(2) 4-6 Ever since the "Zoom Incident" that made him a social outcast at his middle school, Casey has lived with debilitating anxiety, so when his parents announce that a friend is coming for a sleepover, he doesn't know what to think. A mysterious man shows up at the door with a sack containing a figure made of clay. The creature, named Morel, is shaped like a boy, but his facial figures are unformed (he uses his own hands to mold them into expressions). Casey begins to find solace in Morel's companionship even as he wonders why his parents don't question anything about the bizarre situation. However, as the indefinite sleepover continues and his parents begin to treat Morel more like their son than they do their own child, Casey becomes increasingly distraught. Soon he's in a race against time to prevent himself from being erased entirely and replaced. Tremblay deftly manipulates audience expectations to keep readers questioning whether Morel can be trusted until the very end. Occasional eerie black-and-white illustrations by Sam Wolfe Connelly add another layer to the creepy atmosphere. Suspenseful and unsettling, the uncanny story addresses such relatable themes as being negatively compared to peers, becoming invisible or unrecognizable to the ones we love, and losing our grasp on our sense of self; it also affirms the power of art and the importance of friendship and solidarity in the face of fear.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025