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Is This a Cry for Help?
7 hours 19 minutes
Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.
Darcy’s life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake.
But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community, and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch’s upcoming DEI programs.
Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself. Is This a Cry for Help? not only offers a moving portrait of queer life after coming of age but also powerfully explores questions about sexuality, community, and the importance of libraries.
Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.
Darcy’s life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake.
But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community, and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch’s upcoming DEI programs.
Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself. Is This a Cry for Help? not only offers a moving portrait of queer life after coming of age but also powerfully explores questions about sexuality, community, and the importance of libraries.
Audiobook
First published January 13, 2026
About the author
Emily R. Austin
7 books4,469 followersEmily Austin is the author of EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD, INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE, GAY GIRL PRAYERS, WE COULD BE RATS, and IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP. She currently resides in Ottawa/the territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,077 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
personally, i'm reading every book about gay weirdos finding themselves as a cry for help.
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
emily austin's books are like medicine for these stressful, wild, unbelievable times. her characters go through exactly the feelings i go through: when empathy is the core of who we are, how do we keep it up when it feels impossible?
the usual arc of her stories is that things begin wretched and over pages and effort our protagonists find love, purpose, hobbies, and meaning. this subverts that a bit: Darcy has a life better than she ever imagined, and trauma causing repeated reminders of the complicated past that brought her there threatens to ruin it.
this meant a repetitive and sometimes monotonous internal monologue was most of our plot, and i sometimes found that frustrating. there was also so much going on — a marriage, a newborn niece, mommy issues, blackmail, alt-right protests, weird email about birds, cat introductions, therapy, unhealed breakup issues — that some things, like the friendships or other non-central relationships, could feel flat or unfinished. i wanted a little more of a denouement for our character arc, but maybe that was unrealistic. and the way this book feels realistic while still being over the top is one of its finest assets.
but overall, this was like medicine to me.
kind, banter-y, librarian-appreciating medicine.
the best kind, it turns out.
bottom line: an answer to a cry for help.
(thanks to the publisher for the arc)
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
emily austin's books are like medicine for these stressful, wild, unbelievable times. her characters go through exactly the feelings i go through: when empathy is the core of who we are, how do we keep it up when it feels impossible?
the usual arc of her stories is that things begin wretched and over pages and effort our protagonists find love, purpose, hobbies, and meaning. this subverts that a bit: Darcy has a life better than she ever imagined, and trauma causing repeated reminders of the complicated past that brought her there threatens to ruin it.
this meant a repetitive and sometimes monotonous internal monologue was most of our plot, and i sometimes found that frustrating. there was also so much going on — a marriage, a newborn niece, mommy issues, blackmail, alt-right protests, weird email about birds, cat introductions, therapy, unhealed breakup issues — that some things, like the friendships or other non-central relationships, could feel flat or unfinished. i wanted a little more of a denouement for our character arc, but maybe that was unrealistic. and the way this book feels realistic while still being over the top is one of its finest assets.
but overall, this was like medicine to me.
kind, banter-y, librarian-appreciating medicine.
the best kind, it turns out.
bottom line: an answer to a cry for help.
(thanks to the publisher for the arc)
November 15, 2025
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The Book Review Crew Blog
I have never read this author before, and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. Librarian Darcy is trying to get her life back on track after a nervous breakdown, which was mostly caused by the death of her ex-boyfriend. Darcy is now (supposedly) happily married to her wife, Joy. Darcy tries to deal with her grief, but also a PR nightmare at the library as she encounters a group of book-banning zealots.
Austin has an interesting premise here, and I get what she was trying to do, BUT the conflict that Darcy is feeling and going through bored me to tears. The internal dialogue was meandering and failed to hold my interest. The main issue I had was Darcy herself. I understand she is going through a difficult time, but she frustrated the hell out of me. She comes across as passive and self-absorbed. The flow of the plot gets bogged down with her repetitive and obsessive thoughts about her old relationship. I was more interested in the issues at the library and the book banning, and felt that part of the story was underdeveloped. Austin tries to use quirky humour, but it didn't work with the themes of grief and mental health.
Overall, I found an excellent premise on book bans and healing that didn't exactly deliver. I was hoping for something more about identifying as gay, mental health and community, but what I got wasn't a cry for anything; it was just a big old pity party.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
I have never read this author before, and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. Librarian Darcy is trying to get her life back on track after a nervous breakdown, which was mostly caused by the death of her ex-boyfriend. Darcy is now (supposedly) happily married to her wife, Joy. Darcy tries to deal with her grief, but also a PR nightmare at the library as she encounters a group of book-banning zealots.
Austin has an interesting premise here, and I get what she was trying to do, BUT the conflict that Darcy is feeling and going through bored me to tears. The internal dialogue was meandering and failed to hold my interest. The main issue I had was Darcy herself. I understand she is going through a difficult time, but she frustrated the hell out of me. She comes across as passive and self-absorbed. The flow of the plot gets bogged down with her repetitive and obsessive thoughts about her old relationship. I was more interested in the issues at the library and the book banning, and felt that part of the story was underdeveloped. Austin tries to use quirky humour, but it didn't work with the themes of grief and mental health.
Overall, I found an excellent premise on book bans and healing that didn't exactly deliver. I was hoping for something more about identifying as gay, mental health and community, but what I got wasn't a cry for anything; it was just a big old pity party.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
January 16, 2026
Would recommend broadly, but especially to lesbians, librarians or lesbian librarians. It was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised by its unique mix of themes including mental health, sexuality and library support. All these themes come together in the main character Darcy, a lesbian library worker who just returned to work after a mental breakdown following the death of her former boyfriend. She's now reflecting on this past relationship and the time when she still thought she was straight, and is comparing it to her current situation. The book is basically an endless stream of Darcy's thoughts - sometimes deep, sometimes intrusive, sometimes mundane - and her reactions to her library workdays and her home life with her wife. It took a while before I got used to the author's style and I can understand everyone who isn't really clicking with it. But I thought that it was an interesting character study that explored Darcy and her struggles very well. She knows that she's at a far better point in life than she used to be and she can acknowledge that she made mistakes, but she is also plagued by insecurities and is questioning every life decision ever. The book is quite short and it was impressive that it still had a character truly reflecting on life and talking extensively about the personal mental health journey and the discovery of one's sexuality. But my personal favorite part of this story was all the love for libraries. It really made me appreciate library workers. I'm sure not all of them have to deal with public porn consumption or with people cooking in the library bathrooms or with conservatives who feel threatened by diverse literature, but I'm also sure that these examples were not made up for dramatic effect and root in reality. There will always be people who cannot be reasoned with, who are purposefully misunderstanding and demonizing the actual goals of libraries and who will never see that they are causing harm with their behavior. The books spoke strongly against censorship and book banning and it was shamelessly pushing the "We Need Diverse Books" agenda and I honestly love it for that. There are also cats, if you aren't convinced by now.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2026
Why did I choose this job? Why did I pursue this? Why didn’t anyone warn me that I’d spend days telling people not to cook meat in the bathroom while hearing others chant from outside that I’m a pedophile?
3.5 stars. Is This a Cry for Help? does a lot of things very well. Namely, the interrogation of a past relationship and its power dynamics, and also the portrayal of a complex form of grief. This latter is something I really enjoy— well, I mean, it destroys me— when done well (see also: Crying in H Mart, Lord, Let That Tesla Crash, The Strangers).
Darcy is a librarian approaching thirty, happily married to a lovely woman called Joy, when a couple of things happen to upend her life and force her to confront some realities from her past. The first is that her ex, Ben, dies— something which causes Darcy to spiral with a complex mix of sadness and guilt, and to seek therapy for it. I like that the messed up relationship is portrayed with nuance, neither one blameless or entirely to blame.
The second thing that happens is that Darcy and her library come under fire for their policy on allowing patrons to watch porn. The issue explodes, and opens a bigger conversation about censorship, with Darcy herself at the centre of some targeted harassment.
The stuff about Ben and Darcy's relationship is great. I really appreciate that neither neatly plays the role of victim or villain. There's also some fantastic commentary on the heteronormative forces that kept Darcy ignorant of her sexuality for decades, commentary on the way we raise young girls, and commentary on how early disordered eating can become a pervasive presence throughout a person's life.
However, I did balk a little at the central discussion about watching pornography in the library. Darcy (and, clearly, the author) firmly supports it, and does not seem to think it concerning that young children (or, you know, anyone who doesn't want to) might be exposed to porn. In fact, the people who do are portrayed as oversensitive, right-wing fuddy-duddies trying to censor freedom of expression. I do not think this is a particularly fair argument. Darcy tries a "when will it stop?!" argument, noting erotica and explicit graphic novels, but it does not make sense to equate watching videos of porn (without headphones, I should add) with words or static images in a book, where it is far easier to maintain privacy. I am not anti-porn, but it is not unreasonable to confine it to a private area.
Obviously this didn't affect my experience too much, but it forms a major part of the book outside of Darcy's therapy sessions, and I found the hardline approach without consideration or nuance to be at odds with how thoughtful the rest of the book was. I felt like I was observing two groups argue at the extremes of an issue without anyone being like, hey, there's this whole reasonable middle ground we're just ignoring here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🎵❌IT'S ME, HI, I'M THE PROBLEM, IT'S ME🎵❌!!!!!! This was more like a pity party than a cry for help. Is This A Cry For Help? written by Emily Austin will be a hit for many readers, but for me it was a dumpster fire. I have seen so many people rave about this author and her books, so I was excited to finally get my hands on one of Emily's books, but unfortunately I was extremely disappointed after reading this one. I do want to give Emily Austin another try, so if any one has any recommendations please let me know. I think the author had a great idea for this book but ultimately didn't deliver the way I was hoping. If you plan on reading Is This A Cry For Help? maybe skip my review since many others have loved this book. I had many issues that I didn't like which I will get to shortly, but the biggest thing that bothered me the most was a two faced character. Just be honest, there's no reason to act one way and then go and act a certain way around different people, just be yourself, there's absolutely no reason to be a shit faced character. Another issue I had was the ending, there really was no ending, it just ended abruptly. If this book sounds up your alley, then mark your calendars for January 13th, 2o26 when Is This A Cry For Help? publishes.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ATRIA BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!
❌TRIGGER WARNING'S❌
⚠Pornography⚠
⚠Cheating⚠
⚠Abortion⚠
Is This A Cry For Help? starts present day with Darcy Carpenter back at work for the first time after taking a two month medical leave because she had a mental breakdown at her desk after hearing that her ex-boyfriend died. Darcy works at the reference desk at her local library. Darcy's ex-boyfriend died six months ago and Darcy is just now finding out two months later, his obituary says there was no cause of death, but Darcy's wife Joy thinks Ben could possibly have committed suicide but an old friend said that Ben had a brain aneurysm. Ben and Darcy had an age gap relationship, Ben was twenty-eight, and Darcy was eighteen when they first started dating. Ben and Darcy planned to get married, adopt a golden doodle, and have a baby but something happened and Darcy just called off the relationship five years later. At twenty-three years old, Darcy was a dependent girl who didn't really know herself, but now that she's thirty-two years old, Darcy is a self reliant person, she's married to her wife Joy, together they have two cats- Toulouse and Lou, and they have no desire to become parents. Darcy and Joy have been married for six months and Darcy still feels guilty for having sex with her wife. When Darcy and Joy are laying in bed together, Darcy thinks back to what it felt like sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, I'm sorry but that's just cheating in my opinion, you're married to your wife but while y'all are laying together, you are thinking about laying with your ex-boyfriend?
Darcy Carpenter is such a two faced character. She claims her job isn't her whole life but yet she's always at work even on her days off. Darcy constantly says shitty things about Ben, but when her wife Joy says something bad, Darcy immediately defends Ben, for what reason though? I had a huge huge issue with Darcy, she kicked a man out of the library for asking about a drag queen story time, but when an older man is watching porn in the library Darcy thinks it's completely okay? That didn't sit right with me at all. Darcy is insanely rude in my honest opinion, she refers to police officers as pigs, she claims the Dewey Decimal System is racist and homophobic, someone make this make sense please. On top of all of this, Darcy now has to focus her attention on a book ban at her local library, the reasons for this book ban include gender ideology, critical race theory, and radical feminism, but Darcy still won't kick a man out of the library for watching pornography, but kicks out a man for asking a simple question about a story time the library is having? I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me at all. I did feel bad for Darcy when she was talking about her childhood and how rough it was having an over opinionated mother. Darcy also suffers from mental health struggles, but she now has therapy and medication to help her out when things get rough. I will say that I felt no connection towards any of these characters, but I know many readers will. This book just wasn't for me.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ATRIA BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!
❌TRIGGER WARNING'S❌
⚠Pornography⚠
⚠Cheating⚠
⚠Abortion⚠
Is This A Cry For Help? starts present day with Darcy Carpenter back at work for the first time after taking a two month medical leave because she had a mental breakdown at her desk after hearing that her ex-boyfriend died. Darcy works at the reference desk at her local library. Darcy's ex-boyfriend died six months ago and Darcy is just now finding out two months later, his obituary says there was no cause of death, but Darcy's wife Joy thinks Ben could possibly have committed suicide but an old friend said that Ben had a brain aneurysm. Ben and Darcy had an age gap relationship, Ben was twenty-eight, and Darcy was eighteen when they first started dating. Ben and Darcy planned to get married, adopt a golden doodle, and have a baby but something happened and Darcy just called off the relationship five years later. At twenty-three years old, Darcy was a dependent girl who didn't really know herself, but now that she's thirty-two years old, Darcy is a self reliant person, she's married to her wife Joy, together they have two cats- Toulouse and Lou, and they have no desire to become parents. Darcy and Joy have been married for six months and Darcy still feels guilty for having sex with her wife. When Darcy and Joy are laying in bed together, Darcy thinks back to what it felt like sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, I'm sorry but that's just cheating in my opinion, you're married to your wife but while y'all are laying together, you are thinking about laying with your ex-boyfriend?
Darcy Carpenter is such a two faced character. She claims her job isn't her whole life but yet she's always at work even on her days off. Darcy constantly says shitty things about Ben, but when her wife Joy says something bad, Darcy immediately defends Ben, for what reason though? I had a huge huge issue with Darcy, she kicked a man out of the library for asking about a drag queen story time, but when an older man is watching porn in the library Darcy thinks it's completely okay? That didn't sit right with me at all. Darcy is insanely rude in my honest opinion, she refers to police officers as pigs, she claims the Dewey Decimal System is racist and homophobic, someone make this make sense please. On top of all of this, Darcy now has to focus her attention on a book ban at her local library, the reasons for this book ban include gender ideology, critical race theory, and radical feminism, but Darcy still won't kick a man out of the library for watching pornography, but kicks out a man for asking a simple question about a story time the library is having? I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me at all. I did feel bad for Darcy when she was talking about her childhood and how rough it was having an over opinionated mother. Darcy also suffers from mental health struggles, but she now has therapy and medication to help her out when things get rough. I will say that I felt no connection towards any of these characters, but I know many readers will. This book just wasn't for me.
September 9, 2025
As a library worker myself, I'm so impressed by how Emily Austin handled the discussions on censorship, library efforts to mitigate situations, and libraries' overall impact on society. This is such an important book that touches upon bigger issues pertaining to public libraries, as well as issues on a smaller scale, such as dealing with homophobia within your own family.
I can't wait for more people to read this upon its release, and this should be required reading, especially in the current climate.
I can't wait for more people to read this upon its release, and this should be required reading, especially in the current climate.
January 18, 2026
Emily Queen Austin dies it again!!! Lesbrarians, moss and wisteria lesbian married couple house front yard, stray cat that fights the two cats you already have… LOVE.
December 23, 2025
this was a mix of being beat over the head with liberal politics and reminiscing on a compulsive heterosexual relationship while simultaneously dealing with internalized homophobia…honestly i’m just looking for more happy lesbian literature 🫠
i received this arc from netgalley and atria
i received this arc from netgalley and atria
January 17, 2026
This was such a lovely, cathartic read
March 15, 2026
Thank you SO much Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book!
Wow.. wow, wow, wow, wow,wow,wow,wow!! I requested this book on Netgalley thinking that it sounded like a cute and fun time. And while I definitely had that. I also had a deep connection to this that I was not expecting!!
Oh my godddd!! I loved every second of this!! It's always nice when we find something that momentarily makes us feel a little less alone on this floating space rock. And this did that for me.
As someone who has struggled with their sexuality, this really hit home. I have always just called myself "bisexual" but I often wonder how much of that is me struggling with the truth, and a lot of that was due to how I was raised.
The library controversy also really tugged at my heart strings. As a 90's baby who grew up in the early 2000's, with no siblings or family I felt comfortable with. Books at the library became almost like a step-parent for me.
I just loved this all around! And I can't wait to buy it!!
Until next time
Hades
🩵
Wow.. wow, wow, wow, wow,wow,wow,wow!! I requested this book on Netgalley thinking that it sounded like a cute and fun time. And while I definitely had that. I also had a deep connection to this that I was not expecting!!
Oh my godddd!! I loved every second of this!! It's always nice when we find something that momentarily makes us feel a little less alone on this floating space rock. And this did that for me.
As someone who has struggled with their sexuality, this really hit home. I have always just called myself "bisexual" but I often wonder how much of that is me struggling with the truth, and a lot of that was due to how I was raised.
The library controversy also really tugged at my heart strings. As a 90's baby who grew up in the early 2000's, with no siblings or family I felt comfortable with. Books at the library became almost like a step-parent for me.
I just loved this all around! And I can't wait to buy it!!
Until next time
Hades
🩵
December 13, 2025
This is pure beauty in literary form. Very rarely does a book as powerful as this one come along in modern times.
If there has ever been a moment where I sincerely hope that other readers listen to me- this is that time. Read this book.
Darcy has recently returned to her job at a public library following a metal health crisis she experienced after learning about the passing of her ex.
She must now work on learning, growing, healing and removing guilt.
She must do this while in the midst of trying to save her library from protesters who wish to see it defunded, and the books about race theory, gender and LGBTQ+ experiences removed.
This book tells a fantastic story of grief, mental health and the relevant social issues.
There really aren’t enough words to explain how gorgeous I thought this was.
Truly I had no idea what to expect going into this, but it surpassed every single expectation that I think I ever would have had.
Darcy is such a likeable character and her story spoke to me so much. I felt so deeply for her at every single point, and felt as though she was a real person, whose experiences and pain were jumping out at me through the pages.
I appreciated her and her sexuality struggles so much. Hearing about the guilt she felt when separating from her ex, and how hard it was for her to understand her own identity was quite tragic- but so realistic.
Her feelings on the experiences of womanhood, and how girls are taught and programed by society to feel and want certain things- and how it exists to a degree that makes you completely unaware of your true self and your true feelings. Powerful. So incredibly powerful.
What is also powerful is the discussions this story has about censorship, and how it can affect media and libraries. Diverse content and representation is so important. Supporting your local library is so important!
Overall, this is just a stellar display of so many important topics. Nothing short of fantastic. This is my first Emily R. Austin book, but I can assure you it will not be my last.
Atria Books invited me to review this title, and I am so grateful for that. I likely never would have thought to read this story on my own, but now I could not be happier than it was shown to me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Emily R. Austin for providing me with the eARC of “Is This a Cry for Help?”, in exchange for my honest review.
publication date: January 13th, 2026
If there has ever been a moment where I sincerely hope that other readers listen to me- this is that time. Read this book.
Darcy has recently returned to her job at a public library following a metal health crisis she experienced after learning about the passing of her ex.
She must now work on learning, growing, healing and removing guilt.
She must do this while in the midst of trying to save her library from protesters who wish to see it defunded, and the books about race theory, gender and LGBTQ+ experiences removed.
This book tells a fantastic story of grief, mental health and the relevant social issues.
There really aren’t enough words to explain how gorgeous I thought this was.
Truly I had no idea what to expect going into this, but it surpassed every single expectation that I think I ever would have had.
Darcy is such a likeable character and her story spoke to me so much. I felt so deeply for her at every single point, and felt as though she was a real person, whose experiences and pain were jumping out at me through the pages.
I appreciated her and her sexuality struggles so much. Hearing about the guilt she felt when separating from her ex, and how hard it was for her to understand her own identity was quite tragic- but so realistic.
Her feelings on the experiences of womanhood, and how girls are taught and programed by society to feel and want certain things- and how it exists to a degree that makes you completely unaware of your true self and your true feelings. Powerful. So incredibly powerful.
What is also powerful is the discussions this story has about censorship, and how it can affect media and libraries. Diverse content and representation is so important. Supporting your local library is so important!
Overall, this is just a stellar display of so many important topics. Nothing short of fantastic. This is my first Emily R. Austin book, but I can assure you it will not be my last.
Atria Books invited me to review this title, and I am so grateful for that. I likely never would have thought to read this story on my own, but now I could not be happier than it was shown to me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Emily R. Austin for providing me with the eARC of “Is This a Cry for Help?”, in exchange for my honest review.
publication date: January 13th, 2026
January 28, 2026
5 “I love my library” stars!
A love letter to libraries and librarians.
Darcy has just returned to work at the library after a two month leave for a mental health breakdown. She is attending regular therapy sessions and adjusting to work life balance.
I loved everything about this book, but my main love was for Darcy, the main character. Darcy was a quirky, endearing, fabulous main character. She is a cat-loving, people-pleasing librarian who faces many unique situations and interesting requests in her daily line of work. I enjoyed being in her head, knowing her every rambling, over-analyzing thought. Her character growth was an entertaining and thought-provoking journey.
A theme that I found impactful was the weight of carrying around past mistakes. The ability to be able to learn from mistakes but not let them define you and/or haunt you. Appreciating everything you have survived to become the person you are today, instead of over-analyzing past mistakes and dwelling on them (as many people do). That was an important lesson our main character struggled with. Along with this goes the idea that what true happiness means to someone might not be what they originally thought it would be (and that’s ok!). People are constantly growing from their experiences. We are constantly changing, maturing, morphing into the experienced human being we currently are.
Although it’s a secondary layer, there is a cat lover vibe to the plot which I really enjoyed. My animal loving heart was smiling.
This was an all around winner for me. I loved every single word of this novel. I’ve read one other book by this author, Interesting Facts About Space, which was another fantastic read. I plan to read the remaining of her backlist soon and look forward to reading what she writes next!
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy! This is OUT NOW!
A love letter to libraries and librarians.
Darcy has just returned to work at the library after a two month leave for a mental health breakdown. She is attending regular therapy sessions and adjusting to work life balance.
I loved everything about this book, but my main love was for Darcy, the main character. Darcy was a quirky, endearing, fabulous main character. She is a cat-loving, people-pleasing librarian who faces many unique situations and interesting requests in her daily line of work. I enjoyed being in her head, knowing her every rambling, over-analyzing thought. Her character growth was an entertaining and thought-provoking journey.
A theme that I found impactful was the weight of carrying around past mistakes. The ability to be able to learn from mistakes but not let them define you and/or haunt you. Appreciating everything you have survived to become the person you are today, instead of over-analyzing past mistakes and dwelling on them (as many people do). That was an important lesson our main character struggled with. Along with this goes the idea that what true happiness means to someone might not be what they originally thought it would be (and that’s ok!). People are constantly growing from their experiences. We are constantly changing, maturing, morphing into the experienced human being we currently are.
Although it’s a secondary layer, there is a cat lover vibe to the plot which I really enjoyed. My animal loving heart was smiling.
This was an all around winner for me. I loved every single word of this novel. I’ve read one other book by this author, Interesting Facts About Space, which was another fantastic read. I plan to read the remaining of her backlist soon and look forward to reading what she writes next!
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy! This is OUT NOW!
July 13, 2025
i’m seated. the bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it’s not january 2026 yet but i’m simply too seated
February 16, 2026
Librarians riseeeeee! This represented so much of my actual lived experience as a public librarian wow! Only Emily Austin can captivate me enough to read a literary fiction in one sitting!
January 16, 2026
im having a hard time collecting my thoughts on this one. this past week i read 'interesting facts about space' which i wholeheartedly loved. it was fun, witty, quick paced, and full of a lot of personable, relatable, and lovable characters. something about 'is this a cry for help' never truly resonated with me the way the other book did (not even her debut touched me as much as enid's story). as a library employee of almost seven years, i was drawn to the premise and as an enjoyer of austin's work, but this one felt a little too tunnel vision-focused on a very small handful of things, making the plot and story feel a bit stifling, like i was in a small and warm room with no window. yet, i still finished this book in a day, so im not sure where that leaves me.
unfortunately, idiots like declan are what library workers have to face and deal with on the regular, and everything that happened in this book along the lines of book banning, censorship, and even him feeling like we "indoctrinate" children in the "wrong" direction has happened at two library branches i work at. (and darcy was right when she said that higher levels of educated people are usually left leaning; i was specifically told to respond to patron's who tell us we have a "left-leaning collection" that books that are made/published are ones that are consumed, meaning that conservative/right-wing people simply aren't reading the way leftists are.) we have had people watching porn at the public computer stations, we have dealt with numerous cases of homelessness, etc. austin did a great job at portraying the reality of libraries, which in truth is not very pretty.
while this was relatable and enjoyable to read for those aspects, i feel like darcy was lacking in a lot of her own genuine characterization. her personality was overshadowed by ben's death--which yes, he is the driving force of her problems at her current moment in time--but i just didn't really feel like it was a book about her. every time she would think or relate something back to ben, i would kinda roll my eyes and skim over it. it was just a very flat aspect of the novel that i don't think were all that groundbreaking or exciting.
unfortunately, idiots like declan are what library workers have to face and deal with on the regular, and everything that happened in this book along the lines of book banning, censorship, and even him feeling like we "indoctrinate" children in the "wrong" direction has happened at two library branches i work at. (and darcy was right when she said that higher levels of educated people are usually left leaning; i was specifically told to respond to patron's who tell us we have a "left-leaning collection" that books that are made/published are ones that are consumed, meaning that conservative/right-wing people simply aren't reading the way leftists are.) we have had people watching porn at the public computer stations, we have dealt with numerous cases of homelessness, etc. austin did a great job at portraying the reality of libraries, which in truth is not very pretty.
while this was relatable and enjoyable to read for those aspects, i feel like darcy was lacking in a lot of her own genuine characterization. her personality was overshadowed by ben's death--which yes, he is the driving force of her problems at her current moment in time--but i just didn't really feel like it was a book about her. every time she would think or relate something back to ben, i would kinda roll my eyes and skim over it. it was just a very flat aspect of the novel that i don't think were all that groundbreaking or exciting.
August 26, 2025
If there’s one thing Emily Austin is going to do it’s keep me FED
___________________________________
Emily Austin!!! I’d say I’m in your walls, but I think you’re in mine! She’s done it again, folks, hitting on all sorts of topics you might be grappling with. Check this out if you’re terrified by the state of the world. If you’re a lesbian baffled by heterosexuality but also reconciling with how it shaped your life. If you’re dealing with complicated grief. If you grew up doing your local library’s summer reading challenges. It’s really a love letter to libraries and the way literature and different perspectives can expand our understanding of ourselves. It’s probably reflective of many of our lives right now. Navigating violence and hatred and conspiracies just while trying to live your life and show compassions toward others. It’s gently uplifting and hopeful in a way Austin always nails by not disregarding the negatives, but just acknowledging all the good, as well. I will also never stop yelling from the rooftops about how Emily Austin just Gets romance! It’s usually subtle but so thoughtful and sweet, and this is no exception. Darcy and Joy have my heart. The same day I finished this, I convinced two people to get a library card so I feel I’m doing my part🫡
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
___________________________________
Emily Austin!!! I’d say I’m in your walls, but I think you’re in mine! She’s done it again, folks, hitting on all sorts of topics you might be grappling with. Check this out if you’re terrified by the state of the world. If you’re a lesbian baffled by heterosexuality but also reconciling with how it shaped your life. If you’re dealing with complicated grief. If you grew up doing your local library’s summer reading challenges. It’s really a love letter to libraries and the way literature and different perspectives can expand our understanding of ourselves. It’s probably reflective of many of our lives right now. Navigating violence and hatred and conspiracies just while trying to live your life and show compassions toward others. It’s gently uplifting and hopeful in a way Austin always nails by not disregarding the negatives, but just acknowledging all the good, as well. I will also never stop yelling from the rooftops about how Emily Austin just Gets romance! It’s usually subtle but so thoughtful and sweet, and this is no exception. Darcy and Joy have my heart. The same day I finished this, I convinced two people to get a library card so I feel I’m doing my part🫡
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Pre-Read Notes:
I read a lot of books about mental illness because I want to see how people like me are represented. This is one of those and I was drawn in by the title and cover.
"I care about labels. Some people don’t, but I do. I think there’s value to categorizing things. We categorize fiction by genres so horror books can be grouped together. Nonfiction books are shelved by discipline, so philosophy books are grouped together. Categorizing books makes it easier to locate them, and it also makes it easier to discover new ones ." p98
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I think the theme of censorship is important, especially where it intersects with policy dictating how libraries protect our right to intellectual freedom in the US. But I think it was a mistake to make this a story about protecting the use of p*rn in libraries.
I get that it's trying to make a point, but p*rn is not safe for everyone (like children and survivors of se*ual trauma). People should feel confident that they can go to certain places without encountering it. Like the library. P*rn is not neutral material.
Also, there is nothing to indicate in the marketing materials that this is a story about p*rn. At the very least, this book needs trigger warnings. For me, this book lost me with the suggestion that access to p*rn is a right denied the underprivileged. Which is a ludicrous and clearly political suggestion. Healthcare, shelter, food, and clean water, indeed, even internet access, but not p*rn.
This book plays devil's advocate with its own central theme of intellectual freedom, which felt manipulative to me. I could feel myself being led and I didn't enjoy my read.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ Verdict about mental illness representation? Jury is still out. *edit Jury to remain "out" perpetually.
Notes: p*rn, sex in public spaces, cheating, ableism, ableist language
Thank you Emily Austin, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an accessible digital copy of IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP? All views are mine.
I read a lot of books about mental illness because I want to see how people like me are represented. This is one of those and I was drawn in by the title and cover.
"I care about labels. Some people don’t, but I do. I think there’s value to categorizing things. We categorize fiction by genres so horror books can be grouped together. Nonfiction books are shelved by discipline, so philosophy books are grouped together. Categorizing books makes it easier to locate them, and it also makes it easier to discover new ones ." p98
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I think the theme of censorship is important, especially where it intersects with policy dictating how libraries protect our right to intellectual freedom in the US. But I think it was a mistake to make this a story about protecting the use of p*rn in libraries.
I get that it's trying to make a point, but p*rn is not safe for everyone (like children and survivors of se*ual trauma). People should feel confident that they can go to certain places without encountering it. Like the library. P*rn is not neutral material.
Also, there is nothing to indicate in the marketing materials that this is a story about p*rn. At the very least, this book needs trigger warnings. For me, this book lost me with the suggestion that access to p*rn is a right denied the underprivileged. Which is a ludicrous and clearly political suggestion. Healthcare, shelter, food, and clean water, indeed, even internet access, but not p*rn.
This book plays devil's advocate with its own central theme of intellectual freedom, which felt manipulative to me. I could feel myself being led and I didn't enjoy my read.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ Verdict about mental illness representation? Jury is still out. *edit Jury to remain "out" perpetually.
Notes: p*rn, sex in public spaces, cheating, ableism, ableist language
Thank you Emily Austin, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an accessible digital copy of IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP? All views are mine.
June 10, 2026
This is an incredibly well-written—funny, dark, emotional, deeply relatable, and introspective—story.
There's library drama, cats, and a lot of conversations about identity, sexuality, grief, relationships, gender, mental health, and censorship. But more than anything, it feels like a love letter to books and libraries. And… the vibes?? chaotic and very cozy.
Darcy really stood out to me—she's messy in a very real, lived-in way. The story follows her mental health journey, but it never feels too heavy or overwhelming. It comes across as honest, layered, and deeply human.
Also, Emily Austin's writing is so compulsively readable, and really impactful in its simplicity. I really enjoyed it.
There's library drama, cats, and a lot of conversations about identity, sexuality, grief, relationships, gender, mental health, and censorship. But more than anything, it feels like a love letter to books and libraries. And… the vibes?? chaotic and very cozy.
Darcy really stood out to me—she's messy in a very real, lived-in way. The story follows her mental health journey, but it never feels too heavy or overwhelming. It comes across as honest, layered, and deeply human.
Also, Emily Austin's writing is so compulsively readable, and really impactful in its simplicity. I really enjoyed it.
December 24, 2025
This book was 5 stars for me up until almost the half way mark. I loved the discussions of past relationships, grief, and the banning of books. However, we have this problem with new releases where authors are constantly just dumping on-the-nose commentary that reads like their diary into the book. Is it about grief? Trauma? Gender and sexuality? Censorship? Race? Disabilities? Trans rights? Women’s rights and abortion? Creating a safe space at the library? All of the above? I have whiplash. Even when I agree on these topics, I don’t need to be beaten over the head. What started as a heavy and introspective book ended with me feeling as though I just read someone’s political rant on social media.
Want to Read
June 19, 2025I cannot die before January the thirteenth 😭
This just made my day
This just made my day
January 28, 2026
je n'ai pas trouvé le moindre intérêt romanesque à ce roman, en revanche, il est arrivé par ce hasard très magique et pas si rare qui n'appartient qu'aux livres et aux amoureux à un moment de ma vie où il m'a très précisément et très précieusement parlé. globalement, à moins que vous ne soyez une femme lesbienne ou bi et que vous ayez un certain mal à gérer le deuil et la perte, je crois en toute sincérité que ce sera difficile pour vous d'apprécier ce roman, qui ne fait pas œuvre de fiction en ce qu'il ne construit pas une histoire qui permettrait pleinement à un public foncièrement différent de son autrice et de sa narratrice de comprendre celles-ci. ce n'est pas grave ! moi ça m'a fait du bien de rencontrer un livre qui me parlait aussi directement, qui était aussi explicite dans son envie de prendre soin de moi. littéralement hein, un quart du livre c'est des conversations avec une psy. je les ai trouvées un tout petit peu gênantes et extrêmement utiles, réconfortantes, motrices, ce qui est le signe qui permet d'identifier une bonne séance de psy. je suis très, très apaisée et contente que ce livre existe, même si je n'aimerais pas que tous les romans soient comme ça (en même temps, il n'y a aucun livre dont j'aimerais que tous les autres livres soient comme lui, SAUF Rebecca de Daphné du Maurier qui est Le Livre Supérieur)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 / 5 Stars
At its surface, this may seem like a book about a librarian coming back to work after having a mental health crisis triggered by the death of an ex, but it touches on so many more topics: book banning, binge eating, complicated feelings on grief, guilt, queerness, how an age gap can affect the dynamics of a relationship, emotionally abusive parents, abortions, and honestly, so much more. Emotionally, there is a lot going on so I think it helped that the plot was not ostentatious or too complicated.
I originally struggled a little bit with the writing style. It feels like it is written as Darcy’s internal monologue where she narrates what is happening in real time while also reflecting on her life up until that point. It is very matter of fact, almost didactic at times. Because of this, it felt more tell than show, which I don’t love, but as the book went on, I got into the groove of the book and ended up enjoying the prose more. It almost felt like a memoir in some ways.
I appreciated that there was nuance to Darcy’s feelings. For example, when Darcy is processing her feelings about her ex boyfriend’s death, there are tender feelings but she is able to acknowledge that their age gap (she was 18 or 19 and he was 28 when they started dating) led to a power imbalance that did impact their relationship in a negative and kind of icky way. She is happy that she finally started to embrace that she was gay but feels guilty about how her relationship ended. One or two times, I struggled when Darcy would make bigger statements about how people acted or about the queer community as a whole because her assessment felt off to me, but her analysis of herself worked well.
You will probably like this book if you like:
📚 Books about books (she is a librarian)
📚 A protagonist who is coming into her most authentic self
📚 Queer representation
📚 Discussions of grief, complicated family dynamics, complicated past relationships, complicated relationship with self and body
📚 Discussions of book banning, censorship, community and how reading is political
📚 A more matter-of-fact prose style
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
_____________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Sometimes a title and cover just speak to you and then you read the description and you’re like “oh shit, this is about to hit real hard.”
At its surface, this may seem like a book about a librarian coming back to work after having a mental health crisis triggered by the death of an ex, but it touches on so many more topics: book banning, binge eating, complicated feelings on grief, guilt, queerness, how an age gap can affect the dynamics of a relationship, emotionally abusive parents, abortions, and honestly, so much more. Emotionally, there is a lot going on so I think it helped that the plot was not ostentatious or too complicated.
I originally struggled a little bit with the writing style. It feels like it is written as Darcy’s internal monologue where she narrates what is happening in real time while also reflecting on her life up until that point. It is very matter of fact, almost didactic at times. Because of this, it felt more tell than show, which I don’t love, but as the book went on, I got into the groove of the book and ended up enjoying the prose more. It almost felt like a memoir in some ways.
I appreciated that there was nuance to Darcy’s feelings. For example, when Darcy is processing her feelings about her ex boyfriend’s death, there are tender feelings but she is able to acknowledge that their age gap (she was 18 or 19 and he was 28 when they started dating) led to a power imbalance that did impact their relationship in a negative and kind of icky way. She is happy that she finally started to embrace that she was gay but feels guilty about how her relationship ended. One or two times, I struggled when Darcy would make bigger statements about how people acted or about the queer community as a whole because her assessment felt off to me, but her analysis of herself worked well.
You will probably like this book if you like:
📚 Books about books (she is a librarian)
📚 A protagonist who is coming into her most authentic self
📚 Queer representation
📚 Discussions of grief, complicated family dynamics, complicated past relationships, complicated relationship with self and body
📚 Discussions of book banning, censorship, community and how reading is political
📚 A more matter-of-fact prose style
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
_____________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Sometimes a title and cover just speak to you and then you read the description and you’re like “oh shit, this is about to hit real hard.”
January 17, 2026
In her mid-thirties, Darcy’s life has turned out better than she ever thought it would. She has a job as a reference librarian, a cozy home, and a happy marriage with Joy, the love of her life. But 15 years ago, she had a very different life in mind. As a university student, Darcy lived with her boyfriend Ben, 10 years her senior. A future with kids, a dog, and plenty of heteronormativity was in sight. When Darcy realized she was a lesbian and broke things off, she broke Ben’s heart. So when present-day Darcy learns that Ben has died, it throws her mental health into such a spiral that she’s hospitalized. Even though she doesn’t know how he died, she worries that she is somehow responsible. He was never the same after the breakup. As she works with a therapist after getting out of inpatient treatment, Darcy comes to realize that maybe she’s not the villain she thought she was. Meanwhile, conservative activists have targeted her library, and Darcy must fight for free speech.
I loved this book. Emily Austin truly creates the best characters. I loved Darcy, but even side characters like her overly talkative coworker were a delight. As a library superfan, I loved getting a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, and the fight over book bans felt all too real. But what I think a lot of people will find the most relatable about this book is the feeling of looking back on the past and realizing you’ve had a false view of it. Whether we perceive ourselves as heroes in our own story or, like Darcy, villains in someone else’s, there is often a level of nuance that we can perceive only in hindsight. Austin skillfully captures this aspect of the human condition—while also telling a story that is laugh-out-loud funny.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
I loved this book. Emily Austin truly creates the best characters. I loved Darcy, but even side characters like her overly talkative coworker were a delight. As a library superfan, I loved getting a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, and the fight over book bans felt all too real. But what I think a lot of people will find the most relatable about this book is the feeling of looking back on the past and realizing you’ve had a false view of it. Whether we perceive ourselves as heroes in our own story or, like Darcy, villains in someone else’s, there is often a level of nuance that we can perceive only in hindsight. Austin skillfully captures this aspect of the human condition—while also telling a story that is laugh-out-loud funny.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
January 17, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Is This A Cry For Help? by Emily Austin.
***
(3.75 stars)
To summarize, this story is a combination of a delayed coming-of-age tale as well as a delayed coming-out story, and a heartfelt plea for support of public libraries and their diversity and outreach programs.
Is This A Cry For Help? is told by Darcy, a 33-year-old librarian, who has just returned to work at a public library after taking off two months due to a mental breakdown. Darcy is a lesbian (important to the story), married to Joy, a bookbinder. On her first day back at work, things go haywire when a patron is seen watching porn on a library computer (perfectly okay per the library’s guidelines, and there are privacy screens around each computer station, FYI). A local right-wing news outlet finds out about this and starts a protest movement that expands to include requests to ban certain books. At the same time, Joy is called away to help out her sister who has just given birth, so Darcy has to navigate the professional crisis alone, while also continuing to go to therapy to work through why she had her mental breakdown and how to move on.
Darcy had spent five years living with Ben, with a man who was ten years older than Darcy, from 18 to 23, eventually realizing that she was not heterosexual and leaving him. Current day is ten years later and she finds out, by chance, that Ben had died suddenly and she is overcome with guilt and grief. We see Darcy gradually come to terms with her past and her feelings.
The other main plot line involves the protests over the library’s policies and mysterious emails that Darcy and a trans coworker, Mordechai, receive.
I wound up highlighting quite a few sentences which resonated with me. Here are some of them (note that I’m quoting from an advance copy so these may not be the final wording).
“I haven’t intentionally counted calories in years, but there’s still the voice in my mind that does it against my will.”
“I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about being gay, but I can’t turn it off.”
“It’s hard to question things, or expand the way you think, without being exposed to new information, or different perspectives.”
“I wish I could exist in this moment without carrying the baggage I’ve collected throughout my life. I like being older. I’d rather be me now, than me any age prior. But there is this heaviness to aging. Who I am was built on the shoulders of the person I was last year, and the year before, and before, and before.”
At first, I thought this would be a quirky, fun read (partially because one of the labeled categories for this book is “Humor & Satire”, and partly from the writing style at the beginning of the book. But the story takes a much sadder, dark, serious turn as we go along (with a hopeful ending, however). A good read, and a thought-provoking one, but not quite what I was expecting.
***
(3.75 stars)
To summarize, this story is a combination of a delayed coming-of-age tale as well as a delayed coming-out story, and a heartfelt plea for support of public libraries and their diversity and outreach programs.
Is This A Cry For Help? is told by Darcy, a 33-year-old librarian, who has just returned to work at a public library after taking off two months due to a mental breakdown. Darcy is a lesbian (important to the story), married to Joy, a bookbinder. On her first day back at work, things go haywire when a patron is seen watching porn on a library computer (perfectly okay per the library’s guidelines, and there are privacy screens around each computer station, FYI). A local right-wing news outlet finds out about this and starts a protest movement that expands to include requests to ban certain books. At the same time, Joy is called away to help out her sister who has just given birth, so Darcy has to navigate the professional crisis alone, while also continuing to go to therapy to work through why she had her mental breakdown and how to move on.
Darcy had spent five years living with Ben, with a man who was ten years older than Darcy, from 18 to 23, eventually realizing that she was not heterosexual and leaving him. Current day is ten years later and she finds out, by chance, that Ben had died suddenly and she is overcome with guilt and grief. We see Darcy gradually come to terms with her past and her feelings.
The other main plot line involves the protests over the library’s policies and mysterious emails that Darcy and a trans coworker, Mordechai, receive.
I wound up highlighting quite a few sentences which resonated with me. Here are some of them (note that I’m quoting from an advance copy so these may not be the final wording).
“I haven’t intentionally counted calories in years, but there’s still the voice in my mind that does it against my will.”
“I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about being gay, but I can’t turn it off.”
“It’s hard to question things, or expand the way you think, without being exposed to new information, or different perspectives.”
“I wish I could exist in this moment without carrying the baggage I’ve collected throughout my life. I like being older. I’d rather be me now, than me any age prior. But there is this heaviness to aging. Who I am was built on the shoulders of the person I was last year, and the year before, and before, and before.”
At first, I thought this would be a quirky, fun read (partially because one of the labeled categories for this book is “Humor & Satire”, and partly from the writing style at the beginning of the book. But the story takes a much sadder, dark, serious turn as we go along (with a hopeful ending, however). A good read, and a thought-provoking one, but not quite what I was expecting.
August 26, 2025
Admittedly, this book and I got off on the wrong foot. I've read through a bunch of other reviews and I seem to be the only person who thought the initial scene involving the patron watching porn on one of the public computers was mishandled by the main character. I'm not saying that every library's policy is the same, and I certainly do NOT support censorship or book banning or anything of the sort. But I do know that where I work, if someone was watching an adult video, (especially out loud with no headphones), it would not only make all the other patrons uncomfortable, but also the employees. And if another patron complains about it, we have to honor that as customer service workers. We can't get up on a soapbox and tell them that they're wrong, then let the guy CONTINUE TO WATCH a XXX naked threesome on a public computer. That was absolutely wild to me.
This was a depressing read. A vivid depiction of someone experiencing and then attempting to recover from a mental breakdown. It dealt heavily with grief, homophobia, and the hateful rhetoric currently being weaponized against public libraries. Darcy is currently in a happy and cozy relationship with her wife, Joy, but she dwells HEAVILY on the recent death of her male ex-boyfriend and also attends therapy sessions to try to work through it. I thought that the back and forth between Darcy and her therapist went on a bit too long and didn't add that much to the story for me, personally, though I understand why the dialogue was there.
I appreciated the general overall message of strong support for public libraries, and I liked the relationship at the core of the story, between Darcy and Joy. Also, the way the author described cats and cat behavior was charming. Darcy's inclination to protect the patrons who came to her for help was admirable, even if I found some of her self-righteousness a bit misguided at times. The things that Darcy is up against as part of her job and her personal life are not fun, and they are not easy. But something about the character herself held me at arm's length, and I didn't connect with her the way I expected to. I also found myself clenching my jaw through all the anti-library ranting, but I know that was the point. It just wasn't fun to read.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Disordered eating, Depression/Mental breakdown, Mention of Suicide, Violent homophobia, Political bullying
This was a depressing read. A vivid depiction of someone experiencing and then attempting to recover from a mental breakdown. It dealt heavily with grief, homophobia, and the hateful rhetoric currently being weaponized against public libraries. Darcy is currently in a happy and cozy relationship with her wife, Joy, but she dwells HEAVILY on the recent death of her male ex-boyfriend and also attends therapy sessions to try to work through it. I thought that the back and forth between Darcy and her therapist went on a bit too long and didn't add that much to the story for me, personally, though I understand why the dialogue was there.
I appreciated the general overall message of strong support for public libraries, and I liked the relationship at the core of the story, between Darcy and Joy. Also, the way the author described cats and cat behavior was charming. Darcy's inclination to protect the patrons who came to her for help was admirable, even if I found some of her self-righteousness a bit misguided at times. The things that Darcy is up against as part of her job and her personal life are not fun, and they are not easy. But something about the character herself held me at arm's length, and I didn't connect with her the way I expected to. I also found myself clenching my jaw through all the anti-library ranting, but I know that was the point. It just wasn't fun to read.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Disordered eating, Depression/Mental breakdown, Mention of Suicide, Violent homophobia, Political bullying
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If Emily Austin's book—Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead—is the epitome of the mental health breakdown experience, then Is This A Cry For Help? is how you recover from that breakdown and learn to live again. This is told with humor, honesty, and compassion and is 1000% relatable. Kudos to the author for championing mental health and equal rights for all.
I'll have more thoughts, aka, a full review soon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I'll have more thoughts, aka, a full review soon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!
November 9, 2025
4.5 stars
Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for access to this ARC
I think a book like this is important at this period in time. I initially thought the review might be hard to write because of how much it parallels what's going on in the world politically at the moment. We meet our FMC, Darcy, at a difficult time in her life. She is grieving her ex boyfriend and is struggling with some mental health issues, which has caused her to take a leave of absence from work.
One of the many interesting aspects here is Darcy's job - she's a librarian, and as someone who used to volunteer in one and wished to pursue that path at one point, I found her descriptions of what she did in a day and the many types of people (and drama associated with them) fascinating. Not all of the patrons are, uh ... easy to work with. It is one such incident that causes members of the community to become interested in library policies and how much they dislike them, to the point of protesting and calling for book bans.
Darcy is queer, and I loved her relationship with Joy. They both have book centered careers and they were so cute together. Emily Austen infuses the story with her sense of humor; I've only read one of her other books, but it had the same vibes going and though the novel is about a lot serious topics partially centered around grief, it still made me laugh. More than a few times.
I think the main message regarding the people advocating for book bans and a Christian-only environment in the library is that people need to be compassionate, they need to try and remember that there are others with much different backgrounds than them, people from a wide variety of circumstances. Libraries are meant for all to enjoy, you cannot police their content and obviously should not be trying to ban books. There is a certain group in the real life political world that are heavily in favor of that - as well as defunding libraries (and museums, national parks, etc.) and personally, it just makes me more sad about it and more determined to help the cause of all libraries - allow information to be accessible by all so people can educate themselves and have the recourses they need to do so, whether that's a book or a computer.
Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for access to this ARC
I think a book like this is important at this period in time. I initially thought the review might be hard to write because of how much it parallels what's going on in the world politically at the moment. We meet our FMC, Darcy, at a difficult time in her life. She is grieving her ex boyfriend and is struggling with some mental health issues, which has caused her to take a leave of absence from work.
One of the many interesting aspects here is Darcy's job - she's a librarian, and as someone who used to volunteer in one and wished to pursue that path at one point, I found her descriptions of what she did in a day and the many types of people (and drama associated with them) fascinating. Not all of the patrons are, uh ... easy to work with. It is one such incident that causes members of the community to become interested in library policies and how much they dislike them, to the point of protesting and calling for book bans.
Darcy is queer, and I loved her relationship with Joy. They both have book centered careers and they were so cute together. Emily Austen infuses the story with her sense of humor; I've only read one of her other books, but it had the same vibes going and though the novel is about a lot serious topics partially centered around grief, it still made me laugh. More than a few times.
I think the main message regarding the people advocating for book bans and a Christian-only environment in the library is that people need to be compassionate, they need to try and remember that there are others with much different backgrounds than them, people from a wide variety of circumstances. Libraries are meant for all to enjoy, you cannot police their content and obviously should not be trying to ban books. There is a certain group in the real life political world that are heavily in favor of that - as well as defunding libraries (and museums, national parks, etc.) and personally, it just makes me more sad about it and more determined to help the cause of all libraries - allow information to be accessible by all so people can educate themselves and have the recourses they need to do so, whether that's a book or a computer.
August 27, 2025
The divine Emily Austin just does not miss. She is our generation’s voice of the weird lesbian. This book is part love letter to libraries, part deep character study on panic disorder, part narration of a local news station Facebook comment section. I feel like Emily Austin read an unfortunate Facebook comment section under an article about challenges in her local library and thought “what if this were a novel?”
Darcy is back at work at the library after being off for 2 months due to a mental breakdown. Her ex-boyfriend Ben died and she doesn’t know how, and feels somewhat responsible. He never knew that they broke up because Darcy is gay. It’s years later and Darcy is happily married to Joy. But she is trying to understand her own growth from trying really hard to be liked to being a strong adult that is good with boundaries.
I highly doubt I need to say this but don’t read it if you have radical right wing beliefs. It isn’t a testament to left wing beliefs or anything, but the small but loud radical right agenda is analyzed here, and found lacking. Also- this is way more character study than intricate plot, but it does have a strong arc for Darcy and background every day life reality.
In the Hollywood version, Darcy will be played by Cara Delvigne. Joy will be played by Amanda Seyfried. The unfortunate Declan Turner will be played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.
It isn’t as funny as “Everybody in this room will someday be dead” nor as irreverent as “Interesting Facts about Space,” but I really loved it. Emily Austin has matured in her writing and clearly has a knack for everyday heroes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Book to be published January 12, 2026.
Darcy is back at work at the library after being off for 2 months due to a mental breakdown. Her ex-boyfriend Ben died and she doesn’t know how, and feels somewhat responsible. He never knew that they broke up because Darcy is gay. It’s years later and Darcy is happily married to Joy. But she is trying to understand her own growth from trying really hard to be liked to being a strong adult that is good with boundaries.
I highly doubt I need to say this but don’t read it if you have radical right wing beliefs. It isn’t a testament to left wing beliefs or anything, but the small but loud radical right agenda is analyzed here, and found lacking. Also- this is way more character study than intricate plot, but it does have a strong arc for Darcy and background every day life reality.
In the Hollywood version, Darcy will be played by Cara Delvigne. Joy will be played by Amanda Seyfried. The unfortunate Declan Turner will be played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.
It isn’t as funny as “Everybody in this room will someday be dead” nor as irreverent as “Interesting Facts about Space,” but I really loved it. Emily Austin has matured in her writing and clearly has a knack for everyday heroes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Book to be published January 12, 2026.
December 1, 2025
This is not a cry for help, actually. It's a love letter to libraries.
We open with Darcy's return to her job at the library following a mental health crisis. There's a man watching some adult videos out loud, and, rather than kicking him out, Darcy asks all the patrons to use headphones. What ensues is a painfully accurate spiral of the demonization of the library. How dare they allow deviants to expose their children to such profane materials! Navigating protests, the death of a much older ex-boyfriend, and someone writing her confusing and vaguely threatening emails, Darcy looks to find a balance both inside and outside the library.
This was so delightful. I thought the nuanced conversations around censorship and what should be allowed in libraries were handled so elegantly. I find that Austin's characters are all sometimes the same note: flat and literal, but it worked in the novel's favor. I feel that I learned something too; at first, I was also surprised to think that librarians would allow someone to watch such videos in the library. But should that be a privilege allowed only to those who can afford internet? Who determines what is or is not safe for the public? Where do we draw the line?
I am so glad to have read the ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher! 4.5 rounding up.
We open with Darcy's return to her job at the library following a mental health crisis. There's a man watching some adult videos out loud, and, rather than kicking him out, Darcy asks all the patrons to use headphones. What ensues is a painfully accurate spiral of the demonization of the library. How dare they allow deviants to expose their children to such profane materials! Navigating protests, the death of a much older ex-boyfriend, and someone writing her confusing and vaguely threatening emails, Darcy looks to find a balance both inside and outside the library.
This was so delightful. I thought the nuanced conversations around censorship and what should be allowed in libraries were handled so elegantly. I find that Austin's characters are all sometimes the same note: flat and literal, but it worked in the novel's favor. I feel that I learned something too; at first, I was also surprised to think that librarians would allow someone to watch such videos in the library. But should that be a privilege allowed only to those who can afford internet? Who determines what is or is not safe for the public? Where do we draw the line?
I am so glad to have read the ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher! 4.5 rounding up.
May 27, 2026
emily austin can do no wrong and this was no different!! absolutely devoured this in a day
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