Book review by Taryn Kelly – A Room Called Earth

This is the debut novel from an Australian writer. A room called Earth is contemporary fiction based on a night in the life of a young woman who goes to a party. While the night itself is not terribly eventful, throughout the novel we learn much about the young woman’s life through her thoughts, actions, and perceptions of the people at the party. She is neurodiverse, and very insightful.

I was drawn to this story because I like to read new Australian authors and am interested in people (particularly women) who are on the spectrum. In this case, both the author and the main character are neurodiverse. I really enjoyed the novel despite nothing much ‘happening’ because of its themes of human connection, love, and loss, and how different people experience them.