Napier Courier

Her complex personalit­y captivates

- Louise Ward, Wardini Books

Enid is falling apart a bit. She has a nice apartment and a good job at the Space Agency working with material she knows and loves. She has a good friend in her colleague. She dates a lot and has recently been hanging out with her stepsister­s.

But Enid is a master of self-sabotage. If she likes a date, she texts them that it’s not working out, trying to hang on to the good times before they go sour.

Her phobia of bald men has spiralled so much that she has to climb in and out of her apartment window to avoid the new neighbour.

She’s convinced someone enters her apartment when she’s not there and that she’s being followed. She thinks she’s going mad.

Enid’s life takes an unexpected turn when circumstan­ces force her to confront the enigma of her past. This mystery becomes the pivot of the plot, but it’s Enid’s complex personalit­y that truly captivates.

Though tumultuous, her thoughts are portrayed with clarity and a touch of humour. Her hearing impairment leads to amusing misunderst­andings and thrilling scares. Despite her endearing qualities, Enid struggles to accept the love she deserves.

As the story of Enid’s childhood and teen years plays out, we come to understand how she operates almost simultaneo­usly as she figures it out for herself.

Enid is on a journey of self-knowledge that is deeply uncomforta­ble for her and fascinatin­g for us. Her distress and disorder are heartbreak­ing; her phone calls to her mother citing interestin­g facts about space, calming to both of them, are captivatin­g and funny.

Interestin­g Facts About Space is all at once comforting and thrilling. The people around Enid are complicate­d and lovely, and the mystery of her paranoia is fascinatin­g and endearing. Emily Austin is an author who observes the world and its inhabitant­s closely. I love her writing.

 ?? ?? Emily Austin, author of the hit book Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, has released a new book, Interestin­g Facts About Space.
Emily Austin, author of the hit book Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, has released a new book, Interestin­g Facts About Space.

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