A review by srk_reads
Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander

challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5 

Such a heartfelt (and heartbreaking and uplifting and all the emotions) story. The writing really pulled me in and the main character, Meredith, felt like a friend. The more I learned about her, the more I was rooting for her.

Meredith has been inside for over 1,000 days, due to panic attacks after a childhood and young adult-hood of different aspects of emotional trauma. A social service sends a person, Tom, over each week to talk with her, whom she befriends and begins to trust her story with. Over time, with therapy, her best friend Sadie, and new friend Tom, she begins to feel stronger and more confident about being in the world. 

I thought the nuances around sisterhood with Fee and her friendship with Sadie and Tom were well done. The only friendship that I didn't totally believe was with Celeste, and I can't pinpoint why. Maybe it felt like it progressed too quickly for what I knew about Meredith and trusting people?

Overall, an important story of self-growth, self-acceptance, love and friendship. And Fred the cat. 

Trigger warning for emotion abuse from a parent, physical abuse from a spouse, and a parts of the storyline including conversations and actions of r*pe.

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