Somehow this book was even better than the first one! I was basically on the edge of my seat and holding my breath throughout this novella. And the ending… the ending literally made my stomach hurt.

All the praise and stars for this one! It’s hard to capture such emotion, and demand so much attention with a short story but the author does just that and more with this one!

I truly hope we get a third one!

This is mindfuck, part two, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Neugebauer has such a distinct way of telling a story, one that leans fully into ambiguity and disorientation without ever losing its grip on the reader. You’re never quite sure what’s real, what’s happening, or where things are going, and somehow, that uncertainty is exactly what makes it so addictive.

I love how unapologetically strange this is. The confusion isn’t a flaw; it’s the experience. That constant sense of unease and unraveling kept me completely locked in from start to finish. More than anything, I’m excited to see this universe expanding. There’s something really compelling about the way Neugebauer builds these layered, interconnected stories, and I’m more than ready for whatever comes next. Yes, please, give me more of this beautifully chaotic, brain bending world.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Annie Neugebauer, and Shortwave Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I read the ARC in one sitting (started five minutes after receiving it and stayed up until 2am to finish it)… any more questions?

This genuinely has everything I want in a novella: fast pacing, a tight but engaging plot, and strong character voices. Paired with the constant sense of dread and unease oozing from the story, it made for such an intense and emotional reading experience.

The story is unsettling, disturbing, and definitely something that will linger long after finishing. I genuinely can’t stop picturing myself in the same situation, asking what I would do if I were Elise.

It’s safe to say I’ll be reading the first novella in this series asap (I actually ran to buy the ebook right after finishing this one) and will be waiting patiently for the third.

Such great work. I loved it and can’t wait for what’s next in the series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Having read The Extra last year, I knew I was in for a ride with The Other. And I was not wrong.

A couple decides to get away to discuss some big life decisions. During their retreat, they meet up with another couple shockingly similar to them in every conceivable way. So who's who?

That is about all I can say without spoiling too much. I read this in one sitting, and it moved quickly, constantly surprising me around every turn. I likened this to a carnival house of mirrors in written form. It's unsettling and unpredictable, and at no point did I trust what was happening on the page. A superb read.

I was a huge fan of The Extra and the second in the Outsiders series did not disappoint. It's a terrifying concept - if there were two of your significant other, would you be able to tell them apart?

Elise and Logan have been together for fifteen years and are at a crossroads on whether to have a baby or potentially divorce if their goals are no longer aligned. When they meet another couple of similar age and appearance on the trail, they begrudgingly park their heart to heart for the night and share a campsite. In the morning they are met with their mirror images, right down to their memories and the items in their pockets.

Annie Neugebauer really is the master of paranoia. Not only are you trying to discern who's your real partner, you're also hyper aware of your own reaction in case your authencity is in doubt. It's a taught story that I devoured, desperate to know how it was going to end. And the ending... oh god!

Brilliant. I'm already looking forward to The Spare in 2027. More please!!

Oh my, this is probably one of the most unsettling things I have ever read (In the best possible way).

Logan and Elise are on a hiking trip when they meet another couple on the trail. These people resemble them slightly in an odd way and something just feels a little 'off'. I can't really say more without spoilers, but this is one of those stories that you simply cannot put down once you start.

The plot is genius and Neugebauer is a master at creating a really eerie atmosphere. This is supposed to make you uncomfortable, and it absolutely succeeds in doing just that. I only wish I didn't have to wait another year for the next installment in the 'sequence'.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shockwave publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

i am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book already. the eeriness and suspense Neugebauer creates is so satisfying it’s impossible to put her books down. i liked the tiny easter egg about the extra too (or maybe im going crazy now). I definitely felt like I was going crazy just as much as our narrators…and the ending ????? Annie pls expain

Annie Neugebauer has done it again. The Extra was one of my favorites last year and The Other is just as much of a mind-destroying, brilliant exercise in paranoia and sudden…wrongness. This book will have you so stressed out until you put it down, and maybe even a little bit after that, too. Definitely recommend this one highly.

Annie Neugebauer’s The Outsider is a tense, unnerving psychological thriller. A couple on a hiking retreat meets their doppelgangers—and everything they thought they knew about each other is put to the test. Sharp, atmospheric, and quietly terrifying, this installment in the Outsiders Sequence kept me on edge until the last page. A must-read for fans of eerie, twisty suspense.

I was trapped in an elevator for 2 hours today.

Luckily, I had just been approved for this Netgalley this afternoon and had just enough reception - a single bar(!) - to get the novella loaded into my Kobo app, while I waited for rescue.

The time flew by. I was a fan of the first novella (though you could definitely read this independently, or out of order) but this one grabbed me by the neck and didn't let go.

Elsie and Logan are taking a 4-day out and back hike to try and reconnect. After 16 years of marriage, they have come to a breaking point and are both unsure about what comes next. When they meet uncannily similar strangers on the trail, their marital issues are brought into a stark light.

Fast-paced, paranoid and ( especially for me as a child-free woman) nightmarish.

Can't recommend it enough. Please read it so we can yell about it together, thanks.

I really enjoyed The Extra so I was very excited to be approved for an ARC of The Other—and it didn't disappoint. The vibes are excellent; the feelings of paranoia and creeping dread sink in right from the start. Bouncing between Elise's and Logan's POVs worked really well, too. Seeing them both struggle to identify one another, and the stress in seeing them both be wrong at times, added an extra layer of creepiness. And as a childfree woman who got divorced over that very issue, their struggles as a couple really resonated with me.

Honestly, I'm just bummed I have to wait a year for The Spare, the third book in this "sequence," to come out.

4/5 stars.

This book was a nightmare filled roller coaster but in the BEST way possible.


Hubby and I clearly need to work out some ways on how to identify each other if we ever cross paths with our doppelgängers.


5 ⭐️

I’ve never really had the desire to become a hiker, or go camping, but if I did, Annie Neugebauer has killed it with The Outsiders Sequence.

The Other is a brilliant follow up to her first installment. Like with The Extra, Annie Neugebauer crafts an incredibly tense and paranoia filled narrative that leave you on the edge of your seat. It masterfully infuses a terrifying paranormal element into the broader, more banal fears of how well can you really know your partner, especially in the face of new challenges, and how do you cope with new versions of someone as they evolve and changed with time.

I think with a dual pov, doppelganger story it could become muddled and confusing to keep track of who is who, and what's happening, but The Other stays clear and focused through the end... or, maybe it doesn't!?!?

I can't wait for the third installment in 2027!

A masterclass in paranoia! Truly a triumph in claustrophobic storytelling. Building on an idea first touched upon casually in "The Extra," "The Other" reads as a complete standalone novella (with several Easter Eggs for those in the know). The aforementioned idea has to do with encountering someone while on a hike, and returning home with them as if they have always been part of your life. "The Other" revolves around a married couple on the edge about starting a family, who, while on a hike, end up literally meeting themselves! Who's gonna come back home?

Annie Neugebauer infuses doppelganger horror with new energy and cutting edge narrative suspense, providing an intense look at marriage, trust, and commitment. She's asking what does it mean to really know someone, and she comes up with simple and grounded answers. This doesn't prevent her though from ending the story on an emotionally ambiguous note - and if you've read "The Extra," a real shocker. Highly recommend!

4.5 ⭐ rounded up

You and your partner head out on the trail to have The Talk about your marriage. You meet another couple and share a campsite for the night. You wake up the next morning to find that the other couple looks exactly like you. Same face. Same memories. Same things in your pockets. And now neither of you knows which one is real. Who is the other?

Where The Extra had me reeling, The Other has me absolutely spiraling. Annie Neugebauer is a pro at creating claustrophobic, anxiety-inducing situations. Every time you think you have a gotcha moment, the doppelgangers are one step ahead of you. After all, how can you prove you’re you when they look like you and know everything you do? It’s uncanny valley at its finest, but it’s not just that; it’s the completely inescapable scenarios, where the characters are not just stuck logically and ethically (would you really be able to leave your partner behind if you weren’t 100% sure? And how could you be 100% sure?), they’re also stuck in the middle of nowhere. No cell service, no one around. Just them. And the other.

We need to talk about that ending!!!! I’m deceased!!! The ending of The Extra was a complete cliffhanger, which may work for some people, but I need a conclusion. “Careful what you wish for,” said Annie Neugebauer, and wrote an ending I did NOT see coming. I feel like I should have, but I had no idea where it was going until it was already happening. This ending was completely satisfying and completely unexpected (and completely anxiety-inducing, but what else is new).

This book is mercifully short. I like a short read, but usually for different reasons. By the time you hit the final stretch, your nervous system will be grateful the book isn’t longer.

My only complaint, and the reason I took off half a star, is the pacing of the first half. The synopsis promises doppelgangers and identity crises, and that’s all true, but the confusion around who’s who doesn’t actually start until about halfway through. The setup is fine! The hiking atmosphere is good (I’m learning I really enjoy these camping/hiking settings, or maybe Neugebauer is just that good), and the characters are established well enough. But it’s a long time to spend on something that I already knew was coming. Once the tension starts, the second half flies by.

Annie Neugebauer’s stories scare the crap out of me.


You don’t need to read The Extra before this one but honesty, peak experience to read them in order.

Logan and Elsie go camping and meet another couple. The story seems simple but it’s slippery and had me questioning everything. The settings by is sublime and the ending is perfection.

This is slow burning, psychological horror at its finest!

Highly recommend.

This was such a quick, unsettling read in the best way. There’s something about doppelgänger stories that just gets under your skin, and this one executed it so well. The constant uncertainty of who’s real and who’s not had me hooked the entire time.

I flew through it in one sitting and couldn’t stop thinking about what I would do in that situation. It somehow makes an impossible concept feel believable, which made it even creepier.

A couple looking to save their troubled marriage heads out on a backpacking trip only to meet a strange other couple that looks just like them. The motivations of this other couple aren’t clear, but Estelle and Logan must dredge their deep knowledge of each other to determine who’s who.

I had a BLAST with this novella. It’s so quick and so wild - I literally couldn’t stop reading and finished it in one sitting. The entire time, I kept asking myself what I would do in that same situation: how would I be able to differentiate my husband if his doppelganger were trying to convince me he was an imposter? Something so implausible was made to feel truly possible, and I found the premise terrifying.

There was also an element of the supernatural, or something beyond the couple’s world that was informing the situation, and that gave some insight without completely taking over the plot.

Overall, this novella is fast-paced (you could knock it out in an evening) and will leave you just as delightfully confused as the couple themselves. Highly recommend!!

An emotionally strained couple on a camping trip make an unexpected discovery when they encounter… themselves…. a couple of exact replicas of themselves, down to their clothing and the contents of their pockets. People are quickly mixed up with one another, and confusion ensues.

This book features one of my absolute favorite horror subgenres, Doppelganger Horror. The story is told in a split narrative, between the two "real" members of the couple, as they try to identify each other and plan their next course of action. The characters were realistic, likeable, flawed; I was rooting for them the whole time. The ending was completely unexpected - you will have to read it yourself to believe it. This was an absolute psychological roller coaster ride, and I loved every minute of it.

If you have not read The Extra, the first book in the Outsiders Sequence, you will still have no trouble following along on this one, as the storylines are standalone. However, I do recommend that you check out The Extra as it has a similar eerie vibe and very unique story arc. I am looking forward to the final book in this sequence and reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Annie Neugebauer, and Shortwave Publishing for sharing an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Elise and Logan are at a turning point in their relationship after 15 years of marriage. They embark on a multi-day hike to get clarity on whether they will agree to have kids or go their separate ways. While hiking they meet their doppelgangers on the trail and there is something very unsettling about the other couple.

While the doppelganger theme is very familiar, this story still felt fresh. I was glued to it and finished in just over an hour. It evoked feelings of fear, doubt, and anxiety to name a few. The ending is wild, but I think I have worked out what happened although not why. I haven’t yet read the first book in the series, but I plan to read them all!

Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the ARC!

the way i flew through this in one sitting... i enjoyed reading The Extra earlier this year so i was so excited and very thankful to the publisher and netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

my only complaint was that i wish this book was longer but i was so midfucked that i didn't notice i reached the end... and what was that ending btw 😭

already looking forward to The Spare next year!!!

MY HEEBIES HAVE BEEN JEEBIED! this is the second horror novella in a series of standalones that share a universe. i haven’t read the first one yet (but will be doing so IMMEDIATELY) & i still had a fantastic experience reading this story. this little novella packs a huge punch! the feeling of dread laced throughout this story is very strong. i kept imagining myself in this situation and wondering what i would do. the amount of anxiety reading this gave me is insane & i’ll never go hiking again, but i loved every creepy second of it! if you like psychological horror, please read this i beg you!!!!

thank you to netgalley and shortwave publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Such a fantastic second entry to the outsiders sequence. In this story, we're following a couple who goes on a hike that turns out to be a lot more than they bargained for. This was a twisty and captivating read that I finished in one sitting. I liked how the story flowed and I had to read the ending multiple times because my jaw was dropped.

Such a good book and highly recommend!! Thank you to Shortwave Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC!

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley/Shortwave Publishing. All thoughts + opinions are my own.

I absolutely DEVOURED The Extra at the start of the year and could not stop thinking about it. It was so short yet effective in its horror, and I read it all it one sitting because I could not bring myself to put it down. Needless to say, I have been very anxiously awaiting the second entry to the series, The Other.

While it is the second book in the series, it follows a different set of characters than the first one and omg. This was GOOD. Obviously I went into this knowing the general vibe of how it would go, but I think that made this better for me and had me wondering how things would go and end up. I wasn't ready for the ending!!!

The tension and back-and-forth between the characters is just SO good and it was genuinely stressful imagining myself in the situation that our characters Logan and Elise were in. The little intricacies that showed how the couple figured things out were so detailed and felt very authentic to real couples. Despite whatever troubles you go through, you know your person at the end of the day.

And again, the ending. Ahhh!!!! I'm maybe in the minority here who loves ambiguous endings and therefore loved the ending of The Extra, but this one!!!!!!!! It gave us a little glimpse into how this entity(?) operates and I was eating it up. It's hard to talk about the series without giving anything away, but I truly think it's best to go in blind. Both are short reads and very easy to get absorbed into.

I truly can't wait for the third and final entry into this series, and I hope Annie Neugebauer writes more in this same vein once the series concludes!!

This novella, the second in The Outsiders Sequence, was exactly the read I needed between hefty novels. Quick, witty, psychological/cosmic horror yumminess that sticks and moves at a great pace. I fell in love with the premise of book one (THE EXTRA) but found THE OTHER the superior of the two. This second installment presents higher stakes, more intimate characters (a sweet married couple who are on the verge of a life-altering decision), and an ending that leaves the reader yelling at their book, “Don’t do it! Nothing’s what it seems!”. Read it for fun, a reliable palate cleanser.

Thanks to Shortwave Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

Creepy, unsettling, and emotionally gripping. I didn't plan to finish this in one day but I couldn't put it down because I got so attached to the characters and just HAD to find out what happened next. Very relatable, realistic characters with a compelling plot and great pacing.

Emotionally, I still don't know how I feel about the ending and that's a compliment to how the story is written.

This is book two in the sequence. I have not read book 1, though I've been meaning to get to it (and I will soon). I'm very happy to tell you that this absolutely works as a standalone!

This is a wonderfully eerie little tale. While I usually like stories that are a bit more concrete, I loved this one. I was there in the woods with our couple and was just as worried as they were about everything!

The prose is impeccable, the author choosing each word carefully to slowly build a world that is extraordinarily creepy - one that feels quite dangerous.

I won't tell you the ending of course, but it made me a bit sad. It was ...softly horrifying to me.

I'll definitely be reading the first book!

I haven't read the other books in The Outsider series, so this was a fantastic first for me! It's the story of a couple who's been married for fifteen years but are at a crossroads about whether to stay together and most of the issue surrounds having or not having a child. The meet another couple on their 'decision hike' who look similar to them and after a night's sleep, they emerge from their tent to find the other couple has 'morphed' into their exact dopplegangers! Much of the rest of the tale concerns distinguishing who their real partner is and what will happen if one of them goes home with the wrong one! It's wonderful because the decisions regarding their marriage that they were struggling with are the very ones that will save or destroy them! There's a great twist at the end that rocked me! Excellent story!

I loved this book and I neeeeed to read the other books in this series now!!!

This is a trippy, disturbing book with great pacing and amazing character work. We follow a straight couple going on a hike as a way to save their marriage and discuss about their issues. Surrounded by the rich landscape of the woods, they hope that they can come to a conclusion regarding their future, and decide whether or not they would like to have a child together. As you may expect, nothing goes as planned.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! After the 20% mark, I could not put the book down and had to finish it in the same sitting. I was experiencing the same vertigo as the two characters; the situation that they find themselves in is terrifying and challenges everything that they know about each other. I was impressed by how expertly the author explored this couple’s dynamic, capturing all their problems coming to the surface against the tense and disorienting circumstances.

Another thing that was remarkable to me was the momentum of the story. At first, there’s only a few strange things happening here and there, making you question if there’s something truly wrong or if it’s just the mental state of the two characters that affects their perception. It all builds up masterfully and creates such an immaculate type of suspense that only accelerates after their first night in the woods. After that, the narrative shifts completely and turns this haunting atmosphere into something a lot more gripping and fast paced, which I also had a great time with.

I was not a huge fan of the ending, yet I can’t say for sure how I feel about it at the moment. I devoured this book and I feel like I need to sit with it for a bit longer in order to form a concrete opinion on its last few pages. Regardless, it was a crazy ride and I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in psychologically twisted narratives or seeking a short and absorbing read!

4.5🌟

I haven't read The Extra, and I hadn't read anything about this book other than a brief description so I went in pretty blind and I'm glad I did. This book was a lot of fun - not really very "scary" per se but definitely weird and discomfiting.

The way the author switched perspective - and thus gave the characters' observations of each other right after we read the other's though process behind their actions - was very well done. The characters felt very three dimensional and like real people, in a real relationship with its quirks.

A very enjoyable little novella and I'll definitely be reading The Extra, and whatever else this author comes up with next.

4.5 rounded up

I loved The Extra, and I am very pleasantly surprised that The Other matches, if not surpasses, the first novella.
The impossible doppelganger premise, the isolated wilderness, the existential questions - I was immediately invested and finished the story in one sitting.
Can't wait for the third one!

Have you ever wondered how well you know your significant other?
What about how well they know you?
How much are you willing to stake on your intimate familiarity with one another?
These are the questions at the heart of Annie Neugebauer’s follow-up to The Extra. If you haven’t read that book, I recommend you remedy that error before you go any further. Sure, you don’t have to read The Extra first, but I definitely recommend it. It helps to have some sense of what’s waiting out there before you explore the wilderness with Logan and Elise, a couple who have reached a pivotal point in their decade and a half relationship.
After being together for so long, they’ve both started to question whether they should continue down the path together, neither one knowing whether they (or the other) are interested in adding a child to their relationship. This is how they find themselves on a backpacking trip into the forest, where they hope to confront their respective needs and determine whether they can move forward together or go their separate ways.
When they encounter another couple heading in the opposite direction on the trail, they’re surprised at how superficially similar these two strangers appear to be. Not wanting to make things awkward, Logan and Elise decide to share the same campsite with this new couple, but what started as surprise quickly becomes a sense of dread, as something feels off about them.
When those superficial similarities become mirror-like reflections, it’s too late to simply walk away from the encounter, and it’s clear that something sinister underlies what was clearly not a chance meeting. These strangers want to replace them—or at least one of them—and they seem to know everything that they know.
How can either of them choose to return to their car and their shared life outside of the forest, until they know they’re with the person with whom they started this journey?
Told alternatively from Logan’s and Elise’s perspectives, the reader knows better than the characters, who they should trust and what they should do. But that knowledge only adds to the tension and frustration as we witness them questioning themselves and each other, both of them desperate to know they’re able to discern their partner from the counterfeit—and that they can trust one another to do the same.
It’s virtually impossible not to get caught up in the paranoia of the situation, as we witness the two of them going back-and-forth as to who is real and who is not.
Much like The Extra, The Other keeps you wondering if these characters are going to make the right call. The difference here is that the reader knows the truth, and can’t help but feel a sense of frustration as we experience the uncertainty Logan and Elise are contending with. But—in their shoes—would any of us fare any better?
Could you be certain you made the right choice, in the end?
And—speaking of the end—this one is…let’s say it’s complicated.

It's not a sequel. It's next in the sequence. The Other is the second book in the Outsiders series.

A couple on an outdoor retreat meet their doppelgangers on a hiking trail and are soon tested on how well they truly know each other.

HOLY SH*T! That was my very first thought after reading the very last line of this book!

For starters, I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, so I knew as soon as I saw the second one I HAD to read it ASAP! And let me tell you, this book did NOT disappoint!! This story was just as creepy, just as weird and just as terrifying to comprehend as its predecessor! I am obsessed with everything about this novella!

From the beginning, everything seems so normal and casual. Just a quiet hiking trip and a nice night of camping under the stars for our MCs,  where they can turn off the noise of everyday life and reconnect. But things take a turn somewhere near the middle, and it sets this entire world into a tailspin of chaos, confusion, and quiet terror! Chapter after chapter, we're  dragged all the way to the WILD twist at the very end. All of this, just ensuring my jaw was ON THE FLOOR until the very last word!!

Annie Neugebauer has an outstanding knack for drawing out and building up the creep factor page after page! It makes me want to just keep reading long after the story has ended!! There's nothing better than a book that pulls me in so far I don't want to leave that world! I long to know more... what happens next, how will everything turn out?!

I can't wait to read the next book in this sequence. Even as a new story (and not a continuation of the first or second stories), I'm thoroughly invested in this world as Annie has built it!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this; It was so engaging I could barely put it down. I would have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have to go to work. Like the first book in the series, The Extra, The Other was disturbing and unsettling, but I thought The Other had an extra emotional component that made it even better. The ending had a perfect twist. Additionally, the novella format is the perfect vehicle for these thrilling, bite-sized psychological thrillers. Readers will find it hard to shake the habit of questioning reality long after they've read these books.

This novella will draw you in. The way Neugebauer builds tension and weaves questions is engrossing and will keep you turning pages. It's a fantastic, eerie, unsettling read in the best way.

Okay, I liked the first one and I loved this second one, wow.

You know I love a good gone wrong event and this one involved doppelgangers which along with the Bermuda Triangle fascinate me.

This had me invested from jump, not going to lie, I do not know how I'd feel about meeting my mirror copy, even if it's only looks, but can you imagine if it were like everything??

Elise and Logan are having maybe not issues but coming up on some hard conversations about themselves and their relationship, this hike is some kind of way to get thst worked out, but the they run into a couple thst seem so similar to themselves they start having issues telling each other apart.
Which like, I would have been spooked even running into someone similar to me like at a mall, but the woods? Nope.

But they spend more and more time together and start getting more confused, this was absolutely crazy, I kept thinking how can you not tell each other apart, but damn I couldn't either. Who will end up going home with who..

What does it mean to know someone else or your partner for that matter.

I cannot wait for the third on this series. Wow what a book.

As someone who was a massive fan of The Extra, I was honestly a little nervous about whether or not I would like this book. I've had sequels disappoint me before.

Turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about because this book at me obsessed from the moment I started it. I literally read it all in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down.

To avoid spoilers, I'm going to be vague here. I really enjoyed the way the antagonistic forces felt in this story. It wasn't as open-ended as the last book but I didn't mind that change.

Overall, 10/10. I cannot wait to read more from Annie Neugebauer.

oOoOoOoOoOh that was good. This was my first read by Neugebauer but conceptually this sounded like it was right up my alley and I really like what Shortwave has been putting out, so I’m in. I actually haven’t read the first in this sequence and I want to be transparent this didn’t affect my read at all. The story was completely cohesive and I never felt like I missed anything. I do need to go back and read the first book as this was DOPE but please don’t hesitate when seeing this is “Book 2.”

The Other is a doppelgänger tale. Logan and Elise head out on a several day camping excursion when facing a major hurdle in their marriage. When they reach a fairly remote area they run into a couple with strange similarities. Things get weird, quick.

This novella was an accessible, fast paced read. I loved the dual perspective and trying to parse what each character said or did just to be thrown for another loop a few pages later. I also just LOVE the concept and felt this was an excellently written cyclical story which even managed to have a great ending. I look forward to reading more from Neugebauer and also really want to check out more from The Outsiders Sequence. Highly recommend if you like weird horror novellas. Zero complaints.

Oh. My. God!!! I just read this in one day and I am shooketh!! I thought the Extra was good, but holy s**t, this one blew that one away! Annie Neugebauer is quickly becoming a new favorite author of mine. This is the story of Elise and Logan who are having marital difficulties and are on a hiking trip to discuss what’s next for them. They run into another couple and some really weird stuff starts happening. The dread, the creep, the frustration I felt reading this!! It was driving me insane, and I loved it so damn much I just couldn’t put this book down! I don’t know how she does it, but Annie has a way of making everything seem off even before the crazy things start. The things this couple discovers about each other after being put into this situation is brilliant. And then that ending!!! I was NOT prepared for that, totally insane twist and I cannot wait for The Spare next year! Thank you so much to Alan and Shortwave books for the digital arc of this incredible book. Releases on June 9, preorder this now!!

<i>Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.</i>

My entire weekend reading was allocated to the Outsiders Sequence series and I am not mad about it. I had heard good things about The Extra, the first book in the series, and I figured at some point I would give it a go. When I received The Other as an ARC I bought the first book so I was up to speed. I finished The Extra this morning and then finished The Other this afternoon and let me tell you it was absolutely worth the read.

The Other is set in a similar setting as The Extra but this time we follow different characters. Elise and Logan are spending 10 days out in the Oklahoma wilderness to help them reconnect as a couple and make some big decisions about their futures. As they head to their second last secluded campsite, they meet 2 strangers who look eerily similar to them. Not just similar. Identical. These strangers aren't just identical but they know things that only Elise and Logan know about each other as well. As 2 Elise's and 2 Logan's fight over who is the 'true' Elise and Logan, their relationship faces the ultimate test: How well do you truly know your partner?

Something that Annie Neugebauer does very skilfully is play with emotion and discomfort especially around tough choices. I feel that The Extra and The Other elicit different emotions but both were incredibly effective. While The Extra had this growing sense of unease, The Other was frustration and almost this feeling of being stifled or muffled. The same question is repeated with no good new options: how do you prove to your partner you are you when there is also a completely identical you?

I also did not predict the ending at all, and it was an ominous sensation reading the book and everything appearing to be 'wrapped up' but still having a solid amount of pages left. I would like to compare The Other to another famous doppelganger book but I am a bit concerned that I am veering into spoiler territory. Just trust that if this wasn't a spoiler free review I would have a lot of comparisons to make and things to say.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. I feel like this book series is a perfect introduction to the horror genre and plays with the feeling of being unsettled so perfectly. I have already recommended it to one person and I will definitely be recommending this book and the series to more. READ THIS BOOK!

<i>A huge thank you to NetGalley, Shortwave Publishing and Annie Neugebauer for the ARC. </i>

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5!

The Other is the follow up to The Extra set in the same universe as the previous book but not necessarily a direct sequel. I gave The Extra 4.5 stars and I feel the same about this one! These novella's are an unsettling good time. If you enjoyed The Extra you'll also enjoy this one. I don't want to get into too many specifics with this one since it is a novella and I think the enjoyment of these stories are the suspense of trying to figure out what's going on along with the characters. I will say the setting is still camping in an isolated forest which I love - creepy vibes for sure!

The Other focuses on the couple we're following and their relationship and I liked the way the author uses these novellas to explore social and group dynamics in unique, what would you do situations. I also like that since this is the second in a series, we do get a few more answers of what is happening overall (though maybe more questions so be warned lol).

I will say if you want very specific answers of what is going on and hate an open ending I don't think you'll care for this one. Similarly if you didn't like the first one because of these things I do not think I can recommend this second one. If you did really like the elements of The Extra I fully recommend this one. If you haven't read either but this one sounds interesting I would encourage you to pick up the first one and then come back to this one. I'm so curious about the third one in this installment and will definitely be picking that one up as well!

I read this second instalment of The Outsiders Sequence without having read the first in the series, but I will absolutely be seeking out The Extra and I’m eagerly anticipating the third in the series!

This was a fast paced read that I consumed all in one sitting. I enjoyed every minute of it. When I’ve read novellas in the past I often feel like they could’ve been a short story or expanded to create a longer novel but this was the perfect length.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy!

I really liked Logan and Elise's characters. In such a short book, their love and relationship felt real with layered complexities like any romantic relationship.

This novella gave such strong Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer vibes, which I really liked. Also, like in The Extra, the story ends but the reader is left wondering…

Unsettling, creepy, and has you questioning what you would do in this situation. I hope Annie Neugebauer continues to write stories in this "world".

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!

4.5-5, I loved The Extra and this absolutely lived up to my expectations! Super eerie atmosphere and the pacing never waned (the key for novellas IMO). I was totally expecting some kind of twist at the very end, and this didn't disappoint! Looking forward to reading The Spare soon!!

I really enjoyed The Extra, and was thrilled to a sort of sequel to it. I went in not knowing what to expect, and was not let down. A reasonably quick read, that had me anxious from the moment we met our cast of characters. We gotta stop sending people in to these woods.

This was a wonderfully unsettling, yet unputdownable thriller/horror, perfect for a one afternoon read. If you’ve read The Extra, you know what to expect and this definitely holds up. While I did slightly prefer The Extra, this one is great as well. We follow a couple who are hiking and camping in the woods and meet another couple that look eerily like them. This story is the perfect length, no filler, and just creepy enough to keep you hooked but not scared.

The Other was exactly the kind of horror novella I needed. It’s creepy, tense, weirdly emotional, and somehow manages to do all of that without dragging on forever. Annie Neugebauer really nailed the pacing here. I read the whole thing in basically one sitting because every chapter ended with me going, “okay, just one more.” Famous last words.

The whole doppelgänger idea was already unsettling, but the paranoia in this book is what really got me. Every interaction felt off in the best way, and I kept second-guessing everyone. I also loved that the story didn’t waste time overexplaining things. It trusted the reader to just sit in the discomfort, which honestly made it creepier.

And that ending? Absolutely perfect. One of those endings that makes you immediately want to text someone about it because you need to process what just happened. I closed the book and just sat there for a minute like, “wow, rude.” In a good way.

Now I need to track down The Extra because apparently I’m fully invested in this series and enjoy stressing myself out for fun. Also already counting down for book three because clearly Annie Neugebauer has decided none of us deserve peace anymore.

Thanks Netgalley and Shortwave Publishing for sending me an eARC of this book!

The Other took what was great about The Extra and made it so much more heart wrenching and existential. The Other takes the “which one of us is the clone” trope and cranks it up to 11 with a rocky relationship and questions about love and knowing your partner. I blew through this in one sitting because I had to know what was going to happen.

The split chapters giving us a glimpse into both main characters thoughts was great. It helped keep me, as the reader, in the know about who was real/other while not beating us over the head about it or leaving us in the dark.

I’m so sad I have to wait another year for the next installment in this series, but will be grabbing it once it is available!

Thank you to Shortwave Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

When Elise and Logan, a couple on the verge of divorce, decide to go hiking, they encounter a strange couple on the trail: Allison and Bryce. Overnight, this awkward, unsettling encounter becomes potentially dangerous as the new pair transform into Elise and Logan's doppelgängers. What are these creatures' intentions? Who is the real Logan and Elise? How well do we truly know someone after 15 years together?

I’m completely and utterly confused right now. I could probably read that ending five more times and still not trust myself to fully understand what happened. I absolutely adore this series. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before. Doppelgänger stories scare me the most because what if this actually happens to you? It’s a thought I don’t want to entertain. Annie that’s ending?!! Holy smokes. I’m looking forward to the final book in this series and reading more from this author in the future!

Now this is what I love about indie horror. If you are into books which are set in the wilderness, have a very uncanny feeling throughout with an ambiguous plot then this will be for you.

The Other is one I requested straight after reading The Extra from NetGalley @netgalley While these two stories aren’t connected by plot, they are set in the same setting - in the wilderness. With this one, there’s a couple that are going through a bit of a rough patch so organise a camping trip to try and sort out their relationship. They come across this couple who at first seem normal, but as time progresses they somehow turn into their doppelgängers and get mixed up with the original couple - who really have to try and figure out who their real significant other is. I guess their relationship is going through the real test now?! This one actually blew my mind at the end, it felt slightly more developed than The Extra so is my favourite of the two.