Incidents Around the House

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Incidents Around the House

by Malerman, Josh

Told through the perspective of a young girl named Bela, this story transforms the familiar setting of a family home into a place of suffocating dread. Bela is haunted by an entity she calls Other Mommy, a presence that slowly encroaches on her daily life while her parents remain dangerously oblivious or willfully ignorant. The narrative thrives on the friction between a child's limited understanding and the truly monstrous reality unfolding around her. It is an exercise in sustained tension, where the domestic sphere is stripped of its safety and replaced by a creeping, psychological decay. If you appreciate horror that lingers in the corners of a room and relies on the unsettling nature of family secrets, this will get under your skin. It is best suited for readers who enjoy high-stakes, claustrophobic narratives that explore how trauma and isolation distort the truth.

10 Books similar to 'Incidents Around the House'

If this book left you feeling unsettled, our curated list focuses on stories that masterfully weaponize domestic spaces and unreliable perspectives. We chose these titles because they echo that specific sense of helplessness found when a home becomes the site of a psychological or supernatural threat. Whether through the lens of a child struggling to process adult darkness or the breakdown of the family unit, these authors excel at turning ordinary settings into psychological traps. These stories offer a similar blend of isolation and relentless dread for those who prefer their horror intimate and deeply personal.

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The Cabin at the End of the World
The Cabin at the End of the World

by Paul Tremblay

Like Malerman's work, this novel excels at creating an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere within a domestic setting where the safety of home is shattered. It shares the same unrelenting tension and psychological dread as a family faces an impossible, terrifying choice.

Room
Room

by Emma Donoghue

This book mirrors the unique, limited perspective of a child trying to make sense of a terrifying, confined reality. It captures the same feeling of innocence grappling with a sinister, adult-driven threat that feels both immediate and inescapable.

Bird Box
Bird Box

by Josh Malerman

Since the reader already enjoys Malerman's specific brand of sensory-deprivation horror and high-stakes tension, his debut novel is an essential recommendation. It features the same masterful pacing and the feeling of being hunted by an unseen, incomprehensible force.

The Push
The Push

by Ashley Audrain

Fans of the domestic horror elements in 'Incidents Around the House' will appreciate this deep dive into the psychological terrors of motherhood and family secrets. It creates a similarly unsettling atmosphere where the most dangerous place is inside your own home.

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A Head Full of Ghosts
A Head Full of Ghosts

by Paul Tremblay

This novel perfectly captures the intersection of childhood trauma, family dynamics, and supernatural ambiguity. It will resonate with readers who enjoy stories where the line between a haunting and a psychological breakdown is terrifyingly thin.

The Little Stranger
The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

For readers who enjoyed the slow-building, house-centric dread of Malerman's writing, this gothic masterpiece offers a sophisticated, haunting experience. It masterfully explores how a house can become a character itself, harboring dark, inexplicable incidents.

Penpal
Penpal

by Dathan Auerbach

This story shares the 'child's-eye view' narrative structure, where the protagonist slowly realizes the horrific implications of events from their youth. It is incredibly effective at building dread through the lens of memory and lost innocence.

The Girl Next Door
The Girl Next Door

by Jack Ketchum

This is a much darker, more visceral take on the 'horror in the home' trope, focusing on the perspective of a young boy witnessing atrocities. It captures the helplessness and psychological scarring that fans of intense, domestic-horror narratives often seek out.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle
We Have Always Lived in the Castle

by Shirley Jackson

This classic novel is the gold standard for 'unreliable child narrator in a creepy house' stories. Its atmosphere of isolation and the bizarre, insular logic of the protagonists will feel very familiar to those who enjoyed the unique voice in Malerman's book.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things
I'm Thinking of Ending Things

by Iain Reid

This novel delivers a highly surreal, claustrophobic, and disorienting experience that mirrors the unpredictable nature of Malerman's storytelling. It challenges the reader's perception of reality and identity through a tense, character-driven narrative.