Quirky Cat
Book Summary:
Not even children are safe from the horrors of the world. Just ask little Bela. Worse, sometimes those horrors package themselves as something loving and caring. For example, Bela’s Other Mommy.
At first, it was perfect. Bela had a family consisting of Mommy, Daddo, Grandma Ruth, and Other Mother. But the longer Other Mother was around, the more she seemed to expect. One question in particular kept rising to the surface.
My Review:
Huh. I’m not entirely sure what I just read here. Incidents Around the House is both familiar and unlike anything I’ve ever read. Let me take a step back. Incidents Around the House has vibes similar to Coraline (the Other Mother element should make that obvious) and Paranormal Activity.
However, it’s also different. This is because of the writing style, a string of thoughts written from an eight-year-old’s (Bela) perspective. It’s a big swing. I bet some readers are going to love it. I bet just as many readers are going to hate it.
The biggest problems were the overall writing style (again, I appreciate the risk; it just wasn’t for me) and the repetition. Yes, Bela is an eight-year-old girl, so she repeatedly covers some basic thoughts. But I didn’t really need to read that a hundred times, you know?
Overall, I appreciate and even respect what Josh Malerman did here. However, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Highlights:
Horror/Paranormal
Speculative Horror
Unique Twists
Coraline meets Paranormal Activity
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