This is a compulsive read. The prose is wonderful, especially the borderline scottish language used.
The novel switches between two perspectives - Jamie's and his mother Fiona's - and they work really well together to make us understand these people and how they came to make the decisions that drive this book.

The narrative begins in the world of Jamie, who has not been out of his mother's house much since he dropped out of school three years ago. Instead, he spends his days gaming, masturbating, peeing in bottles and waiting for his mother to provide the little food he needs. There seems to be a psychological problem - he really does not like to go out and is afraid to leave the house, even to visit his grandmother. His room is filthy, he showers (and eats) very infrequently, and his mother, unsure where the line is between helping and hurting him, opts for inactivity. As we follow the narrative, he discovers the manosphere through his only friend - and we learn how seductive it can be to agree with friends and shift the blame for what is not going as imagined, even if Jamie feels there is something wrong with blaming everything on women.

The narrative picks up speed when his mother Fiona realises that, because of her mother's failure to accept Fionas need for solitude (and, the reader suspects, her place on the spectrum), she has gone too far in the other direction. She tries to help Jamie get a job and go out - impossibilities for him. His way out, away from her sudden expectations, is the world of self-proclaimed incels, and on his way there he quickly finds himself in a situation from which it is difficult to escape...

The novel excels in showing very bad decision-making by complex characters. There are no perfect people in it, but many who try their best, realise they have made a mistake, and then have to find a way back. I really loved it - it was moving, it was funny, it was a great read. Yes, it is a bit over the top at times and it is all very dramatic - but it is a book worth reading. Due to the subject, the language becomes quite crass, but I found it very successful in talking about young men and how they can drift into the more toxic parts of thinking because they are vulnerable themselves. And I really loved the narrative tone - just enough scotts to feel distinct, not so much you needed an interpreter.

I don’t often read books by men about men, and definitely not one about an incel, but McQueer manages to make the reader feel sorry for Jamie even when he’s travelling down to London to meet someone who wants to harm women. More impressive than that though is that McQueer’s portrayal of Fiona, Jamie’s mother, is gripping, emotional, and totally believable.

Brilliant debut novel from Chris McQueer, telling a gripping tale from two perspectives- that of a young Glaswegian man who doesn’t leave the house and spends most of his time in a dark room online, and his mother, who has had a troubled past. Alternate chapters from each character’s perspective take you on a compulsively readable descent towards disaster. There is humour of the darkest kind, as well as a real emotional connection as things get worse. I had to put the book aside for a wee but after one chapter- something terrible happened - before firing back in for the end. At times difficult, at times funny, always compelling.

This was an interesting book which explored the dangers of online relationships and how teenagers and young people can be unknowingly preyed upon. The split perspective between the mother and son was really well done and made the book very intriguing. It was unsettling and unnerving throughout but written really well.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

What a gripping and harrowing ride. I really wasn’t expecting to get into this the way I did: I couldn’t stop reading it, couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I still can’t stop coming back to it.
I loved the Scot’s dialect / spelling in the dialogue though I do feel like it might put some people off, it made me feel like I could hear the characters speak incredibly clearly. It all felt so human, so real, in a very scary and tragic way and throughout it, no matter how shocking the story gets, it all feels like it could very much be real.
One of my favourite things about books is when they can make you think from the perspective of someone totally different to you and this is exactly what this does. I guess I just didn’t have ‘read about and empathise with the story of a young Incel’ on my bingo card this year.

This story was so morbidly fascinating, getting a glimpse into that side of the Internet, where 'incel culture' lies, and seeing how it impacts young, lonely, impressionable men.
I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed though, and could've done with being more fleshed out.
Overall I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Close-to-home, realistic portrayal of disaffected contemporary youth and the effect on their families.

I admit I chose this title as it resonated with me, with family members in similar positions, shall we say. But the extremes to which McQueen takes his protagonists is darker than I was expecting, and truly gut-wrenching to read.

And it's a debut. A two-handed, with mother and son giving their viewpoints on proceedings. Single Mum Fiona, who's never told her son about the abuse she suffered at the hands of his dad, struggles to put food on the table, struggles to know how to handle her social pariah screen-focused son, struggles when seeing the similarities between the two of them. 19-year-old Jamie never fit in, is awkward and living in a cesspit of a bedroom his mum has long ago stopped cleaning. His only contact with life outside is online friend Lee, a local boy, and now his mum just won't leave him alone about sorting out a CV and getting a job.

Which all sounds quite standard, familiar and frustratingly 'normal'. Until readers get the red flag feeling when Lee enthusiastically talks to Jamie about this guy down in London he's talked to on A Forum (for InCels) who seems to understand them, how nobody likes them, how he can help. Jamie just has to leave his room and he and Lee can get a train down there and start a new life away from the nagging and pressure.

It gets darker and more tense from there. For both Jamie AND Fiona. I couldn't stop listening, just wanting to know that Jamie doesn't do anything stupid, that Fiona doesn't do anything stupid. I identified with Fiona as a mum of boys myself, as a relative of family members who haven't left home, who aren't becoming adults in the traditional way. But I also felt for Jamie who's still such a helpless boy in many ways and is learning the (very) hard way about the real world.

The build-up is fantastic, the family story upsetting and very real. Fiona's mum, her ex, the nasty Seb, they are all very well portrayed by the audiobook narrators and this proved to be an excellent listen with alternating chapters getting you involved with both sides of the story.

Wonderful, confident debut novel.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. This book is fantastic.

Chris McQueer takes the challenging topic of lonely men and the slippery descent into inceldom with such sympathy and heart.

The dual narratives of Jamie and his Mum, Fiona, who is also struggling after leaving an abusive marriage, giver this real empathy and depth.

Jamie is depicted as being occasionally rude and kind of gross, and yet he’s always seen as sad and sympathetic when he could have been depicted as a waster.

Fiona is sad but world-weary and beaten down, a woman who just wanted to protect her son.

I truly couldn’t put this one down. I woke up this morning excited I could get back to reading it again.

It dark and sad and goes to some grim places, but it’s a fascinating and realistic character study I really loved.

5 stars

James and Fiona, a son and his mother narrate their side of this story.
James is 19, and unmotivated. Fiona is well-meaning and a bit detached.
James and his friend Lee make some choices which lead to…
After completing the first chapter, I was so hooked, I wanted to know what happens next and read this book in two sits.
It is difficult to attach a star rating to this for me, and in my public reviews, I will avoid that.
James’ voice was authentic and extremely well-written. To communicate the mind of a young man with mental health problems is not an easy task but McQueer is excellent at that.
As for Fiona, at first I was interested in her, but despite loving longer novels more than novellas, I thought the back and forth between the POVs did not offer much after about the middle of the book. This brings me to the plot - with everything that happen in the plot still happening, by cutting out Fiona’s and James’ narrative (20-30% of Fiona’s, 5-10% of James’), this could have been a more robust book in my opinion. I was glad to see the parent’s (and a character like Fiona’s) side being told, but not all of it added to the story.
The writing is wonderful for this story - a great fit. James’ chapters read better.
Timely, contemporary and important.
My experience in the end, with the a bit anti-climactic ending felt like a 3 star experience, however I believe this book has a lot of potential and based on my initial enjoyment and the possibility that with some editing, this can be more satisfactory, I am rating it as 4 stars here.

I cannot tell you the sheer joy of discovering that Chris McQueer has produced a novel! I was a big fan of both short story collections (‘Hings’ and ‘HWFG’ - and as I type this I realise we seem to have an H theme happening here), so I dropped everything to read ‘Hermit’. First off, I loved the premise. I don't think most people are aware of the intricacies of incel culture. McQueer gives a good overview in a way that's accessible, heart-wrenching and oftentimes highly humorous. Having said that, some of the content is also deeply disturbing and upsetting. I particularly appreciate that he writes in a mix of English and Scots. Even Scots speakers can get bogged down reading dense text in the language, so this is my preferred route to authenticity without taking me out of the narrative. The plot is frighteningly plausible, with a cast of all-too-familiar Scottish characters. Jamie is a vulnerable young man who feels disenfranchised. McQueer really lays bare how easy it is for these young men to be targeted and manipulated. What I appreciated most about the book is that it takes some serious subject matter and lets us have a right good look at it, in an accessible manner. Wee guys will love this book and that is why Chris McQueer has played another bloody blinder. Chapeau, big chap!

holy macaroni this book was incredible, all sorts of horrifying, and really well written. I have been a huge fan of Chris McQueer’s books for years, Hings and HWFG are two of my fave short story anthologies ever. I really love any book written in scot’s dialect and McQueer’s humour is unmatched.

but this book was just yikes, and completely solidifies my hatred towards men!!!

such a strong debut novel! 4.5 stars rounded up

(defo recommend checking the TWs before reading)

thank you sooo much to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC!

Hermit by Chris McQueer is a sharp and thought-provoking novel about modern isolation and the dangers of toxic online communities.

McQueer skillfully portrays the darker side of online spaces, showing how vulnerable individuals are manipulated by dangerous ideologies. Despite the heavy themes, his dark humour and wit keep the story engaging and balanced.

This is a powerful exploration of family, identity, and belonging in the digital age—a timely and unforgettable read.

A story about the world of incels and my word it was gripping, dark, claustrophobic and heartbreaking.

It follows teenager Jamie who dropped out of school, doesn’t leave his room, plays games online etc and his friend Lee.

Him and his friend essentially get groomed by an “incel” online who encourages them to come to London.

Told from his point of view and his mums this story really highlights the struggles of a bad home life, being misunderstood and feeling like an outsider but also how easily young men are influenced online.

My stomach was in knots throughout and I was rooting for Jamie from page 1.

A fantastic novel from Chris McQueer. I wasn't sure what to expect as I know this would be darker than his short story collections, I couldn't put this down, the novel is written from the perspective of Jamie and his maw Fiona with alternating chapters. Jamie lives in his room and games online with his friend Lee. Jamie gets easily frustrated by his maw and gran as he is happy in his room being a hermit. Lee meets someone online and introduces him to Jamie, they come to the conclusion that they are incels and decide to go to London to live in this mans house, what follows is a rollercoaster of emotions for Jamie and eventually for Lee, there was a twist that I did not see coming.
Fiona is also fighting demons and is struggling with not only her own emotions but also with how to deal with Jamie.
This novel is so well written from both sides, the struggles with mental health, anxiety and you never know who you are speaking to online.

McQueer's debut novel delves into the life of a directionless high school drop-out who spends almost all his time indoors. His online connections bring him into contact with a shady figure who introduces him to the incel world, but where freedom and community are offered, something much more sinister manifests. This is a claustrophobic book which will have you wincing throughout and for different reasons. It's an interesting perspective on incel culture and what factors may draw the unwary in, with a layer of very dark humour spread on top.

Very dark tale diving deep into the fear and insecurity of a young man Jamie and his friend who have been coerced into a dangerous journey to London by a stranger they met on line.
Alternate chapters follow his mum Fiona who is fighting to keep herself & Jamie above water. A challenging read but rich and powerful, McQueer draws you in and you are committed to these characters by the end

4.5 stars.

‘Hermit’ follows Jamie, a 19 year old lad who doesn’t have a job, barely leaves the house, and who is fed up of his mum, Fiona, getting on at him to get a job. He has one friend, Lee, who he speaks to on his PlayStation, but also lives in the same area. Lee introduces Jamie to the world of incels. The book also follows Fiona, who has been a single mum since leaving Jamie’s abusive dad, Danny, who seldomly bothers with his son when he can be bothered. Fiona has never felt quite normal, and just wants to do the best she can by her son.

Straight off the bat I want to talk about the writing of this book - 5 stars. Particular chapters, in my opinion, were writing exceptionally and left me feeling sucker punched purely because of how well they were written (some of Fiona’s chapters specifically).

Secondly, the story and the subject matter of this book I found really interesting and quite unique. I haven’t read a book quite like this before, specifically one that touches on the incel theme. I thought it was done really well, it was dealt with realistically and clearly well researched. A quick side note, I just want to mention that I enjoyed the main character being a teenage boy, I think they very often get looked over in books so it was refreshing.

I really hope to see this book do well when it’s published next year and I’ll be shouting about it from the rooftops, I really believe in this book and think it’s great, disturbing, darkly funny and important.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the eARC of this book!

This book all I can say wow wow .
Read this under 24 hours .
Such a brilliant book.
It really highlights the issues that social media influences kids these days.
Loved the 2 main characters.
I honestly laughed and cried threw out the book .
I hope Chris can write more of these books as just fantastic.

4.5 ★

This was so much more moving & harrowing than I'd even anticipated. The bits of dark humour throughout gave off some light relief but to the point I almost felt guilty for laughing at certain parts because of the overarching story; this isn't a negative by any means though, it just added that extra layer to this book. The whole concept of incels is a personal morbid interest of mine which is another reason I was so drawn to this— I thought the writer was scarily brilliant at leading us into the mindset of incels and showing the reader how easy it is for young boys to be manipulated into that type of mentality. Even though this is a fiction, it felt very topical which just made the overall story more chilling for me.
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The only reason this isn't a complete 5 star read for me is because of the ending; I personally would have liked more to it, it sort of felt like it suddenly went a bit flat once the main plot had been resolved. I did particularly enjoy the scottish dialect all the way through, I thought this really made the characters jump out & it constantly felt like these were real people I was reading about. The general writing was exceptional but the dialogue especially is what makes me excited to see future novels from McQueer & I can 100% see why scottish lit is so popular.
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Overall, I have a strong feeling this will be a popular read when it's released next year as it deserves to be. It was disturbing, tense, sad & darkly funny all at once which is everything I love in a book of this genre.

Thank you Netgalley & Headline for the free eARC!