I loved this story!

It’s a very short middle grade book. I read it in about an hour. It is part of a series of weird stories, but I believe they can each be read on their own. I haven’t read the previous books, and I wasn’t missing anything.

This story was really creepy. Pigs can be strange creatures, and after reading this book, I’ll never look at them the same way! (You never know if an alien has taken over the pig’s body!) It really was a spooky, weird story, but it was very entertaining because I didn’t know what was going to happen.

Alex learns a lot throughout the story. People who he thought were bad at first sight ended up helping him, and the ones he thought would help ended up trying to harm him. He also learned that it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes you can’t do everything on your own, and it’s good to ask for help. These are both important lessons for kids to learn too.

I loved this story! It is great for young readers and adults!

Such a fun story. I read one of this author's other works, so I had an idea of what to expect this time. I enjoyed the creepy element, though I would like it to be a little more scary, still it's a fun and quick children's book.

Alex and the Other, Weird Stories Gone Wrong Book 4, by Philippa Dowding was received direct from the publisher. Young adult books bring me back to my childhood, which was a few years ago, give or take a few years This particular story, without going into the plot, which I rarely do, is about a doppelganger trying to take over someone's life, which we all know is not cool. The novella moves along at a fast pace with short chapters that should keep a horror loving young adult fully occupied, though the horror is written for young adults so as to be not too horrific.

Alex is invisible. Well, not really to begin with, just not really noticed or memorable. Then he decides to take a detour before heading. He comes across some possessed pigs who ask him about the other and his cat starts talking to him. The following days are filled with strange things until another Alex has taken his place and gradually no one can see him anymore. This is when real Alex is faced with the choice of fading away and letting other Alex take over or fighting back.

Real Alex is an emotionally strong character but he is used to living in the background so he does not have much in the way of social confidence or friends. During this story, real Alex experiences up and downs which have the ability to tug at the heartstrings but ultimately he learns his individual worth and how being himself is important.

Other Alex is kind of creepy from start to finish and is the one thing I did not like about the book, but only because other Alex made me angry. How dare the other come in and try to take over the life of an innocent boy. Of course, the other is a major element of the story and responsible for teaching real Alex a valuable life lesson.

There are a few characters besides the Alex's but the most important, in my opinion, are the aliens using piglets as their Earth vessels. They seem to have no idea how to interact with real Alex without giving the poor kid the creeps. However, they play a very important part of this story and are not quite what they seem.

The story packs a powerful message in a slightly creepy story with aliens. It was an interesting concept, fast passed and continuously intriguing which made it a very enjoyable read. It was also well written for younger audiences by not using complicated language and staying focused on the main story. 

This is a great book that I would recommend to children aged 8+, depending on their maturity, especially if they like aliens.

An engaging read for middle school grades.
Alex is a lonely boy who already feels invisible most of the time. After a mysterious green fog rolls in, it seems Alex may turn invisible for real. Someone is trying to take over his life, but help may come from the strangest of places. Mildly creepy, with cute illustrations, and a true life lesson to be yourself.

This book was a very quick, fun read. I would buy this book for my middle school aged nephews and would recommend it for that age. It had a mildish creepy factor that was kind of reminiscent of the Goosebumps series. I would definitely recommend this book!

Middle-Grade type creepy vibes to the max in this one. We giggled and speculated all through reading this trying to guess the next plot twist. In many ways, it reminded me of the X Files. Alex encounters some weird green glowy stuff in the woods; his cat runs away after hissing a strange warning repeated by his reflection and two strangers, and they all say the same thing- Beware The Other. It's delightfully quirky, and we read the entire book in two nights.

This is billed as "weird" so you're not in for any surprises when outlandish beings show up and life gets odd. If you like books with weirdness, then this is totally you. It's well written, and definitely for younger readers.

This isn't my usual genre - weirdness, but it was OK, and nowhere near absolute creepout. I really liked the way it ended tho.

I recommend this for goosebumps fans, and anyone looking for a not-so-scary horror children's book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I'd read of this series. I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books now. The story moves along quickly but develops well into a complete story.

I received this from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

*thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

This was very good for a middle grade book! Usually the creepiness and horror themes in middle grade books are watered down but this one was pretty creepy! Not overly so but along the lines of the old popular "Goosebumps" series. It's been awhile since I've enjoyed reading a decent middle grade that had horror theme and this one does nicely. Also there is a bonus to this. Along with it being a great scary read, it also sends the message that who you are is the best person you could ever want to be. To have self confidence is a pure gift. Ohh and I can't not mention that the main character is best friends with his cat. I think that's adorable and what a perfect best friend! Such a great book! Definitely recommend!