good, and I love that my gut feeling about the author having worked in a public library at some point was correct, but I didn't understand why the narrative was treating me like I'd never heard of book banning before. surely the audience for this specific story is well aware? but whatever. I otherwise enjoyed the writing style for the most part and I appreciated the list of ways to support libraries included at the end.

Emily Austin’s Is This a Cry for Help? is a sharp and timely exploration of grief, sexuality, and the role of public institutions in shaping private lives. The novel follows Darcy, a librarian whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend. While she navigates guilt, memory, and the complexities of her marriage, she also faces the very real pressures of contemporary librarianship: book bans, political scrutiny, and the constant fight to preserve spaces of access and inclusion.

Austin’s prose is pared down, often verging on stream of consciousness, which captures the immediacy of Darcy’s mental state. The fragmented style may be challenging at first, but it reflects the reality of grief and disorientation with precision. What results is a narrative that is both personal and political, showing how individual struggles intersect with broader cultural debates.

Thoughtful and deeply human, Is This a Cry for Help? will resonate with readers interested in stories that examine mental health, Queer identity, and the fragile but vital presence of public resources.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not usually a story I would pick up but I always love books about books and libraries! Also I like every so often to venture out my predictable reading bubble and branch out and read about characters I don’t always read about. Darcy is a character who seemed to have found herself until a crisis hit her life and knocked her off course. This book is about her coming to terms with her past and accepting all of herself as she is. The book is also very timely with the censorship discussions mirroring “news stories “ I see every day. It is especially relevant this week with the focus on the first amendment. As a proponent of “the you don’t like it don’t read it” group it was interesting to follow along with the library as it dealt with the many people we see today who feel everyone should read what they deem appropriate.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Is This A Cry For Help, by Emily Austin, from Atria Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Y’all?

Emily Austin feels like she’s preaching to the choir with this one. Plus none of the characters in the book were very likeable, as far as I was concerned.

It pains me to say this, as she’s a great writer and I’ve given the other two books of hers I’ve read 5 and 4 stars (and this book was very easy to read, even as I was in the final throes of some sort of awful stomach bug or mild flu). But I’m gonna have to give this one just 2 stars. Would be 2.5 if only…..

Doesn’t mean I’m going to quit reading her, by any means.

Now, here, go read this reaction to it by an account titled mars’s Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

DESCRIPTION
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.

4. stars. Emily Austin is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors and this was a pleasure to read! A love letter to libraries as it has been said in many other reviews but it's also so much more. I really enjoyed the way this discusses 'banned books' and understanding different perspectives through literature but it's also funny and talks about life in a really beautiful way. She consistently tackles mental health with such a deep understanding and care, this being no different. I have nothing but good things to say about this and I could go on but just read it when it comes out instead!

I devoured this book in two sittings in a span of 24 hours.

This might be because I share many traits with Darcy, including our careers. We're both librarians. We both care very deeply about ensuring that our collections are inclusive and diverse across multiple spectrums. We both care that libraries are welcoming to all. Book bans and challenges are a very real and prevalent issue right now, and that element of the plot, combined with Darcy's struggles with her ex-boyfriend's death, made her feel very real to me. Many of the characters felt real, even Declan. Though the author clearly aligns more with Darcy's stance on social issues as they extend to libraries, I feel that Austin did a stellar job of portraying the opposition's stance and behaviors as they relate to it.

This book's pacing was so compelling, the characterization was stellar, and the plot reached its climax in a beautifully subtle and lightly handled moment. It made the book feel more true to life. Real life doesn't have moments where you know, as you experience it, that this is the climax of your life's plot. Darcy's story doesn't either.

Darcy's relationship with her ex-boyfriend, her therapy sessions, and her musings in relation to it, drive the plot and make the book feel much more multi-faceted. Darcy isn't just a librarian fighting a book banning battle at her branch. She's a librarian with a rich, storied history and a life outside of work. The conclusions that Darcy comes to in her reflections, and the story itself, is done so beautifully.

I loved this book and look forward to reading more books by Emily Austin in the future.

Like all of Emily Austin's previous novels, this title was poignant and explored serious topics with a healthy dose of humor. This story was considerably more light-hearted than the previous works by this author. I enjoyed reading about a librarian employed in Canada and observing the differences between libraries here in the states. Over-all, the story was intriguing, and I enjoyed the cast of characters. Especially the cats!!! I tend to enjoy heavier themes in books, but I don't think my personal preference should negate the merits of this book. It deserves a 5 star!

I’ve read all of Emily Austin’s books and while they each hold a special place in my heart, I can confidently say that this is my favorite one yet!

Because in the last few years who hasn’t found themselves asking the titular question. Is This A Cry For Help? follows Darcy, a public librarian whose beautiful life with her book-binding wife (serious cottage by the sea goals) is upended after she hears about the untimely passing of her ex-boyfriend. As Darcy moves through her grief and begins to unpack more complicated feelings about the realities of her past, the library she works for is targeted by a group of conservatives intent on enforcing traditional family values through book bans and other forms of censorship.

This book could not have come at a more prescient time and I think it masterfully showcases how much libraries do for our communities while also clearly and logically articulating the case against book banning. I think public libraries are the greatest societal good we have and should be protected at all costs. One of the last scenes in the book reminded me so much of the penultimate chapter of The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates and both serve as powerful reminders that the loudest voices are not always that the majority and that if we continue to show up for one another we can make a difference for the more vulnerable members of our communities.

And as always, Austin handles the various eccentricities and complexities of being a human on this earth with such compassion and humor that it is hard to stop reading. Darcy’s complicated feelings of grief about her past relationship were so human and relatable, and this shone through the most when held up against examples from her supportive, healthy and communicative marriage.

Thank you to Atria for the advance copy. I will be screaming about this one from the rooftops come January!

“Organizational systems are designed by humans, and most of us are limited and flawed.”  
 
^ Pretty relevant quote right now.  
 
I don't think I'll ever be able to read an Emily Austin and not automatically rate it 5 stars. I just love her that much.  
 
I feel very lucky I got to read an arc thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks and I can't wait for my pre-order hard copy to arrive in January.

“everyone in this room will someday be dead” is my favourite book and i thought loving a book as much couldn’t be done again. i thought wrong. as always, emily austin touches on deep subjects without losing her characteristic humour and (ultimately) hope. i’m so glad i got to read this and can’t recommend it enough.

One of my favorite books of the year so far. Every one of the author’s books has been a five star read for me.

Emily Austin has such a gift for creating flawed, endearing heroines, and Darcy is no exception. This novel is at once darkly funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful—a story about grief, guilt, and self-discovery, but also about resilience and community. The backdrop of a small-town library facing book-banning crusaders felt both timely and powerful, and it gave the story an urgency that went beyond Darcy’s personal struggles.

Darcy’s voice is sharp and self-deprecating, but also deeply vulnerable, and I found myself rooting for her even when she made messy choices. The exploration of her past relationships, her marriage to Joy, and her reconnection with her own sense of purpose gave the book a lot of emotional depth. I especially appreciated the nuanced portrayal of queer life and love—quietly radical in its ordinariness, yet profoundly moving.

The pacing did feel uneven in spots, with a few sections dwelling more on Darcy’s inner spiral than advancing the story, but the payoff was worth it. The ending struck a beautiful balance between bittersweet and hopeful, reminding me why I love Austin’s work so much.

Overall, Is This a Cry for Help? is an engaging, emotionally resonant read that combines Austin’s signature humor with a timely look at libraries, censorship, and community. Fans of her previous novels will find plenty to love here, and new readers will discover a voice that’s both unique and unforgettable.

Another banger from Emily Austin, Strangely this is the book in which I've felt most confident in the main character's mental health, which is pretty ironic considering the backstory we learn that precedes the beginning of the book. It's insightful and sometimes cutting, and I love that it's a fact-based take on the current push for book banning and censorship. Darcy is beyond competent at her job, and it was nice to know that whatever came her way professionally was not going to derail her.

The breadcrumbs we got through flashbacks and therapy sessions about her ultimately deeply dysfunctional relationship with the now-dead Ben were so well laid. I completely turned myself over to this story and at every turn I felt like I was along for the ride. The contrast (which we were both shown and told) between Ben and Darcy's current wife Joy was so illuminating and painted just a glowing picture of what it's like to truly find yourself in a partnership.

4.5 stars rounded up. I loved this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Very entertaining! I had a lots of fun reading this; my first by this author, hope it won’t be last. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

In my honest opinion that while I think that this book and premise is very important for grief, mental illness, book banning and libraries, I feel very highly this book used AI in writing it. If however the author did not i implore them to expand on their writing techniques. I would have absolutely loved this book but the repetition, and the overly detailed was extreme, and very telling not showing. it was extremely detached and like the author was writing just to write for the times. The author made me as the reader, like another reviewer said, dumb and was being treated as such. This is what i mean by it feeling AI written. I declined to write a review at first but after going back and reading again, my first reaction was correct.
I just did not enjoy it.

This story starts as Darcy finally returns to her job as a librarian after suffering from a mental health crisis caused by the death of her ex boyfriend. Darcy hasn’t seen her ex-boyfriend for years, and is now in fact happily married to a woman. Yet Darcy feels crippling guilt over leaving her ex and she blames herself for the seemingly downhill trajectory of her ex’s life, ultimately culminating in his death. On top of that, a censorship scandal ensues at her library, and Darcy is forced to contend with pressure from the community to increase restrictions on information access at the public library.


I will start by saying that I absolutely LOVED this book, and it’s definitely my favorite Emily Austin book to date. I inhaled this story within a couple days (unfortunately I had work and couldn’t spend all my time reading). Emily Austin continues to amaze me at her ability to write humorous yet dark and emotional stories. I especially appreciate her portrayal of mental health in a raw and delicate way that feels deeply relatable. I really adored Darcy’s relationship with her wife, and following Darcy as she navigated both internal and external conflicts. Maybe I’m just projecting, but I felt while reading this that Emily Austin has matured herself in her own life and that has reflected in her characters. The censorship aspect added an interesting, humorous, politically relevant layer to the story that I think Darcy’s character handled perfectly. Please read this you won’t regret it! Support your local libraries! 📚🐱💚💙

Before I get into my review, I just want to say that I think this is a really important book, especially in this age of rising book bans, anti-queer sentiment, and rampant misinformation. Libraries and librarians are some of the most important resources available to us and I really appreciated the way the author showed just how much libraries do for the community beyond just "books".

That being said, I think this boiled down to excellent conversations and messaging, just not told in a way that I particularly vibed with. This author's writing style, at least in this book, seems to be very blunt. There's not too much room for interpretation because the author gives it to you all up-front. There's also not too much lyricism in the writing (which is fine, but the prose could get a little flat from time to time). This might just be the author's style in general and it, unfortunately, doesn't work for me. For all that this is a book that has many emotional elements, told in a bluntly comic style, I never fully felt invested in the characters in the way I wanted to. Again, fully appreciate the messaging and the themes; I just think the author's writing kept me more distanced than I'd like to be. Plus, the humor wasn't always my cup of tea.

Overall, a very important and timely book, just not executed in a way that I vibed with. I think author's of the fans previous works might like it, though!

I've been a long time follower of Emily Austin since her debut Everyone in This Room Will Someday be Dead. She has such a knack for writing characters that I relate so strongly to, and this was no exception. Is This a Cry for Help follows Darcy, a librarian struggling with the death of an ex while navigating the current political climate of the alt-right's opposition to inclusivity within public libraries. Though the subject matter is serious, Austin has an ability to add humour and lightness throughout making her writing very approachable. Would recommend for those who love a complicated female protagonist or those who love the public library system!

I love all of Emily Austin's books. This one touched a bit home because of the book banning and the nature of my book often being banned, but I love all of her weird lesbian characters as a weird lesbian myself.

Wow. I loved Is This a Cry for Help. It hit close to home as I'm dealing with grief currently, but covered so much more than grief. Book banning, social norms, acceptance. Well done, Emily Austin, thank you for this book.