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Quick answer: If you liked Incidents Around the House, try Bird Box, Malorie, A Head Full of Ghosts, The Haunting of Hill House, Mexican Gothic and The Cabin at the End of the World. They deliver slow, creepy horror with a child's view of terror.
Josh Malerman's 2024 horror novel is told by a young girl named Bela about her mother's fear of a visitor who might be in their home. It builds dread through everyday details and a child's voice. Readers who finish it want more domestic horror and haunted-house stories with a psychological edge. These 15 books fit. They contain disturbing content.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird Box | Josh Malerman | Adult | more Malerman |
| Malorie | Josh Malerman | Adult | series readers |
| Unbury Carol | Josh Malerman | Adult | readers who want a twist |
| A Head Full of Ghosts | Paul Tremblay | Adult | readers who like twists |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | readers who want the classic |
| We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Shirley Jackson | Adult | readers who like odd narrators |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | readers who like atmospheric horror |
| The Cabin at the End of the World | Paul Tremblay | Adult | readers who like suspense |
| Rosemary's Baby | Ira Levin | Adult | readers who like psychological horror |
| Pet Sematary | Stephen King | Adult | readers who want pure dread |
| The Shining | Stephen King | Adult | readers who like ghosts |
| House of Leaves | Mark Z. Danielewski | Adult | adventurous readers |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | Teen/Adult | readers who want a short book |
| Hex | Thomas Olde Heuvelt | Adult | readers who like small-town horror |
| The Only Good Indians | Stephen Graham Jones | Adult | older readers |
1. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Malorie leads her children down a river blindfolded because seeing is dangerous. Tense and original.
Best for: more Malerman.
2. Malorie by Josh Malerman
The sequel to Bird Box, years later. Another tense survival story.
Best for: series readers.
3. Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman
Carol has a rare condition that makes her seem dead, and her husband plans to bury her. A western horror.
Best for: readers who want a twist.
4. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
A family believes their teenage daughter is possessed, and it becomes a reality show. Smart and unsettling.
Best for: readers who like twists.
5. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Four people stay in a house with a bad reputation. A classic of quiet dread.
Best for: readers who want the classic.
6. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Merricat lives with her sister in an isolated house after a family tragedy. Eerie and darkly funny.
Best for: readers who like odd narrators.
7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Noemí goes to a decaying mansion in the Mexican mountains. Gothic and strange.
Best for: readers who like atmospheric horror.
8. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
A family on vacation is held hostage by four strangers who say the world will end. Tense and bleak.
Best for: readers who like suspense.
9. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary suspects her neighbors want her baby for a dark purpose. Short and paranoid.
Best for: readers who like psychological horror.
10. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Louis Creed buries his daughter's cat in an ancient burial ground. Dark and heartbreaking.
Best for: readers who want pure dread.
11. The Shining by Stephen King
Jack Torrance and his family are caretakers of a haunted hotel. A masterpiece of slow fear.
Best for: readers who like ghosts.
12. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
A text about a house that is bigger inside than outside. Experimental and creepy.
Best for: adventurous readers.
13. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline finds a door to a world with another mother. A short, eerie classic.
Best for: readers who want a short book.
14. Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
A town is cursed by a witch who walks the streets. Creepy and modern.
Best for: readers who like small-town horror.
15. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Four friends are haunted by a hunting trip gone wrong. Brutal and haunting.
Best for: older readers.
How to Choose
For more Malerman, begin with Bird Box. For classic haunted houses, read The Haunting of Hill House or The Shining. For modern dread, try A Head Full of Ghosts or The Cabin at the End of the World. A simple plan is to read slowly and avoid late-night reading. Many of these books involve child danger or death, so read with care. Because these books rely on atmosphere, read them in a quiet room with few distractions. If you like audiobooks, narrators can make the creepy voices even more effective, but listen in the daytime. Between horror books, switch to something light to reset your mood.
Related: 15 Books Like The House in the Cerulean Sea You’ll Love: Cozy Fantasy and Found Family · 15 Books Like The Haunting of Hill House You’ll Love: Subtle Horror and Ghost Stories
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Incidents Around the House about?
A young girl narrates her mother's fear of a visitor who may be in the home, and strange events escalate.
Is it scary?
Yes, it builds slow dread, though it is not very gory.
Is it a good first Malerman book?
Bird Box is the best-known, but this is a good fit for domestic horror fans.
Is it suitable for teens?
It is written for adults, with disturbing themes.
Are child narrators common in horror?
Yes. A child's view makes events feel strange and frightening because adults hide things.
Which book is the quietest scare?
The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle build dread with very little gore.