A bit of a slow burn, this book is written in a unique stream-of-consciouness style from the narrator. She is unnamed, which is also unique. She observes everything so well, and her autism gives a really interesting perspective.

Absolutely adored this! Loved the main character, I've been searching for something like this since reading- it was such a comfort read for me.

Let's start with the facts.
Set in Melbourne (yay) we follow a nameless young woman as she gets ready for a night out and attends a party. The whole book follows this one rather ordinary night and the morning that follows. This seems like a relatively boring plot line but this book is anything but, it is an insight into how an autistic person sees their world, how it affects their experiences and how their experiences affect them. The novel is definitely more of a character study as it is driven so minimally by the plot, and so intensely by the characters thoughts and feelings as the character provides us with a running commentary through the progression of the night.

Now to how I felt.
For me, the constant stream of consciousness was overwhelming, this was not a book I could binge (which is my ideal style of reading). I had to keep putting it down to read something else and pick it back up when the time was right. I found the character to be really judgemental which didn't sit well with me and her analysis of every social situation was stressful because when i go to a party i go to get out of my anxious brain and to have fun and not feel as if i'm being judged and analysed so this kind of made me spiral a little. This is one of the only novels I've read where I didn't like being in the main character's head, was it because it's too similar to my own, always over thinking and over analysing, stressing about my communication style and if i'm connecting with others, i'm not sure but i just didn't gel with this book.

"Parting ways with someone or something doesn't always make sense, so people often create reasons to be angry and resentful, because it weaves a stronger narrative around the process of letting go."

Set in Melbourne, we follow a young woman over the course of one evening as she gets ready and attends a house party, before leaving said party with a new male acquaintance.

Perhaps attributed to being written by a neurodiverse author, this was quite unlike anything I've ever read before. It was refreshing to be introduced to a character so unashamed in sharing and truly owning their beliefs and their truths (if at times also slightly exhausting). It touched on many "hot" topics within in the media and society over the past 5-10 years (namely Indigenous land rights and rape culture) that many people are perhaps cautious to discuss. I appreciated the vulnerability and boldness in sharing these views when many are quick to 'cancel' and shame others in our current climate. I found the privilege toward the end of the book slightly confronting, but nothing that markedly changed my perspective on the narrative. It's definitely a book that will evoke discussions (a very good thing) and a book that made me consider my thoughts from a different perspective.

(Also, Porkchop sounds like a remarkable cat.)

3.5 stars.

This was a slow burner for me – it took me over a week to get a third of the way through as I wasn't naturally reaching for it.. But I sat down and devoured the rest of it in one day and absolutely loved it.

Once I took the time to get into it, I found the character and the story so compelling. The party really came to life, and I was desperate to be there (maybe partly because parties are such an alien concept in lockdown!). It taps into so many topics - sexual assault, social pressures, grief, friendships, relationships and the narrator's observations of the interactions going on around her are so brilliant.

I'll definitely be looking out for more from Maedeine Ryan.

Because of some of my bookclub pals I had already had a chance to drool over how gorgeous the cover of this book was, but getting to read it was even better!

A Room Called Earth follows an unnamed protagonist as she prepares for a party, and while she does what I can only describe as observe, at said party. While there isn’t much of a plot, there is a lot going on. As readers we are immersed in the protagonist’s thoughts, we observe the world through her eyes.

One of the reasons I was so excited to read this book is the fact that it is by a neurodivergent author (she is autistic to be precise) and has confirmed that her character is too. I try to read diversely and to focus on #ownvoices, so this book was a perfect choice. What made it even better was the fact that yes the character is neurodivergent, but that is not what is central in the story, it is just a look into the life of someone who happens to be neurodivergent.

I do not have autism, at least that I know of, but could relate to the overwhelm the protagonist sometimes felt - I associate that with my ADHD & functioning slightly different than Neurotypical people do, so maybe the fact that both she and I don't think in a typical manner made her relatable to me. Her way of analysing also felt familiar, it is something I often do too. I havent read this in a book before, so it made me very happy to have found that here.

I loved some of the protagonist’s observations and felt that she was very relatable in many aspects. Something that stood out to me was how privileged she was in some aspects and didn't always realise this. This sometimes made her unlikeable, but also made her very real. Sometimes it’s hard to be in someone else’s thoughts, but with the way this was written I didn’t have any trouble feeling engaged. I could have read three more books of how the protagonist experienced the world.

While some parts felt a bit rushed or unnecessary, I can wholeheartedly say that I loved this book and the very real protagonist (flaws included).

Set in Australia, this book follows an unnamed protagonist as she gets ready and attends a Christmas Eve-eve party. As the reader you get to experience the inner workings of the protagonists mind as she details her views on the world and the social constructs that we all struggle with. It it to be noted that the protagonist seems to have ASD.

At times it was difficult to follow with the long rambling passages and the change between very short chapters to long ones and I found myself thinking about other things and re reading the same bits over and over.

The protagonist at times is hard to like with her very strong views on thinks like taking anti-depressants, renting property and time. She tells a story about an ex-boyfriend who always checked his watch but she seems to forget that most people need to work, she is fortunate enough not to have to, and need to follow society’s time constraints to be able to afford to live. This would be my reasoning for 4 stars and not 5. This said, she has a dreamy and wonderful attitude to nature and I adored the reactions with her cat Porkchop.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book with the last third being the most enjoyable when she meets a guy at the party. The whole book felt in a way how you wish you could live your life if you were richer enough not to worry about time, money, a job and family but was a lovely read as a kind of escape into a world we all hope to live in just a little bit more.

Book review - 3.5/5

The cover of this book is actually how I ended up reading it because it’s just so beautiful and I adore cats! Especially, ginger ones. I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover but I couldn’t ignore this one! In addition, the writer is neurodiverse and I was intrigued to see how the book would be written.

Brief summary: Honestly, very little happens in the novel with regards to events. We are introduced to a quirky, unnamed narrator who is very self-assured and confident. She loves parties and the whole book follows her through a house party and her encounters with other people at the party.

I loved the narrator’s sense of self. The book seems to really focus on the authentic self and being true to that and the narrator really embodies that notion! It was really inspiring and empowering to read in that respect. I also loved how perceptive she was of other people around her. I particularly enjoyed her encounter with the unnamed male character in the second half of the story where her blunt honesty is really highlighted.

I really struggled with the first half the book as the narrator tends to ramble quite a lot to the point where each sentence is a new topic. It was difficult to keep up with and at times I found I would have read a whole chapter but couldn’t actually remember a thing that was said. I found my mind drifted quite a lot because there was very little going on and it was mostly a chaotic internal monologue. Either way, if this was reflective of the workings of a neurodiverse mind - it certainly was interesting to get some insight!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s not what I expected and was very quirky and original. I found the first half quite challenging and I tend to prefer books where there is a concrete plot but either way, it was a fun read!

What an astonishing book! I started it being slightly annoyed by the main character but at the same time identifying with her and a lot of her feelings and thoughts. As the story went on, her experience of the world seemed more and more peculiar, unique, and utterly fascinating. There are a lot of phrases and thoughts in this book that I won't forget very soon. What a magical world Madeleine Ryan has created here!

A Room Called Earth is set over one night, where our nameless narrator is getting ready to go to a party. We experience her thoughts and response to everything that unfolds.
This is told in a stream of consciousness narrative which I usually struggle with, but actually didn’t mind too much with this book. My main problem was that I just found it so boring. There is no real plot, she her judgemental observations about people she doesn’t actually know. Basically she hates everyone, which gets a bit dull after a while. When there was dialogue it was a lot of just “um”, “yes”, “oh” which was just so mind numbing.

This book was just not for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, and all the reviews on Goodreads told me to like this book; however, it wasn't good. This was trying too hard to be meaningful.

The book is supposed to be about one evening, and damn that evening was slow. While everyone's inner monologue probably sounds like this when we're in our moods, generally I think we're on mute or autopilot so we don't have to deal with it; the narrator hasn't learned how to do that. There were too many details, and the narrator has so many philosophical ramblings that I kinda felt like I really wouldn't be friends with them in IRL because they seem like a judgemental ass.

The thing with the mud was really weird; like what??!! I wanted to give it 1 star but gave it two because I do like that the narrator has tried to rise above the behavior of her parents.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan

🌼🌼🌼🌼/5

“If I said and did what I wanted without restraint- the man in my life wouldn’t be able to comprehend it.”

This novel is written in a stream of consciousness from the perspective of a young woman on the autism spectrum. It is based over the course of one night when she goes to a party. It explores so many key issues from Australian Aboriginal people, identify, being different and social constructs.

I can honestly say I felt like I was inside the narrators brain. I have never read a book where the protagonist is so aware of how different she is to those around her while trying to find someone who she connects with. I also cannot rave enough about the fact that the main trait of this protagonist isn’t being afraid of social interaction! I feel this author has written a great activist piece about autism and how every individual is beautifully unique.

I have read books written as a stream of consciousness before and haven’t liked them, but I couldn’t put this one down! I loved the short chapters and I finished this book within a few days.

It is a gorgeously infinite insight into the life of someone who is on the autism spectrum. Madeleine Ryan has written a great OwnVocies novel about neuro-diversity and I highly recommend picking it up (if you couldn’t tell already!!).

I kindly received an eARC from Scribe in exchange for an honest review.

What first seems to be ‘just’ a book about a woman with autism (and I don’t mean this in a nasty way), becomes so much more interesting as you learn about her habits and particularities, her wonderful interests, and her magnificent house. Loved this stream of consciousness style honest debut!
Thank you Scribe and Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed reading this book and reading life experiences from a new perspective in a setting that is new to myself. I enjoyed the freedom of thought in relation to how we think about our bodies and treat our conscious minds. The fact that this book promotes this in such a positive light is incredible. The narrator gives us a stream of consciousness which is somewhat postmodern and poetic in writing.

The downside for me was pretty early on in the book the narrator mentions how much they dislike and disagree with taking medicine for mental health. It felt quite disappointing to read this in a book that is so far ahead in terms of positively promoting self-acception physically. I understand that the writer may not have meant this to come across in the way it did, however, it was a slight let down personally.

The book is an Autistic coming of age story and it is a privilege for me to be able to read and experience the conscious mind that I would not be able to understand on a day to day basis, and learn the difference in understanding social situations though this too. It's a fun light-hearted book that still makes you think from a new perspective.

A Room Called Earth presents a simple premise: a nameless autistic young woman gets ready to attend a party, whilst we, the reader, experience her thoughts and response to the events that unfold.

From reading other reviews it seems I'm in the minority in disliking the novel, with other reviewers praising the observational insights and voice of the narrator. I'm afraid to say I found little insight, and struggled to find motivation to finish the very short chapters. Not for me.

I think the unnamed narrator of this novel might be the coolest fictional character I’ve ever encountered and I really wanted to spend more time with her. A novel about autism that wonderfully explains how differently the protagonist thinks from other people that is in most ways actually a story about a party and being young and how relationships work - I learned so much (also about the situation of the Aboriginal population in Australia, various healing practices and how to care for both native and exotic flora and fauna) without ever feeling like I was being preached at. I was desperate to know what happened next and to spend some more time in the company of the narrator and I will definitely be recommending this novel to everyone I meet! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I admire this book. It has some truly wonderful phrases and clever social insights. I really liked the main character too. She was very interesting. However I found it difficult to engage with the writing style.
I suspect that I wasn't a good match for the intended audience. So please don't let that put you off.

I feel very conflicted about this novel. I started out thinking that the protagonist was incredibly likeable and self-aware, and really enjoying the close atmosphere of observing her get ready for a party. Then she got to the party and became extremely pretentious and irritating to the point that I thought I might not be able to go on. I’m all for an unlikeable narrator, but I refuse to believe that four different characters would say the word “lol” out loud in the space of one evening. But I kept going and the section at the end, when she returns home with someone she meets at the party, is quite lovely. Very conflicting.