Bella is eight years old. She has her own bedroom when she goes to bed one night, her closet door cracks open. At first she just sees eyes peering at her, then slowly the face appears and finally the entity comes out completely. When Bella asks her name, the entity says Other Mommy. At first, Bella and Other Mommy get along fine. However, Other Mommy starts to ask Bella if she can go in her heart? Bella says no. Eventually this makes Other Mommy mad at Bella. When Bella tells her parents about Other Mommy, thy don’t take it seriously. Then one day Bella’s mommy sees Other Mommy and can’t stop screaming. What will Bella’s mommy do? Other Mommy is no loner patient to get the answer she wants Bella. I’ll Bella change her mind and say yes?

The author has written a haunted, terrifying and creepy horror novel. You see and hear through Bella. Bella is so very real in this story. I enjoyed seeing what went on with Bella and her family. Her experience in the novel seemed so realistic, that I couldn’t wait to see what would happen in the next chapter.

Like a lot of readers I enjoyed Bird Box so very much! However I haven't found another of Malerman's books that I enjoyed at all.

CREEPY!! Loved the point of view of a child and did not think it would end the way it did, kept me on my toes for sure

Was I the only one that thought this was weird?

This was disappointing. It was creepy atmospheric but not spooky in the way I couldn’t go to sleep!

After 400 pages I was more confused. What the hell happened? Like it was told by an eight year old and it was so repetitive and no quotations whatsoever.

The mother got on my last nerve. I just didn’t understand everything that went on and nothing was really solved or said. To be honest I wanted to know why the other mother was in the closet.

Another thing that bothered me was the way the mother talked to Bela. The way she let her daughter see things. Like her holding another man’s hand or the fact she was gone half the time and the way she just told Bela about how she had so many affairs.

I really did not enjoy this book.
⭐️⭐️.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Malerman is back with another horror novel that is sure to become a modern classic. The setup seems fairly standard for paranormal horror: something dark is haunting a seemingly family in a suburban home. However, the way this story is told really enhances the creep factor. If you can get past the unconventional storytelling (there are no quotation marks for dialogue and the indentation is different than traditional formatting), this book is going to grab you by the throat and refuse to let go.

It's rare for me to get truly scared by a horror book nowadays - I read over 100 books a year, many of them horror, and so it's rare for a book to give me goosebumps. Incidents Around the House absolutely delivered. Bela, our POV, is an 8 year old child, and the way she narrates this book (and describes "other mommy") is truly effective horror storytelling! Fans of Paranormal Activity are going to love this one - just make sure you read it with the lights on and the closet door firmly closed!

This book!! I have never been so scared by a book in my life. This is my first book by Josh Malerman, but he is gifted at creating a truly horrifying scene through only words. Incidents Around the House is told from the point of view of Bela, an eight year old who lives with her mom and dad. Oh, and Other Mommy, the insanely creepy figure that lives in Bela’s closet. Other Mommy just wants one thing - permission to go into Bela’s heart.
Hearing the events of this story play out from Bela’s POV adds another level to how frightening it is. The author does a great job making her voice sound authentic (as the current parent of an 8 year old girl, I can confirm it’s pretty accurate) and the matter of fact way that she describes some of the scenes is both heartbreaking and terrifying. The plot dragged a little bit around two thirds into the story, but I was so invested by then it was easy to push through. This is a quick read because you will not want to put it down. Just be warned, the next time you wake up in the middle of the night, you will find yourself looking in the dark corners and wondering if you see eyes. And don’t even think about going to the toilet in the middle of the night… IYKYK!
5 stars, and one of my favorite books of the year. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bela has a secret friend. Her friend's name is Other Mommy. First Other Mommy hung out in her closet. Then she started leaving it and hanging around Bela’s room. Now she’s left the second floor. And did Bela see her at the playground and the zoo? And Other Mommy is asking Bela a weird question that makes her uneasy. Bela's starting to fear Other Mommy...

You’re not sure if Other Mommy is just an invisible friend. Bela's a bit old for that, but she's an only child and doesn't have many real friends, even at school. So it makes sense. At least, it does until Mommy sees her. Him. It.

The entire novel is told from the perspective of Bela, an 8-year-old girl. You wouldn't think it would work, but it just makes the entire book more believable as you see it through Bela's eyes. I don't know if this would have been as good or creepy otherwise, especially when the adults start seeing Other Mommy and freaking out.

Creepy vibes, creepy story, creepy kid. Loved it.

This was my first novel by Josh Malerman and it might not be my last. I loved the overall concept and the writing style, no quotation marks and short sentences. When reading this, I pretty much went in blind and I’m glad I did. The story is told from the point of view of Bela, an eight year old girl who is being haunted by “other mommy”. I thought the first half was fast paced and pretty creepy, but then it slowly started to become repetitive and a bit redundant. The ending felt rushed and after I finished I said to myself, wtf did I just read! I’d definitely recommend but with some warnings.

a good cross between spooky haunted house and an eery possession story. anytime there is a child who is seeing another "mommy" you know it'll be creepy.

Malerman's book, Bird Box, is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to read his newest offering. It did not disappoint! I enjoyed this family story about 8-year-old Bela, her mommy, her daddo, and her Other Mommy ( who happens to live in the closet in Bela's room). The writing was sparse, which I like in an author's writing but not without plenty of chills and suspense. Some of the dialogue was redundant, so I am giving this four stars instead of five. This is a fairly short book and it was a quick read, however, the ending wasn't satisfying to me. Maybe a sequel on the horizon?

Incidents Around the House is horror but it’s also super deep. **Spoiler alert: You will find no happy endings here. This book will leave you feeling deeply unsettled. I love when a horror book creates a profound feeling of dread that unfurls more page after page. If you read this; prepare for this one to stick with you for a long while…and maybe just peek in your closet to make sure other mommy isn’t hiding in there..

This was super addicting! I was thoroughly creeped out, and the ending was so unsatisfying in the best way. I really enjoyed the point of view from the child, it makes it way creepier. I only wish there were quotation marks during the dialogue.

Terrifying! This book was fantastically creepy. The way it was told through the eyes of the young child protagonist reminded me of Room, as the child narrators are unaware of how horrifying their experiences are to adults, and I thought it really worked for this story as well. My immediate reaction to the ending was disappointment, but I have now been thinking about it for the last 24 hours, and trying to fit all my theories and questions into some kind of cohesive picture is just what happened--so I'd say it was a successful ending even if I didn't necessarily love it. Highly recommended to horror fans!

This book was a good read. It definitely gave me a bit of Coraline vibes with "The Other Mommy" aspect, but it is a story that will stay in my head for a long time after reading it. I've read Malerman's Goblin and enjoyed his writing style and intricate details in stories and that made me interested in reading this story. This book will be good for people who are thriller fans and like to be spooked out.

There were parts of this story that gave me goosebumps. I was reading at night and sometimes had to put it down because I just couldn't take the feelings of dread. There are scenes that are truly terrifying. Reading from the child's POV didn't bother me as much as I expected it to, in fact, I thought it was really the best way to tell this story. However, the parts where the parents were ranting and venting while she was "asleep" simply so that we, as readers, could get more details didn't really work for me. It pulled me out of the story because it just didn't feel very realistic to me. I also thought that the running around frantically from house to house seemed a little ridiculous (but so were the adults) and repetitive. The ending really pissed me off but it made sense. This one was all about the experience for me. The horror/paranormal aspects were done so extremely well I thought I'd have nightmares. This would make a fantastic movie. I felt this one, chilling to the bone. 4.5 rounded up.

Read if you like:
👻 paranormal/haunting
⏩ fast-paced
💤 not being able to sleep at night

Bela is a young girl who begins talking to “Other Mommy” who lives in her closet. Other Mommy begins to terrorize the family, which is extremely frightening. This book is perfect for October reading as it is very creepy.

Bela loves her mom and daddo, but she is starting to dislike Other Mommy. Other Mommy lives in Bela’s closet but is gradually able to move more freely about the house nowadays. As the Other Mommy gains strength she starts to scare eight-year-old Bela. Gone are the nights where Bela and Other Mommy would play and have fun. Now Bela’s nights are filled with the strange sounds and disturbing faces that Other Mommy gives her. But Bela is starting to realize that maybe the Other Mommy isn’t the friend she used to be when the Other Mommy continuously asks to “let me into your heart” and something called reincarnation. Bela can only tell Other Mommy “no” so many times before she will ultimately give in.
Overall rating 3/5
Is it a haunted house? Is it a possessed child? Is it a demon? NO it is a horrible explanation that made absolutely no sense to me. Why do this to the reader? The eerie and gothic style of the book was fantastic and reeled me in right away. With a constant sense of fight or flight this book had me holding my breath. I was so excited and creeped out but was let down by the so-called reasoning behind the incidents. However, the ending was pure gold and I loved the abrupt cliff hanger. I wished we would have gotten more time in the closet “world” and more of a revelation into what the other mommy truly was. If you like Stephen King’s style of writing then this book is a definite read for you.
*Thank you to Josh Malerman, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I’ve read several Malerman books, but this one may be my favorite – and that’s saying something considering the horrifying novels he’s written.

A malevolent entity Bela calls Other Mommy lives in her bedroom closet. At first, she seems like a friend to the little girl. But lately she’s started venturing outside the confines of Bela’s room and asks if she can go inside Bela’s heart.

When Bela’s family learns about Other Mommy, they’re terrified and search for help and ways to protect her. As a parent, I easily understood their fear, frustration, and desperation after their efforts failed. Mommy and Daddo’s relationship is fractured, and I wanted to throttle Mommy for her actions. No spoilers here, so the less said about the plot the better, but there are several sections where my eyes widened in horror. If you’re reading in bed, make sure to check your closet – maybe even double or triple check – before settling in with this book.

This story is written in a unique way. Most of it is told from eight year old Bela’s perspective, and quotation marks around the dialogue are nonexistent. It feels authentic and adds to the overall feeling of dread in my opinion. I also enjoyed the mention of the town of Goblin, another Malerman book.

If you’re a horror fan, you’ll want to get your paws on this one. Recommended for believers of nothing that hides in the closet can be good, readers who get a thrill out of reluctantly looking over their shoulder, and fans of well-crafted, downright scary stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An absolutely fabulous new work by favorite Josh Malerman. I will legit read anything he writes! Highly recommend and will purchase for all library locations.

I received a free digital copy of “ Incidents Around the House” via Net Galley. My thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley.
This is a book of which I can honestly say , When you sit down to read you realize that you will not want to put the book aside. In a few pages of reading, I was drawn into the narrative flow that was extremely creepy and disconcertingly real. A little girl, Bella, who is about six years old has a new friend in her closet who when asked her name says, “ I’m your New Mommy”. New Mommy wants to be very close to Bella. So close that she wants to be part of Bella. Very much a part of.
The story is told in a conversations and dialogue. There is not much exposition or description ( world building to use the current phrase) , but there doesn’t need to be because the narrative is compelling. Bella’s parents unbelief becomes fear for their daughter’s safety and their own, as who - or what ever is attacking Bella grows in strength, forcing them to flee their house . The story moves rapidly to ever more heightened tension and inevitably to a finale that left me at first satisfied and then very uneasy. “ What did I just read.?” , I thought. A damn good horror story written by a master . Josh Malerman give the reader more than meets the eye is a short, gripping tension laden book. Highly recommended ( maybe not for.bedtime reading though.)

Easy five stars. No bad language , no sexual images.