This was such a good quirky funny kinda of read. Quite funny. Truly enjoyed and couldn’t help but have a few laugh out loud moments

There is nothing funnier than someone trying to explain the rituals of the Catholic Mass. I loved Gilda and all her inappropriate but well meaning and heart felt actions. I am so glad there was a happy ending for Gilda.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 6, 2021
Fans of “Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine” will adore Emily Austin’s debut novel, “Everyone in This Room will Someday be Dead”.
Gilda is a twenty-something atheist lesbian, who struggles with hypochondria, anxiety and depression. She also has an obsession with death; how people die, how she is going to die, how the planet and everyone on it will die. When she inadvertently gets hired as an office assistant in a Catholic church, she definitely founds herself in over her head, as she tries to hide her sexuality and her religion from the congregation and from the priest, Jeff. While she is reviewing emails left unanswered by the previous assistant, Gloria, she comes across one from an old friend of Gloria’s, Rosemary, who has not yet been told that Gloria is dead. Unable to break the news herself, Gilda pretends to be Gloria, and the two continue their back and forth communication. When Gloria’s death turns out not to be an accident, Gilda’s strange behaviour and emails with Rosemary make her the prime suspect.
This novel is heartbreaking, hilarious and relatable (sometimes all at once). Gilda is eccentric in every sense of the word, preferring to avoid social interactions and focus on the potentially negative “what ifs” of every situation. Gilda circles between periods of deep depression and anxiety-induced panic attacks, to the point where she is on a first-name basis with the staff at the local hospital. A sad, seemingly naïve character, Gilda is still realistic and charming enough to be someone to root for. Honest and upfront (because she knows no other way) Gilda struggles with forming relationships. There is something about Gilda that everyone can relate to (I promise you I found my kindred spirit in a lot of her behaviours and attitudes about life).
The story is told in four main parts, which each part broken down by Catholic holiday (such as “Advent” and “Lent”), so there are no chapters. But it still is easy reading, as each part is broken down into smaller paragraphs, and I flew through each quickly. Gilda narrates the entire novel, adding a uniqueness to the story’s structure.
There is a slight lull in the middle of the story that I had to push through, but the ending of the novel pulled me right back in. Although it ended the way I expected, I was sad to see the end of Gilda and her adventures. I love the quirky and eccentric characters that are so different from the regular protagonist characters, and Gilda definitely touched my soul. Thanks to this Canadian author for bringing Gilda into my life. I hope to see more of her.

I was given an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my views. The description of this book said it was hilarious and delightful, but I found it to be the exact opposite. It was heavy, depressing, and I don't think I laughed even once. I felt so sad for Gilda the entire time, and wanted her to be able to get the help that she so desperately and obviously needed. I'm glad it was a short read so that I could finish it quickly. Overall, I cannot recommend this book at all, without the description being amended, as it is very misleading.

Three words. I LOVED IT. Seriously, I read it in one sitting. The entire thing, I just gobbled it up. I laughed, I cried, I felt like I was right there with Gilda.

Gilda and I are about the same age, and I related to her character a lot in the book. Her certain quirks were similar to some of my own. I found her instantly likeable, a true gem, and charming in every way. We don’t share the same obsession with mortality, yet underneath that obsession with mortality is a crippling anxiety disorder and an incessant need to say “I’m fine,” to everyone who asks, despite our crumbling to pieces inside.

Gilda is a frequent flyer at the emergency room, and a bit of a hypochondriac, which I gather she knows, seeing as she's familiar with every member of staff at the hospital, right down to the janitor.

She doesn’t like attention and cries when she’s overstimulated, opening herself up to the reader right away and revealing her sensitivities. Gilda’s struggle with depression is going to be relatable for anyone who struggles with the darkness, and her deadpan humour alone makes this one a must-read, regardless of your mental health status.

It was an easy read, one filled with dark humour and plenty of giggles. Emily managed to capture the essence of what I imagine she dreamt up for Gilda so accurately through her prose and had me falling for her main protagonist within moments.

This is a beautiful novel. One that got me through a particularly rough day and had me laughing from start to finish. While I can’t guarantee you’ll relate as well to Gilda as I did, I can assure that you’ll be laughing like mad when you read this one.

Without a doubt, it’s one of the funniest novels I’ve read this year. It’s one of those books that you get to the end of and immediately google ‘books like everyone in this room will someday be dead,’ you know the kind I mean, right? Then you feel disappointed because none of the search results quite live up to the same standard.

I feel like there’s a little, or a lot, of Gilda, lurking within all of us, and this book will serve each of us in our own ways. For me, it was the right book at the right time, and I adored it.

I did not find Emily Austin’s debut novel Everyone in This Room Will Someday be Dead hilarious or profound. I was anticipating fun by the cover then thought dark humour this however was just dark, bleak and depressing. Austin’s writing style can best be described as quirky which does not resonate well with me. Many of the characters in this novel had mental health and substance abuse issues including the main character, Gilda. She was so depressed that she stopped going to work causing her to lose her job. The consequences of this are how the story begins. I was frustrated that no one realized she needed help and that she could not get it. I did not particularly like the characters either which did not help me enjoy the book.
I will say that Austin did a fabulous job ending the book and bringing it all full circle



Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What a strange book, but I really loved it. It was dark and depressing and hard to read but it felt like the author did a great job of examining depression and anxiety and it just, uuggh, like really hits you and makes you feel less alone.

Comedic relief fills this book of dark humor about the mortality of humans and really, all creatures lives. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC copy of “Someday everyone is this room will be dead.” Gilda it’s stuck in her head constantly thinking about death and the many ways life can go wrong, through lies, friendship and relationships she learns that there may be more to life than dying, that’s what matters is what you do with your time living to make it worth it. She is living a fake life working at a church, while trying to hide her sexuality at work and keep her work life hidden from her girlfriend, this juggling of roles leads to a police suspicion over the death of the predecessor at her job, Grace.
This book is a whirlwind from start to finish. I’d definitely recommend you give it a read and see what you think. Though I do wish the parts of the book had been broken into chapter rather than 4-5 large parts, it was still easy to get into the story and follow Gilda’s crazy life.

Don't be fooled by the title and put this book aside assuming this night be a doomed story on death. It is not! It is the opposite. It is hilarious and cathartic!!
I could not stop myself from turning the pages reading the story of an anxious, animal loving, atheist, lesbian twenty something girl working as receptionist at a catholic church, in the presence of god everyday, responding to calls on mass schedules and emails on prayer requests. I ended up finishing the book in a day. I enjoyed the writing and fell in love with the metaphors that were generously thrown throughout the book.
I feel like I have met my new favorite writer. Thanks Emily Austin for this brilliant work and I can't wait to read your next one.
I would definitely recommend this for reading this summer.

Gilda is a twenty something lesbian atheist hypochondriac with a profound anxiety disorder that stumbles into a job at a Catholic church and becomes obsessed with her predecessor’s mysterious death. What could possibly go wrong?!?

The book takes us on Gilda’s journey as she goes about her day to day with these new and unexpected complications. The author serves up wonderful supporting characters and I dare you not to love Gilda!

One of my favourite moments, and there are many, is when Gilda realizes the crackers’ she stole from the church are in fact the body of Christ. Which she only discovers when researching the brand to give them a review; so tasteless and bland that no amount of cheese could save them. The lapsed Catholic in me found this hilarious!

While certainly infused with humour, we also get glimpses into the very real depths of pain that anxiety disorders can cause.

A brilliantly deadpan, deeply human and tender reckoning of the only thing any of us can be sure of, death.

I've had Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead on my Goodreads "Want to Read" list for ages. I think I first stumbled upon the title in a New York Times articles of upcoming books, and enthusiastically added it to my list. Since then, I feel like every time I went to my list to choose my next book, I'd decide I wanted to read Emily R. Austin's book and then suffer the disappointed of realizing it wasn't released yet and wouldn't be until July 6. So I was excited when I saw this book come up as an ARC on NetGalley.

I immensely enjoyed this book. I found myself highlighting a lot of sections as I identified with Gilda's thoughts and worries about death. Gilda is a somewhat exaggerated version of modern awkwardness as she struggles with basic social interactions and finds the simple task of washing dishes overwhelming. What I like about Gilda, though, is that unlike a lot of books about people with mental health struggles, she remains functional. Gilda's job is fairly undemanding as she works as receptionist for a church, and much of her job seems to be to tell the same woman what time Sunday services will be, but she has a job, which makes her different than a lot of characters about books whose lives are a bit messy. I found this a refreshing change as having Gilda work with others created more opportunities for interaction and awkwardness. This created some humour, though I generally didn't find the book to be especially funny. The humour is mostly dry and ironic, but underneath that is a genuine and deep sadness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was very funny, throughly engaging throughout, but also very very morbid. If you enjoy dry humour, this book is definitely for you! It does cover some heavy topics, but it still comes off as a light and enjoyable read! Thank you Net galley, Atria Books & Simon Schuster for the ARC!

Charming, hilarious, and super relatable. I had such a blast while reading this. I loved the description of mental health in this story. The way Gilda suffers from her anxiety is something that most people can relate to. I loved her inside monologues! I definitely have analyzed of few of them myself. The only flaw I found in this book is that it's very character-driven with a few minor plotlines. I would compare it to a slice-of-life-style story. Which usually, I'm not the biggest fan of but I was still extremely entertained. Overall, this is a charming, funny, and relatable story.

Thank you, NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Emily Austin for the arc!

This is one of those books where you’re not quite sure what you’re getting into when reading, but you just kind of have to go along for the ride.

I found this to be actually quite funny, truly laugh out loud funny - most likely because I felt some kinship with Gilda in relation to her random intrusive thoughts. In fact, I probably followed her stream of conscious negative thought chain a little T O O easily at times.

I feel like this is a book that you either “get”, or you don’t. I thought it to be honest, real, hilarious, sad, ridiculous, and in its own very quirky way, sweet. I do acknowledge that it could be read as though depression and anxiety are being used as a punchline, but I think it’s an inclusive one - it’s trying to laugh WITH you, not at you.

If you’ve ever experienced an existential crisis, and have stared at the ceiling in the wee hours trying to figure out why you said that thing you said in the eighth grade, this book may be for you.

A sincere thank you to Net Galley, Atria Books and Simon & Schuster for this digital advanced readers copy.

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

Initially I thought this book was going to be light hearted, I know, I know, The Title DOES NOT suggest this, however it was quirky with some humour that I found appealing. Boy was I wrong! Although I really enjoys a lot of this book, it was quite dark in ways I did not expect. It was entertaining though and I did feel sympathy for the main character. Overall, I would say it was well written and worth reading.

What did I just read? The description is very misleading; this story is about a young woman who can barely function. She can't hold down a job, she is known on a first-name basis by emergency room staff due to all her trips for panic attacks, she constantly worries about dying, she has out of body experiences... this book made me feel crazy. I'm glad it was so short because I couldn't stay in that headspace any longer.

I understand that anxiety and depression are real issues, but this just irritated me to no end. I also found the writing style very confusing. It switches back and forth to different scenes and different people and I had no idea of the time line of these issues.

The plot is centered around Gilda accidentally getting a job in a Catholic church (she's gay), and everything else that happens is an outcome of her lies. This reminded me of one of those comedies where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong... except for this wasn't funny. I expected some heart-warming moments from the synopsis, but this was just bleak.

The ending is the only reason that this gets three stars. I was happy with how things turned out, and I hope that it's a turning point for Gilda.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like reading your internal monologue.... just going about day to day life with everything being a THING. Working. Relationships, replying to a text. Not wanting to say no or disappoint someone. It all takes effort, and you can only give so much. So you give all you can, but even then, the dishes are just too much. And you can't tell them that you are there for therapy, not a job, so now you've got a job. Why do you have a job? Grace is dead. How did she die? Who was she?

This book was so unique- stream of consciousness from an anxiety ridden 26yr old woman... it felt so real - I could see her life from her thoughts - see that she cared, deeply, and didn't wan't to disappoint anyone or hurt anyone, and was only hurting herself.
Austin creates a deeply emotional connection though her internal monologue, in a truly unique story that was impossible to put down.

This book is hilarious but heavy at times. Perhaps the summary makes it seem like more humour than anything but it is definitely a dark comedy. I loved it!

4.5 stars - At 22%, the scene where Gilda attended her first Catholic mass, had me laughing so hard I was in tears! This book is just about perfect. It was funny, and I can totally relate to being too tired/depressed to care about anything. Gilda's dry wit is exactly what I LOVE in a character.

The second half of the book was more dark and less-funny, but I love how everything wrapped up at the end and didn't leave me with any pressing questions!

At first I was put-off by the fact that there were no "Chapters", but instead just "Parts", but it works really well. The excellent writing really makes you feel like you're inside Gilda's head.

The last thing I will mention is that the main character's name isn't revealed until 12%, which I feel is a bit late in the story to just be learning the main character's name, and it isn't really mentioned until 78%, where the story is taking place.

I was SO thrilled to find out that Ms. Austin is a Canadian author!! I will definitely be on the lookout for future books by this author!

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin perfectly delivered the kind of book I crave the most. It is a deeply moving story told through the voice of an underdog, someone who doesn’t quite fit in and who can’t quite get it together. It teeters between dark humour and utter heartbreak which, when it comes to literature, is exactly where I want to be.

Gilda - described as “a twenty-something, atheist, animal-loving lesbian” - is involved in a small car accident which propels her into accidentally ending up with a job working at a Catholic church. Her entry into and navigation of that environment and her tendency to just go with the flow of everything that comes her way sets the stage for the novel.

“In between trying to memorize the lines to Catholic mass, hiding the fact that she has a new girlfriend, and erecting a dirty dish tower in her crumbling apartment, Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace’s old friend. She can’t bear to ignore the kindly old woman, who has been trying to reach her friend through the church inbox, but she also can’t bring herself to break the bad news. Desperate, she begins impersonating Grace via email. But when the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace’s death, Gilda may have to finally reveal the truth of her mortifying existence.”

There’s a lot going on throughout, and some of it serves up laughs while others bring tears to a reader’s eye. There’s a scene on a bus that I’ve achingly thought about countless times since I read it. This perfect and seamless balance between comedy and tragedy shows a real talent and makes for a fantastic reading experience.

Readers who enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and Sad Janet by Lucie Britsch should enjoy this book, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the advanced copy. I’d preordered my own before I’d even finished it. It will be published on July 6th, 2021.