Interesting Facts about Space - Emily Austin 3 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this book. These are my honest opinions.
First, a breakdown of my rating system:
5 stars - phenomenal book; I’ll recommend this one to everyone, I want to live in this world, and I will read this one over and over!
4 stars - great book. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I probably won’t reread it.
3 stars - good story and characters. I can’t see myself coming back to this one, but it was an entertaining read
2 stars - hard to finish. The story was not for me, and I had to make myself keep reading.
1 star - DNF. Absolutely could not finish.

Where to start with this book…. When I first heard the premise, I thought it sounded very cool. As I began reading, however, I found that the execution and intention were very different. 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. You know when there’s a thing that you really don’t want to look at, but you can’t keep yourself from looking and looking and looking? That’s this book. Enid struggles with everything; her relationships with her mother, half-sisters, possible love interests, work colleagues, neighbors, etc. She has a lot of fears and paranoia, including an incredible fear of bald men. She loves space and will frequently call her mom and spew facts about space to her when she is struggling. Her coping mechanisms begin not working for her, however, and we begin to see the unraveling. I pushed through this book (finally) and when I found myself at the end, I was satisfied with the journey. Would I take this journey again? Absolutely not. Am I glad I finished? Yes, I can honestly say it was worth the read. In the beginning, I would have given this book 2 stars, but by the end, I feel 3 is a better rating for my perspective. I believe this book gives great insight into the mind and inner workings of someone like Enid, and we all need more understanding for others in our lives.

Enid consumes SO much true crime, has a phobia of bald men, and texts her mother space facts as a wellness check. Despite none of those being things I do, I related TOO MUCH with Enid. It's really wonderful how Emily Austin manages to write down my own internal dialogues as though she's heard them. Funny AND real...what a combo.

I graciously received an e-ARC of Interesting Facts About Space. This is my true and unprompted review:

I'm always a sucker for a LGBTQIA+ book...add in the fact that our main character is not only a lesbian but is also neurodivergent...count me in! Overall, I enjoyed this read. I can usually keep track of separate characters, plots, and timelines even when they hop around, however I did find it difficult at times, although I believe that was purposely done because we were experiencing the everyday struggle that our main character, Enid, was facing. I think that would be more difficult for someone who is traditionally thought of as neurotypical to follow. This is a book that I believe speaks to a very specific type of reader, thankfully, I just happened to be within that group!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for having the opportunity of reading and reviewing this ARC.

Something about the way Emily R. Austin writes characters makes me feel connected. Like there are weird particular thoughts that you think no one has ever had before and then there’s something reflective in here. I loved her debut and I loved this. The ending was a bit tidy but in a way that felt like a hug.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-ARC!!

There were so many things I liked about this book the characters, the dialogue, the murder podcasts and obsession with Dateline, the space facts, the love story. Definitely a hit with a few missteps in adding a mystery to the plot that wasn't needed. But not enough of a distraction to detract from the many great moments.the mother daughter relationship and dealing with mental illness was poignant. Loved the best friend banter. And I could go on but then you wouldn't need to read the book.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I was a huge fan of Austin's debut novel and was so excited for this one. I was not disappointed. Austin's way of capturing living with anxiety is so spot on, I could almost swear that Enid is based on myself. It is not a plot heavy book, so keep that in mind before purchasing or reading. I absolutely love her writing style and will be excited to recommend this for library led book clubs! Thank you NetGalley!

I love Emily Austin's writing so much and this book somehow still greatly exceeded my expectations she has the best writing style and space is cool af so like double bonus points 12/10 would recommend

I enjoyed Austin's previous book and I like character-driven books, so I figured I'd enjoy Interesting Facts about Space. Early in this book I struggled with the lack of plot clear plot, but somewhere along the way I became utterly invested in Enid's life. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen with Polly, why Enid was afraid of bald men, who broke into her apartment, etc. Austin did a wonderful job crafting this story.

What an incredible surprise this book was! I was intrigued by the description, and the story itself delivered so much more.

The main character Enid is quirky and messy, full of big fears, and convinced that deep down there's something wrong with her and that she's a terrible person. She's obsessed with facts about space, which were fascinating to read, and she randomly shares them with her mom any time she is upset or feeling vulnerable, and her mom always listens and engages attentively and with genuine interest, which I loved. Shes also obsessed with true crime podcasts (same), and listens to them for comfort and to self-regulate whenever she's anxious or upset. As a fellow Autistic navigator of the world, I found her profoundly relatable. The effort and fatigue of masking to fit in with neurotypical expectations, choosing clothes/music/relationships/personality traits to avoid negative social experiences rather than genuine enjoyment, the way this makes you feel like you don't really know who you are, cringing at any evidence of your younger and unmasked "weird" self, info-dumping about special interests as a love language - I felt all of these in my bones. I adored Enid.

I loved her relationships with other characters - her mom, her best friend Vin, her half-sisters, her accidental love interest. A lot of people really care about her, and embrace her quirks, even though she finds it hard to believe, and preemptively pushes many people away before they can get too close.

I loved how self-aware the book is. Enid is fascinated by true crime but feels guilty for consuming other people's tragedies for entertainment and comfort, and I like the way the story explores this. A character who intends to stand up for Enid also inadvertent outs her, and Enid does not let this complicated fact go undefended. When people are insensitive or rude about Enid's unilateral deafness, it is challenged. Characters accommodate neurodivergence and mental health issues in relationships but still maintain boundaries around acceptable treatment. I think the book does a great job handling issues of gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, disability, and mental health with sensitivity and care.

There was only one moment that I was uncomfortable with, which wasn't significant enough to affect my enjoyment of the book or my rating, but which I feel deserves mention. I'm not here to kink shame anybody, but I find it troubling that non-fatal strangulation (aka "choking") during sex is becoming so normalized and mainstream. There is abundant evidence that it is associated with risk of brain damage, stroke, and death. This is not me being a prude, this is a legitimately dangerous activity, and people (especially young people) often experience pressure to go along with it because it's become so normalized. People may consider it edgy or titillating, but this doesn't mean it's safe, and I always cringe when I read it in books. There are lots of other, less harmful ways to be edgy.

Overall, I still loved the story, and I loved how Enid grew over the course of the book, without changing who she was. I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE is an endearing novel that highlights our universal need for belonging. Enid is a neurodiverse woman who has a deep-seeded fear of bald men, always has a new woman she is seeing from an online dating app and is obsessed with space. As Enid finds herself in her first serious relationship she can’t shake the feeling that she is being followed and starts to question if something about herself is deeply flawed.

I adored Enid’s character and her obsessions with space and true crime, but found the story to be a bit repetitive at times, especially with her romantic entanglements. Overall it was a quick listen on audio and I truly appreciated the neurodiverse perspective–we need more stories like this one!

READ THIS IF YOU:
-Appreciate neurodiverse characters and LGBTQ+ representation
-Enjoy reading about mother-daughter relationships
-Can relate to being a true crime junkie

RATING: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)

Many thanks to the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review

Enid has often had to make accommodations because of being deaf in one ear, such as being endlessly patient with strangers who think she’s rudely ignoring them when she simply cannot hear them. As an awkward teenager, she had a whole YouTube channel dedicated to makeup tips and venting about the cliques at school and one bully in particular. Her late father was always something of a sore point, given that he abandoned Enid and her mother and started (and stayed with) a whole new family. But now, Enid has a great job as an information specialist for the space agency. She goes on as many dates as possible with as many different women as she likes. And she’s finally going to start building a relationship with her previously distant half-sisters, brought together by the passing of their father. Even better, Enid has made a surprising romantic connection with a woman named Polly. The surprise? Enid was unwittingly the “other woman.” All in all, things should be great…except Enid has this nagging feeling that something’s wrong.

It started with a bald neighbor lingering outside her door. Then, she thought she saw his face in the window. Enid starts to notice odd things around her apartment. There’s a door open that she knows she closed, or the window’s left unlocked. Her neighbor tells her an unfamiliar man has come by to see her a few times. The true crime podcasts Enid listens to endlessly fuel her paranoia. Soon, Enid is looking for any excuse to avoid going home for fear of bald men. She’ll drop by her mother’s house, sleep over with Polly, even crash on her friend Vin’s sofa. Just as she reaches the boiling point, Enid elects to go to therapy where she’s encouraged to desensitize herself to bald men. Then, her therapist encourages Enid to dig into the memories of high school that she has long blocked out. Reluctantly, Enid begins to unravel her memories and starts to understand how deeply her life and behavior has been influenced by her compensating for her disability and the truth about her phobia of bald men.

Interesting Facts About Space is a contemporary novel from author Emily Austin. There’s a subtle undertone of paranormal that becomes increasingly pronounced over the course of the book. Enid’s love of true crime podcasts, which are often showcased as snippets in the prose, helped create an eerie context and helped me suspend my disbelief. Plus, there were Enid’s own idiosyncrasies, like having to rush from her car to her door or into her mother’s house to avoid being caught by a bald man, both of which are permutations of childhood fears she had. The overall effect made it plausible that Enid is a potentially unreliable narrator, while still having a good dose of “it’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you.”

Even with this looming question of paranormal activity, I felt like Enid’s relationships with the various characters in the book are what really drive the story. I loved the interpersonal connections she had with the primary supporting characters. The heavy hitters are her mother; her coworker, Vin; and her on-again/off-again surprise lover, Polly. Each character feels so well rounded and dimensional; their interactions with Enid are rich and give a gravitas to the story that far exceeds any paranormal goings on, in my opinion. I loved how Enid collects interesting facts about space to share with her mother as a coping mechanism when Enid gets stressed about interacting with her half-sisters or when she feels like those interactions somehow diminish Enid’s connection to her mother. Vin is shown to be a terrific friend and I adored the scene where he and Enid accidentally bump into Enid’s half-sisters. There was a potential for Vin to be upset that Enid doesn’t immediately showcase him as her best friend, but Vin takes the awkward introduction in stride. Polly was a great love interest and brought out a deeper side to Enid, one that Enid herself seems scared to explore.

I enjoyed how the story flows. As noted above, the weird happenings and suddenly ubiquitous bald men keep layering atop each other to build tension. Enid’s near obsession with true crime makes for a steady, if macabre, through-line. Her old YouTube videos are a steady stream of insight into younger Enid, a version of herself she almost entirely disassociates with. Taken individually, these elements are all interesting enough. However, they all come together after Enid has something of a breakthrough with her therapist. It’s not quite like a dam breaking, but rather a realization that all of these things actually cleave together. That is not to say everything is resolved and all is “normal,” but it’s like a door opening for Enid to be more comfortable in her own skin as she continues to navigate a world not built for her.

Overall, I thought this was a really great book. The story features a great cast of characters that felt delightfully dimensional. Personally, I love it when even supporting characters feel like they are their own people rather than convenient ways to develop the plot. If you enjoy stories where the MC has to contend with a world not designed with them in mind and going through a major self-discoveries that help bring her closer to the people in her life, and finding a shot a real love while she’s at it, I think you’ll really enjoy Interesting Facts About Space.

Wow! That's quite the opening. This is fast-paced and punchy, much like the tabloid/true crime that opens it. Well, you got my attention. "Are you f--ing Joan?" The woman's voice cracks." This book doesn't pull any punches. A great read!

I've been looking forward to this book since Emily Austin's EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD came out a few years ago. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a book. I've also rarely resonated with a novel so much. Austin really gets what it's like to be in the niche of mentally ill, earnest young women who are trying to muddle through this dumb life while existing on a giant rock floating through space. We're a small but sturdy group.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE's Enid must live right down the road from EITRWSBD's Gilda. They're cut from the same kooky cloth, but Enid isn't quite as self destructive as Gilda. Enid is trying really hard to present as "normal" or at least normal enough not to pass muster to the normies who she is forced to exist with, like her colleagues, half sisters, and the numerous bald men who seem to follow her everywhere.

I LOVE Austin's voice, characters, and how she writes about mental illness in such hilarious and relatable ways. I don't know if there is a huge audience for her type of work, but the small and sturdy group Austin has in her corner really, really appreciate her.

Did you know the moon is actually shaped like a lemon?

I thoroughly enjoyed this strange book, but I am unsure how broad of an appeal it might have. I would probably hold off on ordering to see if it gets more buzz post publication

Interesting Facts About Space introduces us to the quirky and eccentric Enid. Enid is a twentysomething who is deaf in one ear, has a fear of bald men, and is soothed by listening to true crime podcasts. She is dealing with shame, past trauma, and deep down she feels she has a parasite that makes her a terrible person. Throughout the book Enid is trying to figure herself out. This plays out through a series of events that cause Enid to become more and more paranoid. She realizes things are not always as they seem and even though asking the questions can be scary, the truth is a powerful thing.
The story is full of humor and sadness but leaves you with a feeling of hope. Overall, I enjoyed this book. Although Interesting Facts About Space is fiction, the style reminded me a bit of David Sedaris, who I love. Ultimately, this book will not be for everyone but I enjoyed reading it and Enid is a character I will remember for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

enid is a lesbian (who has never been in an exclusive relationship), true crime obsessed (like to an unhealthy amount), and a space loving something year old. other fun facts about enid:

- she’s deaf in one ear
- she has a phobia of bald men
- she has two half sisters

when enid is convinced that her bald neighbor has been breaking into her home, her paranoia spirals out of control. another fun fact:

- enid feels like she’s a bad person

enid can’t shake off the feeling like she has a parasite in her head, controlling her and spreading her ‘badness’ to other people. and i don’t know about you guys but that’s a hell of a relatable experience. i just wanted to give enid a big hug!!!!

interesting facts about space is a charming thing, it’s a book with a lot of heart and you will absolutely love enid (even the many ways she mirrors you) and you will laugh and cry. many times. and usually at the same time.

I loved this book. Like all of Emily Austin’s books, it’s a wonderful blend of humor and mental illness representation, though I would say this is the lightest of the three.

My favorite part of this book has to be the character work. All of the characters have depth and I enjoyed getting to know them all. I also greatly enjoyed the relationship dynamics between said characters. The relationship between Enid and her sisters was really interesting to read, and I really appreciated the depth added to her sisters as the novel went on. Enid and Polly’s relationship was interesting too. At the beginning of the book, I did not expect Polly to stick around so long, but I really liked what she brought to the book. She ended up being a nice balance for Enid and a good voice in her life. Of course the relationship between Enid and her mother was beautiful, even if difficult at times. I love how much Enid loves her mom. And my favorite relationship in the book is Enid and Vin’s friendship. I love reading about strong platonic love, and this was an excellent example.

My only critique is the pacing. Most of the book doesn’t feel like it has much of a direction. That doesn’t hinder its enjoyability, but it set an expectation of the book being more of a “no plot just vibes” book, but the book becomes much more structured at the end and everything comes together. I would have preferred if that “coming together” was more gradual, as it felt kind of rushed.

Emily Austin is one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception. Her prose and character work is excellent and I definitely recommend this book.

I have been SO excited for this one, as I absolutely devoured Austin's first book via audio during a solo road trip in Southern California a few years ago. It hit at just the right time about just the right topics, and I was willing to read literally anything Austin came out with next. Interesting Facts About Space hit a different little part of my heart than her first novel, but I still really loved it.

The most well executed part of this book is the tension. I could tell something horrible was going to be revealed fairly early on, and the breadcrumbs just keep increasing as we get closer to the reveal.

What I loved most about this book was the compassion it ends up extending to everyone once Enid was able to see outside her own experience. If you've ever had mental health issues and lost the memories of large swathes of time, you will likely know what Enid goes through, and I think it was really well done. Not everyone has the same trauma, but all of us are just acting like we know what we're doing, and recognizing that and extending empathy to each other is a great start for leading a healthy life.

I also really liked the way partial Deafness was incorporated. A former partner of mine was very HoH in one ear, and it impacts life more than people might think. I really appreciated the look at Enid coming to own that and learn to assert herself and find some community.

Overall, while I don't think this has taken the place of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead in my heart, Austin will absolutely remain a top author for me. Highly recommend.

enid is obsessed with space. she has a fear of bald men. she loves to listen to crime podcasts daily. enid has a mother who often does not wear lipstick. she is deaf in one ear. she is a lesbian with commitment issues. she is terrified that someone is following her.

enid believes she’s a bad person. what is a bad person? how do you become a bad person? is enid a bad person?

things i expected this book to be (and was proven right):
-charming
-funny
-relatable

things i did not expected this book to do:
-break my heart into a million pieces page after page

i was both devastated and comforted by this story. i read of a mother-daughter relationship similar to mine. i read of a character with flaws and strength i could wholeheartedly relate to and empathize with. i feel like i went on a long journey alongside enid.

maybe i should be be gentler with myself. maybe i deserve to love and be loved. maybe my best could be enough. maybe, just maybe, i am a good person.

interesting facts about space had everything i look for in a book. i loved it so much.

thank you to atria books and netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for a honest review.

i could read this author's books about crazy weird damaged people healing and being happy exclusively for the rest of my life and be content.

this was heady and intense and very truly bizarre, and at many points i felt anxious reading it, and it really reminded me why i hate true crime (which is honestly a pro), but all of those ended up being good things. i connected to this story and this protagonist, and this book is very strange and very real and very dark and very fun all at once.