Where Genres Collide Traci Dowe YA Author

Book Talk 11/29/19: Josh Malerman’s A House at the Bottom of the Lake

Traci Kenworth

A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman. Received a copy due to membership with the This is Horror Show with Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella.

Amazon’s blurb: oth 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: Amelia and James are going on their first date. They are both nervous and excited until a day out on the lake, they discover a third lake through a narrow tunnel. To their shock, they discover a house at the bottom of the lake. A week passes and they are eager to go back. This time they take a diving suit and gear. In the house, items do not float or hit the bottom except for their flashlight. Together, they feel like they are playing house. Slowly, they become aware something is watching them. Something that may want its house back.

I liked it a lot! It was intriguing and at times creepy and there is an energy about the book that just keeps pulling you in. Josh Malerman definitely is a writer to watch!