Hermit

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What to expect

SHORTLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2025

'A deeper look into the loneliness of modern masculinity. Superb' - DOUGLAS STUART, author of SHUGGIE BAIN

'I was so moved' - ANNIE MACMANUS, author of MOTHER MOTHER

'Far and away the best debut novel I've read in a very long time' - JOHN NIVEN, author of O BROTHER

'Nobody writes wee guys like Chris McQueer' - CALLUM MCSORLEY, author of SQUEAKY CLEAN

'A dreadful - but masterful - read' - ALICE SLATER, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER

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 playing video games with his online friend, Lee, 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 knows their lives can't carry on like this, but the more Fiona tries to reach Jamie, the further away he seems to get.

Lee tells Jamie he's realised there's a name for what they are - incels - and that there's a guy on the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.

When a chance arises for Jamie to escape to London and meet his new friends, Fiona must find a way to reconnect with her son before he is lost for ever.

More praise for HERMIT:
'A superb and topical book on mental health and incel culture' CHIKODILI EMELUMADU
'As compelling as doom scrolling' - Herald Magazine
'This is a very funny novel. But I'd not expected to be quite so moved' - FRANCISCO GARCIA
'Arguably the most eagerly-awaited novel of the year' - Snack Magazine
'An unflinching tale of the traps into which young men can fall' - Herald
'McQueer brings a distinct, compassionate style to the narrative.' - Irish Times
'Brave, bold and ambitious' - Sunday Post

Praise for CHRIS MCQUEER:
'Charlie Brooker on Buckfast' MARTIN COMPSTON, actor
'[McQueer's] talent zings off the page' Guardian
'Impressive' ERIC IDLE, member of Monty Python

Critics Review

A deeper look into the loneliness of modern masculinity. Superb.
Douglas Stuart, author of SHUGGIE BAIN
I just finished Hermit. Jesus Christ - what an utter triumph it is. Just packed with feeling, intensity and humanity. Far and away the best debut novel I've read in a very long time. Chris McQueer invests Jamie and Fiona with such love that the reader feels for each of them at every turn. That world of young, male online culture feels blisteringly, achingly plausible and real. Also, in the shadow of the US election, it has much to tell us about how and why we are where we are. Bravo man, bravo
John Niven, author of KILL YOUR FRIENDS and O BROTHER
Funny, sad, disturbing and utterly compelling. I couldn't put it down, I rooted for the characters, It's a story of shame, transgression and the distances we will travel in order to feel less alone. I was so moved
Annie Macmanus, author of THE MESS WE'RE IN
A grimly addictive, empathetic novel. Hermit is a visceral examination of the misogynistic rot permeating the minds of young men and putting women at risk. A dreadful - but masterful - read
Alice Slater, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER
An unflinching tale of the traps into which young men can fall, filled with insight, heart and humour
The Herald
I've spent years impatiently waiting to see where McQueer would take us with his debut novel. Some of its pleasures are to be expected. McQueer's unusual gifts of voice, pacing and light touch surrealism are all wonderfully in evidence. This is a very funny novel. But I'd not expected to be quite so moved by the interlocking stories of Fiona and Jamie, the cripplingly shy, oddball mother and son, for whom life is one lengthy endurance test. A real statement from a unique talent.
Francisco Garcia, author of IF YOU WERE THERE
What a ride! This is not a particularly twisty book and yet, there were surprises aplenty. I could not guess - until the last possible moment - what the climax would be . . . In this superb and topical book on mental health and incel culture, McQueer goes to bat for young boys and shows us the faux-shepherds that threaten to turn them loose and angry upon society, at a time when they are most vulnerable
Chikodili Emelumadu, author of DAZZLING
Hermit is bleak, funny, and dreadfully human. Its subject matter is grim and timely but its characters are handled with such empathy you find yourself desperately hoping Jamie and Fiona will be OK. In a world of big personalities, Hermit shines a stark light on the quiet, forgotten ones. Nobody writes wee guys like Chris McQueer.
Callum McSorley, author of SQUEAKY CLEAN
McQueer brings a distinct, compassionate style to the narrative.
The Irish Times
As compelling as doom scrolling
The Herald Magazine

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