Review: Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Title: Interesting Facts About Space

Author: Emily Austin

Year published: 2024

Category: Adult fiction

Pages: 320 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Location: (my 2024 Google Reading map): USA

Summary: Enid is obsessed with space. She can tell you all about black holes and their ability to spaghettify you without batting an eye in fear. Her one major phobia? Bald men. But she tries to keep that one under wraps. When she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts on a loop, she’s serially dating a rotation of women from dating apps. At the same time, she’s trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unwittingly plunges into her first serious romantic entanglement, Enid starts to believe that someone is following her.

As her paranoia spirals out of control, Enid must contend with her mounting suspicion that something is seriously wrong with her. Because at the end of the day there’s only one person she can’t outrun—herself.

Brimming with quirky humor, charm, and heart, Interesting Facts about Space effortlessly shows us the power of revealing our secret shames, the most beautifully human parts of us all.

Review: I really wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. Funny? About space? Ok. Let's do this!

There are a lot of space facts in this book but it doesn't read like a nonfiction textbook. Enid works for The Space Agency and one of her (many) quirks is that when she is stressed, she shares space facts with her mother. Her mother is so tolerant and loving. Her half sisters are trying to bring her into their sphere (whether she likes it or not).

Enid is definitely quirky but she also needs help. She does eventually go to a therapist (wouldn't you if you were phobic about bald men?), which was a relief even though it doesn't solve everything. In fact, Enid's got a lot going on in her mind and it starts to get in the way of work, friendships, relationships, and just life. I felt like there was hope for her but that it would be a long process. One of the important ideas is that we should talk to the people in our lives: our parents, siblings, friends, partners. Ask them questions, talk about memories, confirm what they are thinking/saying. It clears a lot up and maybe we aren't as weird/messed up as we think. 

Challenges for which this counts: 

• Decolonize--Queer main character and their mental health