Today on what on earth did I just read 🤣

This was… definitely a journey that I was not expecting. I should have known being cosmic horror that I would be a bit weirded out by the bizareness of this book but it wasn’t terrible. If you like the genre, you may definitely like this one! It’s a quick read, is fast paced and despite being odd, I did actually enjoy it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read this book!

This is a weird little book but I thoroughly enjoyed it! If you’re a fan of horror/sci-fi you would also probably like it. It’s a super quick read, I flew through in one sitting (rare for me). I loved the way this was written and thought the concept of mirror people was so unique. I’d read a full length novel based on this plot line and these characters!

This was delightfully weird.
My only criticism is that it was a novella and not a 700 page book. If you’re planning on a follow up, Drew, I am there.

Paul Cattaneo (not Paul) is a travelling salesman with a big secret. The real Paul Cattaneo is dead, and for the last seven years his body has been inhabited by a mirror person. He is a type of hyper empathetic bug, so highly attuned to human feelings that he feels his own kind are an abomination. “Not Paul” desperately wants to fight his urges as a Mirror Person and be human. He settles in to his ordinary life and tries to distance himself from his siblings, sure that when the inevitable urge his kind feels to procreate, he will be strong enough to ignore it. For when their kind procreate and they’re in heat, their humanity and empathy gives way to a total sociopathic nature (cue murderous rampage).

This was such an original concept, the writing flowed so well and I was totally immersed in the story. As Paul (not Paul) comes to learn more about himself as he gets closer to going in to heat, we discover details of the insect like mirror people, their lifespans and how they came to earth. Even though it was a novella, every word packed a punch. Paul (not Paul)’s existential dread is written through a lense of dark humour and wit set against moments of horror and I absolutely loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Drew Huff and NetGalley for the ARC. Due to be published November 18 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Paul has not really been Paul for a long time. He was taken over by a transdimensional parasitic wasp larvae seven years ago. But he doesn't like thinking about that...

Utterly weird and totally original. I read it, enraptured, in one sitting.

There are a few interesting metaphors going on here that at glimpse through from time to time but the story is mostly abstract and, well, alien.

I really enjoyed being taken along for the ride and despite how strange it was, the concepts weren't confusing at any point, which felt like a credit to the writing style.

I look forward to reading more from Drew Huff in future.

This novella gripped me from beginning to end. The main character Paul (but not really) is strict in his mindset of his species and their inhabitance of the planet, but throughout the book, there are subtle shifts leading to a great overarching change. The author strategically packed so much into such a short book about humanity and being inhuman, fighting intrinsic responses and reactions to them, and the nature of existence and acceptance, all in such a strange, gross, and intriguing way. I would read a full length novel about these mirror creatures, and am definitely keeping an eye out for more written by Huff.

A strange and gross novella about parasitic cosmic bugs puppeteering human bodies. I found the authors writing style really easy and fun to read and enjoyed the complexity of the parasitic main character bugs.

Will definitely be checking out more of her work.

My Name Isn't Paul is a quick horror delight about a race of Mirror People, with a focus on one in particular, a collection of sophisticated bug-like creatures capable of mimicking humans and absorbing their memories to ensure they are not detected. Paul Cattaneo, or at least Mirror Paul, has been living this particular life for seven years and he is happy to ignore his true identity as much as he possibly can. After being reunited with his Mirror siblings at a funeral, Paul starts to experiencing signs of going into heat, which brings with it a total sociopathic state and loss of the humanity he has found comfort in.

This is the kind of horror I love because it does a fantastic job of creating an unsettling vibe without a 'scare factor'. The concept of the mirror people and the specifics of their lifespans is really creative and I'm honestly disappointed this is a novella because I would have happily read several hundred pages about these characters and how they find balance between humanity and inhumanity. The descriptions are done really well, they did just enough for me to know what was going on but also they encourage the reader to use their imagination.

My favourite part of this book was how it handled Paul's mental deterioration and how hard he fought not to give into his base instinct. The other mirror people in this book were also explored really well and I loved the foreboding energy of them, you never really know what their intentions are.

Overall, I definitely recommend if you're looking for something a little weird and existential.

🦟🪞👴🏻My Name Isn't...👴🏻🪞🦟

Paul.. he's just your typical middle aged man, he has a loving wife a regular job as a door-to-door salesman a house and a car, ya know, just your average joe... but he isn't a men, he's a mirror person, and he's approaching a very delicate time in their bug life, they're about to be in heat, and they don't know that their life is about to change drastically.

I devoured this book in one day, literally.

If you've read The Divine Flesh, you know there are "Mirror People" that also came into earth many many years ago, they're a type of eldritch creature/bug that can "mirror" people and well, reproduce by the hundreds. Well this story goes into a dive of one of the mirror person's life, Paul, who is having a little bit of a mental episode, they're self loathing, unwilling to accept that they're not human, until its biological clock strikes 12 and they have no choice but to find out.

It's fast paced, hilarious and demented unraveling of the mind of a cosmic monster that has you rooting for them, although you shouldn't. This was a trip, I want to know more stories from the mirror-verse!

On a note, now every time I pass the kitchen and look at the sink I whisper but the babies.

I am forever grateful for Drew, she's an extremely talented writter, artist and person, she had gifted me an early copy of this book, that I later on aquire the updated version through NetGalley, as an e-book ARC.

This story snuck up on me.

The writing is very stream-of-consciousness, so give yourself a few pages to get into the flow of how the story is being told. The disjointed and chaotic way the narrative unfolds is actually kindof beautiful, and really mirrors (pun intended) the way we process emotion.

The story is a relatively common one - a "man" struggles with knowing when or if he's ready to reproduce. But it also has something really interesting to say about grief and loss, feeling alienated from the people around you, and desperately trying to escape your roots. In the end, we all find that the places and people that raised us are intrinsically woven into who we are, and its up to us to decide how we let those influences drive our future.

My Name Isn't Paul follows Paul(Not Paul), a mirror-person who found his corpse and decided to mimic it as that's what mirror people do. It has been 7 years since he has assumed Paul's identity, fooling his family and friends alike, but breeding season is upon him. Unable to avoid the reality of what he truly is he has a mental breakdown and goes AWOL.

After reading two of their books I just need to accept that this author and their writing style is just not for me.

I enjoy horror and body horror, but this book just fails to hit the mark for me. The ideas are unique and bizarre but the lack of world building and pacing issues make this a difficult read. I also found there to be a lack of tension, stakes and enough of an atmosphere in the writing. All things I look for and need in my horror books.

This might be for you if you enjoy bizarre eldritch body horror and don't need much world building to immerse yourself into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Drew Huff Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

This is an amazing little story. I wasn't scared but I was glued to the pages for the whole thing and it was definitely unsettling. I have enjoyed all of Huff's books I have read so far but I can easily say that this is the best release yet. Very good take on a body snatcher type story. Dude I can't say enough how great this book is.

I absolutely loved this short cosmic horror novella and will absolutely be going back to read Landlocked in Foreign Skin. The alien/cosmic beings at the center of this story are scary as hell but also really interesting and create a lot of empathy at the same time. There isn’t a single moment of wasted space in this book and the way Huff makes each of these characters so distinct while also being a part of this collective is really great. I was surprised by how emotional some of the moments involving Paul and his wife were as well, and it is the humanity and kindness of Paul to Melanie that really highlights how little there is in this world right now.

Grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!<3

This was truly one of the weirdest books I've read in a while.

The fast-paced story follows a (several) creature(s) called "Mirror Person", and focus primarily on (not) Paul, a strange, emotional, otherworldly being that can mimic human forms. This being takes on the life of a traveling salesman named Paul Cattaneo and lives as him for six years, until it's forced to deal the disturbing reality of how its species reproduces. The book explores themes of identity, humanity, and existential dread, mixing intense body horror with surprising emotional depth.

It was funny, sad, violent, gross, and although confusing at times, somehow still easy to follow? I couldn’t stop reading, and it’s definitely a book I’ll be thinking about for a while.

this was my first time delving into the horror genre so i wasn't sure what to expect. this was strange and a bit weird but in a very intriguing and interesting way. i had a great time reading!

the pacing was great, as is the premise. this novella follows a mirror person (who has the ability to mimick humans) and his disgust with his own species and his inner monologue of trying to hold on to his morals even when he begins to loose himself during his heat.

never read anything like this before but would recommend!

My Name is Not Paul is a novella following Paul - who is actually a Mirror Person wearing Paul's skin and has a different name entirely. Paul absolutely hates what he is and tries his hardest to pretend to be human, but as soon as something called a Heat hits - it will be undeniable that he is anything but.

The best part of the book for me was the unraveling of who and what the Mirror People are. Slowly discovering why they are the way they are was the highlight for me, as well as finding out more about the Old Ones and bringing the entire picture together. I felt this was the most satisfying part of the story.

Paul was an interesting character - he's both empathetic but also uncaring, at times confrontational yet easily swayed. I'm unsure if I like him or not. But I also get the impression he's not supposed to be likeable - what with the amount of manslaughter that occurs casually at his hand. I do feel that it was particularly interesting how the Mirror People normally are extremely in tune with human emotions to the point they are affected from miles away and yet during Heat they are completely cut off and therefore have none of their normal compunctions about killing them. That duality creates an intriguing morally grey character who is extremely unpredictable.

The writing also suited the story, though i feel that some of the metaphors and similes for the first 25% of the book weren't as good as the latter half of the story. My favourite in particular was near the end when a character is described as baptising themselves in gasoline which, trust me, with who that character is, goes so hard as a line.

I think my only "criticism" is that the writing could do with another edit just to tighten it up a bit. There are a few errors (around page 28ish) and i think the beginning could be a bit punchier. The start felt a bit disorientating due to how we are just dumped into the scene with little build up. Other than that I really enjoyed the story as a whole!

Would definitely recommend for anyone wanting a short sci-fi creature horror, that reads like a bite-sized annihilation/tender is the flesh mashup!

This was a interesting read love the themes it was giving out also was just surprised how good of a read as I didn't think it would be my kind of thing.

This story is about Paul, except his name isn’t Paul & he’s not actually human. He’s a Mirror Person- an eldritch bug like creature. Seven years ago, he stumbled upon Paul’s dead body & decided to inhabit it, wearing it as a “Skin Suit”. Not Paul desperately wants to be human, but every seven to ten years his species goes into heat & his time is running out.

From the very first pages on this novella, we’re thrust into Not Paul's head as he’s trying to live his day to day life as a human. We quickly learn he’s essentially isolated himself from his “siblings” & is battling his natural instinct to reproduce. Now his time is up, he’s in heat & out of control.

I loved the premise of this novella. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard or read before. It’s original, trippy, a little bloody & so bizarre. The writing is good & the descriptions of the gory bits were great. However, I really struggled with the overall execution. For the first half of the book I felt really confused, which may or may not be the Authors intent, & it kept me from enjoying it until the last half so for that I’m landing on a 3 star.

I look forward to diving into more of Drew’s other works in the future.

I could not finish the book. I guess it's not my cup of tea sorry 🙏. The story started off promising. The plot was intriguing but it could not hold my attention for too long. I kind of felt disoriented cz half if the time I didn't get what was going on. I tried to finish it but couldn't.

I really loved the premise for this novella! And the execution was fantastic as well. It takes you through the mind of a creature trying to pose as Paul, battling his innate instinct to reproduce with his developed empathy. We the reader also feel just as insane as he does, and it is truly such an interesting experience. The descriptions are well done and tastefully gory but not overly so in that it feels indulgently violent, everything has its purpose. I personally would have preferred some deeper personal angst with a sense of isolation, but the fact that "Paul" does have a community of siblings who go through the motions as he makes the story that much more eerie.

Pub date: 18 Nov 2025

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A bizarre, unsettling, and strangely hilarious horror novella. If you’re into stories that blend body horror, existential dread, and moments of dark humor, this one delivers. The narrative messes with your sense of what’s real, what’s human, and what’s horrifying. The pacing is tight, the imagery is vivid without being overwrought, and every scene serves a purpose. It’s lean, strange, and unforgettable.

I am not sure if it is how I consumed this book but it read even quicker than a novella normally does. It felt akin to a short story!