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Hermit
The darkly funny, moving debut novel from acclaimed Scottish author of Hings and HWFG, Chris McQueer
Since dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn't left the house in months, and now he's not sure he can.
Fiona, Jamie's maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she's not that different from her son - withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can't carry on like this, but she's at a loss to know how to change things.
When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he's realised there's a name for what they are - incels - and that there's a guy he's met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.
But running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually run towards something much worse.
Praise for Chris
'Charlie Brooker on Buckfast' Martin Compston, Line of Duty
'[McQueer's] talent zings off the page' Guardian
'Impressive' Eric Idle, Monty Python
Since dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn't left the house in months, and now he's not sure he can.
Fiona, Jamie's maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she's not that different from her son - withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can't carry on like this, but she's at a loss to know how to change things.
When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he's realised there's a name for what they are - incels - and that there's a guy he's met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.
But running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually run towards something much worse.
Praise for Chris
'Charlie Brooker on Buckfast' Martin Compston, Line of Duty
'[McQueer's] talent zings off the page' Guardian
'Impressive' Eric Idle, Monty Python
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2025
25 people are currently reading
843 people want to read
About the author
Chris McQueer
5 books108 followersChris McQueer is a 20-something year old writer and sales assistant from Glasgow. After leaving school at 16, Chris found himself working under the hallowed title of ‘Sandwich Artist’ in Subway where he was the source of constant complaints as he couldn’t cut footlong sandwiches equally in half. Now he works in a sports shop where he is regarded as the greatest seller of trainers the world has ever seen.
Chris kept his writing a secret from his friends and family for several months before his girlfriend, Vanessa, encouraged him to share his work through Twitter (@ChrisMcQueer). Since then he has gone from strength to strength and has earned a reputation as ‘That Guy Oan Twitter Who Writes Short Stories’.
Chris kept his writing a secret from his friends and family for several months before his girlfriend, Vanessa, encouraged him to share his work through Twitter (@ChrisMcQueer). Since then he has gone from strength to strength and has earned a reputation as ‘That Guy Oan Twitter Who Writes Short Stories’.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
February 27, 2025
Happy publication day 🎉🥳
Hermit was a vastly more shocking and disturbing story than I expected.
Delivering the title as a two hander between Jamie (Hermit) and his mother Fiona was a stroke of genius though, it gives the reader the insight into the lonely wee boy, scared of stepping out of his filthy pit of a bedroom, let alone out of doors. Through Fiona we discover that Jamie has always lived just on the outskirts of life, from age 11 he wanted to detach from the world. A solitary soul. He loves his Ma, and his granny, and he hates himself for snapping at them when they encourage hygiene and life outside of that room.
From Jamie’s pov we learn that the world is terrifying, he doesn’t care that he stinks, there’s nobody to smell him anyway, he sleeps his worries away, emerges for microwave food and hides on his PlayStation. When he meets Lee online it seems like there’s hope, the pair strike a close bond, Jamie is delighted to have found a friend, a reason, but Lee is an incel, he soon convinces Jamie that he must be an incel. As they delve deeper, it’s striking how easy it is to disappear down the rabbit hole, swallow the pill, however you want to determine it, there’s a place for everyone online, a place where predators lurk ready to catch their prey.
From the moment Lee “converts” Jamie the language and the story become distressing, repulsive and malignant, yet the author has managed to lighten the load a bit with a lot of the dark humour that I only know Glasgow to hold.
I predict awards!
4.5 🌟
The audio narration by Chris McQueer and Scarlett Mack were perfect. They brought to life the spirit and vernacular of east end of Glasgow 🎧
Huge thanks to Headline Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC 🎧
Hermit was a vastly more shocking and disturbing story than I expected.
Delivering the title as a two hander between Jamie (Hermit) and his mother Fiona was a stroke of genius though, it gives the reader the insight into the lonely wee boy, scared of stepping out of his filthy pit of a bedroom, let alone out of doors. Through Fiona we discover that Jamie has always lived just on the outskirts of life, from age 11 he wanted to detach from the world. A solitary soul. He loves his Ma, and his granny, and he hates himself for snapping at them when they encourage hygiene and life outside of that room.
From Jamie’s pov we learn that the world is terrifying, he doesn’t care that he stinks, there’s nobody to smell him anyway, he sleeps his worries away, emerges for microwave food and hides on his PlayStation. When he meets Lee online it seems like there’s hope, the pair strike a close bond, Jamie is delighted to have found a friend, a reason, but Lee is an incel, he soon convinces Jamie that he must be an incel. As they delve deeper, it’s striking how easy it is to disappear down the rabbit hole, swallow the pill, however you want to determine it, there’s a place for everyone online, a place where predators lurk ready to catch their prey.
From the moment Lee “converts” Jamie the language and the story become distressing, repulsive and malignant, yet the author has managed to lighten the load a bit with a lot of the dark humour that I only know Glasgow to hold.
I predict awards!
4.5 🌟
The audio narration by Chris McQueer and Scarlett Mack were perfect. They brought to life the spirit and vernacular of east end of Glasgow 🎧
Huge thanks to Headline Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC 🎧
April 10, 2025
A reclusive, depressed young man gets pulled into incel stuff by an online friend. Meanwhile, his anxious mother tries to deal with her own problems and feels like she’s a failure as a parent. This is a good balance of realism and a relatively gentle, funny plot; as much as disturbing things do indeed happen, I actually found it to be a pretty light exploration of the themes. Jamie is a useful avatar through which to explore them: while his personal hygiene may be terrible, he’s a sweet boy at heart, and borders on asexual (his sexuality is an underexplored aspect of the story). None of this is a criticism – the light-touch approach is the whole reason it all works. But I'm surprised I’ve seen reviews describing it as a harrowing and shocking book. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me, especially Jamie’s reaction when he first sees Seb’s flat (‘if they’re sharing a room like that, how do they manage to have a wank? This looks horrific’), and his gran’s when the police conduct a cursory search for Jamie in the garden of Fiona’s small council house (‘did ye no find him oot there then, naw?’)
March 8, 2025
Maybe my expectations were a bit high going into this, because I'm kinda disappointed now. This is an important topic to explore, but the execution was not done great. It felt so clunky to me, and I found myself getting fed up with a book that's only 250 pages long. There is noting I found impressive or deep about it, while this topic can lend itself well for exploring a deeper conversation about growing up a certain way and the effects it has on becoming an adult.
The whole London plot simply did not feel realistic to me.
It didn't necessarily irk me in any way to justify it having a lower rating than three stars. I just wouldn't recommend it, and although I haven't read any other books covering this same topic, I definitely think they're out there, and better than this one.
The whole London plot simply did not feel realistic to me.
It didn't necessarily irk me in any way to justify it having a lower rating than three stars. I just wouldn't recommend it, and although I haven't read any other books covering this same topic, I definitely think they're out there, and better than this one.
April 27, 2025
Alveg eins og sumar bíómyndir eru kallaðar „ræmur“ þegar þær eru góðar væri ég til í þannig lýsingarorð fyrir bækur.
Þetta var erfiður lestur, ekki því hún var leiðinleg, hún bara tæklar svo alvarleg málefni.
Skrifstíll McQueers er frábær, maður lifir sig alveg inn í söguna og á köflum var mér óglatt yfir því sem var í gangi, ákveðnir kaflar gat ég ekki hætt lestrinum því ég var svo kvíðinn yfir því sem væri að fara að gerast næst og ég bara varð að lesa til loka.
Við fylgjumst með tveimur karakterum, Jamie einfara heima hjá sér og Fiona, móður hans sem þjáist af þunglyndi; það var jafn áhugavert að fylgjast með báðum persónum þótt maður myndi halda að Fiona væri „aukakarakterinn“ í þessari sögu. Ótrúleg fletta.
Fyrir það sem hún er, þá er þessi bók klárlega fimm stjörnur.
Þetta var erfiður lestur, ekki því hún var leiðinleg, hún bara tæklar svo alvarleg málefni.
Skrifstíll McQueers er frábær, maður lifir sig alveg inn í söguna og á köflum var mér óglatt yfir því sem var í gangi, ákveðnir kaflar gat ég ekki hætt lestrinum því ég var svo kvíðinn yfir því sem væri að fara að gerast næst og ég bara varð að lesa til loka.
Við fylgjumst með tveimur karakterum, Jamie einfara heima hjá sér og Fiona, móður hans sem þjáist af þunglyndi; það var jafn áhugavert að fylgjast með báðum persónum þótt maður myndi halda að Fiona væri „aukakarakterinn“ í þessari sögu. Ótrúleg fletta.
Fyrir það sem hún er, þá er þessi bók klárlega fimm stjörnur.
September 1, 2025
3.5 rounded up!
This explored some really interesting topics, and I was super invested in Fiona and Jamie (dual narratives worked really well here imo!) but it lost me a little after the climax and I don’t think enough time was spent on the aftermath.
But this was a great debut, and I’m excited to read more of McQueer’s work :)
This explored some really interesting topics, and I was super invested in Fiona and Jamie (dual narratives worked really well here imo!) but it lost me a little after the climax and I don’t think enough time was spent on the aftermath.
But this was a great debut, and I’m excited to read more of McQueer’s work :)
October 23, 2025
Jamie is nineteen years old. He finished school three years ago, has no job, no training, no friends, and no prospects. He only leaves his room to grab something to eat from the kitchen, he barely even goes to the bathroom anymore. Whenever he tries to leave the house, he has panic attacks. His best friends are his Playstation and Lee, the teenager he always plays online games with. His mother is a single parent who left Jamie’s violent father years ago. Now she’s caught between her son, who’s slipping further and further away from her, her mother, and the demands of her job.
Everything changes when Jamie and Lee meet Seb, an American living in London who introduces them to the incel culture.
This book was in every bookshop when we were in Edinburgh earlier this year, and it immediately caught my attention. I finally bought it, and now I definitely want to read more by this author! Chris McQueer’s storytelling completely drew me in. The story is told in alternating chapters by Jamie and his mother, Fiona. Quite unexpectedly, it was Fiona’s story that moved me the most. Jamie’s journey, meanwhile, shows how he slowly drifts into the incel world, and that was… intense. If you’ve watched the series "Adolescence" and want to explore the topic further, this might be something for you. It really got under my skin.
Everything changes when Jamie and Lee meet Seb, an American living in London who introduces them to the incel culture.
This book was in every bookshop when we were in Edinburgh earlier this year, and it immediately caught my attention. I finally bought it, and now I definitely want to read more by this author! Chris McQueer’s storytelling completely drew me in. The story is told in alternating chapters by Jamie and his mother, Fiona. Quite unexpectedly, it was Fiona’s story that moved me the most. Jamie’s journey, meanwhile, shows how he slowly drifts into the incel world, and that was… intense. If you’ve watched the series "Adolescence" and want to explore the topic further, this might be something for you. It really got under my skin.
September 30, 2024
'Hermit' is a book about a young male, Jamie, who is a recluse in his home frightened of leaving his bedroom and with a strained relationship from his mother. He finds solace in his PlayStation and having online conversation with Lee, a friend he has made online but who lives down the road. We also see the perspective of his mother, Fiona, as she struggles with her own identity, past abuse and ability to express love for her son. The book reveals the harmful side of the internet and how young men can be lay predatory to victims of harmful online culture. In particular, incels and misogynistic ‘red pill’ thinking.
The book creates a pit in your stomach that you cannot remove. I, throughout the novel, kept on expecting a good ending to the story, a good turn of events but the novel disregarded any fairytale plotlines. I grew in frustration at the characters as they are unable to change their situations, sometimes by choice but also found that what the book highlighted the most to me was our failing mental health systems. As many times I just dreamt that the characters would go to therapy to figure out their headspace, but it felt as though they couldn’t (something that is an adequate representation to our mental health services in Scotland at the moment).
All the issues exposed in the book felt real and are real. I am morbidly curious about incel culture but it is often hard to understand the male incels prerogative and how someone could think this way. This book acts as an emulation to how people can be entrapped by this hateful thinking. My one issue is that without critically thinking you could disregard the role, while the books events being horrific, that the two young men played within the incel community. Especially that of the friend Lee. I found that the relationship with both their mothers plays an important role in expressing how their attitudes towards women are changing, and without Fiona’s POV this would be less impactful and acts as the reminder of the abhorrent dialogue used by the incels in the novel. I thought this was an interesting way for the author to highlight to the reader to be critical.
This book was an engaging and enlightening novel that I would highly recommend to others to read.
Thank you to #netgalley for this pre-release edition of #hermit. All thoughts are my own.
The book creates a pit in your stomach that you cannot remove. I, throughout the novel, kept on expecting a good ending to the story, a good turn of events but the novel disregarded any fairytale plotlines. I grew in frustration at the characters as they are unable to change their situations, sometimes by choice but also found that what the book highlighted the most to me was our failing mental health systems. As many times I just dreamt that the characters would go to therapy to figure out their headspace, but it felt as though they couldn’t (something that is an adequate representation to our mental health services in Scotland at the moment).
All the issues exposed in the book felt real and are real. I am morbidly curious about incel culture but it is often hard to understand the male incels prerogative and how someone could think this way. This book acts as an emulation to how people can be entrapped by this hateful thinking. My one issue is that without critically thinking you could disregard the role, while the books events being horrific, that the two young men played within the incel community. Especially that of the friend Lee. I found that the relationship with both their mothers plays an important role in expressing how their attitudes towards women are changing, and without Fiona’s POV this would be less impactful and acts as the reminder of the abhorrent dialogue used by the incels in the novel. I thought this was an interesting way for the author to highlight to the reader to be critical.
This book was an engaging and enlightening novel that I would highly recommend to others to read.
Thank you to #netgalley for this pre-release edition of #hermit. All thoughts are my own.
January 21, 2025
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!
January 14, 2025
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.
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.
December 3, 2025
this was UNBELIEVABLE and i cannot believe it was a debut novel?!
something about this gave very douglas stuart/kirkland ciccone vibes and i absolutely devoured it
this had me smiling, wincing, cringing and sometimes all of that within the one page - it really packs a punch and the discussion around incel culture in this was so confronting
i wish i could read this again!
something about this gave very douglas stuart/kirkland ciccone vibes and i absolutely devoured it
this had me smiling, wincing, cringing and sometimes all of that within the one page - it really packs a punch and the discussion around incel culture in this was so confronting
i wish i could read this again!
November 27, 2025
This gave very Young Mungo vibes as at points the language and nature of the book was so disturbing. I found myself unable to put it down. The plot is perhaps maybe not the most realistic but tbh, this didn’t dampen it for me. Definitely worth a read but prepare to be uncomfortable at points.
March 6, 2025
Weird for a book to be funny, almost sort of heartwarming, and really kind of shocking all at the same time.
January 27, 2025
Hermit is a book about a young boy, Jamie, who considers himself to not be like other normal boys his age. Living in his bedroom with only his PlayStation and online friends, Jamie has found himself isolated and dethatched from the world. He has no interest in getting a job, making friends outside of the virtual world or seeking a romantic relationship. He experiences panic attacks when pushed to leave the house and with finding himself becoming more distant from his mother his problematic relationship with his father leaves him feeling even more misunderstood and alone. The book follows both perspectives of Jamie and his mother Fiona as we see how hard life is for Jamie as he becomes even more lost in a dangerous online world and Fiona's past with violence and being a mother as she struggles to find the right way to support her son.
This is an extremely current and thought provoking book. Touching on the dark side of the internet today especially for young boys; the topics around incel culture, red pill thinking, misogyny and violence are explored in a very raw and real way diving into how a young vulnerable male can find himself as the victim of online grooming to a community we see growing in our society. The book puts us in the position of a young man who simply doesn't understand himself, feels different, alone and seeking validation. He doesn't have an outlet for his frustrations and space to explore his mental health in productive way. Reading this you can feel how isolated Jamie is, how stuck in a rut he is and as a reader you can truly feel that sense of dread and feeling defeated. On the flip side reading the perspective of Fiona we can also understand her frustrations, her desires to have a better and closer relationship with her son. Fiona's constant questioning of her parenting abilities, mistakes and trauma's show her to be an extremely relatable character we truly do feel for.
Throughout this book several tough topics are addressed but this sits as an extremely important read. At times deeply disturbing, Chris McQueer didn't shy away from discussing these current rising problems in a very honest and raw manner. We were taken on a journey of feeling empathy, anger, pity and every emotion in between, connecting us to every character even side characters for every character had their role and purpose that fit perfectly well into this story.
I did listen to this book as an Audiobook and I have to say that the narration did so well in brining these characters to life and portraying the characters in way that truly brought them to life.
This is a book I would highly recommend and I'm so grateful for Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this early. I would advise going into this book with the understanding that this a very tough read and trigger warnings for things such as violence, sexual assault, murder, misogyny and incel violence
This is an extremely current and thought provoking book. Touching on the dark side of the internet today especially for young boys; the topics around incel culture, red pill thinking, misogyny and violence are explored in a very raw and real way diving into how a young vulnerable male can find himself as the victim of online grooming to a community we see growing in our society. The book puts us in the position of a young man who simply doesn't understand himself, feels different, alone and seeking validation. He doesn't have an outlet for his frustrations and space to explore his mental health in productive way. Reading this you can feel how isolated Jamie is, how stuck in a rut he is and as a reader you can truly feel that sense of dread and feeling defeated. On the flip side reading the perspective of Fiona we can also understand her frustrations, her desires to have a better and closer relationship with her son. Fiona's constant questioning of her parenting abilities, mistakes and trauma's show her to be an extremely relatable character we truly do feel for.
Throughout this book several tough topics are addressed but this sits as an extremely important read. At times deeply disturbing, Chris McQueer didn't shy away from discussing these current rising problems in a very honest and raw manner. We were taken on a journey of feeling empathy, anger, pity and every emotion in between, connecting us to every character even side characters for every character had their role and purpose that fit perfectly well into this story.
I did listen to this book as an Audiobook and I have to say that the narration did so well in brining these characters to life and portraying the characters in way that truly brought them to life.
This is a book I would highly recommend and I'm so grateful for Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this early. I would advise going into this book with the understanding that this a very tough read and trigger warnings for things such as violence, sexual assault, murder, misogyny and incel violence
November 9, 2025
Jamie is nineteen, left school three years prior and still lives with his mam, spending his days in his flea pit of a room playing video games. His mam, Fiona, is also socially awkward and has no life outside of work and single parenthood. The two both have a variety of unresolved issues - relating particularly to Jamie's father who was an abusive husband to Fiona and who slandered her name around the community following the end of their marriage - but are so isolated in the world they can't even really communicate with each other, an issue exacerbated when Fiona tries to encourage Jamie to get a job.
Jamie befriends sixteen year old Lee through online gaming. Lee lives near Jamie in the same area of Glasgow and is also having a hard time at home. Lee introduces Jamie to the incel movement. Through one of their forums he has befriended Seb, an older American based in London who effectively grooms both boys and convinces them to travel down there to stay with him and get away from their problems at home. But he is leading them into a trap with devastating consequences.
The two hander narration works really well here, with both sides of the fractured mother-son relationship explored and fleshed out. Jamie's segments can get a little jarring when the discussion turns to inceldom and some of the gross language they use to dehumanise women, although the novel does still manage to get into depth about why both Lee and Jamie are seduced by it in the first place and the tactics used to indoctrinate them. Equally it's easy to pity both boys, although Jamie more than Lee ultimately, and to despise Seb who has absolutely no redeeming features throughout. Fiona too is a sympathetic character and I found myself cheering her on when she had moments of courage.
I did find the ending a little rushed and ultimately a bit bleak too, but there was still a glimmer of hope.
(CW: as well as the incel movement, dysfunctional family dynamics, mental illness and agoraphobia, this book also touches on domestic violence and suicide.)
Jamie befriends sixteen year old Lee through online gaming. Lee lives near Jamie in the same area of Glasgow and is also having a hard time at home. Lee introduces Jamie to the incel movement. Through one of their forums he has befriended Seb, an older American based in London who effectively grooms both boys and convinces them to travel down there to stay with him and get away from their problems at home. But he is leading them into a trap with devastating consequences.
The two hander narration works really well here, with both sides of the fractured mother-son relationship explored and fleshed out. Jamie's segments can get a little jarring when the discussion turns to inceldom and some of the gross language they use to dehumanise women, although the novel does still manage to get into depth about why both Lee and Jamie are seduced by it in the first place and the tactics used to indoctrinate them. Equally it's easy to pity both boys, although Jamie more than Lee ultimately, and to despise Seb who has absolutely no redeeming features throughout. Fiona too is a sympathetic character and I found myself cheering her on when she had moments of courage.
I did find the ending a little rushed and ultimately a bit bleak too, but there was still a glimmer of hope.
(CW: as well as the incel movement, dysfunctional family dynamics, mental illness and agoraphobia, this book also touches on domestic violence and suicide.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2025
Really good look at the way people can slip into dangerous spaces online and how vulnerable and at risk individuals are targetted by sinister individuals. I particuarly liked the moment-to-moment dialogue and prose and the use of sensory information to convey anxiety - some parts of this were genuinely difficult to get through and I felt my heart rate going up whenever Jamie's did. Also, I thought the author had a really good grasp on the physical, social and psychological causes and effects of anxiety, and how Jamie's anxiety was portrayed was really visceral and lifelike.
Falls a bit short of 5 stars for me as I felt the the narrative framing of one chapter Jamie, one chapter his mother didn't always serve the interests of the story, and a more non-linear narrative, such as early on when we get a bit of Fiona's backstory, could have helped flesh the story out a bit. But that is a minor gripe as it was still great.
Also want to shout out the audiobook. Usually when authors narrate their own fictional stories I think they can be somewhat weaker than an actor could, but Chris McQueer (and Scarlett Mack) did a hilarious and sympathetic job.
Falls a bit short of 5 stars for me as I felt the the narrative framing of one chapter Jamie, one chapter his mother didn't always serve the interests of the story, and a more non-linear narrative, such as early on when we get a bit of Fiona's backstory, could have helped flesh the story out a bit. But that is a minor gripe as it was still great.
Also want to shout out the audiobook. Usually when authors narrate their own fictional stories I think they can be somewhat weaker than an actor could, but Chris McQueer (and Scarlett Mack) did a hilarious and sympathetic job.
October 27, 2024
Hermit is a novel about a guy who can barely leave the house, but whose attempts to get away from his mum's nagging might take him much further than he thought. Jamie is nineteen and since he dropped out of school three years ago, he just stays in his room playing games and watching YouTube videos with his online friend Lee, occasionally venturing downstairs for microwave burgers and fries, and chocolate spread. His mum Fiona despairs, but she also struggles to connect with other people, especially after kicking out her abusive husband. When Lee tells Jamie about a new friend, who says they are both incels and should come down to London to stay with him, it seems like an escape, but it isn't as simple as that.
Having enjoyed Chris McQueer's short stories, I would've wanted to read this one regardless of the content, but the blurb drew me in too, with the idea of exploring online and incel culture through the perspective of someone who might be targeted by incels online as a potential 'convert'. McQueer treats it all with nuance, through chapters that alternate between Jamie and Fiona's perspectives to compare how their similarities led them in different directions, and particularly how online incel and "manosphere" culture preys on people who don't even feel that connected to its key tenets and claims. Jamie doesn't care that much about girls until he is told he should be angry at all women for rejecting him, and you see how that makes him lash out at his mum and believe she doesn't care about him.
There's an underlying dread that particularly sets in halfway through, as Jamie and Lee go to London, and you know something isn't going to go well. It's darkly ridiculous, but also feels horrifyingly real, especially if you know anything about incels or other online communities (for example, the elements in which Jamie didn't understand the terminology or ideas of incels, but felt like he had to go along with it). Fiona's story is also moving, not just how she cannot help Jamie or even feel able to tell him that she loves him, but also how she basically had a similar trajectory that was different due to it being a earlier time and her being a woman (and the element where people on Facebook accused her of killing Jamie was darkly real too).
From McQueer's short stories, I was expecting something maybe surreal alongside the darkly funny elements, but Hermit is actually more of a deep look at feeling like an outsider and the impact these days of certain online communities finding prey in these people, with more dread and sadness than weird elements. It is refreshing to read a literary fiction novel that takes this kind of thing seriously, rather than just having some reclusive incel character as a joke. McQueer makes this a moving look at two people, mother and son, who could be described as hermits, with plenty of humour but not treating them as a joke.
Having enjoyed Chris McQueer's short stories, I would've wanted to read this one regardless of the content, but the blurb drew me in too, with the idea of exploring online and incel culture through the perspective of someone who might be targeted by incels online as a potential 'convert'. McQueer treats it all with nuance, through chapters that alternate between Jamie and Fiona's perspectives to compare how their similarities led them in different directions, and particularly how online incel and "manosphere" culture preys on people who don't even feel that connected to its key tenets and claims. Jamie doesn't care that much about girls until he is told he should be angry at all women for rejecting him, and you see how that makes him lash out at his mum and believe she doesn't care about him.
There's an underlying dread that particularly sets in halfway through, as Jamie and Lee go to London, and you know something isn't going to go well. It's darkly ridiculous, but also feels horrifyingly real, especially if you know anything about incels or other online communities (for example, the elements in which Jamie didn't understand the terminology or ideas of incels, but felt like he had to go along with it). Fiona's story is also moving, not just how she cannot help Jamie or even feel able to tell him that she loves him, but also how she basically had a similar trajectory that was different due to it being a earlier time and her being a woman (and the element where people on Facebook accused her of killing Jamie was darkly real too).
From McQueer's short stories, I was expecting something maybe surreal alongside the darkly funny elements, but Hermit is actually more of a deep look at feeling like an outsider and the impact these days of certain online communities finding prey in these people, with more dread and sadness than weird elements. It is refreshing to read a literary fiction novel that takes this kind of thing seriously, rather than just having some reclusive incel character as a joke. McQueer makes this a moving look at two people, mother and son, who could be described as hermits, with plenty of humour but not treating them as a joke.
November 17, 2024
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.
•
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.
•
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!
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.
•
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.
•
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!
September 20, 2024
Lemme preface this review by saying this book was incredibly difficult to read. TW for rape, sexual assault, murder, incel violence and misogyny.
McQueer writes in a way that’s impossible to ignore. I felt physically sick reading this, especially Jamie’s thoughts and his interactions with Seb. Fiona was also difficult to read, her chapters were a lot more depressing than Jamie’s. The slow but steady progression from confusion to incel on Jamie’s behalf was so uncomfortable. I can easily see how real this is for some men and how easily they slip into this violence and anger. The last 30% of the book made me feel claustrophobic, I knew something terrible and irreversible was going to happen and I didn’t want it to. Truly, a dark and tragic story that is all too familiar to the real life news stories I see day in and day out. A very hard book to read but also written well.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Hermit #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
McQueer writes in a way that’s impossible to ignore. I felt physically sick reading this, especially Jamie’s thoughts and his interactions with Seb. Fiona was also difficult to read, her chapters were a lot more depressing than Jamie’s. The slow but steady progression from confusion to incel on Jamie’s behalf was so uncomfortable. I can easily see how real this is for some men and how easily they slip into this violence and anger. The last 30% of the book made me feel claustrophobic, I knew something terrible and irreversible was going to happen and I didn’t want it to. Truly, a dark and tragic story that is all too familiar to the real life news stories I see day in and day out. A very hard book to read but also written well.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Hermit #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
June 28, 2025
ok but the dog though
3.5 i think. i really enjoyed it but the ending felt a bit rushed and would have liked to explore the aftermath a bit more
3.5 i think. i really enjoyed it but the ending felt a bit rushed and would have liked to explore the aftermath a bit more
January 20, 2025
Thank you to Headline Audio + Wildfire for approving my NetGalley ALC! As soon as I read the synopsis for Hermit, I knew I wanted to read it. The topic of - incels - is not something I know much about so I was morbidly fascinated to see a novel written from that POV. What I thought was clever was how the chapters were from Jamie's POV and his Mum—Fiona's. Fiona gave context to how Jamie got to where he is, the situation he grew up in and how the distance between them kept growing despite living in the same house.
Author Chris McQueer voices Jamie, the main character, and Scarlett Mack voices Fiona, Jamie's Mum. Both narrations made for a truly immersive listen. The book is set in Scotland with Jamie and his mum living in Glasgow, so having Scottish narrators with easy-to-listen-to voices kept me in the story the entire time I was listening.
I would have loved an epilogue catching up with the characters after the fact, I'm hoping that they were able to work through it together and independently and that they're in a happier place, thriving. Fiona deserved better from everyone in her life!
Check the trigger warnings before you pick this one up because it gets quite dark. TW for suicide, rape, sexual assault, murder, incel violence and misogyny from the start and throughout.
Hermit is out on 27th February 2025!!!
Author Chris McQueer voices Jamie, the main character, and Scarlett Mack voices Fiona, Jamie's Mum. Both narrations made for a truly immersive listen. The book is set in Scotland with Jamie and his mum living in Glasgow, so having Scottish narrators with easy-to-listen-to voices kept me in the story the entire time I was listening.
I would have loved an epilogue catching up with the characters after the fact, I'm hoping that they were able to work through it together and independently and that they're in a happier place, thriving. Fiona deserved better from everyone in her life!
Check the trigger warnings before you pick this one up because it gets quite dark. TW for suicide, rape, sexual assault, murder, incel violence and misogyny from the start and throughout.
Hermit is out on 27th February 2025!!!
March 3, 2025
Hermit follows Jamie, a young male who is a social recluse in his home, finding solace in his PlayStation. Jamie has no interest in doing the things that people his age should be doing, and his relationship with his mother is becoming more strained every day because of it.
The book also follows Fiona, Jamie's mother, who is struggling with her past abusive relationship with Jamie's father. She doesn't know how to help Jamie and is distraught that he has panic attacks at the thought of leaving the house.
One day, Jamie reluctantly agrees to meet up with his online friend, Lee, who has arranged a trip to London to visit some other gamers. Here, the book explores the harmful side of the internet and how young males can fall victim to online abuse. In particular, the book focuses on incel culture, which I personally found fascinating but harrowing.
Overall, this is an extremely well written book, and I particularly enjoyed that the dialogue was written in Scottish dialect all the way through. I felt this made the characters feel real, and personally, I was gripped throughout the entire book.
The only reason it didn't get a full 5 stars from me was purely because the general dark nature of the book sometimes made me feel uncomfortable, but that only shows how well it has been written.
I have a feeling that Hermit will be a popular book and I can't wait for other readers to love it, but I think you need to be aware of some potential trigger warnings before picking it up. In particular, misogynistic violence, domestic abuse and suicidal thoughts/attempts are all prominent themes throughout the book.
A huge thank you to Headline for my proof copy!
The book also follows Fiona, Jamie's mother, who is struggling with her past abusive relationship with Jamie's father. She doesn't know how to help Jamie and is distraught that he has panic attacks at the thought of leaving the house.
One day, Jamie reluctantly agrees to meet up with his online friend, Lee, who has arranged a trip to London to visit some other gamers. Here, the book explores the harmful side of the internet and how young males can fall victim to online abuse. In particular, the book focuses on incel culture, which I personally found fascinating but harrowing.
Overall, this is an extremely well written book, and I particularly enjoyed that the dialogue was written in Scottish dialect all the way through. I felt this made the characters feel real, and personally, I was gripped throughout the entire book.
The only reason it didn't get a full 5 stars from me was purely because the general dark nature of the book sometimes made me feel uncomfortable, but that only shows how well it has been written.
I have a feeling that Hermit will be a popular book and I can't wait for other readers to love it, but I think you need to be aware of some potential trigger warnings before picking it up. In particular, misogynistic violence, domestic abuse and suicidal thoughts/attempts are all prominent themes throughout the book.
A huge thank you to Headline for my proof copy!
March 16, 2025
It was particularly interesting to read a book in Scottish slang & was surprised how easily it ran off the tongue!
There were a number of aspects I really enjoyed about the book, including the alternative chapters being narrated by Son & and Mum to see how the events were impacting them. I was also fully inducted into the world of incels (not sure where I have been hiding as this had all bypassed me 🙈)
It definitely represents how most mums feel going into their teenage sons room, although thankfully not quite as bad as Jamie's.
At its heart, the book touches on many sensitive topics, domestic abuse, grooming, violence, suicide and death. It is probably best to read with caution if you are sensitive to any of these topics. For me, it also emphasises the importance of online safety. As a society, this is something we are still failing at, and whilst this is fictionalised, it could so easily be true, based on so many stories you hear time & time again.
Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read, although I am curious about if it will be a restricted audience given the use of slang throughout. Having read some American books written in a similar fashion, it can prove challenging & detract from the main storyline, so wont be for everyone.
There were a number of aspects I really enjoyed about the book, including the alternative chapters being narrated by Son & and Mum to see how the events were impacting them. I was also fully inducted into the world of incels (not sure where I have been hiding as this had all bypassed me 🙈)
It definitely represents how most mums feel going into their teenage sons room, although thankfully not quite as bad as Jamie's.
At its heart, the book touches on many sensitive topics, domestic abuse, grooming, violence, suicide and death. It is probably best to read with caution if you are sensitive to any of these topics. For me, it also emphasises the importance of online safety. As a society, this is something we are still failing at, and whilst this is fictionalised, it could so easily be true, based on so many stories you hear time & time again.
Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read, although I am curious about if it will be a restricted audience given the use of slang throughout. Having read some American books written in a similar fashion, it can prove challenging & detract from the main storyline, so wont be for everyone.
February 21, 2025
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.
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.
January 15, 2025
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
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
November 19, 2025
Loved this really heartfelt exploration of loneliness and anxiety, and appreciated that McQueer showed a very real depiction of depression, warts and all (some vivid depictions of smells in this one).
I kind of wanted to delve more into the incel mindset and the quick descent into that world that people can so easily lure people into — but this was still done brilliantly disturbingly.
Love a bit of Scots.
I kind of wanted to delve more into the incel mindset and the quick descent into that world that people can so easily lure people into — but this was still done brilliantly disturbingly.
Love a bit of Scots.
June 26, 2025
3.75 rounded up
Hermit is deeply unnerving; its dark and visceral and at points quite upsetting. It’s also intensely readable. Chris McQueer is an incredibly talented writer with such a distinct voice and perspective that really makes this book distinct. Personally struggled (emotionally) a little bit with the content of this which meant I didn’t inhale this like I expected but taking this one slow is maybe not the worst idea.
I can’t say I LOVED this the way I really wanted to but I do this this is incredibly accomplished and I am excited to see where McQueer goes next
Hermit is deeply unnerving; its dark and visceral and at points quite upsetting. It’s also intensely readable. Chris McQueer is an incredibly talented writer with such a distinct voice and perspective that really makes this book distinct. Personally struggled (emotionally) a little bit with the content of this which meant I didn’t inhale this like I expected but taking this one slow is maybe not the worst idea.
I can’t say I LOVED this the way I really wanted to but I do this this is incredibly accomplished and I am excited to see where McQueer goes next
July 5, 2025
Really well written, especially with the use of Scots in a way that felt natural and not cringey, which is really hard to pull off. It handled a lot of difficult subjects really well, especially with the balance of showing and explaining incel culture and then undermining it through the main character.
October 20, 2025
Einstaklega góð bók! Efnið sem er tekið fyrir er einstakt og gefur innsýn inn í líf mæðgina þar sem sonurinn lifir einbúa lífi. Hvernig lífinu er aðlagað vegna þess og tilfinningalífi þeirra beggja í kringum það. Mörg mjög óhugnanleg og erfið topic og þróast í verri og verri áttir. Kaflarnir mjög spennandi og það er erfitt að slíta sig frá því maður verður að vita hvað gerist en líka erfitt að hlusta á margt.
Tungumálið einstaklega skemmtilegt og skoska mállískan mjög falleg. Mæli með að hlusta á hljóðbókina þar sem leikararnir eru ótrúlega góðir að manni finnst eins og þau séu raunverulega að upplifa þessa hluti.
Tungumálið einstaklega skemmtilegt og skoska mállískan mjög falleg. Mæli með að hlusta á hljóðbókina þar sem leikararnir eru ótrúlega góðir að manni finnst eins og þau séu raunverulega að upplifa þessa hluti.
November 3, 2025
4.5*
Incredibly solid debut. A bleak, unique and terrifyingly believable dive into swift indoctrination. It’s not every day I need to put a brew on after finishing a book.
We need to get this on A-level syllabus’s country wide tomorrow.
Incredibly solid debut. A bleak, unique and terrifyingly believable dive into swift indoctrination. It’s not every day I need to put a brew on after finishing a book.
We need to get this on A-level syllabus’s country wide tomorrow.
January 2, 2026
Honestly didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. 5 star book on the first day of the year??? Bad omen or good reading year ahead who knows
Also I love Scottish people
And I read this in hardback not on my kindle but I can’t change the edition for some reason.
Also I love Scottish people
And I read this in hardback not on my kindle but I can’t change the edition for some reason.
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