Special thanks to Harper Collins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

No, no, no, no, no! Head Full of Ghosts was such an awesome book. What the heck happened to Paul Tremblay since and now a middle grade book. Cmon I, I did not finish. Sorry this was a just as bad as his last three.!

This is a great title for young and old alike. It has great messages that target humankind and what it means to be human. The playfulness of the clay and the drawing softens the plot a bit, making it more accessible to younger readers, but the idea of Morel is a very grown-up concept. The way mushrooms and their biology are used throughout the book is impressive on a serious literary level, and just one reason why this a real contribution to anyone’s bookshelf. I think Tremblay did a great job and I remain a devoted fan.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC copy, and to Paul for his interactions via Instagram.

The first thing I want to say about this book is that, although it was mentioned that Casey's new strange friend Morel was made of clay, that at some point it would be explained what Morel was. The creep factor is that it was just that. He was made of clay and that is that. That's what makes the creepiness of this book do so well.

The plot line is quite well and has a constant sense of dread/anticipation of something terrifying from the beginning until the end. It's a great read for any baby bats who love horror. It's also great for anyone (parents or otherwise) born prior to Y2k. The nostalgic horror of rotary dial phones is hilarious and accurate. Just imagine the movie Scream reimagined with rotary dialed phones! The horror!!!! I also can never watch another claymation movie again after this.

Chapter by chapter Tremblay leaves the reader hanging on the edge of the page. One can only pray their doppleganger is nothing like Morel. Reminder to never eat morel mushrooms again.

Special thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really loved Paul Tremblay's book Head Full of Ghosts, I started saying hie's my favorite author off of one book. Than I read the other books that came out after it and I couldn't really connect with any of them.

I have to say when I put in for this book, I didn't read the ex erpt or know it was for middle school grade but I found out pretty quick, I almost put it down. Why should I read a middle grade book, I'm 54 for Pete's sake, but I did read it and was surprised that really any age could read it. It just wasn't for me z but I it's wo derful for little kids to get into horror. For a middle grade horror, I'd give it a 4, for adult horror a 2, so I'll wind up with a 3.

This book had my adult heart racing. "Another" is suspenseful, creepy, and creative, but it's also a thoughtful look at a young protagonist who has been impacted by the quarantine, anxiety, and school. The tension in this book builds to telephone pole heights before sparking an unexpected turning point, with an open-ended but satisfying epilogue that leaves room for speculation. I love this book now and I would have loved it as a horror-loving, book-devouring kid. I will for sure be buying this for my library and recommending it to my scare-enthused readers.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊

⚝ Rating ⚝: 3✩ / 5✩’s

⚝ Review ⚝: Keeping in mind the entire time that I was reading that this book was a horror meant for Middle Grade readers...it still didn't quite hit the mark. I spent the whole story just so incredibly sad for Casey and everything that he heard in reference to Morel as well as things said directly to him. For the first 85% of the book, nothing felt 'creepy' or 'spooky'. It was all just...very sad

One thing that the author did do very well that I appreciated was touch on the emotional and mental toll that the pandemic had on some children. In this case, the stress and anxiety of the pandemic in conjunction with the massive shift in how school was handled led to Casey developing multiple physical tics that when his peers were faced with them for the first time, they immediately began isolating and leaving Casey out of activities.

With the arrival of Morel, a mysterious 'friend', during spring break, Casey starts to notice a change in his parents. They are showing more and more interest in Morel and less interest in Casey, making remarks about how fantastic Morel is while Casey is shoved further and further to the side. But when Casey looks at Morel, all he sees is a clay figure. But slowly, over time, morel starts to change, and soon, Casey's parents are completely different as well.

This had so many makings of a fantastic young adult/middle grade horror. Instead of feeling creeped out or anxious or getting spooky vibes, I was just sad the whole time. Sad that all of the fears that Casey had developed about himself were seeming to be coming true right in front of his eyes: he wasn't good enough, his parents wanted a better version of him, he's forgettable and replaceable.

Things picked up towards the end, and some spookier themes did manage to creep in, but by the end of the book, it was all just depressing.

⚝ TWs ⚝: Fungus, Social isolation, Covid/Pandemic, neglect

This book was creepy and unsettling in all the right ways. It kept me hooked from start to finish, and I had a lot of fun reading it. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the author comes up with next!

Mini Review: I just finished this one last night and I still have the heebie-jeebies! It's not bloody or violent, but it is super creepy. My library kiddos are always asking for scary stories, and I know they're going to love this one. Casey's parents are kind of relegated to the background, which leaves a lot of space for Casey and his special friend Morel to be a couple of fun guys. Get it? Fun guys. Seriously, though, their relationship is surprisingly sweet and I really liked the ending of the book. You might feel like taking a shower after reading it though.

3.5 Stars

Casey parents bring home an old dusty rotary phone that rings when it's not even plugged in and a knock on the door opens to a strange man with a possible new "friend" for Casey but, and for some reason Casey's parents don't even bat an eye at the situation. Ahh, Maybe it's the pollen and the dust in the air.

I feel like I would have really loved this when I was a kid. I wish this was around when I was a kind and wanted to read nothing but spooky and magical books. It opens up in such a Goosebumps kind of style and I found Casey being so very relatable. There were SOOOO many fun videogame and anime references. I also, absolutely adored the relationship between Casey and his older sister. I feel, truly this it a great Middle-grade book for the intended age group.

I gave it the rating I did because I did get pretty bored after a while till I did reach the 60 ish percent mark of the book. However, I am, again not really the intended age for this story. I just was too curious to read this since it was by Mr. Paul Tremblay. I do recognize though that there are still Middle-grade books an adult can enjoy too. I do have some of those.

I really enjoyed the the second half and found this a very creative story. I could see my little bothers REALLY enjoying this one. I think it'll just have to be a future gift for them. I think it did a great job and being scary but not to scary it could be too much for the intended age group. I also love how art and drawing was used in this story.

I for sure would recommend this still, just for the right people.

Also, when you're out thrift shopping I just might leave that cool vintage rotary phone behind.

Thank you SOOO much to Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for my ARC copy for my honest review.

I love seeing Paul Tremblay's talents applied to middle grade. He's such an excellent writer with a knack for a really melancholy sort of eeriness, and this book does that to great effect.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a young boy who is struggling. He has anxiety and has developed facial tics in response to COVID and everything that came from that. His parents buy an old phone and one day it rings and they are told that Casey has a friend coming over. Things quickly unfold and go wrong.

I enjoyed this book! It was very creepy and eerie. It was creepy and eerie without being too scary for kids. I think it was a nice balance.

I also enjoyed how different things like anxiety and facial tics were examined. Casey was a really likeable character and I was rooting for him the whole time.

I do wish that the ending was a bit more explained but otherwise I enjoyed everything else in the book.

I would definitely recommend this one!

📚Another by Paul Tremblay

⚠️CWs for body horror, bullying, COVID pandemic

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was such a good middle grade horror! I was pleasantly surprised that there were some genuinely eerie moments, and I liked how there was a good underlying message at the end too. I just know I would have eaten this up if I was younger.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 💖

I absolutely loved Paul Tremblay's Another, his debut middle grade horror story for kids and adults alike. Taking place during the recent Covid pandemic, . Casey Wilson is having a hard time with remote schooling and the isolation of the pandemic. On top of that was the "Zoom Incident", after which his classmates treat him like a pariah and he starts to have uncontrollable tics. With a mysterious phone call on their "vintage" rotary home phone, Casey learns that he has a new friend coming for a sleepover. A man appears at their house with a burlap bag containing a boy named Morel. The appearance of Morel is strange and even stranger is that his parents accept all of this as though it was normal after the man with the bag blows some dust flakes into their faces. At first Casey is happy to have someone to talk to, even if this new friend cannot speak and has a clay-like appearance. This soon leads to an extended stay and then things get really weird as Morel and Casey both begin changing in different ways.

Tremblay manages to capture the feeling and anxieties of the recent period we have all lived through, without becoming a story about the pandemic. Another is a perfectly ambiguous toned Tremblay story, appropriate and told for middle graders without talking down to or seeming to be written for just kids. I do not usually read middle grade or YA horror, but I will make an exception for certain authors like Paul Tremblay. He captures the anxieties of that age and the time period perfectly while telling an engaging and very spooky horror story.

Published date : July 22 2025

I didn't know going into this it was a middle school book so that definitely changes my review.

This book was definitely Another lol
Creepy AF & especially for kids !! Where was it when I was growing up 🙃
Morel was a surprising character. You hate him but then learn to feel bad & kinda love him.
I now have a new fear of rotary phones 😳
& This cements my fear of antiques

👽👽👽/5

#Netgalley #Another

It’s been a minute since I’ve written a review and this is my first for a middle grade book.

This is the strange little book I wish came out when I was in middle school.

Paul is one of my favorite writers. When I heard he was writing a middle grade book I talked to my wife about wanting to review it. We’re both fans of his books.

I always wondered what it would be like if I had a clone as a kid. What would they be like. Maybe I’m alone in this? I thought they could do my chores. Deal with my sisters and their drama. I could sit in my room and read while they do all the things.

Another is kind of like that, but because it’s Paul Tremblay it goes sideways.

Casey is dealing with trauma from lock down and would love someone to help him get over it. What happens isn’t exactly what he wanted.

When Morel, a new friend that shows up, enters his house, Casey notices that he feels different. His parents act different and that there’s something about this Morel kid that is off.

While he attempts to help Morel, who Casey feels is different and doesn’t answer questions the way he’d expect from a kid his age, this is where the story, and Tremblay does a good job of looking at things from a kid’s perspective. Kids accept the reality presented to them and oftentimes don’t argue with what’s going on around them.

If you think back to your childhood can you say there was something with hindsight that maybe you should have noticed was off? I know I could.

Tremblay shines in this aspect throughout the story. He lets Casey be a kid and doesn’t get in the way of being an adult writing a middle grade story.

Finding our way past trauma as an adult is one thing, kids are resilient, to a point.

Casey finds his way to the other side while helping Morel find themselves as well.

I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and I hope Paul does more middle grade stories. This one was fun.

My Head Is Unraveling is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Casey's parents tell him a friend is coming to stay. Casey has been a outcast at school and suffers from nervous tics. His new friend "Morel" is odd to say the least. As time progresses Casey feels his parents slipping away and almost seeming to think Morel is Casey. This was an eerie story and the descriptions of Morel were unsettling.

I just finished Another by Paul Tremblay. Thank you to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for an eARC.

Casey Wilson is struggling since "the Zoom incident". Feeling like a pariah at school, like he's letting his parents down, and that there's just something wrong with him, the only person he really feels like he can talk to is his older sister Ally-- but she's away at school. When his parents tell him that he has a friend coming for a sleepover, Casey has no idea who it is. Even weirder, a man shows up at his house with a boy made out of... clay? As Casey and his new friend Morel spend more and more time together, Casey starts to feel less and less real, while Morel is becoming more and more... Casey? An incredible middle grade body snatcher novel, about the fears and lingering anxieties from the isolation of the Covid pandemic, Tremblay's first foray into middle-grade horror is amazing.

I was excited to see Paul Tremblay veer into middle-grade horror, especially while maintaining his signature horror-ness. First off, I love Casey. He is such a great character-- he reminds me a lot of a younger version of Tommy from The Disappearance at Devil's Rock, and I kept wondering if that was a coincidence or not. I also really liked Casey's struggle-- he's trying to navigate who he is, and how he fits into a post-pandemic world. I feel like we as a society have decided to just ignore the collective trauma that we went through, and seeing the fallout from the view of a middle-grade boy is just perfect. In a time where cell phones and video makes everything permanent, it was interesting to see Casey navigate humiliation that just won't go away. Tremblay does a wonderful job ramping up the tension in a completely reasonable way for his target audience. Right from the start it's clear that there is something horribly wrong, but it never veers into over-the-top horror that would be too much for a middle grade audience. There's also a hard lesson in the book about the failure of parents-- Casey's parents are well intentioned, but they are clearly unable to save Casey from what is happening-- and Casey learns an important lesson about saving himself. I firmly believe that horror is a great genre for kids to learn how to regulate their emotions in a safe and healthy way, so I'm so excited to see a master of the horror genre adapt to a younger audience. We need more books like this.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Another by Paul Tremblay in exchange for an honest review. Paul Tremblay has an immense talent for writing books that keep the reader with the sense of unease throughout the story. What would you do if a strange child was dropped off at your house and he slowly took over your life? I really enjoyed the nod to Heinlein's The Puppet Master.

Another one by Paul Tremblay, and this one worked so well! In 'Another,' we have our main character, Casey, go through a semi Covid related book, when his 'friend' Morel stays over for a week.

We see how in this young adult horror book how small creepy things can still make your skin crawl. Never knew a story about mushrooms and spores could be so eerily creepy.

This was a fantastic, relatively short book by Paul that really takes the cake! Can't wait for his next big book!

I hadn’t realized that this was a middle grade book when I first added to my TBR but I like the author so I still decided to read as an adult. That was definitely the right decision! The plot was perfect for middle grades but also relatable to any age! It had just the right amount of scary. The writing is done so well that I could imagine even the spooky things clearly. I will be adding this to list of books to get my friends children once they are middle grade!