Skip to main content

Meredith Alone - Claire Alexander

 


Description

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.

But something's about to change.

First, new friends Tom and Celeste burst into her life, followed by an estranged sister she hasn't spoken to in years, and suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a safe place to hide.

Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door . . .


Review

Absolutely loved this book.

Meredith hasn't left her home in 1,214 days. You might think this won't be much of a story as she only has her four walls and a cat for company. But you would be wrong - I was hooked from the beginning into this wonderful and realistic tale.

I just loved the character of Meredith and got so caught up with her that I felt her every emotion so deeply. The portrayal of all the characters really brought them alive and I could picture all the details of the scenes so clearly in my minds eye.

Meredith has a visitor called Tom - he's part of a support group and she's not happy he's in her space. She has a real life friend called Sadie who visits with her children so she's covered for friends. She's much happier with a friend called Celeste from an online support group who stays online - just like she prefers. Except maybe things are about to change and with the help of Tom and Celeste Meredith gets a little braver.

It takes a while for us to discover why Meredith hasn't left her home and I was dreading it being revealed. With flashbacks to Meredith's past throughout the book we begin to see she didn't have the best upbringing and is now estranged from her family.

I felt a bit lost when this book ended. I had read it in two sittings and to suddenly not have Meredith in my life left a big space. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to penguinrandomhouse for my proof copy of this book to review.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Description THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER. YOU DON'T KNOW HER. BUT SHE KNOWS YOU. Rear Window  meets  Gone Girl , in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller Review I must be one of the last people to read this book. I did apply for a review copy but unfortunately wasn't successful. I then waited for the book to come down in price which it didn't - so I decided I would buy it and read it straight away! I'm sure it will be a film and before anyone gives away what happens I felt I really needed to get it read, so it jumped the TBR queue. There is not much plot outline from the publisher as you can see in the description above, so there wasn't a lot to go on when I began to read the book. First of all the book jumps around date wise - past and present and also between the main characters. I did have a little trouble remembering who was who and which time frame we were in - but that soon settled down. I also had to re-read the beginning because I th...

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done - Sophie Hannah

  Description The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable in order to save the life of one of its beloved members? Both? Or something else altogether? You'll have to read until the very last word in order to find out… You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the policeman on the doorstep. What he says traps you in a nightmare that starts with the words, 'I'm afraid…' Sally Lambert is also afraid, and desperate enough to consider the unthinkable. Is it really, definitely, impossible to escape from this horror? Maybe not. There's always something you can do, right? Of course, no one would ever do this particular something – except the Lamberts, who might have to. No one has ever gone this far. Until Sally decides that the Lamberts will… 'An incident involving a dog in a small village escalates to an all-out conflict, turning neighbour against neighbour, and culminating in murder. Bu...

The Second Chance Book Club - Stephanie Butland

I'm on the Blog Tour for this wonderful book today. Description Dear Ms Blythe We are dealing with an estate of which you may be a beneficiary. Please send any documents in your possession that relate to your birth and adoption. September is at her wits' end. There's never enough money to support her boyfriend and herself. September has nothing to look forward to. Then the letter comes. September has inherited a house from a great-aunt she never knew she had. It would make sense to sell it. But when sees the place - the orange gate, the garden, the tree, the bumblebee door knocker - she doesn't want to let it go. Not yet. Then the members of the book club arrive, and she begins to discover the story of the family she didn't know. And to make new friends. September feels safe here. But money alone can't bring contentment. September is just at the start of a journey full of surprises, shocks – and opportunities, if she's brave enough . . . Review As soon as I...