A House at the Bottom of a Lake

A House at the Bottom of a Lake

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  • Create Date：2021-01-23 04:13:26
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Josh Malerman
  • ISBN：9780593237779
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Editor Reviews

09/28/2020

Bird Box author Malerman leaves readers with more questions than answers with this eerie， atmospheric horror novel。 Teenagers James and Amelia spend their first date getting acquainted while winding their way through two idyllic lakes in a canoe。 They discover a secret passage through a rocky tunnel to an uncharted third lake that seems to be untouched by humanity—save for the fully intact house they spot at the bottom of its depths。 Intrigued， they make plans to return with scuba gear to explore。 Diving deep into the building’s depths， James and Amelia learn more about both the house and themselves while embarking on a whirlwind romance。 Malerman masterfully builds tension， balancing the exuberance of first love with the foreboding mystery of the house。 The uncanny elements and strange， evocative setting will keep readers flipping pages， but the atmosphere never gives way to more visceral scares and the underwhelming resolution leaves the mystery dangling。 Readers shouldn’t expect any concrete thrills， but fans of Malerman’s precise prose will be pleased to explore this new and unsettling world。 （Jan。）

Publishers Weekly

Reviews

Redreadreviews ，

On their first date， Amelia and James go canoeing。 The discovery of a secluded lake was a perfect way to start the date。 Finding the house at the bottom of the lake made everything more magical。 Their discovery becomes their secret。 Something the two of them share， that keeps bringing them together。 They explore the house and eachother， until everything feels like home。 Never asking how or why， just enjoying。 When they realize they are not alone in the house， everything changes。 Obsession turns to fear。 Josh Malerman is good at forcing us into the unknown。 He wants the reader to feel the fear of change or new things being discovered。 In Bird Box he made us close our eyes to hide， always tempted to open them just to see how brave we were。 In The House At The Bottom Of The Lake， we have all of our senses which make the fear stronger。 There's magic in this story。 I felt it through the entire book。 The first date， the discovery and the bond thrill was thrilling and kept me hooked。 I needed to know how their love was going to pan out， and what was in the next room of the house。 The story reads almost like a story to be told around a camp fire。 It could be really frightening， and might change a little with each retelling。 Imagination is the key to this story。 I loved this strange and hypnotic book。 Malerman has become a favorite writer for me。 This book was a super quick read， and I recommend it as a palate cleanser from overdone thriller plots。 Time to get a little weird and see where your mind can go！

Russ King ，

Not necessarily one of Josh’s best。 This was a quick read and very enjoyable。 Not actually horror， more thriller。 Would recommend。

Taylor Yardley ，

Hey guys， I finished a book in one day！ Novellas always make me feel productive。So this was “horror” sort of in the way House of Leaves is horror。 There’s a house。 It’s spooky， but we don’t know why except that it defies what we understand to be reality。 This is disconcerting。 This is uncomfortable。 The similarities end there， but I definitely drew comparisons at the beginning。This book really is a metaphor， and I think once I wrapped my head around that I enjoyed it a whole lot more。 Having com Hey guys， I finished a book in one day！ Novellas always make me feel productive。So this was “horror” sort of in the way House of Leaves is horror。 There’s a house。 It’s spooky， but we don’t know why except that it defies what we understand to be reality。 This is disconcerting。 This is uncomfortable。 The similarities end there， but I definitely drew comparisons at the beginning。This book really is a metaphor， and I think once I wrapped my head around that I enjoyed it a whole lot more。 Having come from Bird Box and Unbury Carol， I was expecting a different approach。 This story was not what I expected， but it is a super easy read。 Malerman has written two believable teenagers， which is quite a rare occurrence in books I’ve read lately。 。。。more

Nancy Hudson ，

I read this novella because of Josh Malerman。 The writing is good as I expected but the story was meh。 Basically a creepy love story with a WTF ending。 Hopefully everyone lives happily ever after？？ Who the heck knows。 Magical realism describes this book more than horror and I am not a huge fan of MR。

Mindy Rose ，

two teenagers go canoeing on their first date and discover。。 a house at the bottom of a lake。 i don't know man， i enjoyed the vibe and the aesthetics of this but almost nothing actually happens， and then the end is nothing？ it's only a novella so if you're in the mood for something fairly short that's a mix between whimsical & vaguely sinister but uhhh doesn't have a plot， this might be just what you're looking for？ 3/5 two teenagers go canoeing on their first date and discover。。 a house at the bottom of a lake。 i don't know man， i enjoyed the vibe and the aesthetics of this but almost nothing actually happens， and then the end is nothing？ it's only a novella so if you're in the mood for something fairly short that's a mix between whimsical & vaguely sinister but uhhh doesn't have a plot， this might be just what you're looking for？ 3/5 。。。more

Crystal Mejia ，

Definitely not what I expected because of how this is marketed， BUT I really did enjoy this beautifully haunting love story。 *Go in not asking how or why*

Courtney ，

I don’t know if I would say that this is a horror book so much as it is a story about first love and how it can entangle so much emotion that it really changes who you are as a person when you’re a teenager。 I think you can take it for what it is and say oh this is a scary story about two kids who find a house under a lake and how it hurts them。 But I think you can also take it as the house representing their new relationship and the fears and passion that come with that。 How exploring something I don’t know if I would say that this is a horror book so much as it is a story about first love and how it can entangle so much emotion that it really changes who you are as a person when you’re a teenager。 I think you can take it for what it is and say oh this is a scary story about two kids who find a house under a lake and how it hurts them。 But I think you can also take it as the house representing their new relationship and the fears and passion that come with that。 How exploring something new is so involved that you let everything fall away and then when that passion seems to be lost because of fear the relationship just explodes and can’t be rebuilt。 Spoilers below do not read further 。。。。。。。。One of the things I found intriguing was that when James and Amelia go back to the lake to see the house to “introduce” themselves to the presence they think lives there everything is then illuminated and then the house is just gone。 I kind of feel like that might be a representation of how once you’ve laid your fears out in front of you or succumb to them it kind of breaks the relationship that you have。 So maybe their fears and their concerns became so overwhelming that their relationship broke and therefore the house disappeared the house symbolizing their relationship。 And then when they’re walking along the street having decided that their relationship is no longer viable Amelia desperate to see James following her she turns and she sees the exact house that’s under the lake but now on the street and so she calls James back。 And I find it odd that he’s practically right behind her approaching her and asking where is it as if he can’t see it and she says it’s right there but he doesn’t seem to see it。 But Amelia sees it， so maybe for her the relationship she wants to rebuild because she wants to go back to that feeling。 But James was so scared that he couldn’t see the house at all because it’s not what he wanted to see。 I don’t know or it could’ve just been a simple short ghost story。 Either way I’m sitting here in the middle of the afternoon and every time my phone buzzed or something dinged I jumped。 Either way it gave me a good scare。 Relationships and haunted underwater houses are scary man。Favorite quotes:He wanted to go deeper this time。 Deeper into the house。 Deeper into the lake。 Deeper in love。 Is this love？ Is that happening？ P 70She liked that。 Taking turns in a crazy place。 Sounded like… Like love。 P 81Can we keep it， James repeated in his mind。 As if we’re dating。 No longer just on a date。 Now… Dating。 P89He felt a tugging at his heart and he knew it was love。 I knew it because so many people had felt it before him。 This， he knew， was heartbreak。 But this isn’t just heartbreak。 There’s the house to think about too。 P 132Something unwanted was added to some thing wanted and blew the whole thing apart。 Fear。 P 134 。。。more

Melise ，

I have been on a roll with my recent reading choices， having read a number of unexpectedly great books recently， and this definitely fits within that categoryI have never read anything else by Josh Malerman， but having seen the recent adaptation of Bird Box， I was pretty sure he wrote my kind of books， and I was right。 This novel is the story of a teenage couple who discover a house completely submerged in a lake near their homes。 They discover the house when they first meet， and as they explore I have been on a roll with my recent reading choices， having read a number of unexpectedly great books recently， and this definitely fits within that categoryI have never read anything else by Josh Malerman， but having seen the recent adaptation of Bird Box， I was pretty sure he wrote my kind of books， and I was right。 This novel is the story of a teenage couple who discover a house completely submerged in a lake near their homes。 They discover the house when they first meet， and as they explore this house they fall in love with each other。 But there is something not quite right about the house， and soon something evil seems to be following them out of the lake。 Nicely creepy， a page-turner and definitely a fun read。 Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley。 。。。more

Stacia ，

#AHouseattheBottomofaLake #NetGalley #RandomHouse #BallantineA House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman is a satisfying horror novel where the titular house remains an enigma。 The protagonists are a pair of 17-year-olds in the last Summer before adulthood， with more courage than common sense。 Their relationship grows in importance to them， and in proportion to what they learn of the geography of the house underwater in the third lake， the lake you can only get to by following a tunnel。Ever #AHouseattheBottomofaLake #NetGalley #RandomHouse #BallantineA House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman is a satisfying horror novel where the titular house remains an enigma。 The protagonists are a pair of 17-year-olds in the last Summer before adulthood， with more courage than common sense。 Their relationship grows in importance to them， and in proportion to what they learn of the geography of the house underwater in the third lake， the lake you can only get to by following a tunnel。Everything that the teenagers encounter in the mysterious house is dream-like， slow， and and unexplained。 The mysteries of the heart are no clearer to the people encountering them for the first time。 。。。more

suelen viana ，

o final poderia melhorar。。。 e os pais desses adolescentes deixam eles sumirem por dias assim？ ahahah

TC ，

Not recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog: https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Not recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog: https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Deedee ，

3。5 Stars。。。 Started off promising， but then a mixed bag。

Fiori ，

*3。75Um， what just happened？ I rly need some time to process that ending。 My mind feels a little funny uk， like its underwater ;）。

Sarah Marie ，

5 stars。 I just loved this one。 It stuck with me and the themes were so haunting and true to being a teenager。 Review to come。

Renee ，

James and Amelia are about to go on their first date。 His plan isn't to go out to dinner or to see a movie， but rather to pack a picnic and go canoeing on the lake。 Jame's Uncle Bob lives on a lake that is full of tourists and speed boats in the summer， but there is a second lake， one less crowded where they can be alone， enjoy the beauty of nature， and get to know each other。They soon discover a third lake， one that appears that very few people know about， one where they can see a house on the James and Amelia are about to go on their first date。 His plan isn't to go out to dinner or to see a movie， but rather to pack a picnic and go canoeing on the lake。 Jame's Uncle Bob lives on a lake that is full of tourists and speed boats in the summer， but there is a second lake， one less crowded where they can be alone， enjoy the beauty of nature， and get to know each other。They soon discover a third lake， one that appears that very few people know about， one where they can see a house on the bottom of the lake。 Crazy kids， what would you expect them to do other than explore this seemingly impossible underwater world together！ The house is vast and creepy， and there is much to see。 As they repeatedly dive， they learn about each other and start to fall in love。 The book didn't end in the horrific way that I imagined， but that's okay since， to me， it was more a story about discovery and the wonders of the unknown。It is a quick read， only 118 pages on my Kindle。 A beautifully written tale about youth， taking a chance， and love。 4。5 stars。 。。。more

Savannah ，

This is so weird。 Is this poetry？ Is this horror？ Is this fantasy？ I have no idea but I love it。 I read this in one sitting pacing， heart pounding， anxiety riddled。 Would recommend。

Emily ，

On their first date， seventeen-year-olds James and Amelia went canoeing on a lake and discovered a normal but unusual house at the bottom of the lake。They were deeply fascinated by it， and decided to dive deeper to explore it， not knowing that their lives would change forever。A House At The Bottom Of A Lake is a very original， appalling thriller brimful of mysteries and hideousness！ I highly recommend it to fans of such genre！Josh Malerman is an outstanding author who is adept at transforming or On their first date， seventeen-year-olds James and Amelia went canoeing on a lake and discovered a normal but unusual house at the bottom of the lake。They were deeply fascinated by it， and decided to dive deeper to explore it， not knowing that their lives would change forever。A House At The Bottom Of A Lake is a very original， appalling thriller brimful of mysteries and hideousness！ I highly recommend it to fans of such genre！Josh Malerman is an outstanding author who is adept at transforming ordinary letters and words into extraordinary hair-raising suspenseful thrillers。I would like to thank NetGalley and Del Rey/Random House for this enjoyable thriller。#NetGalley#AHouseAtTheBottomOfALake 。。。more

Nicole Young ，

I just did that thing where you accidentally stay up until 4am because you just can’t NOT finish a book。 I might change my mind and give this 5 stars。。。 I definitely found this suspenseful。 I couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know。 Just like them。 I wouldn’t call it horror。 It kind of reminded me of an Are You Afraid if the Dark？ episode。 Not a specific one， but just that kind of feeling。 I’m not sure how I feel about the ending which is why I gave it 4 stars。 But I’m sitting here trying to I just did that thing where you accidentally stay up until 4am because you just can’t NOT finish a book。 I might change my mind and give this 5 stars。。。 I definitely found this suspenseful。 I couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know。 Just like them。 I wouldn’t call it horror。 It kind of reminded me of an Are You Afraid if the Dark？ episode。 Not a specific one， but just that kind of feeling。 I’m not sure how I feel about the ending which is why I gave it 4 stars。 But I’m sitting here trying to figure it all out now， though， so that might just make the ending perfect。 This novella leaves a lot to talk about。 It would be perfect for a book club read， or maybe even to read as a class。 Is it one giant metaphor？ Is it magical realism？ Did I even just read this？？ I have questions。 They have questions！！！ Life just isn’t fair sometimes with these lack of answers。 I have to thank NetGalley for letting me read a copy of this。 。。。more

noitsfelipe ，

2，5 ⭐

Elizabeth Mellen ，

Well this was real weird and creepy little book！ I don’t always read horror， but I liked Bird Box and was really intrigued when I heard about this one。 Two teens on a first date to a lake come across a fully submerged， fully furnished house and can’t seem to stop themselves from exploring it。 Pretty quickly their romantic feelings and this compulsion to explore get tangled up and things start to get creepy。 I couldn’t put it down， I had to know the answers to the questions the main characters ag Well this was real weird and creepy little book！ I don’t always read horror， but I liked Bird Box and was really intrigued when I heard about this one。 Two teens on a first date to a lake come across a fully submerged， fully furnished house and can’t seem to stop themselves from exploring it。 Pretty quickly their romantic feelings and this compulsion to explore get tangled up and things start to get creepy。 I couldn’t put it down， I had to know the answers to the questions the main characters agreed not to ask， for fear of breaking the spell。 Why？ How？ 。。。Who？ 。。。more

Blake Blanco ，

Review coming soon。。。

John ，

So much hype with this book。So disappointing。 Holy hell。I think the whole thing is an extended metaphor about relationships， the power of sex， and the fleeting nature of youth。Don’t look for answers at the end of this book - or for any real twists that seem to want to approach from every corner - because you won’t find them。2 stars because it was compelling enough to read in a day， so he must have done something right。✌🏻

David Domkoski ，

I read The House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。As he demonstrated in Bird Box， Malerman is accomplished in creating mind-numbing suspense。 Bird Box was a novel I couldn't put down。 The House at the Bottom of the Lake was a novel l couldn't wait to put down。 When I read the last page I was surprised。 I actually thought I was missing the rest of the book。 I was missing something。 Maybe it was my fault。The book was described by the I read The House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。As he demonstrated in Bird Box， Malerman is accomplished in creating mind-numbing suspense。 Bird Box was a novel I couldn't put down。 The House at the Bottom of the Lake was a novel l couldn't wait to put down。 When I read the last page I was surprised。 I actually thought I was missing the rest of the book。 I was missing something。 Maybe it was my fault。The book was described by the publisher as “a haunting tale of love and horror。” I felt cheated。 Someone cut all the horror and the haunting out of the e-book I read。 。Love， yes， most certainly。 It was interesting， but not much else。 Sad， as the book started with a lot of promise。Two teens meet-cute at a hardware store and after a bunch of flirting， get together for a canoeing date the next day。 They picnic on a mountain lake， then decide to get away to an adjacent quieter lake。 Exploring the lake they find a tunnel to yet another lake。 Though the tunnel is narrow， they canoe through it to a rather desolate-sounding lake where to their surprise they find a large beautiful house submerged on the bottom of the lake。 The house is intact， right down to plates and cups and silverware sitting on the table。 They explore it over the next few days。 Their relationship develops as friends become lovers （inside the house），That''s the plot。 All of it。 Okay。 one or two strange things occur and something indescribable （sounds like a giant blob of floating wax） scares them out of the house。Why is the house there？ Why has no one else ever discovered it？ Is it haunted？ Cursed？ Why do all these strange things happen？ Why？ Why？ Why？ Yes， the author clearly says that there are things that you shouldn't expect an answer to 'why。' While that may be true in the literary world of the book， it shouldn't be true in the book itself。 But it is。 All I can say is that you shouldn't expect any answers or even clues。I felt I wasted my reading time。 That is until I woke up and realized that the book was misrepresented。 I was lead to expect a novel of horror， mystery， and suspense。 It really isn't that at all。 At its heart， it is a teen coming of age novel。 Given that perspective， the novel almost works。 It still feels like a work in progress， however。 It is not a book that I would recommend。 。。。more

Crystal Zavala ，

A House at the Bottom of a Lake is YA Horror that I had such a fun time reading！ It's a quick read at just over 200 pages。I recommend curling up in your favorite reading spot， have a couple of hours to binge， grab your favorite drink， and most importantly don't ask how or why！ A House at the Bottom of a Lake is YA Horror that I had such a fun time reading！ It's a quick read at just over 200 pages。I recommend curling up in your favorite reading spot， have a couple of hours to binge， grab your favorite drink， and most importantly don't ask how or why！ 。。。more

VeronicaMarie1986 ，

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*I was very excited to get my hands on this book because I am a huge fan of "Bird Box" by this same author。 I found "A House at the Bottom of a Lake" to be absolutely exhilarating！ I was on edge and had chills pretty much the entire time I read this book， which is not normal for me and I read and watch A LOT of horror。 Just something about it that's hard to put into words。 Just read it！ If you are a fan of horror or f *I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*I was very excited to get my hands on this book because I am a huge fan of "Bird Box" by this same author。 I found "A House at the Bottom of a Lake" to be absolutely exhilarating！ I was on edge and had chills pretty much the entire time I read this book， which is not normal for me and I read and watch A LOT of horror。 Just something about it that's hard to put into words。 Just read it！ If you are a fan of horror or fantasy bordering on horror - read it！ I will say it does lose one star from me because the ending just felt。。 I don't know。。 flat。 I do not regret reading it due to this though。 I just wish there were an extended ending somewhere or a sequel coming out。 。。。more

Elle ，

Well， that was hauntingly beautiful。 While it was a short read I felt like I was actually living it。 The cliffhanger ending just made it all that better。

Michelle Lane ，

I wouldn't call this horror but it was a good quick read I wouldn't call this horror but it was a good quick read 。。。more

Meigan ，

“Curiosity killed the cat and the snooping seventeen-year-old girl。” Like everyone else， I've been obsessed with Josh Malerman since I read BIRD BOX， and I've been happily devouring everything with his name on it ever since。 When I saw A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE was being rereleased， I jumped at the chance to request it on NetGalley。 I wasn't quite sure what it was about aside from it being a horror tale about a house literally at the bottom of a lake， but it did have Malerman's “Curiosity killed the cat and the snooping seventeen-year-old girl。” Like everyone else， I've been obsessed with Josh Malerman since I read BIRD BOX， and I've been happily devouring everything with his name on it ever since。 When I saw A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE was being rereleased， I jumped at the chance to request it on NetGalley。 I wasn't quite sure what it was about aside from it being a horror tale about a house literally at the bottom of a lake， but it did have Malerman's name on it so I was sure I'd like it to some degree。 While it turned out just a little differently than what I expected， it was still enjoyable nonetheless。This little short story isn't exactly horror and it isn't exactly a thriller， falling instead in some weird grey area between the two。 There are a few moments where you expect to be given a frgiht and Malerman delivers， albeit very， very subtly。 Where this little gem shines though is in it's ability to make you think and wonder with its use of metaphors and symbolism。 I'm pretty sure the entire premise is one big psychological metaphor， and I'm still left deciphering it and questioning parts of it days after I've finished。All told， A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE is a weird little gem of a story that gives readers plenty of things to think about and chew on。 But be warned -- if you're looking for the traditional thrills and chills kind of horror， you won't find it here。*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and Del Rey Books。 。。。more

Kaelyn ，

I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to read this short novella。 I just couldn't stay focused while reading， probably because I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I was reading。 The atmosphere and vibe of this story can be explained with one word: unsettling。 The story wasn't necessarily scary， which made me even more uncomfortable reading because you just know something isn't right with everything。 I was interested in this mystery house and what the secret behind it was and I l I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to read this short novella。 I just couldn't stay focused while reading， probably because I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I was reading。 The atmosphere and vibe of this story can be explained with one word: unsettling。 The story wasn't necessarily scary， which made me even more uncomfortable reading because you just know something isn't right with everything。 I was interested in this mystery house and what the secret behind it was and I loved watching James and Amelia fall in love。 It felt so realistic reading about these two kids getting to know each other and being nervous around each other， while simultaneously exploring this strange underwater house。 I can see why a lot of people might be upset or confused by the ending but I liked how things ended a bit more open ended。 。。。more

Skye ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 James and Amelia are teenagers whose first date takes them out to a hidden lake where they discover something impossible， something they can call their own。 This novella is a whole mood。 One big atmospheric mood。I’m trying to understand the metaphor still。 James and Amelia are important but even more so is the house itself。 It makes you feel very tense and scared about what the answers are。 The danger of the unknown。 The feeling of falling in love。 The nervousness and the anxiety。Reading each ch James and Amelia are teenagers whose first date takes them out to a hidden lake where they discover something impossible， something they can call their own。 This novella is a whole mood。 One big atmospheric mood。I’m trying to understand the metaphor still。 James and Amelia are important but even more so is the house itself。 It makes you feel very tense and scared about what the answers are。 The danger of the unknown。 The feeling of falling in love。 The nervousness and the anxiety。Reading each chapter feels like they did when they were underwater and couldn't get enough air。It feels like we are diving into each chapter with bated breath afraid of what is happening， exploring the house with them， and then making it up to the surface with relief。 It drew out such tension。 It's not very long but it definitely left chills and I highly recommend reading it even if you don't understand it at first。 It’s a beauty to read and the dialogue and description are great。 The tension is basically it’s own character but it is welcoming。This is not a genre I usually read and I've never experienced Josh Malerman’s writing before but now I will probably go out and get Bird Box。 He kept me so invested in these characters and their relationship。 I felt like I was experiencing everything that they did。 It is beautiful。 It's a coming of age story with magical realism。 A story about love and a haunted house underwater。 What's not to love？Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Teri Griffis ，

This was the freakiest book I have ever read。 It was extremely verbose with no characterization。 I was very disappointed。I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley and this is my voluntary， honest review。