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Something's Up with Arlo
A spooky-sweet middle-grade novel about remembering the past in order to brave the future, for fans of Anne Ursu
Twelve-year-old Emily Nero’s best friend is a ghost.
For as long as Nero can remember, she’s been “haunted” by Arlo. He’s always had her back, especially as Nero navigates her never-impressed parents, and being the "weird girl" at school. When Nero earns the chance to start Grade 7 at a prestigious private school, she's hopeful that things will change for the better.
But on Nero’s first day at her new school, something’s up with Arlo, something very wrong: her best friend has suddenly turned on her. Glitching electronics, flickering lights, bad smells, and cold drafts are only the beginning. Arlo is changing into something scary. It's up to Nero to find out why, and how to help him, even as the answers bring her hauntingly close to home.
Spooky and sweet in turns, this debut middle grade combines Italian witchcraft, fraught families, and friendships old and new to explore the stories we tell ourselves, and the courage it takes to make our truths heard.
Twelve-year-old Emily Nero’s best friend is a ghost.
For as long as Nero can remember, she’s been “haunted” by Arlo. He’s always had her back, especially as Nero navigates her never-impressed parents, and being the "weird girl" at school. When Nero earns the chance to start Grade 7 at a prestigious private school, she's hopeful that things will change for the better.
But on Nero’s first day at her new school, something’s up with Arlo, something very wrong: her best friend has suddenly turned on her. Glitching electronics, flickering lights, bad smells, and cold drafts are only the beginning. Arlo is changing into something scary. It's up to Nero to find out why, and how to help him, even as the answers bring her hauntingly close to home.
Spooky and sweet in turns, this debut middle grade combines Italian witchcraft, fraught families, and friendships old and new to explore the stories we tell ourselves, and the courage it takes to make our truths heard.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2025
4 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Matteo L. Cerilli
6 books84 followersMatteo L. Cerilli (he/him) is a transmasc author specializing in speculative fiction for all ages. His writing aims to erase the barrier between liberation movements and the people they’re for, by opening doorways to Big Ideas like queer justice, neurodivergent liberation, youth equity, and community care. His activism work includes setting up gender care for trans students at York University, helping to found the Students for Queer Liberation—Toronto, and organizing with the No Pride in Policing Coalition. He currently lives in Toronto, within walking distance of so many people and places that he loves.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 30, 2025
I haven't read nearly enough middlegrade yet this year, but I'm glad I did at least pick up this one. I love a spooky middlegrade, because they're not usually outright scary and I tend to love the vibes. I've always loved the idea of a ghost companion, so that worked really well for me, although I would have liked to spend a little more time with Arlo to establish his character and his connection with Nero before the story got started. I still really enjoyed this though, as everything felt fast-paced but still fleshed out enough and I liked the characters. The mystery was very interesting to me, and I loved seeing it resolved.
March 3, 2025
Thank you so much to the author, Matteo L. Cerrilli, for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I’m bummed about this not being available in the U.S. yet, I definitely recommend anyone who has access to it to get it on publication day. Light spoilers ahead!
4.5 stars I might round down. Matteo L. Cerrilli has only published 2 books thus far, but he’s already looking up to be another influential voice in the landscape of trans and queer-led horror for youth. I read his debut, “Lockjaw”, at the beginning of this year and was absolutely blown away by it. While “Something’s Up With Arlo” has to keep its deaths at a minimum, and maintains a snark and adventure for its younger audience that “Lockjaw” never had to, I found this nearly just as tense, and it barely downplayed its horror. I hope this finds its way into the hands of kids who read Goosebumps but want something with a little more emotional oomph.
(But ugh, I hate how Arlo was introduced as this very lovable character and then we barely got any time with that version of him! I know just getting the reader used to him before he corrupts is the point, and it’s there to make the haunting even sadder, but. Oof that definitely sucked some of the fun out of the story, there were times I had to put this down because it was so emotionally draining LOL. Grief overtones, not my beloved or beloathed but a secret third thing…)
I especially appreciated Nero’s quiet gender exploration. I’m used to reading books that pivot their focus to a character’s queerness, even in the middle of a heart-pounding mystery or a gradually escalating horror. But there isn’t much focus on Nero’s gender identity, I wouldn’t argue it’s something that can be easily relegated to the background, either—it’s a not frequently mentioned, but important part of their character. (And, I’m going to use they/them pronouns because of Nero’s reaction to Flick’s parents referring to them with those.) And, this is sorta ramble-y, but between that, and a startlingly on-point portrayal of mental illness, I wonder the kind of person I would’ve been if I was Nero’s age and could see myself reflected in the pages of a book like this. I was privileged enough to have a great education that meant I learned about depression and anxiety symptoms in my middle school health class, and I had the home environment to come out at a young age, but having less clinically-worded models could’ve helped me verbalize some parts of myself a little earlier.
I wasn’t surprised by the integration of multiple religious practices because I was familiar with some of Cerrilli’s Instagram posts about the characters in this book, but I was surprised at how all of them were given the same amount of importance and effectiveness! It’s an angle I don’t see many ghost hunting stories take, there’s usually an emphasis on vanquishing spirits solely with Christian practices (at least, I can speak on Western media).
My main issue with this book, though, is that I would’ve liked to have more time with Flick and Emily. While this isn’t what I’d describe as a “slow-paced” story (there’s something creepy happening at least every other chapter), it does take a while for Nero to branch out, become involved with those two characters, and actually make some progress in the mystery. (I found Flick especially endearing. They were quite dorky and I would’ve liked to see more of them outside of the ghost stuff.) Emily, in particular, took a while to get to know the mindset of, and all of her issues kinda got dumped in two sentences and barely acknowledged because there weren’t enough pages left to do so. I think the bulk of my annoyance comes from the Instagram character bios being more spoiler-y than I realized, though.
I also would’ve liked to see some kind of resolution for Nero’s relationships with their parents. So much was left without a resolution, which I suppose was for the sake of realism, but… I feel like in a fictional story with a set beginning and end, there’s only a set number of things I can excuse being left open-ended before I start pointing it out. (And! What the heck did their dad mean by him “having a friend over from work” that Nero shouldn’t tell their mom about?! I thought that would pop up again in the story but it was one line that was never addressed again??! Unless I’m missing something??)
But overall, this is definitely another grief-heavy ghost story I enjoyed. I haven’t loved an ARC before, but I can proudly say this is the first time I have! For a middle grade, this was surprisingly mature, even if it kept itself entertaining. I’m a little sad about having to let go of Nero and their crew. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of “Jasmine Is Haunted” by Mark Oshiro. (Which, Book Fae actually did, and that’s how this even got to be on my radar! Fae, if you’re reading this, you’re a genius.)
4.5 stars I might round down. Matteo L. Cerrilli has only published 2 books thus far, but he’s already looking up to be another influential voice in the landscape of trans and queer-led horror for youth. I read his debut, “Lockjaw”, at the beginning of this year and was absolutely blown away by it. While “Something’s Up With Arlo” has to keep its deaths at a minimum, and maintains a snark and adventure for its younger audience that “Lockjaw” never had to, I found this nearly just as tense, and it barely downplayed its horror. I hope this finds its way into the hands of kids who read Goosebumps but want something with a little more emotional oomph.
(But ugh, I hate how Arlo was introduced as this very lovable character and then we barely got any time with that version of him! I know just getting the reader used to him before he corrupts is the point, and it’s there to make the haunting even sadder, but. Oof that definitely sucked some of the fun out of the story, there were times I had to put this down because it was so emotionally draining LOL. Grief overtones, not my beloved or beloathed but a secret third thing…)
I especially appreciated Nero’s quiet gender exploration. I’m used to reading books that pivot their focus to a character’s queerness, even in the middle of a heart-pounding mystery or a gradually escalating horror. But there isn’t much focus on Nero’s gender identity, I wouldn’t argue it’s something that can be easily relegated to the background, either—it’s a not frequently mentioned, but important part of their character. (And, I’m going to use they/them pronouns because of Nero’s reaction to Flick’s parents referring to them with those.) And, this is sorta ramble-y, but between that, and a startlingly on-point portrayal of mental illness, I wonder the kind of person I would’ve been if I was Nero’s age and could see myself reflected in the pages of a book like this. I was privileged enough to have a great education that meant I learned about depression and anxiety symptoms in my middle school health class, and I had the home environment to come out at a young age, but having less clinically-worded models could’ve helped me verbalize some parts of myself a little earlier.
I wasn’t surprised by the integration of multiple religious practices because I was familiar with some of Cerrilli’s Instagram posts about the characters in this book, but I was surprised at how all of them were given the same amount of importance and effectiveness! It’s an angle I don’t see many ghost hunting stories take, there’s usually an emphasis on vanquishing spirits solely with Christian practices (at least, I can speak on Western media).
My main issue with this book, though, is that I would’ve liked to have more time with Flick and Emily. While this isn’t what I’d describe as a “slow-paced” story (there’s something creepy happening at least every other chapter), it does take a while for Nero to branch out, become involved with those two characters, and actually make some progress in the mystery. (I found Flick especially endearing. They were quite dorky and I would’ve liked to see more of them outside of the ghost stuff.) Emily, in particular, took a while to get to know the mindset of, and all of her issues kinda got dumped in two sentences and barely acknowledged because there weren’t enough pages left to do so. I think the bulk of my annoyance comes from the Instagram character bios being more spoiler-y than I realized, though.
I also would’ve liked to see some kind of resolution for Nero’s relationships with their parents. So much was left without a resolution, which I suppose was for the sake of realism, but… I feel like in a fictional story with a set beginning and end, there’s only a set number of things I can excuse being left open-ended before I start pointing it out. (And! What the heck did their dad mean by him “having a friend over from work” that Nero shouldn’t tell their mom about?! I thought that would pop up again in the story but it was one line that was never addressed again??! Unless I’m missing something??)
But overall, this is definitely another grief-heavy ghost story I enjoyed. I haven’t loved an ARC before, but I can proudly say this is the first time I have! For a middle grade, this was surprisingly mature, even if it kept itself entertaining. I’m a little sad about having to let go of Nero and their crew. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of “Jasmine Is Haunted” by Mark Oshiro. (Which, Book Fae actually did, and that’s how this even got to be on my radar! Fae, if you’re reading this, you’re a genius.)
March 9, 2025
A beautifully written queer spooky middle grade, that’ll make you question the things that go bump in the night. Also a book that 12-year old me would’ve loved and appreciated, but most importantly would’ve felt seen.
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the NetGalley earc & physical arc.
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the NetGalley earc & physical arc.
December 31, 2025
I mean…wow
November 17, 2025
Review originally published 17 Nov 2025 at Falling Letters.
Often after finishing a middle grade novel, my thoughts are: “That was a fine book. There wasn’t anything particulary egregious or marvelous about it. I’m glad kids today can pick up a book like this and find representation within.” And then I don’t have anything further to say. It’s rare for me to become personally absorbed in a middle grade book, as I did with Something Up with Arlo. I was maybe 40 pages in when I started telling my sister during my lunch break how spooky and intriguing the story was. I hurried home after work so I could jump back into reading it.
This book is Definitely Scary. It’s not The Scariest, but it gets pretty dark at times (frightening behaviour from previously friendly Arlo, attacks from other hungry ghosts) and there are plenty of spoooooky moments. There’s no prolonged breaks from haunting moments in this one. I loved the continuous sense of anxious tension. Although, “continuous” isn’t quite the right word here. It’s not a constant tension, but it’s not like multiple chapters go by with no spooky happenings.
The marketing materials for this book suggest it for fans of Anne Ursu. I think that’s a good comp. But I actually enjoyed this book more than any I’ve read by Ursu. The speculative moments in Arlo feel real and impactful and scary. With Ursu’s books, I feel like the speculative moments serve as an extended metaphor for whatever’s happening in the protagonist’s ‘real’ life. This is not bad, just not to my preference. I like my horror or fantasy to matter in my speculative books. In Something’s Up with Arlo, you really get the sense that something otherwordly is unfolding right in front of you.
Nero makes a complex protagonist. She struggles with angry feelings at times and has a difficult relationship with her parents, who express no interest in her. (The relationship with her dad in particular proves important to the story). She’s motivated to excel academically in order to impress her parents. Nero attended a Catholic school before changing schools at the start of the book, so she begins to learn about beliefs outside that system.
Nero’s had little experience with queer communities or culture. Several times throughout the story, she has small but impactful experiences that one might read as precursors to gender questioning. The biggest of these moments happens early in the story, when she decideds to go by Nero. This is to avoid being labelled “Emily N” due to another Emily in her class. The name change, though, seems to have more impact on Nero than that of a small convenience. Another example is her reaction to being referred to as “they” by one of her new friend’s parents:
Flick Ainslie and Emily Le, Nero’s new friends at her new school, strengthen the story. Nero initially views Emily as a possible adversary (Nero reads Emily as too condescendingly sweet and an academic competitor), but their relationship grows into a kind of friendship. Nero hits it off better with Flick, who nervously introduces himself with “And I guess I… I guess I don’t really care about any pronouns. […] Like, I use ‘she’ and ‘he’ and ‘they’. […] I switch through them.” (pg 33-4). Both Flick and Emily have their own subplots of character growth – Flick working on a fear of death, Emily dealing with a friendship breakup and breaking out of parental expectations. It would be fun to have a trilogy about these three, with the next two books focusing on Flick and Emily respectively and their own family ghosts.
The Bottom Line 💭: One of my favourite spooky middle grade read in recent years, pass Something’s Up with Arlo to readers who love scary stories with depth and nuance.
Often after finishing a middle grade novel, my thoughts are: “That was a fine book. There wasn’t anything particulary egregious or marvelous about it. I’m glad kids today can pick up a book like this and find representation within.” And then I don’t have anything further to say. It’s rare for me to become personally absorbed in a middle grade book, as I did with Something Up with Arlo. I was maybe 40 pages in when I started telling my sister during my lunch break how spooky and intriguing the story was. I hurried home after work so I could jump back into reading it.
This book is Definitely Scary. It’s not The Scariest, but it gets pretty dark at times (frightening behaviour from previously friendly Arlo, attacks from other hungry ghosts) and there are plenty of spoooooky moments. There’s no prolonged breaks from haunting moments in this one. I loved the continuous sense of anxious tension. Although, “continuous” isn’t quite the right word here. It’s not a constant tension, but it’s not like multiple chapters go by with no spooky happenings.
The marketing materials for this book suggest it for fans of Anne Ursu. I think that’s a good comp. But I actually enjoyed this book more than any I’ve read by Ursu. The speculative moments in Arlo feel real and impactful and scary. With Ursu’s books, I feel like the speculative moments serve as an extended metaphor for whatever’s happening in the protagonist’s ‘real’ life. This is not bad, just not to my preference. I like my horror or fantasy to matter in my speculative books. In Something’s Up with Arlo, you really get the sense that something otherwordly is unfolding right in front of you.
Nero makes a complex protagonist. She struggles with angry feelings at times and has a difficult relationship with her parents, who express no interest in her. (The relationship with her dad in particular proves important to the story). She’s motivated to excel academically in order to impress her parents. Nero attended a Catholic school before changing schools at the start of the book, so she begins to learn about beliefs outside that system.
Nero’s had little experience with queer communities or culture. Several times throughout the story, she has small but impactful experiences that one might read as precursors to gender questioning. The biggest of these moments happens early in the story, when she decideds to go by Nero. This is to avoid being labelled “Emily N” due to another Emily in her class. The name change, though, seems to have more impact on Nero than that of a small convenience. Another example is her reaction to being referred to as “they” by one of her new friend’s parents:
Then she realized that she was they. It swam low in her stomach, a similar feeling to the one she had when she’d first seen Flick. (pg 139)It is clear Nero has some learning to do before she may be fully ready to try out a new identity. So while Nero’s gender may not play a large role in the story, these little moments give representation to what one person’s early stages of questioning gender identity can look like.
Flick Ainslie and Emily Le, Nero’s new friends at her new school, strengthen the story. Nero initially views Emily as a possible adversary (Nero reads Emily as too condescendingly sweet and an academic competitor), but their relationship grows into a kind of friendship. Nero hits it off better with Flick, who nervously introduces himself with “And I guess I… I guess I don’t really care about any pronouns. […] Like, I use ‘she’ and ‘he’ and ‘they’. […] I switch through them.” (pg 33-4). Both Flick and Emily have their own subplots of character growth – Flick working on a fear of death, Emily dealing with a friendship breakup and breaking out of parental expectations. It would be fun to have a trilogy about these three, with the next two books focusing on Flick and Emily respectively and their own family ghosts.
The Bottom Line 💭: One of my favourite spooky middle grade read in recent years, pass Something’s Up with Arlo to readers who love scary stories with depth and nuance.
May 17, 2025
This book was like a warm hug; written for kids growing up in a multi-cultural landscape who grew up with the old country's mysticism and this country's ghost stories. Every chapter of this was comforting and lovely - even the uncomfortable ones with stilted parent interactions and school outbursts. This story has so many interconnected themes - immigrant families, new school, seeking parental approval, family secrets, building friendships, discovering queerness... - all wrapped in a campfire ghost story.
Arlo is both a comforting character and a jilted, terrifying monster. Readers love him through Nero's memories and early interactions. We love his quirks, like he sometimes just dies randomly! So funny! And are just as scared for him as Nero when he starts degrading. Readers still yearn for an explanation but, like all families with mystical secrets, we're left wondering but everythign is okay.
Nero is as awkward as all of us feel at 12. Anxious enough to question everyone's motives and actions, but still childlike enough to want to be friends and not seen as weird (you can get weirder. Do it.).
It has it's flaws - characters turn quickly from likeable to evil and back again, Flick's pronouns can be a bit odd to read but I love how easily the characters embraced their request to use any pronouns, there are open ends - some obvious and glaring enough as to be sequel set up... But I loved it anyway.
Arlo is both a comforting character and a jilted, terrifying monster. Readers love him through Nero's memories and early interactions. We love his quirks, like he sometimes just dies randomly! So funny! And are just as scared for him as Nero when he starts degrading. Readers still yearn for an explanation but, like all families with mystical secrets, we're left wondering but everythign is okay.
Nero is as awkward as all of us feel at 12. Anxious enough to question everyone's motives and actions, but still childlike enough to want to be friends and not seen as weird (you can get weirder. Do it.).
It has it's flaws - characters turn quickly from likeable to evil and back again, Flick's pronouns can be a bit odd to read but I love how easily the characters embraced their request to use any pronouns, there are open ends - some obvious and glaring enough as to be sequel set up... But I loved it anyway.
October 18, 2025
I really liked this one - very creepy.
Sort of felt like two stories.
Sort of felt like two stories.
February 14, 2025
Full of heart and the trials of growing up, Matteo does it again. I fell in love with this lovely cast of characters. Flick is awesome and how I wanted to be when I was 12. I related heavily with Nero also. Being the weird one who doesn’t really have any good friends and really wanting to connect with others. Finding someone cool who you really want to be friends with. Nero is struggling to connect with others while also wanting to save her ghost best friend. The more we find out about Arlo, my heart broke for him. The ending was so bittersweet I was tearing up. Matteo is becoming one of my favorite authors and while this isn’t available in America yet, I was incredibly lucky to receive an ARC from him.
April 14, 2025
🏳️🌈Rep: Questioning MC, Asian/Black Nonbinary SC, POC & Queer SCs
📝Tropes/Themes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Self Discovery, Ghost Best Friend, Family Secrets, Found Family, Set in Canada, Generational Trauma, Friendship
THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE!! I am beyond grateful to Matteo L Cerilli for the early copy of this book because this story was so hauntingly beautiful and these characters were so uniquely special. I truly enjoyed reading this book and going on a paranormal adventure with Nero, Flick, and Emily as they fought to save Arlo.
Nero was so excited to start at her new school and hopeful that she wouldn’t end up just being the weird kid again. That’s especially difficult when you are 12 years old and your lifelong best friend is a ghost. It gets even harder when your best friend starts changing from a friendly ghost more like a poltergeist and you don’t know why. It also makes it very difficult to make new friends, even if you might want them. But somehow, even though Nero didn’t want to be Emily Le’s friend, and kept pushing Flick away to keep them safe - the three still end up creating an amazing friendship.
One of the things I love most about this story is that it is a reminder to embrace and cherish our weirdness. Nero and Flick were both so desperate to not be seen as the weird kid anymore. Nero was trying to “normal” and make new friends. Flick was trying to avoid having anxiety attacks in front of his classmates. And Emily was trying so hard to fit in that she felt she had to perfect all the time and wanted to control everything she could. Together they all started to embrace those parts of themselves they were afraid of their classmates and the world rejecting. And they started to learn that maybe being weird was actually pretty cool. They were learning that the goal is not to try to fit in, but to find the people you fit WITH.
I also want to talk about how much I love the way Matteo handled the multiple pronoun usage for Flick. He, she, and they were used for Flick throughout the entire story and it was done so incredibly well. I absolutely LOVE seeing this kind of nonbinary rep in books - especially in middle grade books.
I also love horror books and the paranormal elements and the whole backstory to who Arlo was and why he was there and then changing - just so many incredible layers of this mystery being peeled back one at a time and I was here for it! I truly loved this story. It was spooky and sweet and hit me in all the feels!
⚠️TW/CW: paranormal horror elements/haunting, violence, blood, summoning spirits, absentee/inattentive parents, anxiety/panic attacks
📝Tropes/Themes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Self Discovery, Ghost Best Friend, Family Secrets, Found Family, Set in Canada, Generational Trauma, Friendship
THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE!! I am beyond grateful to Matteo L Cerilli for the early copy of this book because this story was so hauntingly beautiful and these characters were so uniquely special. I truly enjoyed reading this book and going on a paranormal adventure with Nero, Flick, and Emily as they fought to save Arlo.
Nero was so excited to start at her new school and hopeful that she wouldn’t end up just being the weird kid again. That’s especially difficult when you are 12 years old and your lifelong best friend is a ghost. It gets even harder when your best friend starts changing from a friendly ghost more like a poltergeist and you don’t know why. It also makes it very difficult to make new friends, even if you might want them. But somehow, even though Nero didn’t want to be Emily Le’s friend, and kept pushing Flick away to keep them safe - the three still end up creating an amazing friendship.
One of the things I love most about this story is that it is a reminder to embrace and cherish our weirdness. Nero and Flick were both so desperate to not be seen as the weird kid anymore. Nero was trying to “normal” and make new friends. Flick was trying to avoid having anxiety attacks in front of his classmates. And Emily was trying so hard to fit in that she felt she had to perfect all the time and wanted to control everything she could. Together they all started to embrace those parts of themselves they were afraid of their classmates and the world rejecting. And they started to learn that maybe being weird was actually pretty cool. They were learning that the goal is not to try to fit in, but to find the people you fit WITH.
I also want to talk about how much I love the way Matteo handled the multiple pronoun usage for Flick. He, she, and they were used for Flick throughout the entire story and it was done so incredibly well. I absolutely LOVE seeing this kind of nonbinary rep in books - especially in middle grade books.
I also love horror books and the paranormal elements and the whole backstory to who Arlo was and why he was there and then changing - just so many incredible layers of this mystery being peeled back one at a time and I was here for it! I truly loved this story. It was spooky and sweet and hit me in all the feels!
⚠️TW/CW: paranormal horror elements/haunting, violence, blood, summoning spirits, absentee/inattentive parents, anxiety/panic attacks
March 1, 2025
Thank you to the author, Matteo L. Cerilli, for sending me an eARC of this novel— I was super honored!!
As anyone who has been following my reviews can attest, I absolutely *loved* “Lockjaw,” so I was over the moon when given a chance to read Cerilli’s latest work. It was as impressive as I’d hoped, and truly one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. “Something’s Up with Arlo” is a ghost story, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of generational trauma manifesting as a true generational curse; it’s a story of what it’s like to be twelve years old when every new issue makes you feel like the world is ending; it’s a story of grief and loss but also strength and power and becoming who you were always meant to be. I will be singing this book’s praises until the end of time— or at least until Cerilli’s next book comes out and I switch to singing the praises for “Bad in the Blood.”
Seriously, you’ve still got seventeen days to preorder this book, and you absolutely should. If you loved “Lockjaw” you will love “Arlo” too, I guarantee it.
As anyone who has been following my reviews can attest, I absolutely *loved* “Lockjaw,” so I was over the moon when given a chance to read Cerilli’s latest work. It was as impressive as I’d hoped, and truly one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. “Something’s Up with Arlo” is a ghost story, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of generational trauma manifesting as a true generational curse; it’s a story of what it’s like to be twelve years old when every new issue makes you feel like the world is ending; it’s a story of grief and loss but also strength and power and becoming who you were always meant to be. I will be singing this book’s praises until the end of time— or at least until Cerilli’s next book comes out and I switch to singing the praises for “Bad in the Blood.”
Seriously, you’ve still got seventeen days to preorder this book, and you absolutely should. If you loved “Lockjaw” you will love “Arlo” too, I guarantee it.
November 28, 2024
My official blurb: "Crackling with anger, thrills, and heart, Matteo L. Cerilli crafts an electrifying ghost story unlike any other. With a diverse, endearing cast and pulse-pounding multigenerational mystery, I defy anyone not to devour this book in a single sitting—Arlo is destined to become a classic. Perfectly haunting.”
Seriously, friends. LOCKJAW was one of my top reads this year, and ARLO marks an incredibly powerful move into middle grade. I'm so, so here for it. You need this in your life.
Seriously, friends. LOCKJAW was one of my top reads this year, and ARLO marks an incredibly powerful move into middle grade. I'm so, so here for it. You need this in your life.
June 28, 2025
Oh man! I adored this book! 😍
At the start, I thought I was in for some mystery, paranormal, adventure, and a dose of creepy. I got every one of those things, but the heart that was in this book? The self discovery and acceptance? The familial tension and generational traumas handed down? I should have expected it to be more than I anticipated, given Matteo Cerilli gave so much more than expected in his debut, but it still surprised and delighted me. The ending of this book in particular was so heart achingly sweet 🥹
Give this book a shot! I adored every second!
At the start, I thought I was in for some mystery, paranormal, adventure, and a dose of creepy. I got every one of those things, but the heart that was in this book? The self discovery and acceptance? The familial tension and generational traumas handed down? I should have expected it to be more than I anticipated, given Matteo Cerilli gave so much more than expected in his debut, but it still surprised and delighted me. The ending of this book in particular was so heart achingly sweet 🥹
Give this book a shot! I adored every second!
January 20, 2026
Nero has always had her best friend Arlo to share everything with. When she moves to a new prestigious school, he begins to act different. Nero doesn’t know if this is normal for him because he is a ghost. As she delves deeper into her family’s history she discovers long hidden painful secrets, and a forgotten boy. When Arlo becomes dangerous she gets help from some strange new friends. Together they face demons and curses as they try to help Arlo find some peace. This paranormal tale will have readers cheering them on, and eagerly turning pages, as they confront a menacing threat.
April 1, 2025
Angry and terrifying, with a strong resolution. A very excellent ghost story.
October 28, 2025
a homage to the forgotten children left behind to the fear and ignorance of those around them
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