Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead was one of my favorite books of 2021, and I already know Interesting Facts About Space will be on my list for 2024. Her main characters, Enid and Gilda (from EiTRWSBD) are both lovably weird and uncomfortably relatable (even though I’m old enough to be their mothers). Austin has a funny, brilliant, original voice, and I laughed out loud so many times while reading Enid’s snarky observations.

This book also made me *extremely* happy that YouTube did not exist when I was an angsty teenager - having all of that craziness immortalized forever, where anyone can see it, locked behind a password I can’t remember, THE HORROR.

Highly recommend for anyone who listens to true crime podcasts to relax and/or has ever felt like maybe they’re a shell for a weird little bug that’s trying to take over. LOVED THIS.

I loved Emily Austin's first novel, and I'm so happy to say I loved her second as well. Enid was a super compelling character and the story was well-paced.

I first read everyone in this room will someday be dead by this author and instantly loved it. I thought it was an interesting but believable character. The same is true for interesting facts about space. I loved Enid and her friends and family who felt like real people you'd encounter and also both felt so hard to put down. Both books I think I read in a weekend. I will definitely continue to read from Emily Austin as her books are the perfect blend of quirky humor and heartfelt.

I suspect this was meant to be deep and meaningful, but honestly I found myself incredibly bored. I probably need to stop trying to read realistic fiction.

hello. this is my favorite book of all time, bar none.

after this second read through i've come to the conclusion that emily austin has the supernatural power to read minds because this book? this one? this book is about me. and maybe this book will be about you too.

here's what to know about enid: she's a lesbian with commitment issues, she's deaf in one ear, she's neurodivergent, she's covered in tattoos of rats in victorian dresses, she's obsessed with space, and she's terrified of bald men. which makes the fact that there's one following her very, very bad.

this book is about people dealing with their inner demons.

this book has enid navigating a tenuous relationship with her half-sisters edna and kira, born of a father that abandoned her when she was young. much of this book feels impacted by her father's decision to abandon enid and her mom - it manifests in enid constantly analyzing her wrongness, trying to identify the place in her head where the cogs and gears aren't working properly. she feeds this wrongness with a true crime podcast obsession, not out of fear that she'll become a victim but out of fear that she's something like the criminals that she's listening about.

enid's also constantly seeking new hook-ups with women on dating apps. she craves the validation of connection, but runs far, far away at the inkling of anything deeper than sex by sending partners a "dear john"-type form text she keeps in her notes app whenever she has to disengage.

we also see how her father's leaving has impacted her mother. her mom has it together some days, but some days her mom doesn't wear lipstick and the house falls into disarray. because enid struggles with the intimacy of expressing love, she communicates with her mom in facts about space - blue sunsets on mars and diamonds raining on jupiter and saturn.

this is a book about internalized grief, how we isolate ourselves, how when we're hurt by the people that we trust, we enshrine ourselves in layers of protection so that we can't be hurt the same way again, but how underneath all of that we're still people that need love. it's a book about how fear can hold us back and harm us, how we use fear to protect ourselves from being hurt but in the end we're the ones hurting ourselves.

i wish i could give this book one billion stars.

i love you, emily austin.

an extra note: emily has mentioned this book was heavily inspired by souvenir by boygenius. you will not be able to unsee julien baker as enid. listen to the song and read this book!

I read over a hundred books in 2023, and out of all of them, Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead was my favorite. Because of that, I had really high expectations for Interesting Facts About Space, and I was honestly worried I had *too* high of expectations, and I'd be disappointed because of that. Given all that as context, it's saying a lot that this book didn't disappoint in the slightest. It's exactly what I wanted, and even though we're only a week into 2024, I feel confident that it'll be among my favorites this year again.

I loved the way this was written, in every way you could love how a novel is written. There's something about Austin's writing that's just so perfect to me--it's relatable, it's interesting, it's funny, it's real, it's entertaining, it's engaging. I never had a dull moment while reading this, and couldn't put it down. I was rooting for Enid so much. This book also kind of fucked me up in more than one way, not gonna lie. I cried, I found some of it a little *too* relatable, and I got so sucked in at a couple points that I was worried the book would ruin my day (in a way that's both actually bad but also a real credit to the writing, in my opinion). But! It didn't ruin my day. I'm so glad I read this book and I can't wait for Emily Austin to write more books so I can get to experience feelings like this again. Genuinely, both this and Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead are the kind of books I would pay money to be able to forget and read again for the first time. I want to reread this again for sure, and I can't wait for it to come out so more people will read and talk about it.

Smaller comments for anyone who has read Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead and maybe could be worried it's the same for some reason (? idk): in comparison, I found Interesting Facts About Space to be less tense/stressful to read, and maybe more hopeful/happy in a way. (Moderate spoilers ahead for both books:) One of the most distressing parts about Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead (again, in a good way, I loved everything about that book, but still) was how hard Gilda found asking for help, and how much she lied to those around her and said she was fine. It was a relief when Enid finally went to therapy and started confessing what was going on to some people in her life. And again, I truly loved Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, and honestly don't know which book I like more at this point. But just in case anyone else found reading that one stressful, I think this one is less stressful to read. Less tense, even if it's still pretty dark and existential and all that.

Oh and another even smaller note--I wondered at many points while reading Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead if Gilda was autistic, but the book never addressed that, which was fine. While reading Interesting Facts About Space I kept thinking "this is the most autistic bitch I've ever read," so I was excited when the therapist mentioned she might be autistic. (For context I'm also autistic.)

I have so much I could say about this book but I don't even know where to start. Maybe when I inevitably reread it I'll come back and update this with some of my favorite parts. But genuinely it's like.....the entire book is my favorite? Everything about it? I'm just so glad I got to read it, and I'd recommend it to anyone (with my only reservation being if your mental health is *really* bad in similar ways to Enid's, then maybe this would be a little too real sometimes...but that's such a personal thing so who knows).

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not really sure how Emily R. Austin manages to crawl inside my brain and put all my thoughts to paper, but she’s done it again. Our main character, Enid, is also endearing, quirky, and anxiety-consumed like Gilda in Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead. Enid is true crime obsessed, terrified of bald men, maybe a bit paranoid, and expresses her love through sharing facts about space. Again, Austin manages to write about love in the most moving ways. These characters do express their love in sort of unusual ways but it makes my heart swell every time (I maybe even cried a little at the end). I particularly loved Enid’s relationship with her mom and even the smallest expression of their love for each other would make me smile or tear up. They’re not perfect but that’s what makes these stories and the characters’ relationships so real. And Enid realizing how loved she is despite feeling like an innately bad and unlovable person…my heart.
Maybe it’s slightly closer to a 4.5/4.75 just because there were a few spots where it lulled for me, but again, I just struggle to think of another author who can perfectly express all my weird thoughts and experiences. Austin manages to create stories that let me know I’m not alone in my anxieties and allow me to even find the humor in the experiences and paranoia I have. It’s hilarious, and I was laughing out loud just a few pages in and then throughout most of the book. I felt sort of morbid when I died laughing reading EITRWSBD and then saw people reviewing saying how dark and depressing it was. But once again, I think Austin just uses dark humor fantastically. There are heavy topics for sure, and I would say they’re handled with care, though it does sort of all culminate towards the end and becomes more serious. I had to make myself stop highlighting because I would’ve had at least half of the book marked. And I was devastated when I realized it was all coming to an end. So, because of this and because it did end up picking back up for me, I’m going to round up to five stars. Austin is absolutely an auto-read forever, and I’m very grateful I got this ARC. I'd recommend to anyone who feels "messed up" or unlovable or like you have to pretend to be a human, and definitely if you enjoyed EITRWSBD!

An anxiety ridden girl who feels guilty over how much true crime content she consumes? You had me at hello.

This author is such a gift to the writing world. Her last novel is one of my all time favorites, and she brought the same energy and a completely different story to this one. Enid was such a real and relatable character; even when she was making bad choices I loved her and wanted to be her friend. She had a phobia of bald men and I never once laughed or rolled my eyes at her for it, which I think comes back to what an amazing writer Emily Austin is.

"A fast paced, hilarious, and ultimately hopeful novel" truly is the best description, so kudos to whoever wrote that. I laughed, I teared up a little, and I devoured the entire book in less than 24 hours.

☆ REVIEW ☆

“My hobbies include listening to murder stories, having casual lesbian sex, and telling my mom interesting facts about space.”

I have truly never been as excited to get my hands on an ARC as I was with Interesting Facts About Space. As soon as I finished reading Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, I knew I had to read whatever Emily Austin wrote next.

Interesting Facts About Space is silly, heartfelt, and weird in the best way. Enid loves true crime podcasts and telling her mom interesting facts about space. She also has an intense phobia of bald men. The story follows Enid as she navigates her first serious relationship, complicated family dynamics, and mounting paranoia.

I felt so seen by this book and I’m confident I’ll be an Emily Austin fan for life. She writes about mental health and disability with an unflinching honesty that I really appreciate. Austin’s stories are both highly contemporary and refreshingly human.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC! Interesting Facts About Space will be released on January 30th.

*4.75 stars*

If you liked Everyone in This Room will Someday Be Dead, or you like books about messy women, you will love this one.

Enid is trying to figure out her life and herself while dealing with trauma, mental illness, disability, and complicated family. I love the way Austin writes these messy, anxious characters that are so relatable, Enid’s anxiety spirals and masking worries really resonated with my younger self. This is funny, touching, and very hard to put down. Throw in some interesting facts about space and what more could you want!

The ending wraps everything up nicely, but I wish it could have been a little longer to have had more time with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Never have I been more excited and hopeful to receive an ARC as I was for Interesting Facts About Space. I am a huge fan of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and plan to read every future published work of Emily R. Austin.

I think there is a little bit of Enid in all of us. I am a similar age to Enid (and the author) and she really hit the nail on the head with some of the nostalgic elements in the novel. I will be highly recommending this book to everyone I talk to about books. And I can't wait for the release of Gay Girl Prayers.

There are so many interesting facts about space.
Here are some interesting facts about the protagonist of this novel: she’s obsessed with true crime podcasts, she’s deaf in one ear, she thinks someone’s been sneaking into her apartment, she’s never had a relationship for longer then two or three months, She’s very close with her mother, she orders women off of Tinder like takeout for casual hook ups, she had two half-sisters she’d only recently met, she believes there is a darkness inside her, oh and she has an inexplicable phobia of bald men.
See, queer and quirky, just like the market currently enjoys. Would have been rather trite, but Austin’s too good of a writer for that, making what may have been a collection of gimmicks into a compelling story. No small trick considering that I actually didn’t care much for the protagonist. Yet I was totally in for the ride of her finally sorting herself out. Despite some dark elements, it’s actually a rather optimistic book, shining all kinds of light on the other end, presenting life as both less dangerous and more welcoming than one might have expected. Hopeful, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Quick, humorous, engaging read. Thanks Netgalley.

I love this second book by Emily Austin! It has the same tone as Austin's first book, Everyone In This Room Will Be Dead Someday. The main character in this one is Enid who lives in Ottawa and works as an information architect at a space research centre. She is deaf in one ear, a lesbian, space obsessed, and navigating complicated family relationships. The characters in this book are flawed, interesting and relatable. If you like realistic contemporary fiction with found-family themes and direct conversations about mental health and neurodiversity you'll like this. Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman who are open to reading about slightly older characters.
P.S. One point I had difficulty with this book was Enid's age. She is 26 years, old, but has worked at her job for 4 years, which means that she would have finished her graduate program at 22 years old -- this is a little tight. Also, one of Enid's half-sisters is a nurse, but the eldest one is supposed to be at least seven years younger than Enid. So she would be a 19 year old nurse? It seemed like Enid was supposed to be in her 30s, but maybe the editors wanted her to be younger? This is the second book I've read recently where the character's experiences and timelines don't match with their age. I think it would make more sense if Enid was at least 10 years older in this book.

This is a beautifully written story about a protagonist named Enid. We follow her inner thoughts as she is trying to navigate her life around relationships while also struggling with anxiety and ptsd. She has a fear of bald men, long term commitments, and showing others her true self. She is obsessed with space facts and true crime podcasts.

There's not much of a plot per se but I think that just adds more to the appeal. This is very character driven and Enid is someone that many of us can relate to. Both funny and heartfelt, Emily Austin did a fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc

Fleabag meets Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Very on-brand for this author: darkly comedic contemporary fiction about a 27-year-old lesbian struggling with mental illness. If you liked Austin’s first novel, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, you’ll almost certainly like this one as well. I read most of it in a day. Kudos for not going where I thought it was going, and for (in my opinion as a therapy patient but not a therapist) a pretty realistic portrayal of therapy.

I learned so much from "meeting" Enid in Interesting Facts About Space; she is a character that will stay with me for a long time. I have attended gender reveal parties in the past, and did not consider how members of the lgbtq community might feel about these parties, but seeing a gender reveal party through Enid's eyes will stay with me. This is the power of books! As readers, we get to live so many lives, and grow in our empathy for all people. Interesting Facts About Space was not a funny and lighthearted read for me, but it was a sad, beautiful and important read for me. My heart particularly ached reading Enid's thoughts during her father's funeral; her father had left her and her mother when Enid was young and was the dad she wished he had for his new family. I think Interesting Facts About Space is a solid addition to the realistic fiction genre, which will benefit from Enid's voice and perspective.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the manuscript for review purposes.

A lovely book about a young woman who seems to be spiraling in her personal life and at work. We meet Enid who is queer and seemingly neurodivergent. She works for a nasa like company and is obsessed with:
Facts abt space
True crime podcasts
Casual dating
Checking on her mom

She hates:
Bald men
Long term commits

As we follow Enid in her daily life of work, dating and avoiding bald men we learn more and more about her past, her relationship with her mom and her half sisters.

This is a very quirky book and lovers of Eleanor Oliohant will surely love this one. I found myself very engaged throughout the whole novel, I laughed a few times and felt a swell of protection for Enid as well.

A great read and one I’ll be recommending this year!

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting Facts about Space releases January 30, 2024

Enid is an avid listener of true crime podcasts and is not known to date exclusively, yet somehow seems to unknowingly find herself as the other woman of relationships more than she’d like.
She gives her best effort when reconnecting with her estranged half sisters, and helping her mother in the depths of her depressive episodes.

When Enid starts to notice unlocked and opened windows and slightly moved objects around her house, she’s convinced that someone is stalking her; coupled with her phobia of bald men and the fact that her new neighbour happens to be bald, you could say it’s not looking good for Enid.

This story is genuinely humorous and unapologetically authentic, encompassing one’s flaws, doubts, and all. The characterizations, thought processes, and scenarios all felt realistic and relatable.
I loved the lgbtq rep, hard of hearing (half deaf) rep, the use of space facts as a coping mechanism, and how deeply accurate depression, ptsd, mental health, and neurodivergence (autism) were depicted.

Everything comes together in a really satisfying and heartwarming way, so I’d recommend sticking it out until the very end with this one!

Thanks to Atria for this ARC!

A little about Enid:
- her family relationships are complicated
- her romantic relationships with women are short or nonexistent
- she’s deaf in one ear
- she listens to true crime podcasts constantly
- she’s afraid of bald men
- she loves to tell her mom interesting facts about space.

Interesting Facts about Space, in short, is Enid’s story, with an exploration on relationships and physical and mental health. I read this book just two sittings because I found it so intriguing. It’s also weird, because it’s about Enid and Enid is weird. It’s an absolutely compulsive read, and I loved the growth throughout these few hundred pages. This is for you if you’re into character-driven stories or enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

In “Interesting Facts About Space,” Enid is in her late 20s and nearing a breaking point. She’s dating casually because she’s afraid of people seeing her real self, she’s unsure if she’s hallucinating about people breaking into her apartment and she’s listening to way too many true crime podcasts. As Enid realizes she has real feelings for a new woman in her life, she also realizes it may finally be time to get help and face her past.

I did like this book. Enid is a great protagonist - dry, generally self aware, frank with the reader about her inner monologue and phobias. I enjoyed seeing her work on her relationship with her mom, and Polly, and her friend Vin.

The ending felt a little rushed, for me, and tied up so nicely. Every question gets answered in the last two chapters, and I would preferred to live a little longer in the aftermath of these realizations.

But I will recommend to others! Especially those that listen to too many true crime podcasts.