Incidents Around the House

By Josh Malerman

Review

'Other Mommy' lives inside eight-year-old Bela's closet. But recently she's started showing up elsewhere too. Other Mommy's patience is running out at Bela's refusal to let her into her heart. Bela's parents believe Other Mommy is just a harmless imaginary friend. . . that is until incidents start happening around their house. They soon realise Other Mommy is very real — a malevolent entity that's trying to possess their daughter. Will their already fragile marriage survive the horrors that await as they fight for their daughter's life?

Author Josh Malerman's book Bird Box totally blew me away when I read it back in 2018. The concept was amazing. Nearly 7 years later I still think about it. Whilst Incidents Around the House was a good read, it didn't grab me in the way Bird Box did. I wasn't scared enough. What Malerman conveys in abundance though is the hopelessness and isolation the family feel. I think it would translate well as a movie or tv series with all the bells and whistles special effects could provide. For me the book didn't quite do it.

★★★☆☆

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Nightfire
• Publication Year: 2024
• Author: Josh Malerman
• Genre: Horror

Synopsis

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.