Meredith, Alone is a novel that shares similarities with A.J. Finn’s 2018 bestseller The Woman in the Window that was made into a film released earlier this year. Both books have agoraphobic, traumatised female protagonists. Alexander’s character of Meredith Maggs thus joins A.J. Finn’s Dr Anna Fox in a line of literary characters who get drawn into investigating events outside the homes they have not left for months.
Meredith has withdrawn from society for more than three years, and her only social interactions appear to be with the Tesco delivery van, driver her loyal cat Fred, and a friend who visits sporadically. Added to this are brief interactions with her mother and sister, and a burgeoning online friendship with charity group member Tom. Meredith’s cloistered lifestyle might suggest a repetitive novel, but Meredith, Alone is anything but. Through the protagonist’s flashbacks, we slowly learn what happened earlier in her life and shaped her into the person she is. Written with warmth and empathy, this is a novel that deserves as many readers as possible. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this honest and unbiased review.

When I saw this was about an agoraphobic woman who never left the house, I was excited! I'm really interested in loneliness as a topic and have been for many years - even considered doing a PhD at one point. I've always pondered how loneliness / aloneness could be described in fiction in an interesting way. Boredom too since that's something I've often suffered from myself.
Sad to say, I just didn't feel this book did describe it in an interesting way. I found it too slow and a little boring, especially the initial chapters. Once we'd come through the initial reveal of just how long this woman had been stuck inside her house, I felt it lacked drama. I wanted something more, though I'm not sure what. A quirkier character perhaps? A hint of something about to change a little sooner?

This is possibly my favourite book of 2021.
Meredith hasn't left her house in over a thousand days. Her days are spent working and doing jigsaws. Her best friend Sadie and her children are her only visitors, along with Fred the cat.
What will it take to make Meredith leave her house and get her life back?
I loved this book and I loved Meredith and if I were to recommend one book this year it would be this.

Meredith Alone invites you into the life of a woman who hasn’t left her home for three years. She is warm, kind hearted, loving and will do anything for her friends except go out of her front door. Chapter by chapter, we learn why and then we learn what Meredith has to come back from before she can leave her house. It’s a beautifully written book, set In Glasgow, with colourful, likeable characters who all have their own stories too. What works really well is that Meredith is relatable and kind. If you didn’t like her the book would fail, but you can’t help but root for this good-natured hermit. It also has a lot of wise words on trauma, mental health and (trigger warning) self harm.

The pace was a little slow around the 25% mark but I’m glad I persevered because, just like one of her beloved jigsaws, the pieces are put in the places they need to be, making for a satisfying read.

A brilliant book by Claire Alexander - I was hooked instantly and if I had the time could have easily devoured it in one sitting, instead I did it in two. Meredith is a great lead and a character you really warm too, I really enjoyed going on her journey to recovery alongside her.
4.5 stars.

A story about emotions and relationships and their effect on the life of Meredith who has become agoraphobic as way of dealing with them.
Whilst at times the plot seems a bit weak, the descriptions of her feelings that stopped her in her tracks were very well described and felt very relatable. Not everyone in her position would have the level of support she had to encourage her emergence into the world but that’s a minor point.
It does have flavours of Elinor Oliphant but then so many books do. My only gripe is the epilogue were everything is not just pulled together but everyone has a happy ending. It wasn’t needed.

Once I started this book it was impossible to put down. Meredith was such a well written character and you could feel the fear she had about leaving her home, and the love she had for her cat Fred. I really enjoyed this book and cannot recommend it enough. It deals with serious issues of anxiety and acrophobia in an excellent way. I am looking forward to more from this author.

Meredith has become a recluse who won't leave her house. The thought of even stepping outside the front door brings on a panic attack. In this very amusing and well written book we watch as Meredith grows. She overcomes her past and begins to look to the future. A truly entertaining novel. Highly recommended

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and the rlight it sheds on some peoples reality. It was emotional throughout and the characters were great to read about and buy into.

4-5 stars

Why hasn’t Meredith Maggs left her Glasgow home for 1,215 days and what will it take for her to be able to leave it?? She spends her days working, reading and completing complex jigsaws, the only visitors are best friend Sadie and the Tesco delivery man although of course, she does have a constant companion in Fred, her cat. The story is told in the present and back to her childhood and the reasons she became reclusive in 2016.

I really enjoy this character driven story of a woman’s battle to overcome deep seated issues and step foot onto the road to recovery. I like the way it’s written and although it covers some dark issues the storytelling is matter of fact and never overblown and has some good touches of humour. I love the portrayal of Meredith, I really like her, she is complex, sometimes her decisions baffle you but then you realise you don’t have her problems. Her condition, her reclusion (in Japanese hikikomori- I enjoy this inclusion!) is done extremely well and you really root for her. There are some very good supporting characters in Sadie, who is the epitome of a loyal and fantastic friend, Tom from the charity Holding Hands who dives happily into Meredith excellent baking and her new friend Celeste. I also love Jacob Alistair Montgomery aged 10. Delightful.The portrayal of her complex family situation is excellent both her sister Fee and her mother who looms very large are done extremely well.

Overall, this is a very accomplished novel that covers a number of issues via the character of Meredith who despite her problems is an absolute pleasure to get to know!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review

The opening page of this book was intriguing and I immediately wanted to delve into Meredith's small world of working from home, jigsaws and her faithful cat companion, Fred. Over the course of the novel the reasons for Meredith's inability to face the world were revealed but it was when she began to attempt to go out that she became really interesting. Her physical collapse at one point was totally debilitating, physically as well as mentally, giving me an insight into just how all-consuming the effects of mental trauma can be.

Meredith was fortunate in having supportive non-judgmental friends. I wondered throughout if there was going to be a romantic turn to her relationship with Tom. I was glad it did not go that way as it would have been too predictable, but the alternative outcome presented was the only part of the novel that I thought was unconvincing.

I found the novel to be well-paced for the most part, but Meredith's steps towards recovery were maybe just a little swift in the final chapters. So on that basis, 4 stars for an excellent thought-provoking book.

One day, Meredith just didn't leave the house. And she hasn't done since. That day was over 1200 days ago.

Meredith Alone tells the story of Meredith Maggs, and why she doesn't leave the house anymore. It shows us how nobody makes the choice to lead their lives like this without experiencing some kind of trauma. And the reason for Meredith is teased out throughout the novel with it's dual timeline.

Whilst Meredith is clearly in a fragile state of mental health, she has amazing support in the shape of her best friend Sadie and cat Fred. And I love how that network grows throughout the book.

This is a very character driven novel which for me was a nice change of pace and whilst the book itself wasn't fast, I read it quickly. It left me wanting to pick it back up.

My only criticism with this book is that Meredith's recovery seems almost too easy. Thinking about it, I can see how she set some stuff free, and having some people in her life that were more important than not going out could have helped. But perhaps that realisation was written a little too superficially.

Despite that, I loved this book. The journey you go on with Meredith is deeply moving and sheds so much light on why someone might be in her situation. I'll certainly be recommending it.

Meredith’s spent 3 years within her home, never so much as walking outside the front door.
This was a very readable book, touching on some significant issues (no one becomes a recluse for no reason).
For me it felt a little light in the writing style; while interested I never felt deeply for the characters.

Meredith Maggs hasn’t left her house in over 3 years. She has a good friend who checks in on her and an entire world at her fingertips. But is it enough?

I liked this book and was invested in Meredith’s journey. I’m not sure how realistic her recovery was, but I understood her character and felt sympathy for her childhood experiences. I liked the way she started to mend her relationship with her sister and was pleased that she had begun to extend her social circle. It’s nicely written, though slow in places and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I think I've become to expect a bit more quirkiness in my central characters,and for the most part,Meredith was very ordinary,and a bit dull (as I'm sure thousands of us are)

The book never really got beyond ok for me. Slow at times,then it would pick up (quite often when the family relationships were involved).

Perfectly decent read,just not a stand out one for me.

So moving. I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was spot on and the characterisation was so beautiful – they all really came to life for me. I really liked Meredith as the main character, she was the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. A great read.

Our introduction to Meredith is very matter-of-fact and it’s almost comical how she tells us it’s been over 1,000 days since she left her home. We learn she has a cat called Fred, enjoys jigsaws and has a best friend (Sophie) who comes to check she hasn’t died and been eaten by her cat! However, someone willingly becoming a social recluse has - in all likelihood - experienced a traumatic event, and it doesn’t take us long to see these signs in Meredith.
The book focuses on Meredith making the best of her very narrow life. Interspersed with details of her online friendship are details of her developing friendship with Tom, part of a charity group that befriends people in isolation, and details about her brief interactions with her sister and mother. Through the course of these interactions, and the flashback memories of her past, we come to learn more about Meredith and how she came to be in this situation.
While there is not a lot of action in the plot, we’re given a clear picture of Meredith and her experience. As we grow to learn exactly what happened to her I feel it’s hard not to feel sympathy for her, and anger on her behalf.
The details of Meredith’s story are not easy to read. She’s a character who becomes increasingly self-aware, and seeing just how those who should have been helping her treated her was challenging. It’s a fairly bleak story, told with love and I can’t help but feel Meredith will be a name we’re hearing a lot of next year when she ventures into the open.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me into Meredith’s world early. It was a true experience.

I sort of liked this book, I certainly wanted to keep reading it - I just felt it didn't really go anywhere and I wasn't convinced by the ending. The premise was good, but not convinced of the way the book played out.

Loved this book and didn’t want it to end … Meredith hasn’t left her house for a very long time - she works she keeps fit and has a rigid routine baking and caring for her cat . Her support network around her slowly change things and we learn why Meredith is like she is - deep rooted issues around her mother - absent father and sister/brother in law all unfold to make this a gripping book. Loved the story and characters

A real page turner, I whizzed through this novel quickly and became very fond of the characters. Some real smiles and sentimental moments along the way. Yes, there is an element of predictability and you have to suspend elements of disbelief - but this is a well written, nicely crafted, wholly enjoyable book that provides true escapism.