A couple meet their doppelgangers on a hiking trail while camping and are soon tested on how well they truly know the other.
I loved The Extra, so I knew I needed to read this second novella in the “Outsiders Sequence” interconnected speculative horror series. This time around, the story revolves around doppelgänger horror and reality distortion, and it’s just as unpredictable and unsettling. The audiobook is the way to go with this one (or pair it with a physical copy if you can), as it’s a duet narration, with powerhouse duo Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins delivering excellent performances that elevate the slow-building horror. And in this one, we have two unreliable protagonists in a strained relationship, which is the perfect entry point for everything that goes wrong on what would be a simple camping trip.
The story is told in dual POV, shifting between Elise and Logan. They’re both unreliable narrators, and there’s a lot of spiraling paranoia and psychological dread in their inner dialogue that will keep you questioning what you’re reading and simultaneously creeped out. They’re on a trip as a final attempt to fix their relationship, but their plans are derailed once Allison and Bryce literally appear out of nowhere. There’s a big contrast in how they react to the doppelgängers—Elise is observant and aware of inconsistencies, while Logan is accepting and dismissive, almost to the point where I wanted to shake some sense into him! Once the stakes suddenly escalate, the tension remains consistently high until the very end. Expect some risky decisions, survival tactics, and quick thinking from both Logan and Elise as they try to determine who’s real and whether they’re bringing the wrong version of each other back home with them—all very mind-boggling! Having been a couple for 15 years, they have to rely on the most intimate details as they interrogate the potential imposters, and even then there’s a layer of uncertainty.
The short chapters and atmospheric dread throughout make this an addictive read that you can easily finish in a single sitting. Once the major conflict begins—figuring out who’s who and what to do about the doppelgangers—you’ll feel the unsettling horror and be second-guessing Elise’s and Logan’s decisions and perceptions. And just when it feels like everything may be resolved, there’s a mind-blowing twist involving memory distortion that turns everything upside down. Like the first novella in the series, I was left with far more questions than answers and wondering, “What the heck did I just read?!?” in the best possible way! If you haven’t heard of this series and it sounds like your vibe, definitely binge both novellas back to back—they’re the perfect small dose of horror that you’ll be recommending to others afterwards!
Narrator Performance
The Other is narrated by award-winning performers and powerhouse duo Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins, who are well known for their work in horror, especially in shorter stories like this. This is a duet narration, which makes the novella more immersive and unsettling than just reading a physical copy—definitely the way to go!
PATRICIA SANTOMASSO portrays Elise with a voice that sounds strong-willed, emotionally aware, and quietly determined from the start. Right from the beginning, you can hear that Elise is on the camping trip with a purpose—to make difficult decisions about her relationship with Logan—and her attachment and care for him is very evident in Santomasso’s delivery. What also really stands out is how Santomasso emphasizes Elise’s intuition—from the moment the strange couple appears, Elise’s suspicion is apparent in her tone and pacing, especially in her inner monologues where she picks up on inconsistencies long before Logan does. Once they become full-on doppelgängers and things spiral, Patricia really elevates her performance. She makes Elise sound angry, more urgent, and more determined. The character’s intelligence and resourcefulness really come through when she tries to determine which Logan is real and has to defend her own identity—and it’s fascinating to follow along with Santomasso’s sharp delivery!
SEAN PATRICK HOPKINS gives Logan a more grounded and steady voice that is reassuring to Elise but also unsettling to listeners, as he clearly ignores red flags. Just like Elise, you can hear that Logan genuinely wants to repair his relationship and cares and respects his partner. At the same time, Hopkins really emphasizes Logan’s more trusting nature, and he accepts the mysterious appearance of the couple at face value. The contrast to Elise’s suspicions really comes through clearly in Hopkins’ delivery, especially in Logan’s inner monologues—and it makes the character a bit frustrating at times, but the performance conveys the character perfectly. When Logan is forced to make risky, quick decisions regarding figuring out who Elise really is and what to do with the doppelgängers, Hopkins shifts his performance noticeably—he adds more urgency and emotion to Logan’s tone, and you can hear a sense of growth in the character’s awareness, which is satisfying. At the end, when the atmosphere suddenly shifts from everything feeling resolved to full reality and memory distortion, Hopkins finishes the narration with an added eeriness to his tone —and you’ll be left thinking, “What just happened??” and rethinking everything you just listened to in the best possible way!
Narrator Performance
The Other is narrated by award-winning performers and powerhouse duo Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins, who are well known for their work in horror, especially in shorter stories like this. This is a duet narration, which makes the novella more immersive and unsettling than just reading a physical copy—definitely the way to go!
PATRICIA SANTOMASSO portrays Elise with a voice that sounds strong-willed, emotionally aware, and quietly determined from the start. Right from the beginning, you can hear that Elise is on the camping trip with a purpose—to make difficult decisions about her relationship with Logan—and her attachment and care for him is very evident in Santomasso’s delivery. What also really stands out is how Santomasso emphasizes Elise’s intuition—from the moment the strange couple appears, Elise’s suspicion is apparent in her tone and pacing, especially in her inner monologues where she picks up on inconsistencies long before Logan does. Once they become full-on doppelgängers and things spiral, Patricia really elevates her performance. She makes Elise sound angry, more urgent, and more determined. The character’s intelligence and resourcefulness really come through when she tries to determine which Logan is real and has to defend her own identity—and it’s fascinating to follow along with Santomasso’s sharp delivery!
SEAN PATRICK HOPKINS gives Logan a more grounded and steady voice that is reassuring to Elise but also unsettling to listeners, as he clearly ignores red flags. Just like Elise, you can hear that Logan genuinely wants to repair his relationship and cares and respects his partner. At the same time, Hopkins really emphasizes Logan’s more trusting nature, and he accepts the mysterious appearance of the couple at face value. The contrast to Elise’s suspicions really comes through clearly in Hopkins’ delivery, especially in Logan’s inner monologues—and it makes the character a bit frustrating at times, but the performance conveys the character perfectly. When Logan is forced to make risky, quick decisions regarding figuring out who Elise really is and what to do with the doppelgängers, Hopkins shifts his performance noticeably—he adds more urgency and emotion to Logan’s tone, and you can hear a sense of growth in the character’s awareness, which is satisfying. At the end, when the atmosphere suddenly shifts from everything feeling resolved to full reality and memory distortion, Hopkins finishes the narration with an added eeriness to his tone —and you’ll be left thinking, “What just happened??” and rethinking everything you just listened to in the best possible way!
The Other is narrated by award-winning performers and powerhouse duo Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins, who are well known for their work in horror, especially in shorter stories like this. This is a duet narration, which makes the novella more immersive and unsettling than just reading a physical copy—definitely the way to go!
PATRICIA SANTOMASSO portrays Elise with a voice that sounds strong-willed, emotionally aware, and quietly determined from the start. Right from the beginning, you can hear that Elise is on the camping trip with a purpose—to make difficult decisions about her relationship with Logan—and her attachment and care for him is very evident in Santomasso’s delivery. What also really stands out is how Santomasso emphasizes Elise’s intuition—from the moment the strange couple appears, Elise’s suspicion is apparent in her tone and pacing, especially in her inner monologues where she picks up on inconsistencies long before Logan does. Once they become full-on doppelgängers and things spiral, Patricia really elevates her performance. She makes Elise sound angry, more urgent, and more determined. The character’s intelligence and resourcefulness really come through when she tries to determine which Logan is real and has to defend her own identity—and it’s fascinating to follow along with Santomasso’s sharp delivery!
SEAN PATRICK HOPKINS gives Logan a more grounded and steady voice that is reassuring to Elise but also unsettling to listeners, as he clearly ignores red flags. Just like Elise, you can hear that Logan genuinely wants to repair his relationship and cares and respects his partner. At the same time, Hopkins really emphasizes Logan’s more trusting nature, and he accepts the mysterious appearance of the couple at face value. The contrast to Elise’s suspicions really comes through clearly in Hopkins’ delivery, especially in Logan’s inner monologues—and it makes the character a bit frustrating at times, but the performance conveys the character perfectly. When Logan is forced to make risky, quick decisions regarding figuring out who Elise really is and what to do with the doppelgängers, Hopkins shifts his performance noticeably—he adds more urgency and emotion to Logan’s tone, and you can hear a sense of growth in the character’s awareness, which is satisfying. At the end, when the atmosphere suddenly shifts from everything feeling resolved to full reality and memory distortion, Hopkins finishes the narration with an added eeriness to his tone —and you’ll be left thinking, “What just happened??” and rethinking everything you just listened to in the best possible way!
