Paul Tremblay, the acclaimed author behind psychological horror novels like A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World, has crafted something entirely unexpected with Another—his first foray into middle grade fiction. While maintaining his signature unsettling atmosphere, Tremblay demonstrates remarkable restraint and sensitivity in addressing the very real struggles of adolescence through a supernatural lens. The result is a book that works on multiple levels: as a chilling horror story, a poignant coming-of-age tale, and a surprisingly thoughtful examination of identity and belonging.
The Pandemic’s Shadow: Setting the Stage for Isolation
Casey Wilson’s world feels suffocatingly familiar to anyone who lived through the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tremblay doesn’t simply use the pandemic as window dressing; instead, he weaves it into the very fabric of Casey’s isolation and vulnerability. The “Zoom Incident”—where Casey’s facial tics were recorded and mocked by classmates during online learning—becomes the catalyst for his social exile. This incident feels painfully authentic, capturing how quickly digital spaces can amplify cruelty and how lasting the damage can be.
The author’s background as a long-time middle school teacher shines through in his authentic portrayal of academic struggles, social anxiety, and the particular cruelty that can emerge in online learning environments. Casey’s neuropsychological testing and his sessions with Dr. Chaw feel researched and genuine, never condescending or oversimplified. Tremblay treats executive functioning challenges with the same respect he gives to supernatural elements, understanding that for many young readers, these struggles are just as real and frightening as any monster.
Morel: A Friendship Born from Spores and Loneliness
When Morel arrives in a burlap sack, carried by a mysterious man in an overcoat, the story takes its first sharp turn into the genuinely unsettling. Tremblay’s description of Morel—with his clay-like skin, shadowed eye sockets, and initial inability to speak—is masterfully creepy without being gratuitously frightening. The author understands that the most effective horror often comes from the almost-familiar, the uncanny valley of something that should be human but isn’t quite right.
What makes Morel particularly compelling as a character is how he embodies Casey’s deepest desires and fears simultaneously. He’s the friend Casey desperately wants—someone who appreciates his art, who listens without judgment, who makes him feel valued. Yet Morel is also a parasitic presence, literally feeding off Casey’s essence through networks of fungal hyphae. This duality creates a complex emotional landscape where readers find themselves both rooting for and dreading Morel’s presence.
The fungal biology that underlies Morel’s existence is surprisingly well-researched. Tremblay clearly did his homework on mycelium networks, spore dispersal, and parasitic fungi, integrating scientific concepts into his supernatural framework without overwhelming young readers with technical jargon. The idea of consciousness being absorbed into a larger fungal network is genuinely horrifying while remaining accessible to middle grade audiences.
The Power of Art as Identity and Resistance
Perhaps the most brilliant aspect of Another is how Paul Tremblay positions Casey’s artistic ability as both the source of his vulnerability and his ultimate salvation. The drawings that Casey creates for Morel—the heart, the voice, the animal transformations—literally become part of Morel’s being, stored within his clay-like body. This metaphor for how art becomes part of us, how creation is both generous gift-giving and dangerous exposure, resonates deeply.
When Casey realizes he can reclaim himself through drawing, the climactic scenes become genuinely moving. His rough family portrait and recreation of the neuropsych schematic aren’t just plot devices; they’re declarations of selfhood. Tremblay understands that for many young people, artistic expression isn’t just a hobby—it’s an essential part of identity that can’t be taken away, even when everything else feels uncertain.
Family Dynamics Under Supernatural Pressure
The transformation of Casey’s parents under the influence of the mysterious man’s spores creates some of the book’s most disturbing moments. Watching loving parents become cold and distant, favoring the parasitic replacement over their own child, taps into primal fears of abandonment and rejection. Yet Tremblay never villainizes the parents; they’re clearly victims themselves, struggling against an influence they can’t understand or control.
The relationship between Casey and his college-aged sister Ally provides crucial emotional grounding. Their text exchanges feel authentic, capturing the mix of affection, exasperation, and genuine care that characterizes many sibling relationships. Ally’s eventual tattoo of Casey’s heart drawing becomes a powerful symbol of how art can create lasting connections across distance and time.
Strengths That Elevate the Genre
Paul Tremblay’s greatest achievement in Another is his ability to write authentically for young readers without condescending to them. The horror elements are genuinely frightening, but they serve the larger themes of identity, belonging, and self-acceptance. The author never talks down to his audience or oversimplifies complex emotions.
The pacing is expertly managed, with creeping dread building steadily through seemingly ordinary moments. A family game night becomes sinister when Morel wins repeatedly; a baseball game transforms into an identity crisis when Morel plays in Casey’s place. These everyday activities turned threatening create more lasting unease than jump scares ever could.
Areas Where the Foundation Shows Cracks
While Another by Paul Tremblay succeeds admirably in most areas, some elements feel less fully developed. The mysterious man’s motivations remain frustratingly vague, and his underground fungal network could have used more exploration. The climactic confrontation, while emotionally satisfying, resolves certain plot threads perhaps too neatly.
Some readers might find the pandemic setting adds unnecessary weight to an already heavy story. While Tremblay’s intention to process collective trauma through fiction is admirable, younger readers encountering these themes for the first time might find the combination overwhelming.
The book’s length occasionally works against it, with some middle sections feeling stretched despite the relatively brief page count. A tighter focus on either the supernatural elements or the coming-of-age aspects might have created a more cohesive reading experience.
A Worthy Addition to Middle Grade Horror
Another by Paul Tremblay stands as a thoughtful, unsettling debut in middle grade horror that respects both its young readers and the complexities of growing up in difficult times. Tremblay proves that effective horror for younger audiences doesn’t require dumbing down concepts or pulling punches—it requires understanding what genuinely frightens and concerns young people, then addressing those fears with honesty and hope.
If You Enjoyed Another, Try These Books
For readers seeking similar atmospheric middle grade horror:
- The Warm Hands Of Ghosts by Katherine Arden – Rural horror with genuinely creepy antagonists
- The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson – Identity struggles without supernatural elements
- Doll Bones by Holly Black – Friendship and growing up with supernatural undertones
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – Coming of age in a supernatural setting
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman – Identity theft and family relationships with horror elements
Another marks an impressive genre shift for Paul Tremblay, proving that the skills that make him a master of adult psychological horror translate beautifully to middle grade fiction. This is horror that grows with its readers, offering surface scares for those seeking thrills and deeper themes for those ready to dig beneath the clay surface.