This week, I’m delving into a recent audiobook encounter that left me extremely uneasy: Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. If you’re acquainted with Malerman’s work—perhaps from his seminal book Bird Box or the macabre Unbury Carol—you’ll know that this author has a talent for blending horror with an uncanny psychological edge. I’ve listened to and reviewed innumerable audiobooks, but Malerman’s distinct combination of otherworldly dread and human vulnerability keeps me going back for more. While this may be one of my most recent audiobook reviews, it will surely not be the last.
What pulled me into Incidents Around the House was not just Malerman’s reputation for engrossing, slow-burn horror, but also the remarkable comparisons I discovered between this narrative and works such as Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Both stories effectively depict the uncomfortable tension inside families as well as the growing horror of the unknown. However, Malerman distinguishes himself in this story by employing the point of view of an eight-year-old girl called Bela to heighten the sensation of vulnerability, transforming the supernatural menace into an extension of family collapse rather than a force from beyond.
So, let us investigate the dark tunnels of this eerie story—its themes, narrative twists, and, of course, terrifying finale.
Summary: An Account of Incidents Around the House
A Haunting in the Family
Incidents Around the House is primarily a ghost tale, but as with any excellent horror, it also explores a deeper theme: the breakdown of a family. The story is mostly written from the point of view of Bela, an eight-year-old girl who lives in a unique home. On the surface, her life seems to be normal suburban—complete with her loving, if occasionally busy, parents (“Mommy” and “Daddo”) and her staunch Grandma Ruth—but there is a cloud hovering over them all in the shape of “Other Mommy.”
Other Mommy is a ghostly apparition, but she’s not your typical spook. She has a unique way of troubling Bela, constantly asking the same unsettling question: “Can I go inside your heart?” This refrain provides the novel’s creeping gloom. The terror here isn’t in the jump scares or horrific creatures, but in how a single, recurrent question can shatter the mind of a little girl and her family. Over time, Other Mommy’s wishes become more urgent and deadly, and Bela realizes that if she does not find a means to stop this malignant entity, her family would pay a high price.
Characters: An Intimate Cast
Unlike other expansive horror novels that put numerous individuals in danger, Malerman keeps his cast small and personal, which only adds to the suspense. Bela is our main character, a youngster who is knowledgeable beyond her years in certain respects but sadly helpless to defend her family from the dread that only she seems to grasp. Through Bela’s eyes, we watch her family disintegrating: Mommy is kind but distracted, Daddo is aloof and emotionally unavailable, and Grandma Ruth attempts to hold things together, but even her strength begins to weaken as the occurrences around the home get more serious.
Each member of the family experiences Other Mommy’s presence in various ways, but Bela suffers the brunt of the otherworldly harassment. Malerman pulls on children’s fundamental dread of being neglected by adults, particularly in times of genuine peril. Despite Bela’s warnings, her parents either reject her concerns or, in their fury, aggravate her feelings of solitude. This emotional neglect becomes one of the most moving parts of the novel, as Bela is forced to confront not just a ghost but also her increasing isolation from her own family.
The Audiobook: A Terrifying Immersion
Listening to Incidents Around the House was a terrifying experience, due in large part to the amazing narration by Delanie Nicole Gill. Gill’s depiction of Bela is superb, portraying both the purity of youth and the growing horror that consumes her. Her ability to switch between Bela’s point of view and the growing tense atmosphere of the home was one of the audiobook’s highlights. At 8 hours and 23 minutes, it’s a narrative that never overstays its welcome, keeping a consistent and unrelenting pace throughout.
The choice to have Gill narrate from Bela’s point of view lets listeners to completely immerse themselves in the child’s limited awareness of the frightening events taking place around her. As Bela observes the breakdown of her family’s cohesiveness, Gill’s acting heightens her sense of powerlessness. By the time Other Mommy makes her last, frightening requests, the suspense is nearly intolerable, with listeners hanging on every word.
Theme: The Horrors Within the Home
Familial Breakdown
While Incidents Around the House is definitely a ghost tale, the most profound horrors stem from the family’s connections. The supernatural aspect of the narrative, the entity known as Other Mommy, is closely tied to the breakdown of trust and communication between Bela and her parents. As the happenings around the home worsen, so do the fissures in the parents’ marriage. Bela’s parents’ reluctance to take her seriously, along with their increasing estrangement from one another, empowers Other Mommy to control and torment them all.
It’s a chilling metaphor for how emotional neglect may cause more serious scars than any phantom apparition. Bela’s dread of Other Mommy is more than simply fear of the unknown; it is fear of losing her family to forces beyond her control. Bela’s family, like the family in The Haunting of Hill House, is ripped apart not just by the haunting, but also by their failure to address the difficulties that lurk under the surface.
Childhood Fear and Imagination
One of the most intriguing aspects in Incidents Around the House is how Malerman explores the concept of infantile dread. Children in horror tales are sometimes portrayed as being more in touch with the otherworldly than adults, and this is definitely the case here. Bela sees what her parents cannot—or refuse to see—and it is through her eyes that the reader witnesses the mounting threat of Other Mommy.
What distinguishes this story, however, is Malerman’s exploration of the blurred border between fantasy and reality. Bela is a perceptive kid, yet she remains a child. Her terror and uncertainty as Other Mommy gets increasingly violent are exacerbated by her parents’ refusal to recognize her experiences. The uncertainty of whether Other Mommy exists or is a reflection of Bela’s feelings and worries persists throughout the narrative, heightening the dread.
Spoiler Alert: Unraveling the Mystery and the Climax.
As the tale develops, the haunting becomes more difficult to ignore. What began as little, unnerving happenings around the home quickly escalated into a full-fledged supernatural onslaught. Other Mommy continues to exert her power in more tangible ways, appearing in the shadows of rooms, whispering in dark corners, and forcing items to move on their own. Malerman skillfully creates tension, increasing the peril with each new occurrence.
The Confrontation
The conclusion of Incidents Around the House is a frightening encounter between Bela and Other Mommy. The creature has gotten bored of quietly requesting to enter Bela’s heart, and her requests have turned savage. Bela, despite her youth, recognizes that going in to Other Mommy’s requests would be disastrous not just for herself, but also for her whole family.
In a final act of desperation, Bela confronts Other Mommy alone. The tension is nearly intolerable as Bela’s parents, who have finally acknowledged the otherworldly presence in their house, are unable to stop it. The physical and mental toll on the family is obvious, and Malerman heightens the terror by keeping Bela’s family’s final destiny uncertain.
Ending Explanation: The Haunting Lingers
The finale of Incidents Around the House is both vague and unsettling. Bela eventually defies Other Mommy’s request, which rescues her from the entity’s clutches. However, triumph is bittersweet. While the supernatural menace has been eliminated, the family has suffered lasting harm. Bela’s parents, who are already damaged, are incapable of healing the emotional wounds inflicted by the haunting.
Malerman provides readers with the unpleasant impression that, although the ghost has gone, the underlying horror—the breakdown of the family—remains. It’s an appropriate finish to a novel that combines otherworldly dread with the more subtle evils of emotional abuse and solitude. Malerman, as in Bird Box, refuses to provide a cleanly tied-up finale, instead choosing for one that lingers in the mind like a ghost.
Final Thoughts: A Must-Listen for Horror Fans
Incidents Around the House is a master lesson in psychological terror. Josh Malerman once again demonstrates his ability to combine the otherworldly with the extremely personal, crafting a narrative that is as much about family as it is about terror. With its eerie atmosphere, engaging characters, and nerve-racking suspense, this audiobook is a must-listen for anybody who appreciates slow-burning horror that gets under your skin.
If you’re a fan of Malerman’s past works or appreciate books like Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House or Stephen King’s The Shining, Incidents Around the House will keep you terrified long beyond the last chapter.
