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A review by edgwareviabank
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
dark
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm not sure I have the right words to explain exactly how much I loved Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead. It ticked all of my boxes, including some I didn't realise I had.
Now and then, I come across a book that makes me go all "gosh, I wish I could write like this". And Emily Austin's novel is exactly that. It’s really well written, with the exact mix of quirky and dark humour I enjoy. The transition between scenes that advance the plot, and quick flashbacks from the protagonist's past that shine a light on how her mind works, was absolutely seamless. Reading felt like being right inside Gilda's head, and she's a flawed, awkward, yet extremely good-natured character it's impossible not to root for. Even during her lowest moments, it's clear that she has lots to give and deeply cares about everything and everyone around her (clear to everyone, perhaps, but herself). The plot is a journey to a more balanced, more hopeful place she longs for, but, in the way so many people of her generation experience (myself included), doesn't completely believe in, or know how to reach.
A word of warning if you consider reading this book: Gilda's struggle gets very dark at times. Emily Austin has written one of the most realistic representations of mental health issues I can recall seeing in fiction, and because of this, even though some passages were tough to read, I also credit Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead for making me feel seen and understood in a way few other novels have. While everyone's experience is different, and there are parts of Gilda's I can't speak for, having the book show very clearly, and pretty early on, that she suffers from intrusive thoughts was a huge "aha" moment for me. I've thought about it more than once, and can't remember any other character I've come across that experienced them. Or, at least, no character I've come across since I realised I struggle with them too, and understood how isolating an experience that is, believing surely no one else thinks and feels that way. Reading about Gilda, I felt less alone. Even now, weeks after getting to the last page, I feel grateful that the author chose to bring to life a character like her.
Now and then, I come across a book that makes me go all "gosh, I wish I could write like this". And Emily Austin's novel is exactly that. It’s really well written, with the exact mix of quirky and dark humour I enjoy. The transition between scenes that advance the plot, and quick flashbacks from the protagonist's past that shine a light on how her mind works, was absolutely seamless. Reading felt like being right inside Gilda's head, and she's a flawed, awkward, yet extremely good-natured character it's impossible not to root for. Even during her lowest moments, it's clear that she has lots to give and deeply cares about everything and everyone around her (clear to everyone, perhaps, but herself). The plot is a journey to a more balanced, more hopeful place she longs for, but, in the way so many people of her generation experience (myself included), doesn't completely believe in, or know how to reach.
A word of warning if you consider reading this book: Gilda's struggle gets very dark at times. Emily Austin has written one of the most realistic representations of mental health issues I can recall seeing in fiction, and because of this, even though some passages were tough to read, I also credit Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead for making me feel seen and understood in a way few other novels have. While everyone's experience is different, and there are parts of Gilda's I can't speak for, having the book show very clearly, and pretty early on, that she suffers from intrusive thoughts was a huge "aha" moment for me. I've thought about it more than once, and can't remember any other character I've come across that experienced them. Or, at least, no character I've come across since I realised I struggle with them too, and understood how isolating an experience that is, believing surely no one else thinks and feels that way. Reading about Gilda, I felt less alone. Even now, weeks after getting to the last page, I feel grateful that the author chose to bring to life a character like her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death