Reviews with content warning for Death - Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

427 reviews

skyla_shae's review against another edition

sad

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

I wanted so much to love this book. It started out telling a story I could really get behind and was hoping it would follow a similar tone as Sayaka Muratas's Life Ceremony or Earthlings and then saw the lighthearted but dark feeling in the first few pages and really hoped it would lean a bit more towards Backman's Anxious People. I was disappointed on all accounts. There was never a more meaningful discussion of the characters issues in a literary way, nothing but an illustration of what a panic attack (for some) may feel like (sort of) with a heavy dose of self sabotage and the need for suspending my disbelief.

I actually feel the writer completely failed to capture how real anxieties are felt and expressed while also missing a chance to tell a great story by focusing so much the church setting and a obvious "murder" plot twist. Furthermore, the way the book implies that the MC getting on antidepressants was a cause for her anxious breakdown was offensive and is dangerous.

I did find the broken chapter structure near the end a wonderful and unique way to disorient the reader.

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ktinaisabel's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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hanhantap's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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mbs76's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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radh's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I read this one based on some recommendations that it was a good book to read when in a depression and that it was uplifting in a neutral way. Yet I just found it disheartening. I didn't care about the main character Gilda at all and while I appreciate the author's dive into sexuality and mental health, it just didn't do it for me. I also really disliked that in the author Q&A section at the end, the author says that all/most anxiety and depression is caused by fear of death. That is not true and very different from my experience with the two.
I also thought she should have developed the various storylines introduced regarding Eli (main character's brother) as he was by far the most interesting character yet we just kept getting random tidbits of a storyline but none were actually explored well.

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lizclark81's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Captivating writing, and such an honest representation of someone struggling with mental health and the scale of humanity and our suffering. And somehow also funny? Very, very clever book.

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