Every now and again you stumble across a book that is as original as it can be with so many billions of words in existence. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC and review it.

This is like nothing I've read - in good ways. It made me feel uncomfortable, enthralled, thrilled, grossed out and feel sympathy for what are effectively alien space wasp parasites.

Paul has pretended to be human for some time. He, like his 'family' adopt corpses as meat suits to maintain the image of normality - all whilst fighting urges beyond their control and exisiting as something they are not. Symbolism? Damn straight. His meat suit is a travelling salesman of little importance but when scratching beneath the surface, the world (and his wife) are better off without him.

The book builds, tension grows and becomes palpable and imagination spans miles in what culminates as an epic stand off. The physicality of the mirror people blows my mind and stretched my boundaries. Executed so well by Huff.

I rate books for how much I like them. I'm simplistic like that. This books was hugely enjoyable and so very refreshing in its originality.

5 stars from me. An absolute belter that I would love to see made into a film or series.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Drew Huff for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
What on not-earth-sort-of did I just read?
This novella is wonderfully weird.
The main characters are a family of sorts - If you count hatching out of the same human body their eggs were laid in as a family. Our MMC Paul carries a lot of guilt and shame about simply being, often trying to convince himself that he is human. Denial is apparently a much better way to cope with being an alien 'bug'.
But, what would happen, just for kicks, if a key stage of the life cycle of these 'bugs' resulted in all human feelings (including empathy) being cut off entirely? What if Paul suddenly became NotPaul?
I ate this up in one sitting, and am buzzing for more.

My Thoughts
There’s no way to prepare for My Name Isn’t Paul. From page one, the book catapults you into a headspace that’s disorienting, visceral, and more than a little grotesque. And in a way, that’s part of its charm—if “charm” is a word you can use for a body-horror novella where bug-people battle urges to mate while pretending to be human.

Let’s start with what worked. The premise is incredibly original—a bold, trippy idea that explores identity, alienation, and desire in an unconventional (and often icky) way. The writing is solid, and Drew Huff has a knack for unsettling imagery. The gore is effective, the tension steadily builds, and the final half of the story finally begins to coalesce into something you can wrap your head around.

But here’s the thing: I spent a good chunk of the book confused. And not in a good, mysterious kind of way, more in a “Wait, did I miss something?” kind of way. The world-building is deliberately vague, and while that may have been a stylistic choice, it made it hard to get emotionally invested early on. I wanted more clarity around the lore and the insectoid species’ background, especially since the story leans so heavily on their biology and rituals.

The novella flirts with deeper themes, what it means to suppress your true nature, how we define personhood, the cost of becoming “human” but doesn’t always follow through. These moments are compelling but fleeting, often overtaken by scenes focused on reproductive frenzy and physical transformation. And while that fits the tone of the book, it left me wishing the emotional/psychological core had been explored more deeply.

That said, I can’t deny it was a unique ride. Weird, yes. Uncomfortable, definitely. But it stands out in a sea of formulaic horror/sci-fi and made me curious to read more from Drew Huff. He’s clearly not afraid to go to strange, bold places and that in itself is worth something.

Who Should Read It?
- Fans of weird fiction and body horror
- Readers looking for something very different
- Those who don’t mind ambiguity, gore, or a little sexual discomfort
- Lovers of metaphor-heavy sci-fi that flirts with literary themes

Final Verdict
My Name Isn’t Paul is the kind of book that’ll either make you squirm in delight or confusion or both. It’s a messy, visceral exploration of what it means to suppress your nature, wrapped in a layer of insect horror and identity crisis. Not for everyone, but definitely memorable. Proceed with caution and curiosity.

Grateful to NetGalley AND Drew Huff for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very weird little novel. It’s a sci-fi story about a race of aliens who invade dead bodies of humans reanimate them and use them as their host bodies until it’s time to procreate
The story follow as one of these aliens who has used the corpse of a human called Paul and whilst he’s in Paul’s body he’s fallen in love with Paul‘s lifestyle and developed a relationship with his wife. Paul before he died was a wife beater and a thoroughly unpleasant human being His wife realises things have radically changed and ultimately comes to the conclusion herself that of course his body must’ve been taken over by an alien.
This is really more of a short story than a novel. The story somehow failed to live up to my expectations. I think the primary reason for this is because I felt that I didn’t really like the alien character and therefore wasn’t really that interested in what became of him. I liked the idea of the story more than its final result. I’m not a I’m horror fiction fan generally but didn’t find this particularly horrific in any way. I am a sci-fi fan and this didn’t quite tick all my boxes.
I read an only copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 18th of November 2025 by Drew Huff
This review will appear on that UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book Vlog bionicSarahSbookswordpress.com. After publication will also appear on Amazon and Waterstones.

My Name Isn’t Paul is a horror tour de force.

Detailing the Mirror People, they are bugs from another dimension that take over dead folks.

This sounds like I shouldn’t be able to have any empathy with them. I’m not a bug, and as far as I know, I’m not dead.

How was I able to empathise with them, their desires, the things they don’t want? I wasn’t expecting it, but it happened, and I felt alongside Axa and Uxon.

Drew Huff has surprised me here, and I’ll look out for more work by them!

What a weird little tale.

I greatly enjoyed the idea of the Mirror People. For being a novella, it was full of warmth, depth and humanity - more humanity than I expected from a bunch of bugs. The ending was satisfying, I liked the pace of the novel. Yes, it is short! It was the perfect book to pick up between some longer books. I really enjoyed Paul and Axa and the dynamic between all the mirror people. The imagery and word usage was great.

Thank you Drew Huff and Netgalley for an ARC of this, all opinions are left honestly.

⭐⭐⭐
💀

I love anything cosmic horror, and "My Name Isn't Paul" definitely scratched that itch for me. It's not perfect, but it's an enjoyable quick read for fans of the genre. It's got unimaginable cosmic beings, pretty gnarly body horror scenes, and a bizarre plot that's just as bizarre as the cosmic being it's describing. The writing style reminds me a lot of Kassandra Khaw's "Hammers On Bone" series, and I actually really liked it. It's written in this kind of jarring way, kind of like it's mimicking the thoughts of a fleeting insect, and I really see this as a strong tool in the narrative. The plot is crazy, and sometimes a little hard to swallow, but that's cosmic horror, and I was willing to ride that rollercoaster. The side characters is what kind of lost me in the novella - they don't really serve too much plot wise but are needed to move it forward. I really wanted to see more dynamic between Paul and his human wife, as I thought that would be a cool narrative to explore, but it's pretty short, so there's a lot of questions at the end of it. Overall, I still really enjoyed this quick, very gross and quirky cosmic horror novella.

Thank you to NetGalley and Drew Huff for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Drew Huff once again makes me have an immense amount of empathy for a cosmic horror that I have no business relating to. The cover is very eye catching and I cant wait to have it as a shelf trophy.

Remember Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka, where a man turns into bug, in this mind-boggling debut by Drew Huff, a bug turns into a man. Perfect for the readers of Parasyte and House of Hollow.
My name isn't Paul is spiral of gore, terrifying self hatred and existential crisis of parasitic bug who wears the skin of a man named Paul. Paul is the name of the man, the protagonist pretends to be, the host to the bug "Uxon". But the heat period is coming and the fake "Paul" needs to find meat parent for his children, a brutal process which the protagonist hates for it's "fight-for-survival" bug world.
I really enjoyed this story, for its plot, for its characters. I liked how the author penned the protagonist and his internal conflict of being a bug and a man, i found myself comparing it to Ken Kaneki from the manga Tokyo Ghoul, especially the part where he found himself unable to be truly a man or bug, he found himself to be imposter to either worlds. The story just spirals out in the middle, you don't really know where its going, but the ending could have been better. I found the writing style captivating and indulging.

This was incredibly weird. Not my thing at all. The writing was also very off-putting. I didn't care about the characters at all. It was very unnecessarily graphic - and graphic stuff doesn't faze me usually.

A short story about parasitic body snatching wasps and one that yearns to be a regular human. “Paul” has become so accustomed to his insect life that he has forsaken everything he once was. However, the wasps undergo a metamorphosis at a certain age, transforming into murderous sex machines to produce more baby body snatchers. Paul must either confront the heat or embrace his true self.

The writing felt somewhat clunky, but it made sense when you consider that you’re reading through the mind and eyes of an insect. It was challenging to visualize certain aspects of the wasps, particularly their filaments and how they fill up a room or even a 20-mile radius.

Despite being labeled as a horror book, it didn’t evoke any genuine fear in me. I found myself wishing it would end because I felt it wasn’t tailored to my preferences. It leaned more towards comedy than true unsettling horror.

The ending left a lot to be desired, but that’s understandable given its brevity. Overall, I don’t believe this story resonated with me, but if you’re a fan of horror comedies, you might enjoy it.

Thank you to Drew Huff & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this.

Identity and loss are two big themes in this short tale of sentient organisms that mimic human life. Paul, but not Paul has been living as a human for about 7 years when things really begin to become unhinged (my favorite). I highly enjoyed this tale of what it means to be and to live. Even though this tale was short, it was poignant.

This one is not for me. I didn't appreciate the humor. It was a little too "weird" for me. I also had a few personal issues with some statements made in the dialog.

for a book that’s 120 pages and it took me a month to finish, it was quite the length to get through. it was very picturesque & lots of images. i tend to like graphic in different context and in this one it didn’t seem in my preference.

Thank you to Netgalley and Drew Huff for allowing me the opportunity to read this incredible and abstract sci-fi novella ARC.

My name isn't Paul is set to be released in November this year and follows Paul- although, he isn't Paul. Not Paul is not human, but a Mirror Person; creatures that mimic, absorb and control corpses, assuming their identity.

Mirror people go through a mating cycle every 7 years, and Not Paul wants to avoid his at all costs. But the longer he puts it off, the more inhuman and dangerous he becomes.

This novella was somewhat unhinged, I loved it. The author has a talent for putting the reader into the mind of a cosmic horror. I ended up buying another novella by them called "Landlocked in Foreign Skin" after getting a chapter of it and seeing Drew's talent is across their writing.

(3.5 ⭐ --> 4 rounded off)

*My Name Isn’t Paul* is one of those stories that sneaks up on you—with equal parts warmth, heartbreak, and a voice that feels both raw and reflective. Drew Huff writes with an honesty that cuts cleanly through the noise, creating a protagonist who doesn’t just ask questions about identity and belonging—but wrestles with them in real time, with all the messiness that implies.

The prose is deceptively simple, carrying deep emotional undercurrents beneath its straightforward surface. There’s a quiet intensity in the way this story unfolds—through carefully placed moments, genuine character interactions, and a narrative that never tries too hard, yet still hits hard.

What stood out most to me was how deeply personal the experience felt—almost like reading someone’s unfiltered journal, but with just the right amount of crafted storytelling. The themes of identity, societal expectation, and personal freedom are handled with grace and complexity.

While I rarely hand out high ratings easily, this one came close to perfect. The only reason for the slight nudge down is purely personal preference—I tend to reserve 5 stars for books that leave me emotionally wrecked or transformed. This one left me contemplative and moved, in the best possible way.

Highly recommended for readers who love character-driven coming-of-age stories, especially those that explore queerness, self-perception, and the tender ache of trying to find your place in a world that rarely fits.

so this was really weird, and i'm not sure if it was weird in a good way or just weird in a weird way. i actually quite liked the themes of identity and humanity it touched upon and i wish we would've gotten more of that. instead the focus was mostly on bug people being horny, which got a bit old at some point. i was also super confused about many things, especially regarding the lore around these alien beings. that being said, this was definitely a unique (and mostly intriguing) reading experience, and i would certainly check out more work from this author!

Great idea, terrible execution
- I never really understood what the 'mirror people' looked like in their true form. They were described as bug-like with wings but also like steel wool brillo pads???? No idea
- the writing was disorganized, lacked depth, and had a bizarre sentence structure that made it hard to follow
- at no point did I feel like the author knew where we were going
- all the climactic scenes lacked the necessary tension that would make them compelling. similar for the more brutal, gore scenes. those were just breezed over in a neglectful way

This is one of the few times I'd say a book would be better as a movie

*3.75 Stars*

This is just some bugs fuckin’ and being fuckin’ weird as Paul (He isn’t paul) would say.

This was strange
Like incredibly
And gross
And disgusting
And yeah
There’s a lot of vivid descriptions of eating humans and raw meat (which isn’t technically canabilism in this story but still feels like it) and it made my stomach quench. Does that mean I didn’t enjoy it?
No.
The first half of this story I was not on board with. It felt dull and really boring for a story about a literal human eating bug monster from another dimension but the second half picked up so much that it made it worth it. This is a very stream of conscious story as the wall between our narrator and his body, Paul begin to crumble.
It’s hard to describe this book without spoilers, as it’s only ~120 pages long, but the gist is that this bug creature took Paul Cattaneo’s body and basically has been living as human for 7 years. This is not an anomaly however, as there is a species of bug creatures like him living in the world. These creatures however go into breeding every seven years and create new eggs/larvae/bug kids?? Our narrator refuses this, as he is Paul, he will not succumb to these urges.
Then he has a mental breakdown
And the story goes on from there.
Overall, this was a really intense read. It was horrific, gory and overall entertaining which I appreciate. The writing style felt a little jarring in the first half but was smoother as the novella went on. Overall I reccomend this book to those who normally enjoy this genre and I think it’s overall well written.

Remember kids,
Its just fuckin’ bugs

This was my first ever #Netgalley ARC, and it was a quick and easy read-- and frankly, hard to put down once you got started on it.

A bunch of bugs who call themselves 'Mirror People' who puppet human bodies meet at the anniversary of the death of the host of their larvae. So many years ago, they devoured a dead man from the inside out, and then flew off into the world, found dead bodies to take over the lives of, and went off to live their lives trying to refrain from feeding on living humanity. However, one of them has a big announcement: he went into heat, and he's got his babies coming out of their pupa state now, not too far away.

One of the bugs has a problem, though. He's got some problems with self-hatred. With anger. With sex. Sex is both procreational and recreational for these creatures -- however, when they go into season, they care only for one thing: fucking. They lose their empathic mirroring and become tiny little sociopaths that want to fuck eat and repeat. They stop caring about whether or not humans suffer and die, and our protagonist, whose name is not Paul, absolutely doesn't want to go into his cycle because he's terrified. His 'sibling' warns him, however, that he'll be due to enter soon -- it's going to be within the next three years...

So of course, that 'heat' arrives very fast and hard. Everything goes wrong very, very quickly. It's empathic mirroring bugs that puppet dead people who go into a feral state to breed. OF course things go wrong very quickly. There is murder, and fear, and something at the heart of it al that isn't Paul, but... something else. It's up to his 'siblings' to try and help him, terrified of what he might set off.

As it stands this was a wild ride through aliens among us-- and aliens that are not human in the slightest unless they're wearing the bodies of our dead. The description of them of flying, waspy brillo pads just one step out of our dimension keeps you very rooted in the fact that these things are not and were never human, and only only empathically mirroring them.

My only major complaints are twofold. The term 'fuckin' bug', which gets used nearly. every. page. I know this is because of the self-hatred some of these little wasps carry, but... it got stale, fast. There needed to be something else. ANYTHING else, that they could slip it. But they didn't. Also, if you pay attention one of the twists is a bit telegraphed, but when I saw it pop back up I was like, "Oh, yeah, [name] and [thing of name], i thought so."

Anyway, My Name Is Not Paul is still solid and very enjoyable read that totally owned my lunch hour, but has some kinks that take it down from 'wow' to 'good and enjoyable.'