Literary Kitten

Welcome to my very first book review! (Most, if not all, reviews on this blog will be spoiler-free) I’m pretty excited to share my thoughts with you. For fun, I’m going to attach one song that reminds me of the book along with each review. I love listening to music while I read, and finding songs that go with the story brings me joy. For the first review on my blog, I have started very strong! 2024 is off to a great start.

Interesting Facts about Space is a 2024 literary fiction novel written by Emily Austin. Emily Austin’s debut novel, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, received praise from all over the book community, making her an author people have kept their eyes on. Because of her widely praised debut, people have been stoked for her second full-length book. Personally, I have not read Austin’s debut, but she has been an author on my radar nonetheless due to the subject manners she discusses in her work.

I picked up Interesting Facts about Space because it was in the January 2024 Book of the Month box. I just recently signed up for the BOTM service, eager to stay up to date on at least some of the newest releases. After doing some research on all of the January titles, I went with Austin’s book.

Austin’s second novel focuses on main character Enid, a 26 year old queer woman. It opens with some interesting facts about Enid: she is afraid of bald men, she has an obsession with true crime, she is a serial dater, and she knows a billion facts about space. Afraid of bald men? Yes! So much that it immensely interferes with her daily life. There’s a lot to unpack here. Additionally, our main character is frantically worried she’s a bad person.

“I always feel sort of tortured as my own spectator … I hate that I am self-absorbed enough to hate myself in detail. I think I am a bad person. I feel self-loathing so deeply I think if I cracked myself open, I would see the physical manifestation of it calcified in my bones like a geode.”

Austin’s novel is less about the plot and more of a study on mental health, anxiety, and navigating life without knowing who you are. This book is all about Enid, being in Enid’s mind and seeing life through her eyes. Personally, I love that. I felt like I was sitting right beside Enid while she experienced every thought and every moment.

While I felt completely immersed in Enid’s story, I also felt I could relate to Enid quite a lot (this is good and bad for me haha). Being someone who has struggled with mental health, I felt so much of what was written in my bones. I’ve been there before, and I’m still in some of the same mental places as Enid. The way Austin writes about uncovering mental health issues and seeking treatment is so real.

“She and I were just speaking about my childhood. She had me answer an extensive list of questions. This is the result. I feel like I just completed a warped personality quiz and instead of finding out which dog breed matches my soul I am being officially branded mentally ill, traumatized, and neurodivergent.”

Mental health and illness is an extremely heavy topic. For many, it’s still regarded as taboo to discuss it. Austin navigates through this sensitive topic in a hopeful, inspirational way that makes it easier to read. Every person’s journey comes with ups and downs. Even through Enid’s “downs”, I felt she was on an upward trajectory, moving forward, becoming who she wants to be. Enid is also extremely self-aware, which is a huge shtick in her story and leads her to questioning if she needs professional help.

“And I used to be afraid of space, it made me feel meaningless, and like I could die at any minute, but I’m not afraid of it anymore. It’s actually sort of soothing to think of how massive the universe is, and how I could be snuffed out at any minute. I guess I like tricking my brain into disarming things.”

Another reason I love Interesting Facts about Space: the characters. The characters are lovely. Enid is a relatable, intriguing main character and the relationship she has between her mom, her best friend, and her love interest are delightful. The relationships are nuanced, not without their problems. That’s what makes them feel so real. I just love this story because it’s so genuine. This is a spoiler-free review so I don’t want to reveal too much about the love interest but I absolutely love them so much. They’re smart, boisterous, caring, thoughtful, witty… they’re a top-tier character.

I want to wrap up my review stating how wonderful the writing is. The most basic reason to love a book: the prose, the writing, the descriptions. Any and all fundamentals of making a great book are here. What makes this book special is the realness, the relationships and characters, and the hopeful tone it maintains throughout. There isn’t a single thing I dislike about Austin’s novel. Please read Interesting Facts about Space; pick it up especially if you have struggled with mental health and want a pick-me-up. AND there’s queer representation! We love it.

“I take my phone out of my back pocket. I tap until I find my mom’s name. When I think of her, rather than call her or text her a message that says something like, Hey, I’m thinking of you, I tell her interesting facts about space. I text her, Hey mom, did you know sunsets on Mars are blue?”

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Song: “Why Am I Like This?” by Orla Gartland

originally posted on: January 16, 2024 (on previous site)