Interesting Facts about Space

Enid knows that she is not like most people — she listens to true crime podcasts and regurgitates odd facts about outer space to soothe herself — but lately things are spiraling out of control; she’s serial dating, messing up at work, and her phobia of bald men has reached epic proportions. In Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin, readers have a front row seat to Enid’s mania, but Austin manages to make all the insanity funny and touching. Austin knows how to craft real characters struggling with life, and readers looking for a quirky story about a young woman working through her anxieties and finding herself again will enjoy getting to know Enid.

bottom line, we love authors named Emily. they are just the best at writing characters who are REAL! i ate this book up and finished it in 2 days. this book was intoxicating and intense and bizarre and at points i felt anxious reading it, but not in a way where i wanted to stop reading. just the way Emily R. Austin wrote about Enid being terrified of being stalked by her bald neighbor and her phobia of bald men thus becoming extremely paranoid in her daily life. i FELT what she was going through because the writing is that good. i enjoyed the commentary on the true crime obsession and how it can be problematic while also being something that many people find comfort in listening to for a many reasons. this book is very strange and very show more real and very dark and very fun all at once. it really has it all and more: laughs! lesbians! deaf/HoH representation! space! friendship! mommy/daddy issues! show less

Conclusion:
The tone is not frothy or comedic. A lot of the humor is in the reader recognizing the absurdity of the flaws and effort in what we tell ourselves.

While I ended up enjoying the book, and probably more than a fluffier version, it was not what I expected going in.

Original responses:
Mid-read:
I get that the author is likely doing a thing with paranoia and anxiety, but meanwhile, this reads more often as horror/thriller than as the lighthearted romp I've seen mentioned in every blurb. I've had to pause a couple times.

Just finished:
Yeah, that vibe carries through for awhile, I found it a bit stressful going.

But it pays off, and certainly makes for an unusual reading experience.

I think it's extremely representative of a show more particular journey in self-discovery, and I wonder how it's received by those who aren't late-diagnosed, and experience C-PTSD as a result of coping.

Maybe it's generational rather than a more subjective angst, but Enid pings familiar contours. show less

Enid lives alone. She works at the Space Agency, has one good friend at work, and looks in on her mom, who goes through depressive episodes. She dates women, but has never been in a serious relationship. She listens to true crime podcasts almost obsessively. She has a phobia of bald men, and someone has been sneaking into her apartment when she's away. Naturally, this freaks her out, but others in her life seem less concerned, even when she gets a doorbell with a camera and app so she can prove it. Is her new (bald) neighbor the culprit? Meanwhile, a new relationship with a woman named Polly seems to be turning into something serious, but Enid fears that it will all fall apart when Polly realizes that she (Enid) is actually a terrible show more person.

This was... a lot. I think I liked it, but also, reading about people feeling anxious makes me feel anxious. That's a me problem, not a book problem, but if you have the same reaction, it's something to keep in mind. This reminded me in some ways of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoyed that book. show less

"Do you think it's more likely that a mouse, a ghost, or a burglar would take a grape?"

Interesting story with a character I couldn't help but love. I appreciated the way the story unfolded and the little moments with each person in her life. The confusion and disorder in the book helped me to understand the main character and helped me imagine her world. I really enjoyed this one.

I ended up liking this way more than I sort of thought I would. Enid was a great character and even though I was worried I would get bored, I never did. Her voice was unique and interesting throughout. This is not the weirdest "weird girl" book I've read, but it definitely is weird. There are also a lot of sort of little "mysteries" about Enid to unravel and all of her relationships with the people around her were interesting. If I was going to write a book, I would sort of like to write something like this and I would definitely like to read more from Emily Austin.

Aside from being obsessed with space, Enid spends her time serial dating women she finds on dating apps and listening to true crime podcasts nonstop. She has a huge phobia of bald men. After her absent father dies, she tries to develop relationships with her estranged half-sisters. When she enters her first serious relationship, she begins feeling like someone is following her. Spiraling out of control in paranoia, Enid thinks there’s something wrong with her.

Emily Austin is great at writing queer romance and mental health struggles which this book was full of. The main character, Enid, is deaf in one ear so disability and ableism are also explored. I didn’t love INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE as much as EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL show more SOMEDAY BE DEAD. True crime podcasts don’t really excite me and with that being a large part of the premise, I lost some enjoyment. show less