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.

I really loved how unsettling and creepy this book was bc I think kids need actual creepy horror stories too! I had fun with this story although I felt it rambled a bit and it made me lose focus of the story. But I still enjoyed it

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperStacks for an ARC of this novel. I did not realize this was a YA book going into it, but I don't think it necessarily reads as YA. The story is creepy, but it isn't too creepy for the young crowd. However, it was entertaining. I was able to figure out what was going on pretty quickly, but I liked the integration of fungus being part of the story with the popularity of things like The Last of Us. Paul did a great job of capturing the emotions of our main character and making the parents off. If I had realized that it was YA, I probably would have been more receptive to it. I was bored for a good bit of the time, but I can understand that since I wasn't the target audience. I teach younger students, and I do think this would be popular with the right group. If I could give partial stars, I'd rate this a 2.5.

I'm a big fan of Paul Tremblay and I knew I had to read this, even if it is labeled as middle grade. Casey is our main character and he's been having a tough time in school. An embarrassing incident has caused all his friends and classmates to shun him. Then, a mysterious man shows up with a friend for Casey, in the loose form of a boy his age. Saying anything more than an ominous the boy isn't all he appears to be would give away too much! I'd recommend if you're a fan and to the intended audience that likes a good creepy book.

I wish I could send this back to my middle school self. Tremblay has been a favorite of mine for a while, and he adapts to middle grade fiction perfectly. The story is smoothly written and gripping, creepy yet reassuring in a way. He hones in on some of the base fears one feels throughout adolescence: loss of identity, isolation, shame, embarrassment, you name it. Casey's development throughout the story is executed well, and Morel's arc is cutting and sympathetic.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. If I was twelve, this would without a doubt be my favorite book of all time. I was not a child during the height of the pandemic, but this book made me really understand the small, day-to-day things children must have been going through during that time and the worries of a child with some anxieties. Casey is the beating heart of this story, and I just want to pick him up and squeeze him into a tight hug and never let him go. It was a perfectly paced, small novel that I never wanted to put down. And I can't forget to mention how disturbing it is. Tremblay mastered the idea that children can accept things that will break the minds of adults, and he utilized that idea masterfully. If Morel showed up at my door today, my initial instinct would be to destroy him, but as a child who is still learning about the ways of the world, Morel is just another thing Casey accepted. It is a terrifying novel without being brutal in the slightest. It is a subtle dread that builds from the moment Morel walks in the door, and the reader identifies that there is something different about him. And Tremblay also makes you feel for Morel and his situation, especially as the novel goes on. Middle grade is not an age range I read frequently, but every time I do I am reminded that the stories of this age range can have a profound impact on not only children, but adults too. This is a fantastic read, especially if your child shows any interest in strange stories, or it is something great to read around spooky season.

As a Goosebumps and Fear Street enthusiast, I felt right at home reading this book.

It was creepy, and just scary enough for the Middle Reader /YA. I mean I knew what was going to happen, but I Still gobbled this book up like it was the last piece of cake.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an engaging novel, the character development stands out as its strongest element. I particularly enjoyed the well-crafted character Morel. The mystery that is woven within the plot really works well to propel the story forward. I would recommend this book for those that ;like a subtle mystery.

I feel bad, I wasn’t aware this was a middle grade book when I requested it. Overall, I didn’t think this was a bad story, I can see how this would creep a kid out. It definitely is slower paced to build the suspense. It gave Goosebumps vibes, especially with the whole mannequin aspect. I really enjoyed the creepiness of Morel, and the whole idea of him slowly becoming Casey. For the audience this is geared towards, I think it will be a hit.

Move over, Stine. There’s a new juv fic creepmaster in town. For a first foray into scary kids books, this one really rocks. A lonely kid makes a creepy new friend. It’s scary in a Goosebumps way. Has the classic trope: gaslit by parents who can’t see what’s happening. Just a rock solid story. Perfect for fans of sporror (spore horror).

I didn’t realize this was a mid grade book when I received the ARC. I have to say that this was a really creepy story!

We have the MC, Casey, a pre teen, just at the end of the COVID shutdown. Casey is struggling with some issues with a nervous tic and class bullying.

An old rotary phone is brought home and that’s when things take off! Strange “Dad” calls for a “friend” of Casey’s named Morel to come spend a few days. What unfolds is truly terrifying! Don’t read this one alone in the dark!

The writing is superb, the characters frightening, with a great open ending! Your kids will love it…as will the parents! If you’re a fan of Goosebumps and The Twilight Zone you’ll love this!

*Warning may be too scary for the younger bunch!

Thanks NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

For what this was, which was a middle grade horror book I think this was a solid 3.75–4 star read. I definitely felt that it was giving R. L. Stein vibes and I loved or else Stein when I was younger so I think it’s safe to say that this will hit the mark for middle grade readers as it has a perfect mixture of camping horror mixed in with creepy going on that are the sort of things that younger kids still find creepy. I don’t read a lot of middle grade so for me this was a unique reading experience and there is not a lot that I can compare it to in terms of books that I have read recently so it being a deviation from my normal reading material worked in the books favor because it felt as if I were having a unique reading experience which is always a positive thing for .

Hi actually have read a lot of Paul Tre blaze adult book so I was excited to see him tackle something different and I think he managed to pull it off quite well. I did not get the sense that the writing was too advanced for middle graders yet a writing was not dumped down either and was still very good technical writing so it’s not easy to write a book that works for middle graders and can still appeal to older people and Paul Tremblay managed to pull that off quite well so fan of Paul Tremblay that have children will love this as it a book that can be read with your children and still enjoyed as an adult without feeling through adolescence. A solid four star reading experience, again I remind you that I rate my books based on my enjoyment for their individual genre

With Another, Tremblay succeeds at bringing his creepy, spooky writing style to a younger audience. What's always great about this stories is that you never really know what's going to happen - but you know it's going to scare the pants off you. It will also make you think a bit about family, identity and who we think we are.

Paul Tremblay's middle grade debut may easily be one of his best works. Sublimely creepy and relentlessly heartbreaking, Another is a fast read that’s hard to put down.

Casey's parents inform him he has a new friend coming for a sleepover - but Morel is unlike other kids. His skin resembles clay, and he doesn't speak or eat. But his parents seem enamored of Morel and begin to drift from their relationship with Casey. He senses something is seriously wrong, and the sleepover feels like it's turning into a nightmare... with no end in sight.

Another feels like an elevated homage to Goosebumps and other horror anthology series for kids, particularly those from the 1990s. I highly recommend this one to readers of all ages, particularly if you're a fan of Tremblay.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Paul Tremblay delivers another haunting, atmospheric story with Another. His ability to blur the line between reality and nightmare is on full display, creating a sense of quiet dread that lingers. As a reader, I definitely felt it.

The characters feel real, and the emotional ambiguity adds depth, though at times the subtlety borders on frustrating vagueness. Still, it’s a compelling, thought-provoking read that showcases Tremblay’s skill with psychological horror.

Highly recommended for fans of slow-burn, unsettling fiction.