Honestly, Another by Paul Tremblay reminds me of books I enjoyed when I was younger. Specifically the Goosebumps and Fear Street.

It’s an excellent middle grade horror book - just creepy enough without being as heavy and frightening as Tremblay’s typical work is. And while this does heavily reference and relate to the COVID-19 pandemic, I think there are some great themes related to the scary side of growing up and changing.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I usually really enjoy Paul Tremblay’s books but this one was unfortunately a miss for me. The writing felt very simple even for a middle grade book. Some of the cultural references also make the story already feel dated & will only get worse with time I feel. Also didn’t really care for the whole fungi plot twist. I’m sure there’s definitely an audience for this but I’m just not part of it.

I love Paul's adult horror books, so I was excited to see he was writing something for the younger crowd. I really enjoyed reading this! Definitely gave me "Goosebump" vibes and is something younger-me would have loved. Would definitely recommend for any blossoming young horror fans :)

This book was a lot of fun. Some Paul Tremblay books can feel a little ambiguous and aren't the always the "easy to recommend" sort of books that a Joe Hill or Stephen King book can be. But this one, geared toward middle grade readers, has a simple premise. And while it retains the trademark Tremblay knack for mystery, ambiguity, and simmering dread it also has something kind of Spielbergian (and certain reminiscent of RL Stine!) due to the young protagonist's perspective. I know Tremblay is also a school teacher, and it seems to have given him ample fodder authentically tuning into that demographic's perspective.

It may be for younger readers, but I think Tremblay fans will find that he did not compromise on anything in his writing that appeals to older readers.

I requested this one mainly to see if it was okay for my 12-year-old to read. And let me tell you…I was surprised at how good I found it!

I’m giving it 4 stars overall.

Now, in terms of content, there’s nothing super graphic or wildly inappropriate, but it is mature in a quiet, psychological way. Nothing over the top, but definitely something younger kids might not fully connect with yet. I’d say it’s more suited for older teens who like slower, more introspective reads.

So for my 12-year-old? I’m gonna say not just yet. I think they’d get bored or confused, honestly. But as an adult? I really liked it. The writing is clever, and it sticks with you.

Bottom line: a strong book, just not the right fit for middle grade. But if you've got a teen who likes weird, moody stories and spooky vibes, this one might hit.

This was a very fun and entertaining middle grade horror novel. Another is about a young boy who doesn't have any friends and is feeling lost and lonely in his life until unexpectedly, his parents get a phone call that his "friend" is coming for a sleepover. What follows is a slowly building dread where this boy is questioning what is real, especially when his parents seem to be acting like everything is normal. And this friend is someone he has never heard of, never met, and seems to be made of clay. This was really spooky and also deals a lot with the main character's learning disabilities and difficulties in school along with the horror as well as the effects of COVID lockdown on children who were in school at the time. Very enjoyable for kids who like horrror.

This gives strong Goosebumps vibes. It was fun and spooky. Truly enjoyable, even for an old person, like myself.

I didn’t realize this was a middle grade book going in, but I was curious enough after the first chapter that I kept going. I’ll admit, it’s not an entirely unique premise but it gave Goosebumps nostalgia.
The clay mannequin begins as something very spooky, but ultimately wins the reader over as Morel becomes his own person and proves to be a friend. The concept of this being starting with no real facial features (only a concept of eye sockets and mouth) was very creepy and well done.
There’s some interesting themes with “fitting in,” dealing with the pandemic, and stress causing facial tics - all that come into play as our main character, Casey, learns to see where his value lies. He’s not just any boy, he’s Casey.

Wow! This book was creepy and such a fun read. I honestly couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know what was going to happen. As an adult, I loved this so much. Middle school me would’ve been obsessed with this book as I was such a horror fan! Still am to this day of course!

The concept was unique and executed so well. Paul is a phenomenal writer, so I wasn’t shocked at how intrigued I was by this book. I enjoyed every last bit of it. I was engaged until the very end and even had chills at some points.

This is a fantastic introduction to horror for middle grade kids. This book will definitely ignite the thrill of reading horror for so many of them.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the early copy!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC of this title in exchange for my review.

Why are all the great middle grade and teen books being written NOW? Where were they when I was that age?!! I"m so jealous of kids now, they have so many great options. Sigh ...

This is a fun and creepy book for middle graders. This was chilling, gripping and so hard to put down. Wonderful characters and unusual friendships. I think just about anyone of any age would enjoy this book.

4 stars. Recommend to all!

After a Zoom meeting gone wrong, Casey has definitely become the outcast of his friend group. He is beyond confused when his parents tell him that a friend is coming over to spend the night. This new friend, who Casey hasn't met before, soon charms his parents and starts to take their attention away from Casey. Is this new friend trying to take Casey's life away from him?

As a middle school librarian, I can tell you that kids will read scary stories and I can't wait to add this one to our collection. The creepy factor is off the charts and will have the readers hooked from the first chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley along with HarperCollins Children's Books-Quill Tree Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Paul tremblay’s books. He’s an auto buy author. I was a little nervous that the horror would slip through the cracks or not remain as intense because of the audience intended but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s haunting. The story draws on childhood fears perfectly. So much so, that it’s reminiscent of the goosebumps franchise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Creepy read for middle grade readers! I honestly didn’t realize it was for middle grades when I requested it, but was nonetheless captivated. Another win for Paul!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for the digital advance reader copy.

Since I read Tremblay's Head Full of Ghosts, I've been a fan and have read what's he's published since then, except his short stories. I enjoy his weird, out-there horror that often plays with our fear of the strange, uncanny, and awful that exists in opposition to our humanity.

I wasn't sure how his writing would work for a middle grade audience, since he often creates a world of ambiguity and existential dread that I wasn't sure ten-to-thirteen year-olds would understand.

I was wrong. As I read this, I began to remember that middle schoolers have existential dread, too. He does (mostly) avoid the ambiguity of his adult novels, though.

Casey is a struggling mid-pandemic sixth-grader. Due to an incident, he's feeling incredibly alone. He's not sure his friends are even still his friends. His older sister has left for college. Even his parents seem more worried and frustrated with him than they did. He's not sure they even like him now.

Then his mom brings home an old rotary phone from an antique store, and his parents oddly agree to allow an unknown friend to stay at their house during Spring Break.

Casey himself doesn't even know this friend, and yet here he is.

Slowly, during the week, Casey finds himself changing, and finds his new-found friend changing, too.

This is a weird, creepy story about figuring out who you are and who really cares about you - flaws and talents and fears and goofiness and all.

Tremblay does a great job exploring what it means to experience the anxiety and fear of wondering if anyone really likes you - do you even like you? What if you just weren't you one day? Would others like you better? Would anyone notice?

Plus, as a parent, I appreciated his look at Casey's family. Sometimes we're so worried about our kids, we forget to just love and support them. I loved that Casey's family wasn't perfect, but they were always trying to figure out how better to love one another, even when they didn't get it right.

All in all, two thumbs up for a truly creepy story about really seeing others.

What makes us, us? That's just what this young 6th grade boy attempts to tackle alone. Dealing with anxiety tics, Casey is confronted with a mysterious new friend that his parents just accept in their home without even knowing who "it" is. Struggling with his flaws, he begins to notice his parents like his new friend a little too much.

This thoroughly creepy middle grade is an awesome read for any age group. I've enjoyed it so much that I want to teach this novel as a full class read in my middle school English class.

Another is a creepy middle-grade horror story. The story is also intriguing that you won't want to put down once you start reading it. I liked the introduction of the old rotary phone. It adds to the mystique of the story. It's interesting how the main character reacts to his new "friend" and how he has to solve the mystery of it. Fans of Gooosebumps will definitely like this story.

Another by Paul Tremblay is a wonderfully eerie middle-grade debut with just the right amount of creep. This unsettling tale follows Casey, a socially isolated boy still dealing with the fallout of a mysterious “Zoom Incident,” who finds himself reluctantly hosting a bizarre sleepover guest named Morel. Morel isn’t like any other kid—his silence, clay-like skin, and strange influence over Casey’s parents slowly turn an already tense atmosphere into something deeply sinister.

Tremblay masterfully blends psychological unease with classic horror elements, building tension in a way that will make younger readers squirm and older ones genuinely unsettled. The shifting family dynamics and Casey’s growing paranoia are where the story shines.

Though written for a middle-grade audience, Another doesn’t hold back on atmosphere or depth. If you’re looking for a haunting, surreal, and smartly written read with shades of Coraline and The Twilight Zone, this one’s worth checking out.

Ah, the rotary phone. A thing of the past, a real relic — and in this book, a real itroubkemaker. Casey is struggling with post-pandemic life and some social isolation. Then an unexpected friend visits….but perhaps Morel is not quite as friendly as Casey might have hoped?
This was truly scary and a real win in the middle grade horror genre. I loved it!! Highly recommend to brave kiddos everywhere.
The relationships felt believable and I loved that Casey and Morel were not completely at odds with each other. The true villain is— well, quite bone-chilling.
Prepare yourself! You will be creeped out.

Things I liked:
The pacing of this book is great. It gets the ball rolling and doesn't stop. This works especially well for a middle grade novel since you don't need a large amount of exposition.
I can see this being scary for a kid. While I am reading this as a horror connoisseur, I started out my love with reading Goosebumps and I see this fitting in well with that type of horror. Definitely not scary reading it as an adult but that's okay!
Some great characters. I especially loved the older sister and thought she was a great addition to the story.

Things I disliked:
I am curious how many kids are going to read this and have to ask their parents what a landline phone even is/looks like. I get the importance of it to the book but still.
I personally felt the book should have ended without that last chapter. It felt unnecessary to know that (spoiler) Morel/Link was still out there searching for the man and stopping him from spreading whatever was going on.

This is very strange and intriguing story about Casey Wilson, one you will want to keep reading just one more chapter and then just one more, then…………

Twelve year old Casey is having some difficulties fitting in at school due to his own personal issues that have incited teasing, if not bullying. So when his parents tell him a friend is coming for a sleepover, he knows he hasn’t had friends since the embarrassing “Zoom Incident,” and is confused and skeptical about this “friend.” Since the “Zoom Incident” his tics have gotten worse so naturally he is quite nervous about meeting a newbie. When Morel shows up, he’s nothing like any friend Casey’s ever known: he doesn’t talk, his skin looks unnatural, his eyes are not human and the most frightening part is that Casey’s parents are completely unaware of Morel’s supernaturalism. Night after night passes and and Morel doesn’t leave! Weirdly Morel is changing, he now talks, his skin looks more like, well human skin, but Casey is changing too and not for the better! His parents now focus their attention on Morel, Causing Casey to feel more isolated than ever.
The saving factor is his older sister Ally, who is away at college and as an outside observer notices what’s happening and is Casey’s only link to sanity.


Paul Tremblay’s Another is an unsettling, disturbing middle grade horror story that will stick with your pondering brain long after you finish it. Even though it’s written for a younger audience, it never talks down to the reader. Middle school readers especially boys will enjoy the weirdness and psychological tension. The talent in Tremblay’s writing is the slow-building sense that something is off, and that uneasy feeling becomes more tense as the story progresses.

 Readers will like and can identify with Casey, the protagonist. He’s brave, relatable, and his experiences of isolation and trying to find his place in the world was true to human existence. His openness to befriend this odd kid Morel is strange and haunting, and the pandemic backdrop added an extra layer of isolation that felt very true to what we all recently experienced.

My only complaint is this reader felt a bit bogged down with the descriptions of the activity of the spores, the glowing roots and hyphae that plagued Casey’s dreams, but other readers may enjoy this fantastical dream. 


I hope Another is the first installment of a new well needed horror series for middle grade readers.