A brilliant debut by Claire Alexander. I can see this being a bestseller over the summer! Absolutely loved the characters and the way the story unravelled.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph UK and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book which I have devoured in 2days. Meredith is such a lovely character who you instantly warm to and are rooting for. This story flits between past and present as we learn the reason why meredith hasn't left the house for 3 years.
Definitely recommend thank you for the advanced copy netgalley

Loved it, the next Eleanor Oliphant! Touching on real, painful issues with sensitivity yet at the same time uplifting, moving, optimistic. A great read.

An engrossing read as we find out exactly what has driven Meredith to stay in her house for over three years, and what happened to cause her to become alienated from her family. Along the way she makes two new friends who have some issues of their own, although these issues are barely explored. Tom and Celeste actually seem far more well adjusted than I might have expected in the circumstances, but they support Meredith and propel her story forward.
Meredith, Alone is in the same genre as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and A Man Called Ove. All are linear stories following characters who have deeply personal issues to resolve, as they form new relationships along the way and change through the course of the story.
Meredith is a really sympathetic character, so proactive in her self-care and very likeable, while supportive of others. The little stories of her care for the boy across the road are genuinely touching moments.
All the cooking and baking is very on trend; with so many people learning new skills as they move away from eating processed food and takeaways. I imagine the dishes Meredith makes and the items she bakes will inspire readers. It certainly makes for a cosy read. The food, the cups of tea and the cat. Perfect.
There is one aspect of the story that could have been much darker, which could have changed the path of the story as it moved forward in the present time, but the author chose not to go there. As I read I questioned how realistic this aspect was; many women are not so lucky as to go forward without future altercations, threats and attempts at further control. Meredith, Alone is about family, friends and emotional support. It’s a very good read. I predict it is going to be one of the hit books of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Meredith Alone was a really engaging read, which touches on some very dark and distressing subjects, but with enough lightness mixed in that it never feels like too much.

It's told by Meredith Maggs, who hasn't left her home in a very long time. She's functioning not too bad though - she's working at home, she has her best friend Sadie and Sadie's kids visiting regularly, she has all her systems in place to survive without ever going outside. Gradually, we learn more about Meredith and how her life has ended up like this.... and whether there's any possibility of change.

I liked that it was set in Glasgow, although we don't see much of the city (since Meredith never goes out).

I've noticed a lot of new novels set in 2019 recently, presumably to avoid having to grapple with You Know What. It did strike me as ironic that Meredith's self-imposed isolation might be succeeded by a more externally imposed one, come 2020... At least she's used to it, I guess.

An excellent read.

What causes people to make the choices they do? Meredith has chosen to not talk to her family or leave her home. She is able to work and functions quite well but this story explores the why and how she starts to rebuild her life.

There have been very few books where I have been rooting for the protagonist more than this one.

Meredith lives alone and has not left her house for 1214 days. I think what I love most about this book is that reclusiveness is something that very few of us have ever dealt with and it is difficult to imagine a life lived indoors for such a long period of time.

I think the author does a great job of portraying Meredith's loneliness and solitude but also her spirit and kindness for others. The story is told in the present day but also tells the back story of Meredith's life growing up as we come to realise why she has never left the house in so long.

Whilst there are triggers for a number of issues (which I won't list as they will technically be spoilers) it is a heart-warming book which will make you laugh, cry and everything in between.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely loved this quirky read that I could totally relate to. A brilliant snap shot of social phobia and post pandemic I think even more people will identify with the issues that Meridith experiences having locked herself away for so long. Extremely well written and thoroughly enjoyed following her journey.

Meredith can not leave her home. You really want her to have the courage to leave.
life is safe indoors and protected from everything that is keeping her secret.
Life is coming and its going to knock on the door. Lets hope Meredith has the courage to walk out and live it.

This is a really emotional read so make sure that you have those tissues to hand. You really take Meridith and her story into your heart. It's beautiful

Meredith as a character is beautifully written and the story deals with her past circumstances and present life very sensitively. She comes across as a wholly believable person and her story of how she came to be alone and housebound is told via her interactions with her very limited social circle.
As she expands both her social circle and her horizons you feel pride in her, as if she were one of your friends!

This is not my usual type of book but I was intrigued by the ‘blurb’. Initially I found Meredith to be annoying and self-absorbed but gradually, as the book wore on, I warmed to her and her coping mechanisms and her friends. By the end, I realised how cleverly Claire Alexander had built Meredith’s story and this made me examine my preconceptions. The novel ends in late 2019 and I keep wondering how Meredith would cope with COVID….

Quite an emotional story. Meredith who hasn’t left her home for about 3 years.
A story of trauma and recovery, fear and hope.

This was a very different read from my usual psychological thrillers and what a great read it was, so heartwarming and I just loved the story of Meredith as more of the story line unfolded.

I found it to be a well written book with good descriptive characters and I can definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for allowing me to read this thought provoking book.

I loved this book, the characters are brilliant and I'm going to miss Meredith. This was such an emotional book, not like anything I'd read before. A heart wrenching yet uplifting story. I will be recommending this to everyone

After a difficult childhood and a very traumatic incident in her mid-thirties, Meredith finds herself unable to leave her house. After almost four years of staying inside, and through the love, support, and friendship of people close to her - including some new-found friends - she decides that the time has come to actually see the world rather than just looking at it through her completed jigsaws.

This is a heartwarming story and one that would ultimately give people suffering with their mental health hope, but I do think there’s a lot in here that could prove triggering, I found the book a difficult read at times. Not because it’s graphic or describes things in particularly harrowing ways, but rather because Meredith is such a realistic and relatable character that it was easy to be reminded of the times I was similarly suffering with my mental health.

The author has done a brilliant job of creating genuine and real characters, and I do think this is a good book. There are similarities to Eleanor Oliphant, but the fact that Meredith hasn’t left her house makes it a different take on the story of someone who has lost their way in the world and is in need of support and compassion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing and fascinating read with a pleasant main character and some interesting issues with trauma, abuse and mental health at the core. It’s not quite clear exactly what stopped Meredith leaving her house for all that time although it can be linked to an event, she has reached the stage where she is receiving therapy and is accepting of a visit from a befriender but not yet able to leave her home. She has a great best friend and a good online support network so her isolation hasn’t made her fully withdraw from the world but her relations with her family are strained. Meredith wasn’t what I expected, she keeps herself busy and engages well with the people she chooses to have in her life, she is very clearly affected by several issues and the impact of her childhood definitely makes her less open overall but she is actually a nice person. This had quite a lot of dark moments and I found whilst I got into this book quite easily it started to feel less easy as I got through it. Overall though Meredith is a solid character and her situation is thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed.

A Heart-wrenching and Heart-warming Read.

I haven't read Claire Alexander previously, but I'll be sure to check out her other books after this excellent read. I finished this book in one sitting, and it's not a short read.

"My name is Meredith Maggs and I haven't left my home for 1,214 days." ... from this highly interesting opening line, we're taken into the life of "Mer", who hasn't left her house for about three years, following a trauma.

The writing is powerful and packs a punch. This book will make you cry and have you laughing out loud at various points. Any traumatic references are in the past and covered sympathetically and aren't too arduous to read about. Here are some lines I loved ...

"... all the pretending in my life is a ten when the truth is that most days barely scratch the underside of a six."

And ...

"I told her that I didn't think affirmations were supposed to be lies, which led to a long conversation about self-sabotaging behaviours."

And ...

"... she told me in the cross voice she uses to hide more complicated emotions."

And ...

"... my mouth was shaped for a Chardonnay, so I decided I might as well make the most of it."

I could go on and on ... the writing was so good. Okay, so I lied ... here's one final line ... "Maybe it wasn't too late to consider a different version of myself from the one Mama had strapped meinto, like a too-tight coat."

As you might have guessed, Meredith, Alone gets a resounding 5 stars from me. Read this book: you will love it!

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

If you enjoyed “Eleanor Oliphant” then this book’s main character reminds me of her in lots of ways, whilst also being very different.

Meredith hasn’t left her home in years. Instead she spends her days alone, working and surviving within the same 4 walls with Fred her cat and visits from her long time best friend Sadie. Meredith is estranged from her mum and sister but finds solace in online chat rooms. When two strangers enter her life, Meredith finds that things may be starting to change….

I read this book in a day, after reading some brilliant reviews of it. I literally couldn’t put it down, as I lived through Meredith’s days with her. Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for my copy. I loved it.