I tried many many times but couldn't get through this! At the time of request I was in the mood for a character like this MC but every time I started reading this I got so fed up with her.

This is a strong debut, covering important topics of being in your 20s, societal expectations and mental health. I did find the character to be too self-sabotaging in parts, but this was razor-sharp, honest and relatable. I would recommend.

3.5 stars.

This is a book about depression, about wearing masks your whole life and what happens when you lose the will to slip the mask on anymore. It is raw, uncomfortable, sometimes painful to read, and I could not put it down.

'Enjoying' is an interesting word for this book, but I was completely engrossed for this entire read. I love messy, tragic, sad stories and women just being honest. This was a great read and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Emily Slapper.

I am so sorry but although I loved the premise of this book, I found the main character unlikeable and a little annoying but I think this is because of the brave author's choice of the style of the book and the fact that I am not necessarily the right age group for this book and so found it hard to relate.. What the writer does brilliantly is highlight the complexities of mental illness with. a raw, uncomfortable but realistic truth that is rare in commercial fiction. This is like a breath of fresh air.

I found the book to be quite self-reflecting which made it more of a considered read than a twisty page-turner and I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it.

This is a brave debut and the writer is clearly talented. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early arc.

4.5 stars

listen it’s never fun when you see parts of yourself in an arguably horrible person but oh boy did i find myself looking the the main character like .. that’s me.

an incredibly unflinching portrayal of mental health to the point where it was almost difficult to read in places yet somehow still enjoyable?

can’t wait to start seeing this on lists on tiktok alongside books like sorrow & bliss and my year of rest and relaxation.

extremely excited to see what else the author has to offer.

(thank you to netgalley for the ARC!!)

On a compelling and revelatory story of a young woman navigating societal pressures and mental health challenges. I was pleased and thankful to be given the opportunity to read the advanced copy of this book - I got excited when I saw that it’s recommended for the fans of ‘Sorrow and Bliss’, which I truly loved. On a side note, don’t you think the cover is great?⁣
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This book is about Iris, its main protagonist who isn’t exactly likable and to a certain extent, is the kind of self-centred person you may not want to be around with. Yet despite all of that, I found myself sympathising with her. The book describes her depression, disordered eating and toxic romantic relationships, in a terrifyingly relatable manner. In many ways, it’s also a story that explores youth and womanhood.⁣
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Ultimately, I think it’s also a story on love and what it means to live well, as a young woman in today’s world.⁣
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“…I used to think you needed a reason to be alive, I was flailing around waiting to be seen and validated, but maybe I’m just alive like this tree is alive: simply to be here. Life doesn’t need reason or purpose to be valid.⁣
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I remind myself of what George said, I’m not less worthy of help because this pain doesn’t stem from some specific cause or trauma. It’s just there, both a part of me and separate from me, and I need to learn how to live with it. I’ve been obsessively searching for new, better ways to live my life, but what I needed was to work on being comfortable as I am. Being able to find pleasure in the mundane, in the daily rituals, in the simple things, that is a worthwhile aspiration.”⁣
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Beautiful. Out in the UK on 18th July.

I don't even know where to begin writing how I felt about this book and think I'll be processing it as a whole for a while.
A wonderfully written poignant story decipting the life of a 20 something year old woman. Mental health is portrayed so realistically for a fiction novel. It's raw, uncomfortable at times but powerful. Iris's character can be selfish, rude and even unlikeable at times, but that was precisely why she was also just so relatable, a struggling woman trying to find her place in this world. Who can't empathise with that? I also really liked George's character.
I found myself reflecting a lot on personal experiences and feelings throughout the book, which was a struggle at times, but very eye opening.
1000% would recommend.
Thank you SO much to NetGalley, HQ and HarperCollins for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book I knew I would have to read it. Its emotional and absolutely fantastic.

I can't wait to see what Emily Slapper bring up next.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a book out of my comfort zone, however, I am so glad I got to read it. It was hilarious and had me laughing to myself constantly. The protagonist reminded me so much of me, so I was so invested in her story and how it would end. I’m excited to read more from the author in the future!

I loved this clever and witty book. I felt like I recognised every character - they were viscerally alive, but also so well-observed that they may as well have come from my own life. Incredible writing.

Slapper's novel with it 'difficult' female protagonist is very much of its type in the sad-girl literature sense and (for this reader) tough going for exactly that reason initially, but perseverance is rewarded. Nicely-written and observed – looking forward to seeing what she does next.

This book was absolutely brilliant.
A novel about our protagonist Iris, who is a lost 20 something character we can all resonate with. A trope that is done often in lit fic.
So you might be thinking, what makes this different?
The depiction of mental health in this book was so raw it felt actually invasive at times to read. It's the kind of blunt that knocks the wind out of you, and it was absolutely incredible. Iris had such a realistic portrayal of depression that I almost couldn't believe this is fiction.
This book made me really reflect on love, and the different types of love, and how being loved will not make you whole.
I also would like to mention I really liked George as a character, he was really well written.
If you enjoy lit fic I 100% recommend this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my early copy!

Oh i adored this, the writing style was beautiful and i loved the characters. Such a good book! definitely keeping my eyes open for more from this author.3.5

This novel follows Iris and it’s one of those ‘sad girl lit fic books’. Iris is an unlikeable female character and is one of those people who won’t eat meals but will watch everyone else eat. She has some negative thoughts about people and owns it. She struggles with life and doesn’t know what to do in essence so drifts through everything rather than taking control of her life.

This was okay but honestly felt pretty soulless to me. It just felt so empty and it was just hard to care about Iris and I usually like these kind of characters. It was fine.

Sad girl in her 20/30s might just be my new favourite genre of literature. This book had me hooked on Iris’s self destructive spiral within the first few pages and by the end I had gone from watching the car crash of her life and wishing I had popcorn to really rooting for her.

Everyone I know is Dying is an embarrassingly relatable and unexpectedly warm novel about isolation, burnout, and mental health. It is equal parts funny and heartbreaking and 100% worth a read if, like me, you’re really enjoying this new genre of sad-girl fiction.

*Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley got access to the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Wow, what can I say about this book? It has left me with a whirlwind of emotions that I can hardly put into words. It's a rare experience to find a book that can have such a profound effect on you, and this one has definitely done that for me.

The protagonist, Iris, is not someone that I would necessarily call likable, yet I found myself rooting for her throughout the story despite her self-centred and spiteful behaviour. This is because I could empathise with her struggles and wanted nothing more than for her to overcome them.

What makes this book even more remarkable is how the author has managed to infuse humour into the intense emotional journey of the story. It's a testament to the author's writing skills how well she has portrayed the complexities of mental illness, especially the emotional numbness that comes with it.

Overall, this book stands out as one of the best portrayals of mental illness that I have ever read. I am truly impressed with the author's writing skills, and I have no doubt that she has a successful writing career ahead of her. As for me, I need to take a moment to process all the emotions that this book has stirred up in me, so I'm going for a lie down!

This book would be perfect for fans of Sally Rooney. It deals well with some tricky topics (depression, disordered eating) but unfortunately I struggled to connect with the main character/narrator and felt that the plot lost out to an excellent initial premise. I finished the book but I found the final third a struggle- possibly because of my own headspace.

I’m not the kind of reader who finds herself highlighting lines in books often, but then again I’ve not felt like I’ve related to the mental health of a character the way I did with Iris. The portrayal of mental health struggles Iris faces are terrifyingly accurate for me, This made for an uncomfortable read at times. Needless to say, I had to put the book down and come back to it over the course of several days. So look out for yourselves, besties!

That said,I just know that EIKID is going to be a book that I will think of often. Stick with Iris, no matter how unlikeable she gets. There’s definitely a level of relatability to her that I’m sure will resonate with almost everyone who reads this!

Thank you to HQ + NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read Everyone I Know is Dying before it’s released. I’m intrigued to see what more readers think when this book comes out in July 2024 #EveryoneIKnowIsDying #NetGalley

When she’s having sex with her boss, Iris likes to have the lights on so he can see how much younger she is than his wife. She likes watching her colleagues eat unhealthy lunches at their desk while her stomach aches with emptiness. She likes coasting at work knowing she’s going to land a big promotion anyway.
So why when it arrives does she find herself sprawled on her hallway floor, crying uncontrollably? Why, instead of a sense of triumph, does a crippling depression threaten to overwhelm her? Why does the support and stability of her family and friends feel so suffocating? And why, torn between her flatmate George – good, kind, reliable George – and cold, indifferent Patrick, does she only seem capable of making choices that cause her pain?
Don’t you just want to grab this, switch off the phone and curl up on the sofa
By far one of my favourite books I've read this year…