  | Another Author: Tremblay, Paul | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
When Casey Wilson's parents tell him that his friend is coming for a sleepover, he has no idea who that might be. Ever since the Zoom Incident, his tics are worse than ever. When Morel appears, he's not like any friend Casey has ever met. As his normally loving parents grow distant from Casey, they gush and fawn over Morel. Casey knows something is wrong-but with no end in sight to the sleepover, he's exhausted. And in the dark, out of the corner of his eye, Morel doesn't look like a kid at all.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/01/25)
School Library Journal (07/01/25)
Booklist (+) (00/06/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 05/12/2025 A withdrawn tween must stop an enigmatic newcomer from usurping his family and his life in this unnerving horror novel by Tremblay (Horror Movie, for adults), the author’s children’s debut. Ever since a video mocking Casey Wilson’s facial tics went viral, the white-cued 12-year-old has struggled to manage stress and anxiety that prompted him to emotionally withdraw from his friends and made his tics-including hand squeezing and throat clearing-increase in frequency. Following a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to be one of Casey’s friends, a strange man carrying a burlap sack arrives on the family’s doorstep. From that sack emerges Morel, a boy who looks like a living mannequin with pinkish-gray skin and only the outlines of facial features. Though Casey is immediately wary, his parents, seemingly unfazed, allow Morel to stay with them while the stranger is away. As days pass, and as Morel becomes more humanlike, Casey’s usually attentive parents start to favor Morel over Casey. Tremblay utilizes body and psychological horror elements to build suspense and infuse creepiness throughout this introspective exploration of a lonely, insecure boy’s conflicting desires for independence and familial security. Connelly’s intermittent realistic pencil illustrations enhance the novel’s uncanny valley conceit. Ages 8-12. Author’s agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. (July) - Copyright 2025
School Library Journal - 07/01/2025 Gr 5 Up—Award-winning horror author Tremblay makes his middle grade debut with this hair-raising tale of a playdate gone wrong. When 12-year-old Casey's parents receive a mysterious phone call about his friend coming over, he doesn't know what to expect. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of Casey's stress-related tic disorder, his friends don't come around anymore. Dropped off by a strange man and emerging from a burlap sack, Morel has no eyes, can't speak, and has to mold his own claylike skin into desired facial expressions. But as time passes, Morel becomes more humanlike and Casey starts fading, launching a terrifying mystery that Casey must solve or risk losing himself forever. This is a fresh spin on doppelgänger lore that creeps along beautifully, though the latter third drags slightly into a resolution that muddies the taut story. Descriptions of Morel are supremely unsettling, first as he stiffly maneuvers Casey's home then as he commandeers the boy's life. Tremblay weaves relatable topics like bullying, anxiety, loneliness, and complex familial relationships into the supernatural happenings. The horror lacks blood and violence, instead turning up the fear factor with descriptions of fungus behavior that will educate readers while making their skin crawl. Connelly's chilling monochrome illustrations enhance the eeriness. Character ethnicity is minimally described; main characters are cued white. VERDICT A robust horror title that deftly utilizes the uncanny valley while drawing on real-life recent events. Highly recommended for youth horror shelves.—Ashleigh Williams - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
