I am so excited that Paul Tremblay wrote a middle grade novel! This book really encapsulates what it is like to be a kid at a sleepover. While the story is designed for middle grade, I think it fits for all ages. I found this book hard to put down. It was incredibly entertaining and the main character Casey felt very realistic to me.

I would highly recommend this book for any parent wanting to introduce their kid to genre fiction and this is a great book to read along with your kids.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an eARC. You can hear my review and my thoughts on other books on my podcast, The Books and the Bees Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/45zRPXII2T1and6WSHHuwq?si=1d766e1095464dec)

I thought this story was going a certain way, and then Mr. Tremblay took it in an entirely different direction. It’s vaguely unsettling at first, and then ramps up to super creepy in just a few days in main character Casey’s life. I think that middle schoolers and up should be able to handle the scariness, but I wouldn’t recommend it for under age ten or so. This kind of book would have absolutely scared the pants off me as an elementary school kid.

Tremblay does an excellent job of portraying what it’s like for a kid to have extreme anxiety, resulting in a tic disorder. You can’t help but feel badly for Casey. I appreciate the study of mental health issues, because these things need to be discussed and explained.

I don’t want to say much about the plot because it will be hard to share anything without spoilers. However, suffice it to say that a man drops off his son at Casey’s house for a few days, and not only does the latter not know either person, his parents are somehow fine with it and start acting very, very strangely.

This really captured my attention throughout, and I hope the author writes a sequel.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for an early copy. I am writing this review voluntarily.

This book crawled Into my brain, rearranged the furniture, and unlocked my childhood fears. Another by Paul Tremblay pulled me in like a flashlight beam in a dark forest. And once I was in, there was no getting out without a few goosebumps and an existential crisis. In the best way possible.

From the very first page, there’s a creeping unease. It's not loud or gory, but that whisper-in-your-ear kind of spooky that makes you want to sleep with the hallway light on. The main character, Casey, is beautifully awkward, full of anxiety, and navigating that weird liminal space between knowing something’s wrong and not being able to prove it. His voice is so authentic it felt like reading my own thoughts from middle school… if my middle school had involved possibly being replaced by a fungus boy made of clay.

Speaking of which...Morel. Let’s just say he’s what happens when you combine “imaginary friend,” “parasite,” and “craft project gone rogue.” He’s eerie without being over-the-top, and that subtle body horror? Chef’s kiss. You’ll be thinking about it every time you pass a pottery studio.

What really got me, though, was the nostalgia. As an older reader, this book transported me straight back to the vibe of those 70s and 80s horror shows and school library paperbacks. You know, the ones that dared to be weird, creepy, and a little too close to your own fears. It’s got that Goosebumps energy but upgraded: more emotional depth, more psychological bite, and more of that “I didn’t realize I needed therapy until this book called me out” feeling.

Another is unsettling in the most nostalgic way. It made me feel like a kid again. Just one who now has a mortgage, adult anxieties, and a renewed fear of closets. Tremblay has created a haunting, brilliant little gem that bridges childhood fear and grown-up reflection.

Highly recommend for middle-grade readers and anyone who grew up loving stories that made them question whether their reflection blinked twice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of Another by Paul Tremblay.

All of the Paul Tremblay books I've read have been solid A+ scary stories. This is the first middle grades book he's written, and honestly I felt like it was just as, if not more unsettling than some adult horror books I've read. Nothing explicit or world-shattering, but some very effective, slow-creeping dread and a pretty original take on a classic horror trope. 13 year old me would have loved it too.

Sometimes I forget home much I enjoy middle grade literature, until I read a good one. I was interested to see how Paul Tremblay would approach middle grade horror, since I have only ever read his adult offerings. I must say… he did creepy, suspenseful, body horror SO well in this book while still keeping it accessible to his target audience.

Casey, our protagonist, is a sixth grader just trying to figure things out after the trauma and isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic… and he is not doing too well. After some trouble while attending class via “Zoom,” Casey could really use a friend. Enter Morel; a strange kid who has been appointed as Casey “good friend” and will be staying over a few nights during spring break. Needless to say, Morel is not who, or WHAT he seems.

I was rooting for Casey from the very beginning, because we have all been there, or we know someone who has. Tremblay crafted a story that is theme heavy without being preachy. He invites the reader to ask questions like, Who am I? What does it really mean to be myself? What makes me unique? Is it ok for things to not be perfect? He then gives the reader the space to explore the answers to those questions, before having Casey confront them head on.

I didn’t find the book particularly scary (granted, I am not the target audience), but it was definitely creepy and unsettling at times. It is written for a younger demographic, so the horror elements are “appropriate;” but don’t be fooled, it gets a bit hairy.

I would recommend this book to the young people in my life who do not mind being a litter creeped out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Quil Tree Books for this free copy of "Another."

Even though it's marketed as "Middle Grade," it's DEFINITELY for everyone! And it's freaky, heartbreaking, and horrifying.

Tremblay so skillfully makes me us feel like we're 12 years old again, reliving all the geekiness and loneliness. Plus when you have physical symptoms that cause you to be different, you sometimes wonder if your parents really love you, even with all your quirks?

And do they know what makes you special? Or would they be unaware if "another" took your place?

Another has everything you could ask for in a creepy read—a child who feels lost and alone; parents who don’t, or won’t, seem to get it; an out-of-place old rotary phone; and Morel, who seems like the perfect new friend, then becomes, well—you’ll have to read it and find that out.
This book was a quick and easy read, and is certainly a middle school read. And while it could be scary for the younger set, I don’t think any of it would be too threatening. It is more strange and unsettling, but nothing as dark or twisted as Tremblay’s usual fare. I’m giving it a 4-star, but it really is closer to a three-and-a-half for me. I think I would have liked it more if there had been more about why his parents acted the way they did. I’d love to hear what someone from the intended audience thinks.

I'm always up for a good spooky middle grade, this year has not disappointed me. I will be reading more middle grade by Paul Tremblay. I know this book will be a huge hit at my elementary school I work at if we get a copy. I think this has the right amount of spooky to make it a page turner for even the reluctant reader.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!!

I hadn't realized this was middle grade when I first requested it, and got a bit worried once I did, but good lord this was one of the creepiest books I've ever read, middle grade or not. This almost exact scenario was my worst nightmare as a child. The uncanny valley of Morel, slowly watching your parents forget who you are in favor for someone else, being completely at the mercy of your surroundings. It all felt like the scariest parts (to me) of Coraline. And I loved it. I was absolutely sucked into the story and couldn't tear my eyes away from the horror unfolding. I've been suffering from insomnia again, being up until 4-5 am each night for the last few days after my insomnia had been better for a few weeks, and lying, wide awake, in the middle of the night and reading this book was such a bizarre and fascinating experience. I could feel what Casey was feeling as he turned so his back faced Morel while he slept, the itch of eyes on the back of your head (although for me it was all imagined). I felt a very distinct kinship with Casey, in part given how I had nightmares of what he was going through when I was a kid, and also because of my anxieties as a child.

I've only read a couple of Tremblay's books, but I've gotta say that this may be my favorite of his. Between the eco-horror and uncanny valley, it's arguably two of my favorite horror types and written together beautifully. I can not wait to recommend this to my students who are always itching for more horror than the typical middle-grade "horror" books give, and accidentally stumbling upon books they shouldn't (shoutout to 4th grade me, obsessed with Mary Downing Hahn and so got one of her adult books from the used bookstore, then wrote a book report on it. What I was unaware of, was that cocaine is not something 4th graders should read about or write book reports on). This is exactly what I would've wanted as a kid, and I'm ecstatic to be able to recommend this to my students who are the same.

I will read anything that Paul Tremblay writes, and was thrilled to get a chance to read his first scare for younger readers.

Casey is a middle schooler and an anxious little dude, trying to find a way to recover from the isolation of the pandemic and an awful bullying incident. Honestly being a middle schooler is the worst, but Casey has an ally and supporter in his sister even while she’s away at college, and he’s a budding artist.

After buying an old school rotary phone, weird things start to happen that culminate in the arrival of a man with a faceless claylike boy named Morel. Because Casey is lonely he ignores the strangeness of the situation because of the possibility of a friend. Slowly, Casey starts having terrifying dreams and starts feeling like he’s losing himself while Morel becomes more clear.

It’s a frightening lesson in holding onto what makes you, you, figuring out how to understand your parents love you while also having hopes for you, and learning to fight your own battles.

You know what? I wasn’t going to rate this, what with my not being in the target demographic, but that’s just not what a book is for. So let’s just say this:
- a children’s book is not an excuse for poor writing
- a children’s book should be an excuse to help make a kid (or a learning/struggling reader in any language the book is written in) a competent, if not surpassingly so, reader
- a children’s book is not an excuse to write a 2D main character and one dimensional side characters (antagonists or otherwise), and while it is done, it is quite lazy to do so in a book that’s so obviously trying to have a point
- setting this book in the bubble of emergence from the most recent pandemic is not fascinating or interesting if the book’s theme(s) barely touch on the effect the pandemic may have had on the characters, children or otherwise
- this one started off strong, but the second and third acts were nowhere near polished or clean or imaginative
I kept telling myself, as I neared the conclusion, would this have been a book I’d have liked when I was a kid? And I came away from reading it knowing that Young Frank would have been very disappointed in the way this book churned out. But it’s as someone better than I with words would say, the truth always wins out. And the truth, here, is that this is a weak and dissatisfying outing in the horror genre, the youth literature arena, and for readers anywhere. Readable, but for what?

This review is in exchange for an e-reader copy provided by NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to be so (perhaps brutally) honest about this book.

Thank you so much to Quill Tree Books for the eARC of ANOTHER by Paul Tremblay via NetGalley! ANOTHER comes out on July 22, 2025!

When I found out that Paul Tremblay was releasing a middle grade horror novel, I KNEW that I needed to read it. Tremblay has blown me away with his adult novels & as a person who adores middle grade horror and finds it to be, most times, even creepier than adult horror I had high hopes that this would be a winner.

& guess what? ANOTHER was GOLDEN. Absolutely no disappointments here. 10/10, perfect read.

With his “friend” appearing as if he’s made of clay & the concept of doppelgängers,ANOTHER checked off the creepy boxes. There’s also this feeling of dread throughout the read for both our main character, Casey, and the reader. I can get even more in-depth with what makes this book terrifying, but that’s spoiler territory & I definitely urge you to read this one and discover for yourself.

ANOTHER also addresses things that are important for the younger audience (& honestly all ages) — such as anxiety & the fear of being forgotten. This also takes place during tbr COVID pandemic & has Casey dealing with all of these changes when it comes to his education and everyday life.

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who needs a heartfelt read with creepy elements & definitely for the younger audience that it’s meant for.

Another was eerie, creepy, and totally unique. I can definitely see this being a go-to in middle grade horror. It had me hooked from the start, and I really loved how it touched on learning styles, anxiety, and the isolation kids dealt with during the pandemic. It gave me the chills but also made me feel things.

What a wonderfully unsettling little gem. Another might be labeled middle grade, but make no mistake—this is a chilling, emotionally resonant story that creeps under your skin and lingers long after the last page.

The story follows 12-year-old Casey, an isolated and anxious kid whose world shifts when a strange, mannequin-like boy named Morel appears. What begins as a mysterious encounter slowly turns into something darker, stranger, and harder to explain. Is Morel imaginary? Is he replacing Casey? And if so—how?

Tremblay masterfully builds quiet dread without needing gore or shocks. The fear here is existential: being forgotten, being replaced, not being seen. Casey’s voice is distinct and heartfelt, and the blend of narration and sketch-style drawings adds to the immersive, unsettling tone.

This book surprised me. It’s eerie, thoughtful, and just off-kilter enough to feel like a waking nightmare. A smart, spooky read perfect for fans of psychological horror with heart.

Wonderful middle grade horror novel. Although it’s marketed as middle grade, I enjoyed the book and it had some creepier elements. The idea of doppelgängers is terrifying.

Poor Casey is struggling in middle school and had to face those years during Covid. Now that he’s back to in person school things aren’t looking any better. A mysterious man with a mysterious “clay” boy appears on his doorstep. Morel, yes like the mushroom, is his new playmate for a week. Weirdly, his parents seem fine with this faceless creature taking up residence in their home and hanging out with their child. But aren’t they acting a bit strange? And what’s that fine layer of dust covering everything? And what’s with the ancient rotary phone?

Paul Tremblay is know.n for his ambiguous endings. You won’t find that here, but this was a great book. Really delving into education and all that happened during the COVID years.

Finished a NetGalley ARC of Another by Paul Tremblay today! The story follows a young boy named Casey who has been struggling since the onset of the COVID pandemic. His parents brings home an old rotary phone and they receive a call asking if Casey's mysterious "friend" can stay for an extended visit. This is a middle grade story and I think the target audience will have a lot of fun with it! I really enjoyed it myself and it was a very easy, quick read. I'd love to say more about why I liked it but I don't want to give anything away 🤐

Brief Synopsis:

Casey’s new friend, Morel, is a little strange. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t eat. He’s never played the Legend of Zelda. Oh, and his face seems to be sculpted from clay…literally. Still, a strange friend is better than no friend at all, right? What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts:

This middle grade novel is packed with heart. It’s creepy but never becomes too scary. There’s no violence, just the uncomfortable sensation of knowing something strange is going on and not being able to explain exactly what it is. Through the course of the story, Casey is learning to deal with his recent struggles with anxiety. He’s also adapting to the post-COVID style of schooling, in which his time is split between in-class and at-home learning. His sister, who Casey is close with, has just started college and recently moved out. So yeah, lots of changes are happening all around poor Casey, and he has no control over any of them.

Along comes Morel (a “friend” Casey has never met before) and strange changes start to take on a whole new meaning. The more time Casey spends with Morel, the less like himself he feels. Stranger yet, Morel seems to be becoming more and more like Casey. Casey’s inner turmoil over what defines his own identity is a central part of the story. Is he defined by the things that embarrass him? His artistic skills? His love for his family? I found these struggles to be highly relatable, and the notion that those central things that define us could be stolen…well, that’s just terrifying.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and feel it would appeal to middle graders and adults alike. If you’re a Tremblay fan, don’t go in expecting his usual disturbing ambiguous style. This is a middle grade novel and written accordingly. Preorder now or pick up a copy for your favorite spooky young reader on July 22!

Another by Paul Tremblay was SO creepy! I started reading it at night and ended up having nightmares 😅 I had to set it aside for a few days after that and then only read during the day.

The doppelgänger aspect really freaked me out! Not only was this book scary, it was also quite emotional!

The bond between Morel and Casey at the end was very bittersweet.

I’d be curious to see if it there is a sequel to this one!

Life hasn't been easy for Casey during and after the pandemic. His sister is away at college. He doesn't like playing on the baseball team. To make matters worse, Casey suffers from facial tics. He’s still reeling from the Zoom incident where a bully recorded Casey reading aloud during class with his facial tics and uploaded the video online. One day, Casey notices a rotary phone in their house - and his parents get a call from a strange man. The man wants to drop off his son, Morel at their house for a sleepover. Casey doesn't know who Morel is. When they arrive, Morel has face and body features similar to a mannequin - and from the jump, Casey knows something's not right.

Casey notices that Morel doesn't sleep. Morel doesn't eat. With each day, Casey feels weaker - and Casey's parents are treating like Morel is their son. Casey also notices a weblike substance at night -- that leads straight to Morel..

Middle graders looking for a step above R.L. Stine books will appreciate the creepy black and white illustrations that brings "Another" to life. I thought Casey felt realistic. The tension builds up well - and fans of the Horror genre will not be disappointed with Paul Tremblay's Middle Grade novel.

I am very excited to recommend this to my students. I’ve loved what I’ve read of Tremblay’s adult books and am excited for my students to get a chance.

On a surface level, this is a delightfully creepy book! I’ve read a lot of adult horror books that didn’t creep me out as much as this one did. Under the surface, it’s a really good book about a lot of insecurities that come from growing up, especially in a world post-Covid. I really liked how the creep factor of what happens to Casey is tied in with his fears and anxieties under the surface.

This is a really good middle-grade horror book! Mr Tremblay, if you read this, please write more!