Horror
Incidents Around the House
by Josh Malerman
Quick take
This haunted house horror show about a family stalked by a malevolent entity will have you sleeping with the lights on.
Good to know
Family drama
Creepy
No quotation marks
Haunted House
Synopsis
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 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.
Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.
Free sample
Get an early look from the first pages of Incidents Around the House.
Why I love it
Rachael Burlette
BOTM Editorial Team
I scare easily. Send me into a haunted house and I will quickly enter into a state of panic and will probably try to leave as soon as possible. I am the definition of someone who should probably steer clear of scary things, and yet, I love books that terrify me. So, I picked up Incidents Around the House with lots of excitement. Did I have to avoid reading it before bed so I could sleep a little easier? Yes. Was it one of the most fun books I’ve read this year? Also, yes.
Incidents Around the House is told from the perspective of eight-year-old Bela, who has been visited for years by a malevolent entity living in her closet that has named herself “Other Mommy.” Every day Other Mommy asks Bela one question: “Can I go inside your heart?” Bela always says no even though Other Mommy has been kind to her. But the more Bela says “no” the more dangerous and stronger Other Mommy becomes. As strange things start happening around the house, Bela understands that until she says yes to Other Mommy, she might be putting her family and herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined.
This is a truly terrifying story that will scare even the most seasoned horror readers and should not be missed! My one suggestion: keep the lights on while reading this one…