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A review by justinkhchen
A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman
5.0
5 stars
Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.
This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.
Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.
Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.
This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.
Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.
Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***