Incidents Around the House
Ratings95
Average rating3.8
Frustrating one this. It started slowly, but I persevered and ended up very much enjoying the middle section, where things escalate and there’s a strong sense of rising terror. But the final act is pretty underwhelming and doesn’t really stand up to much interrogation at all. Almost brilliant, but ultimately falls short.
This book was very scary! It created an awesome sense of dread and I couldn’t put it down.
This was definitely the most horror book I've read in the past year for sure.
I was drawn to it because Other Mommy sounded so in line to “Boo” my imaginary childhood friend. Apparently after my house burned down as a kid, I told my parents I met Boo in the woods and he would guard my bedroom door of the mobile home we were in as we rebuilt and he was burnt. I don't remember this at all, but kids can be scary right?! 😂
It definitely had all the creepy vibes and I enjoyed the child being the narrator. Though I think she was more 5/6 instead of 8. The maturity level wasn't there. The parents were pure chaos too but now that I'm 34 I realize if this was happening to me I would be too.
The ending was what brought the rating down. I just wanted more but it also wasn't the worst. Overall creepy vibes and definitely a different book. If you love Coraline but want an adult version, this would be it!
This book is legitimately scary. The concept is great and the execution is there. I didn't care for these people all that much, outside of Bela, but I thought that Malerman was mining some pretty deep concepts through his stilted engagements between this oddly coupled couple while also doubling down on frightening sequences with just the right pitch and repetition. The ending wasn't perfect and not what I wanted, but was plausible, all things considered. Malerman's use of the word piqued about half dozen times in places that were suspect grated on me and piqued my interest about that artistic choice and what might have prompted it. Still, overall, the novel really marked a return to form for me with his work. Not since Birdbox have I found myself so invested.
This was a quick and really creepy read. The whole 'Other Mommy' entity really got my skin crawling but I also had some issues with it.
As it's told from Bela's POV, it does get a bit repetitive and samey around the middle.
Also, Ursula (aka real mother) is possibly one of the most unlikeable characters, hearing her constant anger, whining and pity party was nearly unbearable.
I like Josh Malerman's short stories, and I feel like this one could have worked as a novella rather than a full length novel.
Lmao like half of this book is 5 stars but half of this book is 1 star. You “I was paid to write an honest review” folks need to start writing honest reviews.
There are some interesting ideas, sure. But let’s be honest here. What makes this a 5 star book? Is it original? No. Is it written exceptionally well? No. Are plot points followed completely? No. Are metaphors clear and explicit? No.
First and foremost: is the overall point of this book original in any way? Not in the slightest.
I’m just gonna skip the nitpicking and go straight into the meat. People are bad? Let’s corrupt a child because that’s how humans are. Oh wait, let’s go deeper…and then just…not? The whole book is a misogynistic exploration into wives and Malerman doesn’t even have the cojones to bring up the “b*tch wife’s” cheating when she’s “being honest”? Come on, bro…
A good 80% of the characters were antitheses of Chekov’s guns and most everything ended up going nowhere. Without spoiling, the ending was completely botched. Just like Tik Tok political discourse, I’m getting super jaded on reading reviews on here.
TL;dr turns out Josh Malerman just isn’t a very good writer
It wasn't bad but I do feel like it would have worked better as a short story, at about 30% it drags and drags until the final like 20%.
Knew how that was going to end. I feel like the character who truly deserved to suffer was Mommy. She was the worst!
I enjoyed reading this, but the audiobook made it even creepier. The narration really helped with the confusing parts, especially since it was written from a child's POV.
It wasn't as scary as
One of the best, unique horror I’ve read in a really long time. Story had me hungry for more. While controversial, I’d say ending fits the premise 🤷🏽♂️
Leave it to Josh Malerman to hit it out of the park again! This book was wonderfully spooky annd atmospheric, the tension built well, and had genuinely creepy moments. The way he writes adds to the overall nightmare that builds throughout the book. Loved every minute of it, and never wanted to put it down. Highly suggest this to those who love horror, the is a fun and horrifying adventure into a families worst nightmare.
Holy crap! What a book! It's the creepiest book I've read in my life! Bela is a girl who has a “friend”. Is it an imaginary friend? This book is told from the child's POV. I think that is what makes The Other Mommy so scary and menacing. Also Bela's parents aren't abusive but their confessions when they think she is sleeping make it more uncomfortable IMO. This is my favorite Josh Malerman. If you're in for a good scare I HIGHLY recommend this book.
I’ve read plenty of books about hauntings, and some of them involved children, but to actually read one from the child’s point of view is absolutely next level. Adults being haunted can make their own decisions but 8-year-old Bela was not only at the mercy of the haunting, she was at the mercy of her parents and whatever decisions they made. As a child, she’s completely powerless. Remembering and sitting with that feeling while reading made Incidents Around the House so much scarier for me.
Of all the books I’ve read that were written from the perspective of a child (but meant for an older audience) a couple have worked, but most haven’t. This one is definitely the most well done of them all.
Malerman does an amazing job of making the reader truly feel like they’re being told a story by a little girl. The writing is a little disjointed, but not distractingly so. When she uses a word a typical 8 year old may not know, Bela explains that Mommy or Daddo taught it to her. When we need more adult information, it’s told through a memory Bela has, or a conversation some adults have in front of her. Bela never knows more than she should or feels way too smart for her age, but her narration does still serve as a great reminder that kids can pick up on things and are smarter than most people give them credit for.
I think Incidents Around the House is the best of the horror I’ve read this year. It’s super unique and certainly among my favorites!
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
My experiences with Malerman's books vary so widely and unfortunately Incidents Around the House was a miss. To start with the positives: I thought the premise was unique. We follow eight-year-old Bela, whose parents have a slightly tumultuous marriage. Bela has been seeing an entity in her room, who she calls Other Mommy. The descriptions – and lack thereof – of Other Mommy make her truly creepy. There are some genuinely terrifying moments in this, and Malerman is great at keeping the tension up.
Unfortunately, I also felt like a lot of this dragged for me. Between the eerie moments, there were a lot of monologues. My issue was primarily that I didn't understand what he was trying to convey here. I also struggled a bit with the writing style and would often have to reread passages to fully understand what was going on and who was speaking. My caveat being that I'm not sure how much of this was due to the writing or due to it being an advanced copy. Either way, I do seem to be in the minority as this has a pretty high average rating. So if it seems up your alley, it's probably worth checking out.
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-ARC! Malerman has been an auto-buy author for me since reading Bird Box and he does not disappoint!
Incidents Around the House is written entirely in the perspective of Bela, an eight-year-old that has frequent nightly visits from the Other Mommy in her closet. Unsettling, creepy, and often nauseating, the prose is somehow simplistic—as a child’s writing demands—yet surprisingly elegant and powerful. I was so impressed by the balance the author struck between the two, and it heightened my enjoyment throughout. I really found it hard to put this down (while sadly training at the new job).
Focusing heavily on what goes bump in the night, Malerman takes childhood fears and turns them into adulthood traumas. There was a single line about how Other Mommy was hiding in the dark corner, but her eyes were up near the ceiling that truly gave me chills. And that’s where this story excels, within its endless possibilities, within what it leaves unsaid. It’s childhood stories, it’s Goosebumps and Fear Street and Are You Afraid of the Dark, yet it’s deconstructed, enhanced, and rewound into an entirely unique and adult novel.
Bela’s Mommy and Daddo are great characters in their own right, but they’re also great characterizations of polar opposites in parenting. One feels trapped, ungrateful, and the bearer of bad news. The other is the optimistic, uplifting one, and Bela’s best friend. The light and the dark to their daughter. But what I enjoyed about this dynamic the most, was Malerman’s ability to showcase them so well that I stopped believing that I knew which parent was the “good” one. The rock-bottom feel of their desperation and disparity is something I would say is wholly unique and integral to the experience. And Bela is constantly drawn to the two for different reasons. And to Other Mommy too.
I also really enjoyed that the author gives us a mixture of modern things thrown in. A modern “hippie” exorcism that goes a bit wonky, a slew of cameras and alarms that could make my crew in BestGhost’s heads spin, two well behaved guard dogs that never seem to take a break, running away from home, both short and long trips, and of course, an occult specialist that’s absolutely not a sham. It kind of felt like taking absolutely everything you could do to save yourself, and finding out that all of it wasn’t the right thing.
I happened to be reading this at the same time as Baptiste Pinson Wu’s historical fantasy, Undead Samurai. The juxtaposition of zombies, swords, and action against Malerman’s slowed down, slithering, creepy-crawly horror, just really sold the experiences. And it really sold Malerman’s ability to sell an incredible story with a slower burn.
Can Other Mommy be trusted? Can she be let into Bela’s heart? Why is she named that? The absolutely unhinged act of twisting the dynamic of mother and daughter into something OTHER is truly brilliant. And gross, so gross.
Malerman is at his best, delivering readers with something to think about for years to come, especially before we turn out the lights. I genuinely feel for any reader that has a young daughter.
Ooo this book!
I'm always looking for books about possession, but let's be honest there are not a lot of options. The Exorcist still stands as one of my favorite books of all time and I would easily say Incidents Around the House holds a flame to it. I devoured this book.
I literally stayed up late, couldn't put it down. The atmosphere is absolutely frightening and there were moments I had to look over my shoulder. I recall listening to all the bumps in the night and instantly thinking of this book. It's scary, it's creepy, it's full of surprises. The ending was unexpected and not typical which I adored.
Written from the perspective of a child, Josh Malerman slayed. It's like Bela is real and I could see a lot of her characteristics and interactions in my own daughters of similar age.
Characters are flawed, perfectly and the interactions between them are organic.
I don't want to spoil too much about the “entity” so go in blind and let go of every trope you associate with possession/demon books or movies.
Incidents Around the House is a treat for us seeking books about possession and one that will shock and wow you. I expect this book to have a lot of hype and it's well worth it.
“Incidents Around the House” masterfully intertwines chilling moments of dread with deep psychological horror and a touch of family drama. Through the innocent yet perceptive eyes of eight-year-old Bela, the story unfolds a haunting narrative, where the terror of “Other Mommy” is as palpable as the cracks in her family's facade.
The book excels in crafting scenes that resonate with pure terror, making your skin crawl at the mere thought of what lurks in the shadows. It's not just about the supernatural entity haunting Bela's family; it's the way this malevolence seeps into the family's very core, amplifying the existing tensions and fears.
The blend of otherworldly horror with the psychological and familial gives the novel a unique flavor.. While the pacing has its ups and downs, with some scenes feeling repetitive, these moments do not significantly detract from the story's overall impact.
“Incidents Around the House” is a compelling read for those who relish a story that combines the thrill of supernatural horror with the complexity of human relationships, all wrapped up in a blanket of dread.