I read through this book in one sitting, it truly captivated me. I laughed, I cried, I felt second hand embarrassment, my heart nearly shattered. Gilda's inner thoughts were entertaining, absolutely chaotic and so real. Definitely worth a read!

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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The concept of this book certainly grabbed my eye when I first looked at it. It follows Gilda, an atheist lesbian who is preoccupied with death and also greatly concerned for the wellbeing of animals, as she lands a job at a Catholic church.

I really loved the humor in this novel and thought all of the characters were pretty interesting. The plot moved at a steady pace and kept me invested. It was also full of events that I didn't see coming, and I really liked that the author kept me on my toes.

I gave this book a three stars because despite what I enjoyed about it, the main hindrance to the novel was our protagonist. Being in Gilda's head, especially as a person who suffers from phobia of death like she does, was exhausting at times. Despite it's cheerful cover and description, this book is actually quite dark the entire way through. I think the bleak moments would have hit harder if they were interrupted more frequently- being trapped in constant woe allowed me to get used to it, and so it became harder to feel for Gilda as the novel went on.

I've heard that this is a good novel for fans of the show "Fleabag". I've never watched it myself, but if you're a fan, maybe you'll enjoy this one as well! Despite my own nit-picks about it, I think this novel has the potential to appeal to a lot of people. If you enjoy darker themes in your contemporary lit, but also crave some good humor, I definitely think this is a worth a try.

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead Is a raw and witty insight on the meaning of life, perfectly balanced with dark humour.

Review of copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book, and I did like the main character Gilda. I hadn't thought that the book would be quite so much of a downer - perhaps calling it a hilarious book is a bit misleading. There's certainly amusing parts, but reading it when you're feeling down isn't perhaps the best idea.

Still glad I read it!

This book was a delight. Yes, it was weird. Yes, I initially wondered if there would be a plot, but I loved (and related to) the character enough to stick it out and I"m glad that I did. I laughed. I cried. I love that this book was probably tricky for the publisher to categorize in a genre, I love that it was *different* and I can 100% see this as an HBO series, I hope it gets optioned. Loved. Read it. Pre-order it. Celebrate it.

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley for "Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead" by Emily Austin.

This was a book that strayed from my usual reading material. I found myself drawn to it because I had my own personal experiences with the Catholic Church, feeling like an imposter, all while combatting an anxiety disorder. I really think I found what I was looking for.

The general storyline follows Gilda, who accidentally joins a Catholic Church as their secretary after their last one died mysteriously. Gilda hides her mental anguish and that she is a lesbian from the Church, and finds herself drawn to the last secretary's e-mails and life so much that she tries to figure out how she died. We learn about Gilda's alcoholic brother, parents who are in denial, and Gilda's girlfriend, Eleanor.

Full disclosure: this is no book. It is a window into the mind of Gilda: an atheist, lesbian woman struggling with mental illness. Much like the human mind, there is no real linear timeframe here. Everything is dispensed through her perspective and thought processes, whether she is looking at the past, present, or catastrophizing future events. She often derails into the most terrible imaginings due to her depression, anxiety, and personal identity issues. She feels so strongly about the people she sees and reads about, that she often finds herself crying and feeling loss where she did not experience any real connection. Her thoughts are also funny and endearing. I felt like I was reading my own journal for so much of this book that it was almost startling; it so accurately portrays some of the thoughts and feelings I've personally experienced.

This story is really a ride-along with Gilda through a short period of her life. There is no real resolution, no fully formed beginning or end, just a piece of her existence that we pop in and out of. While this type of writing might not be for everyone due to its 'scattered thought' format, I certainly enjoyed it a lot. I connected with it very deeply. It made me feel less alone in my life experiences, and I think that is exceptional.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin is a most impressive debut, introducing us to an author who is, quite clearly, one to watch.

Gilda is a young woman who stumbles into a job as a receptionist at a Catholic church. Being an atheist, it is a job that presents many challenges for Gilda, such as dealing with an elderly woman who believes that she is communicating with Gilda's predecessor, Grace, through the church's email account. Not wanting to share the news of Grace's demise with her friend, Gilda continues correspondence as if she is the dearly departed Grace. The daily challenges that she faces, while forging a truer sense of herself, lead Gilda to ruminate on the harshh realities of life, and the inevitability of death.

This is a propulsive read that pulled me in from the very start. It is in parts quirky, honest, and sharply observed, and I look forward to seeing what comes next from this talented new voice.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I hope to read more books by this author.

It's a rare book of which I read absolutely every word, but Emily Austin had me spellbound from the very beginning.
Perhaps it was due to the sheer originality of the book and the manner in which the author told the story that had me transfixed. Perhaps it was the relatability of the main character that had me rivetted. Or it could have been the sheer wonder of the predicaments the main character finds herself in that kept me wanting more. And it could have been the skill with which Austin writes that made me not want to miss one word.
Truthfully, I suspect it was all of the above.
I enjoyed reading this immensely, often laughing out loud and drawing indulgent looks from my husband in the process.
I look forward to future novels by this wonderful Canadian writer!

Overall, it is a good book to understand the world of people who has mental health issues. Some of the philosophical questions along with environment issues are really good to think about. In some way, we all try to pretend that we are Ok when we are not Ok, which is just easier to avoid conversation and avoid dealing with it. In the story, Gilda definitely wanted to get medical help since the beginning of the book; otherwise, she would not visit the ER frequently. But I sometimes, didn’t understand why she wasn’t 100% honest with the doctor to identify her health situation. And, the medical help didn’t seem to work. The ending on one hand gives hope. On the hand, it is not clear to me how Gilda got better. Is it because she got better medical help or it is purely because she opened to people around her (e.g, family, friends, lover) and stopped pretending to be someone whom she was not? I understand that it is a fiction but I think it would be better to make it clearer so people who have similar mental health issues will feel it is helpful.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting light and funny. Still a good book all in all . It’s just a little sad.

This book wasn't at all what I was expecting based on the blurb, and I think that did the book a big disservice. I was expecting funny and quirky, but in the end I was sort of just sad. I loved the premise, but not at all the execution.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher, #SimonSchusterCanada, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5-stars!

Awesome, fast-paced, unputdownable read!!!

An awesome blend of spot-on observations of life-situations and deadpan humour mixed with a little drama. I can totally see this being made into a TV show (Netflix are you listening??)

Kudos to the author on creating characters that will stay with you long after you've turned that last page.

Release Date: July 6, 2021