Is This a Cry for Help by Emily R Austin was a book about coming back from a mental health crisis. The book is uplifting and positive in how it treats the subject allowing for growth from the character and reader. On top of this the book delves into the recent subject of banning books and limiting the use of the library to acceptable topics to the conservative portion of the public.
Darcy is living her best life. She has a life partner who understands her, Joy. She has a great job at the library and is living on the edge of a lake. All this changes when Darcy finds out her ex (boyfriend) Ben has died. This has pushed Darcy over the edge and has turned into a crisis. However the story starts when Darcy returns to her life and to her work.
Darcy has to navigate the struggle over banning books and people while still working on what happened with Ben. The story is strongly introspective and allows the reader to see Ben how she sees Ben while allowing Darcy to move forward.
I enjoyed the novel even though it was a slow growing story (which is not my usual genre). I felt relieved by the knowledge that Darcy’s life continued to move forward despite mistakes in the past. I was relieved to see Darcy grow stronger and I was happy with how the book ended. This novel also gave me an “aha moment” that libraries are for everyone, not just a few.
Is This a Cry for Help by Emily Austin was a good read.
