Alex in the Annex follows a group of eighth graders who stumble upon a sealed wing of their school and end up awakening powers they never expected to have. The story blends mystery, friendship, and a creeping sense of danger as Alex discovers he can move objects with his mind, Rachelle learns she can conjure fire, and their friends develop powers of their own. The annex becomes a kind of crucible where abilities grow, relationships shift, and the kids have to decide who they trust and who they want to be. The book starts as a simple adventure and slowly builds into something bigger, stranger, and more emotional than the characters ever imagined.

I found myself slipping easily into Alex’s head. The writing has a straightforward, conversational style that made the whole tale feel familiar, almost nostalgic, like hearing someone tell you a story during lunch at school. Author Jeremy Scholz writes about middle school feelings with a kind of earnest charm. The crushes, the awkward moments, the fierce loyalty to friends, the shaky confidence, all of it hits in a way that’s both sweet and sometimes a little painful. The scenes in the annex are some of my favorites because they carry that mix of fear and excitement that comes with doing something you know you probably shouldn’t be doing. The powers feel fun, but they also feel messy, which matches well with the characters.

There were moments when the dialogue made me smile because it felt so true to how teens when adults aren’t around. And then there were moments when the emotional beats surprised me. Watching Rachelle’s confidence flare up right alongside her fire, or seeing Alex wrestle with how he feels about both Rachelle and Charlotte, gave the story this little ache that snuck up on me. I didn’t expect the book to lean as much into the idea of belonging, but that thread runs through everything. The annex isn’t just a spooky, locked hallway. It’s the place where these friends start figuring out who they actually are.

By the end, I felt oddly proud of them, which is not something I normally say about fictional characters. The story’s heart is big. It’s messy. It’s sometimes chaotic. But it feels honest, and I appreciated that more than I expected. I kept thinking about the author’s note, too, where Scholz talks about escaping into stories and finally finding the space to write the ones he’s carried for so long. You can feel that love for imagination in the way the book unfolds.

I’d recommend Alex in the Annex to readers who enjoy heartfelt supernatural adventures, especially younger teens or anyone who remembers that strange middle school mix of bravery and fear. It’s a quick, warm story that plays with superpowers but really leans into friendship and identity. If you like books where ordinary kids discover something extraordinary and have to figure out what that means for their real lives, this is a good one to pick up.

Pages: 306 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FSLKL3MH