Adult author Paul Tremblay (The Beast You Are; The Cabin at the End of the World) makes his middle-grade debut with the eerie, uncanny Another.
Twelve-year-old Casey Wilson and his family are adjusting to life during the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic. When the old-fashioned rotary phone his mother found at the antiques store begins to ring, Casey's mom answers and agrees to a visitor. A man arrives with "a large, lumpy" burlap bag covered in dust, which opens to reveal a boy. Or rather something "shaped like a boy": it is "like a living mannequin," with "pinkish-gray" skin and a face that has only the "outlines of facial features." The boy's name is Morel, the man says, and he's Casey's "new friend." Casey is sure it's all a joke, but his parents agree to take Morel and then tell "the boys to have fun but to not make too much noise." Days pass; as Morel becomes more defined and human-like, Casey's parents fall into a haze. Soon, Casey's own mind gets fuzzy. The boy must figure out what the man wants and what Morel is before the distortion becomes reality.
Another is filled with an uneasy, growing dread. Casey's increasing alarm is contrasted with his parents' continued calm, and his lack of control heightens tension in a way that will certainly be accessible (and likely terrifying) to young readers. Black-and-white illustrations by Sam Wolfe Connelly build tone and add important texture to the plot. Tremblay honors middle-grade readers in his first work for children by speaking directly to their intelligence and telling a downright scary story. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer