Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Book Review: Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Josh Malerman, the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box, delivers another spine-chilling narrative in  Incidents Around the House, a haunting tale that blends domestic horror, psychological tension, and the unsettling vulnerability of childhood. Told through the fragmented, innocent voice of eight-year-old Bela, this novel reimagines the haunted house trope by centering not on a place, but on a family unraveling under the weight of an insidious entity known as “Other Mommy”.

 Incidents Around the House‘s greatest strength lies in Bela’s narration, which Malerman crafts with meticulous attention to a child’s limited vocabulary and fragmented logic. Dialogue lacks traditional quotation marks, sentences are short and repetitive, and observations are filtered through Bela’s naive lens a stylistic choice that may infuriate some readers, but you cannot deny Malerman’s guts at using such a distinct narrative style.

This approach amplifies the horror, as readers need to fill in the gaps in Bela’s understanding. For instance, when Other Mommy, a blue-furred, shape-shifting entity with “hairy palms” and a jumbled face, asks daily, “Can I go inside your heart?”, Bela’s confusion and fear feel visceral. Malerman exploits the dissonance between childhood innocence and existential dread, leaving readers to imagine the horrors Bela cannot articulate.

The true haunting here is not the house but the family itself. Bela’s parents, “Mommy” and “Daddo,” are in a failing marriage filled with infidelity and emotional neglect. Mommy’s selfishness appears to no no limits, she abandons Bela during a crisis and dismisses her fears. While Daddo’s forced cheerfulness masks guilt and helplessness. \

Their failures as parents create a vacuum that Other Mommy exploits, symbolizing how dysfunctional families can manifest as literal horror. Malerman draws parallels to Coraline and Hereditary, where domestic instability becomes a breeding ground for supernatural malevolence.

 Incidents Around the House‘s pacing mirrors a slow-burn nightmare. Early chapters establish monotony, Bela’s routines, and recycled parental arguments to lull readers into a false sense of security. Yet Malerman seeds dread through subtle details: rattling vents, shadows that “writhe,” and Other Mommy’s escalating intrusions, which progress from closet lurking to mimicking loved ones.

At its core,  Incidents Around the House explores the fragility of childhood safety. Bela’s belief that her love can protect her family, “If I say yes to Other Mommy, maybe she’ll leave them alone”, echoes real-world children’s tendency to internalize blame for adult failures. The novel also critiques societal neglect of innocence; Bela’s parents and even well-meaning adults like Grandma Ruth fail to shield her, forcing her to confront horrors alone.

While the child’s perspective is innovative, it occasionally strains believability. Bela’s parents deliver monologues about affairs and existential guilt at her bedside, which is not something this parent has ever done.

I understand why Mallerman has done it, but maybe a wee bit of editing and cutting back of these scenes would have helped with he overall pacing of the novel.

Similarly, the pacing stumbles in the middle, with repetitive confrontations between Bela and Other Mommy. However, the final act compensates this with a harrowing climax.

The ambiguous ending, which leaves Bela’s fate open to interpretation, might leave some readers begging for a proper resolution. However, thankfully, this reviewer loves an ambiguous ending when done correctly, and thankfully Incidents Around the House does this perfectly.

Malerman’s unflinching portrayal of the decay of family, paired with his knack for primal scares, cements this as a standout in contemporary horror. Its atmospheric dread and innovative narration elevate it above conventional haunted-house tales. As Grady Hendrix notes, “This book is the monster that lives inside your closet” a testament to its lingering, insidious power.

Incidents Around the House is a chilling reminder that the most terrifying hauntings can be the ones that we live with every single day.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

‘This book is the monster that lives inside your closet’
GRADY HENDRIX, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

From the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box, Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddy 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 question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon 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 about to unravel.

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

‘A gleeful, mean, old-school scare machine . . . You just have to turn the first page to set it off’
PAUL TREMBLAY, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Horror Movie

Readers are terrified by Incidents Around the House . . .
‘Super creepy and unsettling’
‘I think I’ve hurt my vocal cords after screaming too much!’
‘Get ready for a good scare!’
‘Do you like to be scared? Then this is the book for YOU!!!’

Further Reading

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