I remember watching the anime version of Another years ago—and it’s honestly one of the main reasons I have a fear of umbrellas to this day. So, I decided to check out the original novel, and let me say: it was really good!
The physical edition I read includes both Volume 1 and Volume 2, making it a fairly thick book. While the size might seem a little intimidating at first, it’s well-paced and engaging throughout. Just a heads-up—there are no illustrations.
As for the story itself, while I wouldn’t exactly call it “horror,” it definitely deals with eerie themes like curses and a disturbing chain of deaths. Volume 1 feels a bit slow at times—almost like it’s circling around the main issue without addressing it directly. A lot of the characters don’t really communicate with Koichi Sakakibara about the curse, which can be frustrating. It feels like some of the chaos could have been avoided if people had just talked!
That said, Volume 1 still does a good job setting the stage for Volume 2, which really kicks things into gear. The mystery is wrapped up nicely, with clear explanations and a satisfying conclusion—though exactly how the curse works and how to stop it still remains a bit of a mystery. Toward the end, the story goes from 0 to 100 in the best way possible—everything pops off at once, and I was completely hooked. The reveal of the culprit was genuinely sad, as were both Koichi Sakakibara’s and Mei Misaki’s backstories.
That said, Volume 1 still does a good job setting the stage for Volume 2, which really kicks things into gear. The mystery is wrapped up nicely, with clear explanations and a satisfying conclusion—though exactly how the curse works and how to stop it still remains a bit of a mystery. Toward the end, the story goes from 0 to 100 in the best way possible—everything pops off at once, and I was completely hooked. The reveal of the culprit was genuinely sad, as were both Koichi Sakakibara’s and Mei Misaki’s backstories.
The novel is set in 1998, and you can really feel it through the small details—mini discs, cassette tapes, and early flip phones are all scattered throughout the book. There are even a couple of Stephen King references, including a nod to Pet Sematary and some of his other works.
Weirdly enough, this story reminded me of the Final Destination movies—not because they’re alike story-wise, but the vibe of an unstoppable chain of deaths really gave me that feeling. While the anime and the novel are quite similar, I think I actually prefer the novel overall.
If you enjoy horror or dark mysteries, I’d definitely recommend Another. Just… maybe don’t read it on a rainy day.