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 same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must 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 on the brink of unraveling.   But Other Mommy needs an answer.  

Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home.

Review

Trigger warnings: Alcohol use, parenting problems/regrets

Honestly not sure where to start because, whoa, that was a lot.

The story is told by Bela, a young girl, so the narration and perspective are very intimate and make the events that happen even more unsettling. For me, this was because Bela never actually completely describes the creature, which is somehow scarier than knowing exactly what it looks like.

It was hard to put this down and the story had a flow to it, even with the unique narrator.

On a personal note, I harbor great hatred for Ursula and, to an extent, Russ, for very different reasons. (IYKYK)

I’m still mad about a lot in this book, and I’m still thinking about that ending. Josh Malerman made me feel a certain way for sure with this one!