Emily Austin, thank you for teaching me what Anting means - truly informative.

This was so effing good. Like holy moly good, and I was not prepared for how much I would love this author’s writing style. Grief was the chief highlight of this book with so much going on in every aspect of Darcy’s life. Understanding themselves also comes as a major theme in Darcy’s life as she deals with the death of someone she truly believed she loved, with all the baggage that comes from unpacking their relationship and its flaws.

The dialogue surrounding intolerance and the underlying threat of the conservative-toned media outlet also playing a role was really interesting, and definitely gave me anxiety even reading it! How like the current setting we live in.

I nearly keeled over when the woman brought her Crock-Pot to the library. Omg.

4.5

setting: Canada (I think - it isn't specified)
Rep: lesbian protagonist

I have a bit of a chequered history with Emily Austin - I didn't like her first book and I DNFd the audio version of her second - but when the publisher reached out to offer an e-ARC, I decided to give her another shot and I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed this quiet book about a depressed lesbian librarian and the library antics and her grief over a dead ex. I will be returning to the book I didn't finish and I'll keep my eyes out for her third book too

read an ARC from netgalley - thanks!

this story follows darcy, a lesbian, 30-something librarian who is coming back from work after a mental breakdown spurred from her ex boyfriend dying. hilarity and grief ensue as she gets back to work.

this book is a needed commentary on the state of the world, intertwined with darcy and joy’s story. as a 30-something lesbian, there were many moments where i commiserated with darcy.

this is my 3rd Emily Austin read, and my favorite by far. thank you so much for the ARC and can’t wait for it to hit the shelves!

An ode to grief, an unflinching portrayal of self-discovery, and an honest display of library work in a politically charged time period. Similar to other Emily Austin novels, this one is an instantaneous hit and a must-read. I feel very honored to have been granted the opportunity to read this book in advance, and while it might’ve felt kismet when I received the approval email, it feels like something much bigger now.

I am queer. I am getting my masters of library science. I want to become a librarian so that I can make real and positive changes within my community, especially for those who are underrepresented or under-serviced in other places, such as unhoused people, people of color, and queer people. I spent time in a psychiatric inpatient unit due to mental illness. I have a wife who loves me and I love her. I have a complex relationship with my family, I am still unpacking grief, and I am still working on myself. Hell, even the small things are the same: my wife’s birthday is July 13 and we recently sent in an adoption application for a Siamese cat. My life and Darcy’s life feel sewn together in a way I’ve never experienced in a book before. How she speaks about Joy is the same way I speak about my own wife, and that warm kind of love makes me cry.

This book not only mimicked my own life but it also threw other books out of the nest like a cuckoo bird. Emily Austin has a voice so unique, so powerful, that it becomes challenging to move along when her books are finished. She writes as though she is speaking to you, through you, sending you a wonderful and heartfelt postcard from overseas or a weirdly sentimental penpal response on AOL. She writes like your internal monologue, your closest friend, like a tarot reader in the shop down the street. Books like this—books that allow for deeper personal connections through ‘mundane’ and relatable experiences made into vibrant stories—unite us in a world that doesn’t want us to work together. That is a power not many people have, and Austin is using hers for good.

Thank you to SS Atria Marketing for reaching out to me through email and providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t really like the book.. I stopped reading it not even half way.. I didn’t relate to it and don’t really like the way it’s written.. a lot of people seems to have loved it.. I guess I wasn’t one of them!

i’m not sure how emily austin managed to create a book that is cozy but also frustrating but also made me feel so many emotions about myself that i want to throw up.

i’ve had a habit recently of finding books that aggressively point a mirror at me, and i think it’s so beautiful that i had that experience with a book like this. i don’t know how much influence i have on the people who might stumble upon this review, but if you are a queer woman with complicated emotions about your history of compulsory heterosexuality… or if youre just someone who loves the library, please read this book.

4.5 stars
“Cheers to another meaningless, worthwhile year, then.”

There is something special about how Emily Austin paces her books. It feels gentle without being boring. The way Darcy’s past came together in bits and pieces made for such a satisfying read. As has been the case with Austin’s previous novels, the topics addressed are on the darker side, but there is so much joy and humor to keep things balanced. Is cozy mental breakdown a genre? Austin portrays everyday life in a way that feels effortless and authentic, and I love that she tucks little meaningful moments throughout the novel without it ever feeling forced. As Darcy works through her freshly healing mental health we get to see her wrestle with her ideas on love, disconnection, community, gender, and personal acceptance.
As someone who loves libraries, I also enjoyed getting an insider’s view of the care that goes into running a library.

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.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I really enjoyed this story, it’s very much a sign of the times and I related to the character. Darcy is a mentally ill, lesbian librarian dealing with issues in both her personal and professional lives. It’s a very real, relatable, and carefully written book. It was a refreshing, sad, hopeful and honest story about healing.

What a lovely novel. It’s so nice to get into the head of a genuine, flawed, just ‘normal’ human. This book touched on so many controversial topics, but without controversy. This was such a refreshing read.

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for sending me this book! Is This a Cry for Help is one of those books that feels like it was specifically written for me, a lesbian with mental health issues who has a cat with a name fit for a random dude. This book was painfully relatable. I’m also just amazed at the amount of topics that were so expertly explored in this book. There were a lot of important issues that were highlighted surrounding our current political climate and its effects on libraries. This book also does a wonderful job of showing how trauma affects people in different ways and in different stages of life. I also appreciate the way that compulsory sexuality was represented. Emily Austin’s writing is so sharp and witty. I greatly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to buy a copy for my shelf!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Such a sweet story. Darcy is returning to her work in a Library after having mental breakdown when she learned that her ex passed away. Darcy had a lot of guilt and regret when it came to her relationship with Ben. She’s happy with her wife Joy, but Joy is away a lot and that leaves Darcy feeling lonely. And coming back to work isn’t easy. Especially when she’s met with community frustrations, protests around intellectual freedom, book bans, and increasing scrutiny on DEI programs. With the help of her community can Darcy reach her truest self? Or will all the issues the library is facing set her back further? This was funny and witty but also looked at difficult issues around grief and real world issues. Emily Austin does a wonderful job at looking at the complexity of trauma and how it impacts people differently. This story is extremely relatable especially with all of the politics happening that impact libraries right now! A sweet and comforting queer read!

I will read anything Emily Austin puts out. I was immediately hooked after the first page. This book follows a queer librarian named Darcy as she navigates the death of her ex-boyfriend and the complex emotions that follow.

This novel touches on many important issues such as identity, grief, and conservatism. Despite the heavy topics, I found myself laughing out loud frequently. Austin has a special way of delivering these issues in a way that is relatable and easily digestible. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and I can't wait to read more from her! Also, go support your local libraries! <3

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the opportunity to review this book!

I love everything Emily Austin writes, so it comes as no surprise that Is This A Cry for help ticks all the boxes for me. All of her books are so smartly written from a psychological and emotional point of view. I love that the main character of this book was a librarian, which is such an especially important pov in the world we are living in right now, where libraries have become the center of much debate. Emily Austin will always write my favorite books. I can’t wait for this to be released!

This is a lovely book about librarian, Darcy who returns to her job after having a mental breakdown. Then her ex-husband, Ben dies and she feels guilty not having told him more about herself. Her wife is supportive but is away visiting her sister and new niece so Darcy feels alone as Joy was always there to comfort her. Enter Declan, a man who has spotted another viewing porn in the library and wants him "expelled." It's a beautiful tribute to inclusivity and the ways we often misinterpret others' actions.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Is This A Cry For Help? by Emily Austin is the story of a thirty-something librarian, trying to jump back into her life following a mental breakdown. Just as she is starting to resume work at the public library she becomes mired in an abrasive controversy over censorship and identity.

If there is one thing that Emily Austin excels at, it’s crafting delightfully neurotic protagonists. A people-pleaser who loves categorization and a clean kitchen, Darcy is highly relatable in her complex grief. While I don’t have the exact life circumstances of Darcy, her levels of deep guilt, concern with the feelings of others, and black-and-white thinking make her a highly relatable main character. I loved that this is worked out through a therapist character. This allowed the author to show a really detailed internal progression of acceptance and shifting mindset in a way that seemed natural.

This book is highly internal, with lots of reflections on identity, and facing the ways you’ve acted in the past. However, the less cerebral plot of the library being besieged by protesters was also very engaging and topical. My mother in law is a librarian and some of the moments (the crockpot!) seem lifted directly from conversations with her. There’s a real love of the public library system reflected in the character’s attitude towards freedom of information.

Like all Emily Austin books, this one is funny without being contrived. However, this book did feel like it has moments that were padded into it that really didn’t add much to the story. I think that the whole cat introduction saga was perhaps a little underwhelming. I also thought that the ending did err on the side of feel-good. Not all books have to have a miserable ending, of course, but the book is very frank and neutral until it comes to wrapping things up.

For me, this was a very enjoyable read. I think for my specific demographic of women in my 30s with a guilty conscious and a love of the library this is going to be a hit. For fans of Emily Austin, it’ll be a hit as well. For me it’s an easy 4/5.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Darcy returns to the library after a mental breakdown. Upon returning, she is still working through a tragic loss with her therapist and conservative patrons trying to tear apart the fabric of the freedoms her workplace holds.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Austin's writing was very realistic, comforting, and had a good take on the current political climate.

A book about censorship and how libraries are important, how it feels to deviate from the life you expected and wanted as a child and young adult. Darcy’s ex-boyfriend, Ben, died. He was ten years older than her when they started dating when she was eighteen, she tried to change herself for him, and after his death has a mental breakdown due to her guilt over how their relationship ended. Darcy goes back to her job at the library and finds herself in a battle against Declan, the head of a right-wing newspaper determined to make the library seem like a sex-deviant, predatory place and censor the books that are there. This felt like a series of essays, which I enjoyed. Darcy talks about how it felt to leave her straight relationship and realizing she was a lesbian. Very good.

Emily Austin has done it again—another book that pulled me out of a reading slump and reminded me why I love to read in the first place. She has firmly cemented her place among my favourite authors. Her novels are like literary caffeine: I fly through them, energized and smiling, always wishing more books felt this easy to love.

Darcy, the main character (and a fellow librarian), is trying to rebuild her life after a breakdown. She’s carrying grief and self-doubt while navigating a community battle over banned books at her library. Sharp, funny, and vulnerable, she feels incredibly genuine and authentic. As a librarian myself, it was wonderful to see my profession portrayed with such honesty and care.

The book also felt surprisingly personal. I recently discovered that Emily and I attended the same library school, and she even worked briefly in the same public library system where I currently work. Seeing my library mentioned in the acknowledgments was a small but special thrill.

Darkly funny, empathetic, and impossible to put down, Is This a Cry for Help? is quintessential Emily Austin: intelligent, heartfelt, and just the right amount of quirky. She writes the kind of books I’ll always reach for and that will consistently pull me out of a slump.

Emily Austin is a treasure! This is my third book by this author, and I think it's the best yet. If you've never read Austin's work before, I liken it to a Coen brothers movie: nothing really "happens", it's more of a day-in-the-life story driven by flawed and lovable characters rather than outrageous plot twists. Because the writing is perfection and the story itself is captivating, you don't need a wild plot to keep turning the pages.

Both the main character (Darcy) and main setting (the library) need to be protected at all costs. This book shines a light on the behind-the-scenes struggles our public library systems face and is an eye-opening look at the ongoing societal issues that shape our culture.

I want to casually drop this on public benches and hope it opens someone's mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!