Review: A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman

Review: A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman

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A House at the Bottom of a Lake, Josh Malerman, magical realism, Reviews, This Is Horror

 A House at the Bottom of a Lake 

by Josh Malerman

Publisher: This Is Horror
Publish Date: October 31, 2016
Paperback
116 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Magical Realism

Both seventeen. Both afraid. But both saying yes.

It sounded like the perfect first date: canoeing across a chain of lakes, sandwiches and beer in the cooler. But teenagers Amelia and James discover something below the water’s surface that changes their lives forever.

It’s got two stories.

It’s got a garden.

And the front door is open.

It’s a house at the bottom of a lake.

For the teens, there is only one rule: no questions. And yet, how could a place so spectacular come with no price tag? While the duo plays house beneath the waves, one reality remains:

Just because a house is empty, doesn’t mean nobody’s home.

My Review:

"What was it about the stars that, no matter how they lit up the night sky, they couldn't remove the night?"

I'm not entirely sure what I just read... but I think I liked it!  I have such a love for Malerman's mind.... but I tend to find while I love most of his books for the majority, it's the endings I always have a hard time with.  And this may be true for this as well... but I'm also intrigued and wondering about the symbolism of this house.  It's a rare time where I'm wondering what I'm missing but love the vast interpretation you could put on it to suit whatever you need it to be.  I think. 🤣

Remember your first butterflies, your first love, and that anticipation of the unknown?  I LOVE their rules of not asking HOW or WHY when it came to "their house", which helped their bond of something so unique that they could just call their own.  While there were some suspenseful moments, I didn't find this to be in the horror category but more in magical realism, which I absolutely think suits Malerman's writing style.  I certainly became curious and more obsessed with the house as Amelia and James did. 

While this novella won't frighten you or raise the hair on your skin, it is a fun and curious look into first love, secret bonding and adventure.  Open your heart and your mind for this unique story.  And while I may mention that this isn't the scary, horror book you may be expecting due to the author, it certainly doesn't help my fear of the unknown dark waters either.

★★★★

A House at the Bottom of a Lake, Josh Malerman, magical realism, Reviews, This Is Horror

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