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.

I think in some ways it was a little predictable - it wasn't too difficult to work out what had happened to her and how the story was being laid out. However, there were some surprising twists and it was very well written.

I’ve seen this stunning cover everywhere on Instagram and so I was keen to get an early read of this. It was stunning! Although I did feel the first half was stronger than the second half. I felt the protagonist’s ‘recovery’ was sudden and came quickly. It just didn’t feel earned. I think the plot could’ve been better and more compelling overall. At times it meanders especially her relationship with Tom which became laborious to read about and their incredibly repetitive with their tea-and-biscuits/cake routines. This is a very quiet read. When you learn about Meredith’s trauma it was rather heartbreaking and that aspect of the story was done well, although it wasn’t clear what that trauma had to do with Meredith deciding not to leave her house. I think the links could’ve better clearer. Was her being a reclusive a side effect of Meredith’s depression? I felt like I had more questions about the character than answers. Overall an interesting read about mental health and dealing with trauma.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I loved the cover for this one and was intrigued by the premise. There’s definitely some Eleanor Oliphant vibes here.
In a nutshell this follows 40-year old Meredith who hasn’t left her house for three years. On day Tom appears on her doorstop, from a service that befriends lovely people. Meredith also participates in a forum for people dealing with trauma. It’s there that she befriends Celeste. But Meredith hasn’t spoken to her sister for years, and her mother thinks Meredith needs to get over her “silliness” and stop being a hermit. What happened? Why is Meredith living a reclusive life?
The story has three narratives: the present, Meredith's childhood, and her life before she stopped going out.
This book was more of a character study. I was intrigued by her relationship with her sister and mother. However, the book does lack plot and there were moments I felt frustrated with Meredith. Her reason for breaking up with Gavin wasn’t clear, and I found Meredith passive and frustrating in the second half. I think this could’ve been a more tighter read. Nonetheless I was compelled to turn the pages, even if the descriptions of Meredith’s cooking became repetitive. 3/5.

Meredith is a woman that lives alone in Glasgow and hasn't left her house in years. She works from home and has a decent support network both online and her best friend who visits her. Throughout the novel we learn what has caused the agoraphobia and the book is really well and sensitively written. Its reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant and I expect this book to be a big hit!

This is a book that sneaks up on you. While it begins with the main character, Meredith, having not left her house for years, this fact is introduced in such a matter of fact way, and the tone starts off so light/funny that I accepted it without too much questioning, even though all the signs were there that this would go way deeper. And go deeper it did. Still with the right mix in tone of funny,
matter of fact and heart-breaking this book made me laugh and cry so many times I didn’t quite know where I was, and I inhaled it in two days.
It’s an unflinching look at childhood trauma, PTSD, relationships, families and love and it’s going to be HUGE.

I really enjoyed this book and I found it so raw, emotive and layered. There is so much more to meredith than meets the eye and I was so endeared by her. I was gripped and couldnt out this down.

I devoured Meredith Alone in one night. It has a magnetism that keeps you enthralled in one woman's bid to leave her home.
Meredith's story is multi-faceted, there are many layers to her decision to not leave her home for over 1000 days.
She's a lovable character and I really enjoyed how the author slowly stripped away each layer to build up the bigger picture. I was truly rooting for Meredith and at times felt despair when reading how she became so 'trapped' in her decisions.
Excellent storytelling at its finest.

Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander

Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone.

She has her cat Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company.
I really enjoyed this book , I agree it had echoes of Elinor Olifant and perhaps even Elizabeth is Missing . The author Claire Alexander has really managed to get under the skin of Meredith and all her foibles and peculiarities .
A really enjoyable read.

This really is intriguing from the off and Meredith is such a great and enigmatic character. Definitely got Elinor Oliphant vibes off this one. Some really impactful storylines in this and they handled so brilliantly.
Shines a light on mental health, trauma, family, relationships and the importance of friendships.