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detective_dipstick's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
himpersonal's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
Needed to DNF after a couple chapters, but I got lazy.
Generally, I don’t like children narrators. I think most adults actually forget how children think and talk, and their voices are written inconsistently or too (im-)mature. This was the case here, and when we finally got to the reveal, the parents started unloading their very adult secret to a kid who probably didn’t know what half the words meant.
Kinda mad at myself for bothering to finish.
Generally, I don’t like children narrators. I think most adults actually forget how children think and talk, and their voices are written inconsistently or too (im-)mature. This was the case here, and when we finally got to the reveal, the parents started unloading their very adult secret to a kid who probably didn’t know what half the words meant.
Kinda mad at myself for bothering to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
pitbulls_and_prose's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Eight-year-old Bela loves her family. But lately, someone (or something) else has been spending time with her, and Bela calls her "Other Mommy". Scary things start happening around the house, and not only to Bela, but family and friends as well. Her parents are determined to fight whatever "Other Mommy" is and protect their daughter. They are desperate enough to try just about anything.
I liked this book. It delivered on being an extra creepy, haunted house story. The book is told entirely through Bela's perspective which lends to the creep factor because she's too young to fully grasp how much danger she is in. She eavesdrops on her parents a lot and you can tell she never quite thinks this haunting is as big of a deal as it is. You never fully know what's around each corner or who Bela is even talking to. Bela's inner monologue is at times very immature (rightfully so, she's eight) and at other times extremely mature. This was a very curious writing decision from the author. The parents' mental states both devolve throughout this book and you can tell by how they start talking to Bela like an adult more and more. While I did enjoy this, it wasn't anything new or special. If you're looking for a quick read to scare you for a bit, you can't really go wrong with this one, but there are better stories out there.
I liked this book. It delivered on being an extra creepy, haunted house story. The book is told entirely through Bela's perspective which lends to the creep factor because she's too young to fully grasp how much danger she is in. She eavesdrops on her parents a lot and you can tell she never quite thinks this haunting is as big of a deal as it is. You never fully know what's around each corner or who Bela is even talking to. Bela's inner monologue is at times very immature (rightfully so, she's eight) and at other times extremely mature. This was a very curious writing decision from the author. The parents' mental states both devolve throughout this book and you can tell by how they start talking to Bela like an adult more and more. While I did enjoy this, it wasn't anything new or special. If you're looking for a quick read to scare you for a bit, you can't really go wrong with this one, but there are better stories out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
lizgom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I hated so many things about this book, solely because what the f*ck is up with this family. Sh*t hit the fan so early in the book, I wasn't expecting that lol.
I started reading the book and was creeping myself out so I decided to go the audiobook route because I wouldn't be able to push through if I was the one setting the tone. Overall the story was interesting, I really like all the reactions it got out of me. I don't remember the last time I actually felt SOMETHING while reading.
Definitely read the triggers to this before picking it up.
I started reading the book and was creeping myself out so I decided to go the audiobook route because I wouldn't be able to push through if I was the one setting the tone. Overall the story was interesting, I really like all the reactions it got out of me. I don't remember the last time I actually felt SOMETHING while reading.
Definitely read the triggers to this before picking it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
issymaae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
hauntedantiqueshop's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- Who the FUCK talks to their 8 year old kid like that? They’re straight up monologuing AT this kid.
- Their kid is the ONLY kid at this random party her parents are throwing, where the adults are all openly drinking and half asses sneaking smoking weed and she’s the evening entertainment as a little dancer??? what kind of Shirley Temple shit is this. 🤨
- What kid EXCLUSIVELY calls their father daddo? That isn’t a thing.
- Of course they made the mom a whore that was annoying, it’s like the author wanted readers to WANT Other Mommy to kill her.
- Coraline did the wholeOther Parent thing so much better.
- Bela is an idiot. “They lied to me about something I was not developmentally able to comprehend so I can lie to them now and just let a demon inside me, that’s the same thing” GIRL NO
- It was SO repetitive.
- The idea of ruining innocence with parental infidelity and paternity to make someone unappealing to a demon (?) is so stupid to me. Those things feed on BAD feelings and they literally added fuel to that fire. Idiots.
All that being said, I did kinda like it tbh. I had a good time, got through it fast. It definitely could have been worse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Murder and Pregnancy
Not a lot really happens but uh. Ghost/demon? Trickery??aleen_elizabeth's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
danimacuk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have heard a lot about this book, and I was excited to pick it up and give it a read heading into spooky season.
"Incidents Around the House" follows Bela, an eight-year-old girl whose only friend seems to be someone she refers to as "Other Mommy". Other Mommy only wants one thing: to get inside Bela's heart, and after years of trying, she is losing her patience. This malicious being has begun to cause chaos around the house, all in an effort to finally gain entry into the little girl's heart, and because of this aggressive switch, the adults finally might be able to see her...
I had heard people talk about this book as the scariest book of the year, at least thus far, so I was a little apprehensive to pick it up and read it because I did not know if it would live up to the hype. However, I was not disappointed by how sinister this story was. I ended up listening to the audiobook for this novel, which added an even greater layer of creepiness because it sounds like the story is told by a little girl. This novel is disturbing and had me second guessing the entire time if what I was reading was really happening or not.
I really loved that this story was told through the eyes of Bela. Children have such a blunt way of looking at the world, and an innocence that is unmatched by their adult counterparts. Because of this, it is often hard to discern that what a child says they see is actually real in the sense that an adult would see it. That does not make Bela an unreliable narrator, but it does make the reader question the reality of what is going on, which greatly adds to the scare factor.
The adults in this story are greatly flawed, and I really loved getting to the bottom of the "mystery" of their long-kept secrets. Bela's mom in particular makes some really poor choices, that I was really invested in uncovering. I definitely did not like her as a person when it was all said and done, but I loved how complicated she ended up making the narrative. Bela's dad seems like the perfect golden retriever husband and father, but can that really be true?
The ending of this book was so unexpected for me, and I really loved it. I think the story was wrapped up neatly, but left with a bit of a cliffhanger, so the reader does not know exactly what is going to happen when the pages end. This ambiguity made the story even more sinister and engaging.
This is the perfect story to read late at night, if you want to worry about what might be lurking in your dark closet...
"Incidents Around the House" follows Bela, an eight-year-old girl whose only friend seems to be someone she refers to as "Other Mommy". Other Mommy only wants one thing: to get inside Bela's heart, and after years of trying, she is losing her patience. This malicious being has begun to cause chaos around the house, all in an effort to finally gain entry into the little girl's heart, and because of this aggressive switch, the adults finally might be able to see her...
I had heard people talk about this book as the scariest book of the year, at least thus far, so I was a little apprehensive to pick it up and read it because I did not know if it would live up to the hype. However, I was not disappointed by how sinister this story was. I ended up listening to the audiobook for this novel, which added an even greater layer of creepiness because it sounds like the story is told by a little girl. This novel is disturbing and had me second guessing the entire time if what I was reading was really happening or not.
I really loved that this story was told through the eyes of Bela. Children have such a blunt way of looking at the world, and an innocence that is unmatched by their adult counterparts. Because of this, it is often hard to discern that what a child says they see is actually real in the sense that an adult would see it. That does not make Bela an unreliable narrator, but it does make the reader question the reality of what is going on, which greatly adds to the scare factor.
The adults in this story are greatly flawed, and I really loved getting to the bottom of the "mystery" of their long-kept secrets. Bela's mom in particular makes some really poor choices, that I was really invested in uncovering. I definitely did not like her as a person when it was all said and done, but I loved how complicated she ended up making the narrative. Bela's dad seems like the perfect golden retriever husband and father, but can that really be true?
The ending of this book was so unexpected for me, and I really loved it. I think the story was wrapped up neatly, but left with a bit of a cliffhanger, so the reader does not know exactly what is going to happen when the pages end. This ambiguity made the story even more sinister and engaging.
This is the perfect story to read late at night, if you want to worry about what might be lurking in your dark closet...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Murder
opplecopter's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Death
Minor: Pregnancy and Abandonment