The first few chapters of this book were charming, dark and interesting. I loved the neurodivergent representation and the characters were fascinating. Learning about her family history and current relationships through her lens was fun. The middle of this book was slow and rough to get through. I kept waiting for more to happen. And then, all of a sudden, more did happen very quickly and the book was over. The pacing, which I'm sure was intentional and for effect, was odd. In the end, I enjoyed the book while I was reading it but when I was finished I kept thinking that I wanted there to be more to it. I'm not sure what exactly I wanted, be it more plot or more information or more closure. I just know that I felt like there was a piece missing from this puzzle.

I loved reading Emily Austin's latest book. It was light-hearted and managed to accurately depict mental illness with a good touch of humor. What got me hooked was the way the characters were developed. Each one was so unique and well-thought-out, making it easy for me to relate to them. The relationships between the characters were also really well-written. The bond between Enid and her sisters was fascinating, adding depth to their characters as the story unfolded. Polly's character was a nice surprise, bringing a good balance to Enid's life. Enid's connection with her mother was beautifully portrayed, despite the challenges they faced. And I loved the friendship between Enid and Vin - it was a standout, highlighting a strong queer-platonic connection that was portrayed exceptionally well. The only thing I thought could have been better was the pacing of the story, which sometimes felt a bit slow. The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking, but all in all, it was still satisfying and didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

I know Emily Austin has some avid fans, so I was really excited to read my first book by her. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I thought character development was excellent - characters were quirky, there was progression, they were REAL. That said, I did find myself waiting for the story to really take off. By the time I got to the end, I found myself wanting more (and not in the best way). Again, this was a fabulous book and I love character-driven stories, but for me, there was just something missing.

This book was funny, and uncomfortable, and heartbreaking, and uplifting all at the same time. I loved the characters' quirks and an accurate, thoughtful exploration of mental health issues.

I had trouble getting invested in the book at first, but I do feel that it came together at the end and I felt more satisfied in my understanding of the book & the main character’s motivations.

I liked but didn't love this one. For the right reader though it could be amazing. Loved main characters spouting of facts about space and that she found something at the end, but really found the characters difficult to gel with, and somewhat unlikeable. That said, if literary fiction is your jam this one might be for you still. Good mental health and LGBTQIA+ rep.

I had heard a lot of hype about this book and I think for the most part it delivered. I was skeptical of the blunt delivery that main character has and the detachment that comes with that. The tone reminded me a lot of "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" -- there is a lot of heavy themes but the presentation is slow and muted.
I think the book really succeeded in engaging the reader, despite (and maybe because) the main character was so frantic in her head. The commentary of relationships, memory, trauma and family were spot on. As someone who comes from a blended family, I felt that the portrayal of "the other family" was so spot on.
I would read more books by this author and would recommend this to anyone who likes female main characters who are messy and human while also being a little offbeat. Also great disability rep. The main character is often wondering what part of their personalities comes from their disability and when they even realized that their hearing loss is considered a disability.
Thanks you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

📚 Book Review 📚

🚀 Interesting Facts About Space ☄️


When I found out Emily Austin was publishing another novel I had to check it out because I really enjoyed Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead. Like her previous book, this one has a very quirky protagonist struggling with her mental health. Enid (the protagonist from this book) "deals" with her mental health struggles by avoiding them. The title refers to one of her preferred avoidance tactics, focusing on interesting facts about space. Enid is relatable amd loveable with a deep fear that she is not a good person. She struggles with her family relationships as she tries to forge a new relationship with her half sisters after the death or her estranged father yet still remain supportive towards her mother. She keeps much to herself out of fear but when she finally allows herself to share some of her thoughts and fears she finds that not only is she not alone in her feelings, but she is deeply loved by those around her. This is a quirky feel-good story that I highly recommend!

What a read! Although a little difficult to follow at times, Interesting Facts about Space is a book centered around character development than plot-- something that took me time to accustom to the nuances of the developments of each character. The intensity of the simple moments throughout Enid's life portrayed a character struggling to come to terms with herself and her relationships with others. Overall, a great, easy read with much food for thought.

'Interesting Facts about Space' has that magic that always comes from Austin's writing. Her voice is so unique: a mix of dark and casual, quirky and almost surreal, but very grounded in reality, detached but deep.

The plot is hard to consolidate, but the basics are that we have Enid, a neurodivergent, half-deaf, lesbian who works an office job at a space agency, obsessively listens to true crime podcasts, and spends a significant portion of her life checking in on her mentally ill mother, with whom she connects by sharing interesting facts about space. Enid has largely blocked out her past, has a massive fear of blind men and is terrified of someone who may or may not be breaking into her apartment. She has also newly connected with her two half-sisters after the death of their father — who had abandoned Enid and her mother — and that relationship is still being developed. Enid also regularly hooks up with women, but never in a way where there's something personal, until a unique connection that we get to explore (and which I loved). We are entirely in Enid's head as this is all happening, and it's fascinating to see how she views the world.

I really enjoyed the book for the most part, and highlighted a good amount of the writing. It does feel like about halfway through there's a change that's too sudden and poorly developed, and that felt like a weird departure/change of personality, that could have been written much better.

If you, like me, have ever worried that you’re a terrible person, you might identify with Enid. She thinks she may have a parasite inside of her, is afraid of bald men, and can’t really remember anything of her adolescence. She rewatches YouTube videos from that time that she can’t delete to torture herself. True Crime podcasts are her comfort zone, and she serial dates women without ever having lasting relationships with them. When she starts dating (?) the wife of one of her hookups, someone breaks into her house, and her paranoia takes over. Do we deserve happiness if we think we’re horrible people? Does anyone else ever really understand us, and are some feelings universal?

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up because I enjoyed Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, and I wasn’t disappointed with Austin’s sophomore effort. I identified more than I’d maybe like with Enid, and I appreciated all of the actual facts about space, hence the title. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and relatable. I recommend for my fellow neurodivergents and anyone who has ever felt like they are the only one who ever felt or experienced something. It will remind you that you’re not alone.

OOF. i wasn't sure what to expect with this book when all i had heard was the main character had a phobia of bald men but i definitely didn't realize it would be a deep exploration of her trauma. a lot of aspects of this book made me feel uncomfortable in the best way because it just felt so REAL. i was rooting for enid the whole book and i love how every question i had was answered by the end. this makes me really excited to read more from this author because i loved the discussions on mental health, as well as gender and sexuality, that she brought up in this book. also, the title is super accurate because there were definitely a lot of interesting facts about space!

tw: ptsd, ableism

Enid is an anxious lesbian who loves true crime and has a serious phobia of bald men. She’s trying to form some sort of relationship with the half-sisters her estranged dead father left behind. And she constantly calls her mom to share space facts and to check in on her. OKAY! While this made me laugh out loud a few times, it kind of felt like a lesser plotless version of EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD. I read EVERYONE in January so it’s fresh and the emotional profiles of Enid and Gilda are just way too similar. I was excited to see Austin’s range, but this had me wondering if she has any? 🥴 Not my fave, but also not my least fave. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I love a quirky narrator, and this delivered on that, plus it centered on a queer person, so even more bonus points! As I tried to describe this book to my partner, it was hard to nail down what the "plot" was beyond getting to know the protagonist. It did eventually build up the suspense, but I didn't care because the book was such a delight to read.

A sweet story that makes you stop to think about neurodivergence and how awesome it makes the universe. Loved the plot and character development.

The main character in this book is neurodivergent and this book is written in first person. That means we’re hearing her thoughts about the world and her interactions with people in the way that she perceives everything. This makes it a bit hard to get into. For quite a bit of the book, I was struggling to find a plot or purpose. However, that being said I really appreciated the perspective on neurodivergent thought processes. I really liked the book, the space facts were of course, awesome. Overall a quirky and unique book.

Emily Austin is an auto-buy author for me. I love her weird little books and characters and writing style. Flew through this and felt like our MC was SO relatable to fellow millennials. All the stars!

This is my first Emily Austin read, but will not be my last. I enjoyed the character development of Enid and I appreciated the authenticity with which the relationship between Enid and her mother was written. I found myself hoping Enid would stop self-deprecating and see how loved and appreciated she is by her family and friends, but as she develops throughout the story, it is clear that she was carrying heavy trauma. I would like a prequel to this book that delves more into the relationship between Enid and Chelsea, and I’d love to see what an interaction between them would look like in adulthood. That level of Enid’s past experience and present identity really upset me. No one deserves to be bullied. While I give this book 3.5/5 stars, I did enjoy the story that was told and the character development. I just needed more plot line or maybe more pacing to the “big reveal” about the fire.

All in all, I loved the author’s writing style and look forward to enjoying more of her books.

thank you netgalley for the advance copy.
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i want to inject everything this author writes straight into my veins. this was so good and, even though i don’t have a phobia of bald men, very relatable

A poignant, funny, wise story that I’ll think on a lot post-read. Beautiful writing and characters! Loved this one.