of their daughter's imagination.
They need help, which they seek outside the home, but nothing they try seems to work. They are desperate to keep Bela safe, but soon cracks within her parents marriage become craters.

Will they be able to reforge their family bonds for the good of them all, and hopefully banish Other Mommy forever, or will they ultimately fall under its evil influence?

This book instantly captured my attention. The audiobook, brilliantly-narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill, felt so authentic. Though 18-years old, I believe, Gill's narrative voice actually felt like that of an 8-year old girl; no shade intended. The delivery was impeccable. Getting this all from the perspective of an 8-year old, with age appropriate logic, made this feel creepier than it may otherwise have been. It also made the story feel unique and will stick in my mind for a long time.

I also appreciated how quickly Malerman kicked off the action and introduced us to Other Mommy. There's not a lot of beating around the bush here. You're just in it.

My favorite character in this story was Grandma Ruth. I love this type of character. An older one, who feels safe and wise, that comes in and helps the floundering younger people. Grandma Ruth also added a bit of lightness to an otherwise dark-filled story. I loved how much she loved her family, and those relationships all felt very realistic.

There's also some occult elements included, which I enjoyed. Overall, I feel like it's a well-rounded story that built nicely in intensity throughout. I was fully invested in it. I would absolutely recommend this to Horror Readers of all types. In particular, I would recommend the audiobook format, as I just feel it was so well done.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This makes me more jazzed about Malerman than ever. I can't wait for his next release!

Another amazing Malerman book! What is it about children that makes a book even more creepy? Especially when the focus is the parent/child dynamic. This book explores trauma, specifically emotional trauma, incredibly well. Children are perceptive and smart and Malerman captures the nuance of age and understanding.

5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It started soooooo good, I couldn’t put the book down, it was confusing on how the book was wrote but the author explained that, when you really get into the story it goes on smoothly, I like the 3rd part of the book best until the last part I was confused and super rushed, I did not liked it, it’s definitely I book I would not te read again, I do recommend it but I won’t say it’s the best cuz it was not but it was really creepy and it spooked me that I count even used the bathroom alone at night and I am an adult lol but the ending made it all go away, so NEXT!!!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I was actually scared - and that does not happen to me, ever! The tension built, and built, and I had no idea where it was going to go. I thought the narrative being from the perspective of the child might be strange, but it worked. It worked so well. I just can’t say enough good things!

Creepy or what?!

I raced through this page-turner even though it gave me goosebumps more than once. For reals. The storytelling through Bela's POV was so unique, authentic and compelling. I was hooked from start to end.

The ominousness, the dread, the suspense...! It just builds and builds and kept me wondering what would happen next or how it would all unfold. The book also navigates some very interesting themes with flair and subtlety. Masterful execution, truly.

Not sure how I feel about the ending even now... but damn.

Josh Malerman, you master of horror you.

I was excited to read this book. Very interesting taken from the child’s perspective but at times it was a little weird.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the early ARC! So I had this ARC for a while and decided to reserve it for the Halloween season. I heard more and more about this book as the spooky season approached, and how scary it was, which piqued my interest in reading it. Well, when the time came, I chose to try immersive reading, and I am so glad I did! All praise to the little actor (not sure whether it was a real child actor) who read this dramatic and terrifying narrative. She did an excellent job and was so precious throughout the book, making you want to love and protect her.

Other things I liked: The tale was creepy, as many reviews noted, and there was a lot of tension thrown in. The author did an excellent job of keeping the plot moving at a constant pace, ensuring that it never seemed monotonous or uninteresting. Not to say there weren't some slow moments. I also enjoy the behaviors and descriptions of the entity, which I suppose I will call her.
Things I didn't like: I thought the book went on for a little longer than it needed to, and most of the topics that had nothing to do with the entity weren't really appealing to me. Also, the parents' tale was okay to me, and there were some of the things I was able to predict, but not the huge twist at the conclusion. Some of the characters were quite annoying, but I feel they were created that way to advance the plot and introduce new components.

Overall, I enjoyed the narrative, and it was really spooky, especially while listening to the audio. I think the finale fell a little short for me and felt hurried with all of the secrets finally being revealed, but perhaps it was the only way it could have ended. The voice acting was excellent and contributed significantly to the book's thrill, anxiety, and horror.

This was creepier than anything I’ve ever read. Maybe because Bela is so young and naive, maybe it’s because I have kids and this would terrify me, maybe it’s because Other Mommy is just a nightmare incarnate and there seems to be no escape.

This was an interesting and creepy format. It's not often you get a story from a child's perspective and I believe Josh Malerman did a good job in portraying this. This book was creepy and there were lots of secrets that you don't see coming. Definitely worth the read.

What a super well-written horror novel! I absolutely loved this story. I genuinely felt the suspense and unease as I was going through the story. I thought the characters were well thought out and loved that the ending was...well...you'll have to read it to find out.

Really great haunted house novel from a unique POV. Malerman has such a way of building tension and had some genuinely terrifying moments.

This books is sure to win many awards this year!

THIS BOOK GAVE ME THE HEEBY JEEBIES. I literally got the chills multiple times reading this book, and honestly, I loved every second of it.

Enjoyed this one very much, another great horror suspense from author Josh Malerman. Never disappoints, highly recommend.

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QOTD- What was the last book or movie that scared you?

"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?”
When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay.
Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling.
But Other Mommy needs an answer.
Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home." -Goodreads

Well that was terrifying. A more intense and creepy version of Coraline is a good description for this one! An absolute must read for any horror lover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have mixed feelings about this one. It kind of gave off similar vibes to that movie MAMA, but instead of the parents being dead and the girls readopted, it's a single child that has a ghost that wants to take over her body and parents that slowly realize the horrors their daughter is facing. The ghost was pretty scary, I found myself a little on edge while reading it as if I just finished watching a scary movie. Some of the characters were unlikeable, but the plot twist at the end was excellent. I audibly shouted "No way!" at the end. I think one of the things that kind of dampened it for me was the daughter's name for her dad. Something about it just disrupted the story's flow. Otherwise I highly recommend this one. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to be able to read this book!

One of my favourite books of the year. Josh Malerman did it again! 5/5

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m a Josh Malerman superfan. I’ve read just about everything of his. See my reviews for Spin a Black Yarn, Daphne, Pearl, Goblin, Malorie, Inspection, A House at the Bottom of the Lake, Unbury Carol, Black Mad Wheel, and Bird Box. And I’m pleased to say this one is his finest work since Bird Box. I absolutely loved this one.

Bela lives at home with her Mommy, Daddo, and Other Mommy, who lives in her closet and wants Bela to let her into her heart. When Mommy and Daddo finally believe Bela that Other Mommy is real, they attempt to get OM to leave Bela alone. They try leaving the house, trying to get an exorcism, and driving far away, but nothing works. OM seems to be able to follow Bela everywhere.

This book is terrifying. There’s nothing gross or gory about it. But it’s so suspenseful from beginning to end. OM is so scary in how Bela describes her. The parents trying to protect Bela but continually failing is heartbreaking. But this book will stay with me for a long time.

I loved this!! I love when the main character of a thriller or horror book is a child but I feel like it’s difficult to do it well. Josh Malerman did an amazing job at making the main character’s inner dialogue realistic, just adding to the tension and creepy aspect of the story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A terrifying story, with a cast of relatable complex characters, that will equally scare you and warm your heart. Definitely recommend!

Bella, like a lot of kids, just wants a happy family and some good friends. So when she notices someone peeking out of her closet at night, who eventually coming out to talk & laugh with her, of course she believes them to be friends. This new friend asks Bella to call her Other Mommy but Bella doesn’t exactly know what it means when Other Mommy asks if she will let her inside her heart. The more Bella says no to Other Mommy, the more present Other Mommy becomes in Bella’s world. And it’s not long before it’s more than Bella who witnesses Other Mommy’s presence and the chaos she unloads.

Malerman did a phenomenal job of painting not only a harrowing tale of a paranormal presence but also of a relatable little girl with a family whose secrets threaten to become their ultimate downfall in the fight against Other Mommy.

4 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

Josh Malerman is an expert at creating relatable suspense and horror. His books are readable, scary, and fully engrossing.