Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**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!