I’ve been a fan of this author since his novel, A Headful of Ghosts, blew me away. I really enjoyed reading this young adult novel, which I believe is his first. The premise about a sleepover with a “friend” Casey doesn’t remember and finds deeply unsettling, is really intriguing and I was immediately drawn in. As Tremblay unfolded the plot I had to know more and ended up reading this book in one sitting. I highly recommend it for adults and YA readers alike!

Admittedly I have a soft spot for MG horror, but ANOTHER exceeded my expectations. This will slowly creep under your skin even as you hurtle uncontrollably towards the climax.

I loved this one! What a clever and fun way to explore this horror topic/trope with fungus, doppelgängers, etc. The eeriness and sense of dread builds and builds... I definitely would read more YA horror from Paul Tremblay as this was excellent!

And extra points for lots of Legend of Zelda and Buffy the Vampire Slayer references!

Casey has been having a rough time since The Zoom Incident, where his facial tics were recorded and shared by the class bullies. He has no friends, but when his parents bring home an old-fashioned rotary phone and it rings, somehow he has a new friend coming for a sleepover. Morel is a boy that looks to be more clay than human, but no one seems to notice. Casey tries to overcome the unease he feels around Morel, until Morel begins to become more human...

A middle grade horror story with echoes of [book:Coraline|17061] and [book:Mexican Gothic|53152636] - a strange story that kept getting stranger. Morel, the faceless clay boy who shows up on the doorstep, was so inhuman that had there not been a hint of Casey and his parents inhaling a spore of some kind, I would not have been able to understand why no one was freaking out. There were no jump scares, just a subtle unease that grew and grew. The little details that became important as Casey also began to change built up as well. There were some elements of this story that felt more adult, such as the epilogue in the POV of a store owner, but the horror aspect, while very unsettling, resolved in a way that calmed things down a bit.

Honestly, Another by Paul Tremblay reminds me of books I enjoyed when I was younger. Specifically the Goosebumps and Fear Street.

It’s an excellent middle grade horror book - just creepy enough without being as heavy and frightening as Tremblay’s typical work is. And while this does heavily reference and relate to the COVID-19 pandemic, I think there are some great themes related to the scary side of growing up and changing.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I usually really enjoy Paul Tremblay’s books but this one was unfortunately a miss for me. The writing felt very simple even for a middle grade book. Some of the cultural references also make the story already feel dated & will only get worse with time I feel. Also didn’t really care for the whole fungi plot twist. I’m sure there’s definitely an audience for this but I’m just not part of it.

I love Paul's adult horror books, so I was excited to see he was writing something for the younger crowd. I really enjoyed reading this! Definitely gave me "Goosebump" vibes and is something younger-me would have loved. Would definitely recommend for any blossoming young horror fans :)

This book was a lot of fun. Some Paul Tremblay books can feel a little ambiguous and aren't the always the "easy to recommend" sort of books that a Joe Hill or Stephen King book can be. But this one, geared toward middle grade readers, has a simple premise. And while it retains the trademark Tremblay knack for mystery, ambiguity, and simmering dread it also has something kind of Spielbergian (and certain reminiscent of RL Stine!) due to the young protagonist's perspective. I know Tremblay is also a school teacher, and it seems to have given him ample fodder authentically tuning into that demographic's perspective.

It may be for younger readers, but I think Tremblay fans will find that he did not compromise on anything in his writing that appeals to older readers.

I requested this one mainly to see if it was okay for my 12-year-old to read. And let me tell you…I was surprised at how good I found it!

I’m giving it 4 stars overall.

Now, in terms of content, there’s nothing super graphic or wildly inappropriate, but it is mature in a quiet, psychological way. Nothing over the top, but definitely something younger kids might not fully connect with yet. I’d say it’s more suited for older teens who like slower, more introspective reads.

So for my 12-year-old? I’m gonna say not just yet. I think they’d get bored or confused, honestly. But as an adult? I really liked it. The writing is clever, and it sticks with you.

Bottom line: a strong book, just not the right fit for middle grade. But if you've got a teen who likes weird, moody stories and spooky vibes, this one might hit.

This was a very fun and entertaining middle grade horror novel. Another is about a young boy who doesn't have any friends and is feeling lost and lonely in his life until unexpectedly, his parents get a phone call that his "friend" is coming for a sleepover. What follows is a slowly building dread where this boy is questioning what is real, especially when his parents seem to be acting like everything is normal. And this friend is someone he has never heard of, never met, and seems to be made of clay. This was really spooky and also deals a lot with the main character's learning disabilities and difficulties in school along with the horror as well as the effects of COVID lockdown on children who were in school at the time. Very enjoyable for kids who like horrror.

This gives strong Goosebumps vibes. It was fun and spooky. Truly enjoyable, even for an old person, like myself.

I didn’t realize this was a middle grade book going in, but I was curious enough after the first chapter that I kept going. I’ll admit, it’s not an entirely unique premise but it gave Goosebumps nostalgia.
The clay mannequin begins as something very spooky, but ultimately wins the reader over as Morel becomes his own person and proves to be a friend. The concept of this being starting with no real facial features (only a concept of eye sockets and mouth) was very creepy and well done.
There’s some interesting themes with “fitting in,” dealing with the pandemic, and stress causing facial tics - all that come into play as our main character, Casey, learns to see where his value lies. He’s not just any boy, he’s Casey.

Wow! This book was creepy and such a fun read. I honestly couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know what was going to happen. As an adult, I loved this so much. Middle school me would’ve been obsessed with this book as I was such a horror fan! Still am to this day of course!

The concept was unique and executed so well. Paul is a phenomenal writer, so I wasn’t shocked at how intrigued I was by this book. I enjoyed every last bit of it. I was engaged until the very end and even had chills at some points.

This is a fantastic introduction to horror for middle grade kids. This book will definitely ignite the thrill of reading horror for so many of them.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the early copy!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC of this title in exchange for my review.

Why are all the great middle grade and teen books being written NOW? Where were they when I was that age?!! I"m so jealous of kids now, they have so many great options. Sigh ...

This is a fun and creepy book for middle graders. This was chilling, gripping and so hard to put down. Wonderful characters and unusual friendships. I think just about anyone of any age would enjoy this book.

4 stars. Recommend to all!

After a Zoom meeting gone wrong, Casey has definitely become the outcast of his friend group. He is beyond confused when his parents tell him that a friend is coming over to spend the night. This new friend, who Casey hasn't met before, soon charms his parents and starts to take their attention away from Casey. Is this new friend trying to take Casey's life away from him?

As a middle school librarian, I can tell you that kids will read scary stories and I can't wait to add this one to our collection. The creepy factor is off the charts and will have the readers hooked from the first chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley along with HarperCollins Children's Books-Quill Tree Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Paul tremblay’s books. He’s an auto buy author. I was a little nervous that the horror would slip through the cracks or not remain as intense because of the audience intended but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s haunting. The story draws on childhood fears perfectly. So much so, that it’s reminiscent of the goosebumps franchise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Creepy read for middle grade readers! I honestly didn’t realize it was for middle grades when I requested it, but was nonetheless captivated. Another win for Paul!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for the digital advance reader copy.

Since I read Tremblay's Head Full of Ghosts, I've been a fan and have read what's he's published since then, except his short stories. I enjoy his weird, out-there horror that often plays with our fear of the strange, uncanny, and awful that exists in opposition to our humanity.

I wasn't sure how his writing would work for a middle grade audience, since he often creates a world of ambiguity and existential dread that I wasn't sure ten-to-thirteen year-olds would understand.

I was wrong. As I read this, I began to remember that middle schoolers have existential dread, too. He does (mostly) avoid the ambiguity of his adult novels, though.

Casey is a struggling mid-pandemic sixth-grader. Due to an incident, he's feeling incredibly alone. He's not sure his friends are even still his friends. His older sister has left for college. Even his parents seem more worried and frustrated with him than they did. He's not sure they even like him now.

Then his mom brings home an old rotary phone from an antique store, and his parents oddly agree to allow an unknown friend to stay at their house during Spring Break.

Casey himself doesn't even know this friend, and yet here he is.

Slowly, during the week, Casey finds himself changing, and finds his new-found friend changing, too.

This is a weird, creepy story about figuring out who you are and who really cares about you - flaws and talents and fears and goofiness and all.

Tremblay does a great job exploring what it means to experience the anxiety and fear of wondering if anyone really likes you - do you even like you? What if you just weren't you one day? Would others like you better? Would anyone notice?

Plus, as a parent, I appreciated his look at Casey's family. Sometimes we're so worried about our kids, we forget to just love and support them. I loved that Casey's family wasn't perfect, but they were always trying to figure out how better to love one another, even when they didn't get it right.

All in all, two thumbs up for a truly creepy story about really seeing others.

What makes us, us? That's just what this young 6th grade boy attempts to tackle alone. Dealing with anxiety tics, Casey is confronted with a mysterious new friend that his parents just accept in their home without even knowing who "it" is. Struggling with his flaws, he begins to notice his parents like his new friend a little too much.

This thoroughly creepy middle grade is an awesome read for any age group. I've enjoyed it so much that I want to teach this novel as a full class read in my middle school English class.

Another is a creepy middle-grade horror story. The story is also intriguing that you won't want to put down once you start reading it. I liked the introduction of the old rotary phone. It adds to the mystique of the story. It's interesting how the main character reacts to his new "friend" and how he has to solve the mystery of it. Fans of Gooosebumps will definitely like this story.