#book-explorer — Public Fediverse posts
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Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.
People of focus in the book:
Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.
Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.
Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.
Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.
My Review
As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.
In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.
Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.
And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.
But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.
That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.
#AnnRule #AnnRuleTrueCrime #AnnRuleTrueCrimeBooks #BookBlog #bookBlogger #BookBlogging #BookBlogs #bookExplorer #bookLover #BookOpinion #BookPost #BookPosts #BookRecommendations #bookReview #BookReviewPage #bookReviewer #BookReviewerAndBlogger #BookReviews #BookSummary #books #EverythingSheEverWanted #EverythingSheEverWantedByAnnRule #Fiction #OldCrime #OldCrimeCase #Reading #Review #Reviewer #Reviewing #Reviews #True #TrueCrime #trueCrimeBookReview #TrueCrimeBooks -
Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.
People of focus in the book:
Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.
Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.
Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.
Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.
My Review
As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.
In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.
Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.
And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.
But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.
That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.
#AnnRule #AnnRuleTrueCrime #AnnRuleTrueCrimeBooks #BookBlog #bookBlogger #BookBlogging #BookBlogs #bookExplorer #bookLover #BookOpinion #BookPost #BookPosts #BookRecommendations #bookReview #BookReviewPage #bookReviewer #BookReviewerAndBlogger #BookReviews #BookSummary #books #EverythingSheEverWanted #EverythingSheEverWantedByAnnRule #Fiction #OldCrime #OldCrimeCase #Reading #Review #Reviewer #Reviewing #Reviews #True #TrueCrime #trueCrimeBookReview #TrueCrimeBooks -
Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.
People of focus in the book:
Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.
Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.
Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.
Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.
My Review
As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.
In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.
Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.
And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.
But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.
That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.
#AnnRule #AnnRuleTrueCrime #AnnRuleTrueCrimeBooks #BookBlog #bookBlogger #BookBlogging #BookBlogs #bookExplorer #bookLover #BookOpinion #BookPost #BookPosts #BookRecommendations #bookReview #BookReviewPage #bookReviewer #BookReviewerAndBlogger #BookReviews #BookSummary #books #EverythingSheEverWanted #EverythingSheEverWantedByAnnRule #Fiction #OldCrime #OldCrimeCase #Reading #Review #Reviewer #Reviewing #Reviews #True #TrueCrime #trueCrimeBookReview #TrueCrimeBooks -
Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.
People of focus in the book:
Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.
Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.
Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.
Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.
My Review
As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.
In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.
Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.
And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.
But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.
That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.
#AnnRule #AnnRuleTrueCrime #AnnRuleTrueCrimeBooks #BookBlog #bookBlogger #BookBlogging #BookBlogs #bookExplorer #bookLover #BookOpinion #BookPost #BookPosts #BookRecommendations #bookReview #BookReviewPage #bookReviewer #BookReviewerAndBlogger #BookReviews #BookSummary #books #EverythingSheEverWanted #EverythingSheEverWantedByAnnRule #Fiction #OldCrime #OldCrimeCase #Reading #Review #Reviewer #Reviewing #Reviews #True #TrueCrime #trueCrimeBookReview #TrueCrimeBooks -
Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into an Ann Rule true crime book that focuses on the life and crimes of Patricia Taylor, who reigned terror on those around her in the 1970’s. While this wasn’t my favourite Ann Rule book I’ve read so far, it was still an interesting case and well written overall.
People of focus in the book:
Pat Taylor Allanson– Easily the most fascinating and frustrating part of this story. Watching her behaviour escalate over time is honestly disturbing, especially because so many people around her either ignored it, enabled it, or excused it. The deep dive into her life, family, and relationships adds a lot to understanding how everything spiralled the way it did.
Tom Allanson – Pat’s current husband at the time of the crime and an interesting character throughout the story. Ultimately allows his marriage to Pat to push him to do things people could never imagine. Is arrested for the crimes and continues to have a horrifically toxic relationship with Pat for many years.
Walter and Carolyn Allanson – Tom’s parents and not huge fans of Pat. Are murdered in the basement of their home one night, which leads to an exposure of Pat for years to come.
Clifford and Maggie Radcliff – Pat’s parents, who are aggravating people to read about. Defend their daughters’ insanely poor behaviour for years, financially support her, and excuse pretty much everything she does, showing us how this woman ended up this way.
My Review
As mentioned above, Everything She Ever Wanted isn’t a favourite of the Ann Rule books I have read, but it is still an enjoyable, interesting read overall. I did rate the book a 6.5/10, not because of how it was written, but more so the pace and the fact that there are a few unanswered and confusing bits to the book. I appreciated that Ann didn’t play sides or excuse poor behaviour from anyone who was in Pat’s life. She does have sympathy for some things that maybe I don’t, but I can appreciate her ability to be open to presenting all perspectives. I also enjoyed getting to dive into a case I had never heard of before, and it is a bit older, but it is a bit of a slower read and a touch repetitive.
In this true crime story, Ann Rule explores the disturbing case surrounding Pat Allanson and the manipulation, control, and violence that followed her throughout her life. Pat became under the scope of the law when the parents of her husband, Tom, were murdered in their home. Tom, not being Pat’s first marriage and her having a reputation of being a bit of a scammer raise eyebrows of those around her, including her successful in-laws. Obsessed with living a life exactly as she envisions, Pat makes many choices to push herself to the top, crushing the ones who love her under her foot all the while. With no care but to be seen as this amazing, successful, attractive woman, Pat’s crimes come to light in a desperation to be something she’s not. As the book unfolds, it examines not only the crimes themselves, but also the family dynamics, relationships, and warning signs that surrounded Pat for years. Through extensive background and investigation, the story paints a picture of how dangerous behaviour can grow unchecked when the people around someone continually look away.
Overall, this was a really interesting true crime story, especially because it’s an older case I had never heard of before. One thing I always appreciate about Ann Rule’s books is how deeply she dives into the people involved, and this one definitely does that. You don’t just get the crime itself; you get the history, the family dynamics, the relationships, and the environment surrounding everything that happened.
And honestly, that was both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book for me. The deep dive into Pat’s life was fascinating. Seeing how her parents and the people around her played such a huge role, while also seemingly doing nothing to stop her behaviour, was genuinely disturbing. It becomes this ongoing pattern throughout the book where people excuse things, ignore red flags, or enable behaviour that clearly should’ve alarmed them.
But at the same time, it makes for a pretty exhausting reading experience. Not because the book is bad, but because you spend hundreds of pages watching people fail to intervene in increasingly concerning situations. It’s frustrating in a very realistic way, which I think was probably the point.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The book felt very repetitive at times. I understand that a lot of the repeated details and background information were relevant to building the case and understanding the people involved, but it often felt like we were circling the same points over and over again. It slowed things down quite a bit and made parts drag more than necessary. I also felt like certain elements never fully clicked into place for me, particularly regarding Tom and the events at his parents’ house. There’s a lot discussed, but I still finished the book feeling uncertain about exactly what happened there.
That being said, the story itself is undeniably compelling. Even when the pacing lagged, I still wanted to keep reading because the case is just so bizarre and unsettling.
Overall, this definitely isn’t my favourite Ann Rule book, but I’d still recommend it to true crime readers because the story itself is incredibly interesting. Just be prepared for a slower, more detailed read that focuses heavily on the people and psychology behind the case rather than nonstop momentum.
#AnnRule #AnnRuleTrueCrime #AnnRuleTrueCrimeBooks #BookBlog #bookBlogger #BookBlogging #BookBlogs #bookExplorer #bookLover #BookOpinion #BookPost #BookPosts #BookRecommendations #bookReview #BookReviewPage #bookReviewer #BookReviewerAndBlogger #BookReviews #BookSummary #books #EverythingSheEverWanted #EverythingSheEverWantedByAnnRule #Fiction #OldCrime #OldCrimeCase #Reading #Review #Reviewer #Reviewing #Reviews #True #TrueCrime #trueCrimeBookReview #TrueCrimeBooks -
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! For this review, I get into the second Josh Malerman book I have checked out, Incidents Around the House. Having enjoyed Bird Box quite a bit I was expecting to enjoy this one much more than I did. Overall, the plot isn’t terrible, but it was executed in a way I just did not enjoy, with characters I struggled to follow.
Main Characters:
Bela – A young girl and our main character in the story. The book is told through the perspectives of herself and her family, and her character addition added a very childish nature to the book. Bela and her family have their lives turned upside down when Bela tells her parents that a woman named Other Mommy has been living in her room for a long time and is looking for something from her that she isn’t sure she can give.
Ursula and Russ – Bela’s parents, who have their own secrets just like their daughter. Struggle to navigate how to protect their family from this paranormal being that is looking to destroy them.
Other Mommy – The paranormal entity haunting Bela is genuinely creepy in concept. The idea itself is strong and definitely has the potential to be deeply unsettling.
My Review
I really, really, thought I was going to like this one so much more than I did. Sadly, Incidents Around the House goes wrong in so many ways, and not in an enjoyable way. I found myself so aggravated by the tone of the book, the childish aspects, and just how these characters were handling themselves. It also just ended up being kind of boring and repetitive as it went on. Given that Bela is a young girl, I understood why it was written this way; she’s a young child trying to process terrifying things happening around her, but personally, I just could not connect with the childish narration style. Overall, I landed on rating the book a 4/10, and while I wouldn’t really recommend this one to others, I do encourage checking out some of Josh Malerman’s other stuff, because it is much better.
The story follows young Bela, whose life becomes increasingly terrifying when a paranormal entity she calls “Other Mommy” begins haunting her home. As the presence grows more invasive and dangerous, Bela’s family struggles to understand what’s happening and how to protect her. Told through Bela’s childlike perspective and her untrustworthy parents’ eyes, the story leans heavily into psychological and supernatural horror as reality becomes harder to trust.
I enjoyed Bird Box by Josh Malerman, so I went into this expecting another creepy, tension-filled horror story, but this honestly came close to being a DNF for me. The frustrating part is that the premise itself isn’t bad at all. A young girl being hunted by a horrifying paranormal being? That should absolutely work for me. And there are moments where the concept of Other Mommy feels genuinely unsettling.
The execution just did not land for me personally. The biggest issue was the narration style. Since the story is told through Bela’s perspective, everything is written with a very childlike voice and understanding of the world. I completely understand why Malerman chose to do that; it makes sense for the story, but I just couldn’t get immersed in it. Instead of making things feel creepier or more emotionally impactful, it mostly just frustrated me and made the book feel repetitive.
And honestly, I didn’t find it scary. At all. Which is rough for a horror novel built around atmosphere and tension. The way the characters handled the paranormal situation felt oddly boring to me instead of suspenseful, and I kept waiting for the story to really go there in a way that never fully happened.
I also found myself annoyed with basically everyone in the book, which made it even harder to stay invested emotionally. The pacing didn’t help either. It felt like the story kept circling the same ideas and conversations without enough progression, so instead of tension building, I just found myself losing interest.
The ending was okay. Not terrible, not amazing, just kind of there. It didn’t completely ruin the book for me, but it also didn’t do enough to redeem the reading experience overall.
I don’t think this is an objectively awful book, and I can absolutely see why some readers would connect with it more than I did, especially if the child narration style works for them. But for me, it just never came together.
Definitely not the first Josh Malerman book I’d recommend, but don’t write him off from this review because he is a fantastic writer with lots of good ones to check out. I just hit a dud.
Thank you for checking out this review. I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to subscribe to the page to be one of the first to know when I release a new review.
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