ARC Review: A Sci Fi Novella

The Hermit Next Door by Kevin Hearne

Publication Date: June 30, 2024

Summary from NetGalley:

Newly widowed and trying to cope with her grief, Winnie Mae Chisholm moves from Tennessee with her teenage son, Pax, to Oregon, hoping the change will let them both heal and move on. She’s warned when buying their new home that the next door neighbor, Mr. Fisher, is a famous recluse and no one has seen him in years, but that’s fine with her—she’s looking for quiet.

She’s not going to get it, however, because when Pax meets the neighbor, he discovers that the reason Mr. Fisher hides from the world is that he isn’t actually from this world. He’s been stranded for decades and he’s trying to get home, and he could really use some help.

Abruptly part of the best-kept secret on the planet, Winnie Mae and Pax have to protect Mr. Fisher from a nosy neighbor who would ruin his work and doom him to die among aliens, but they also have to ask themselves: How far would they go to escape their grief? Would another world be far enough?

ARC provided by Subterranean Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This is probably going to be a very short review as it will be hard to talk about this novella without giving anything away. I adored this fun and wonderful look at how humanity treats others who are different and how we are treating our planet. This book has everything in such a small package, likable characters, wonderful world building and some fun yet weird little twists.

The story is told fully through the voice of Winnie Mae. She is so likable that I would love to have her as my neighbor. She is trying her best to do what is right for herself and her son, even though it means moving across the country into the unknown. I also liked her son Pax, who as a teenager was able to accept Mr Fisher easier than adults would. He was a great kid who knew how to stand up for himself, even when it got him into trouble.

I won’t say much about Mr Fisher, as that would spoil the whole story for you. But he was the best alien this earth could have been invaded by. I loved learning about his home and would love to visit there.

The story is short, only 98 pages, but it does pack quite a bit into it. Not only are the characters well developed, but the plot is full of fun and weird little twists. This is one you should really go into without knowing much, so I won’t say more, except that you really should go out and read it.

I highly recommend this sweet and fun novella, especially if you like humor and adorable characters. Fans of the author will be thrilled and I think this will attract new fans to his other books.