bayleaff 's review for:

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin

3.75

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I love Emily Austin, and being able to read a digital ARC of her latest work was a treat. As a public librarian, I really appreciated this story. The way she was able to capture the complicated mix of emotions that go along with working as a librarian was spot on--from watching children experience the joy of storytime to witnessing patrons experience housing insecurity to being confronted by people determined to misunderstand the purpose of libraries, it was all there. The story overall felt a little quieter than her previous novels, and very internal monologue/flashback heavy. It was still very immersive, but it felt closer to reading a memoir intermixed with personal essays (which wasn't unpleasant but it did feel different from her other books). I'd recommend this one to fans of Emily Austin's other works, "I Hope This Finds You Well" by Natalie Sue, and "We Were the Universe" by Kimberly King Parsons.