A reference to JK Rowling’s work in a book published in 2020 immediately puts me off. Follow that up with an autistic character that feels inaccurate and you have me reading some reviews. From what I read the autistic character becomes ‘less autistic’ by the end of the story and that does not sit right with me. According to the reviews I read it also has a religious element.

Because of some of my bookclub pals I had already had a chance to drool over how gorgeous the cover of this book was, but getting to read it was even better! 

A Room Called Earth follows an unnamed protagonist as she prepares for a party, and while she does what I can only describe as observe, at said party. While there isn’t much of a plot, there is a lot going on. As readers we are immersed in the protagonist’s thoughts, we observe the world through her eyes. 

One of the reasons I was so excited to read this book is the fact that it is by a neurodivergent author (she is autistic to be precise) and has confirmed that her character is too. I try to read diversely and to focus on #ownvoices, so this book was a perfect choice. What made it even better was the fact that yes the character is neurodivergent, but that is not what is central in the story, it is just a look into the life of someone who happens to be neurodivergent. 

I am not autistic, at least that I know of, but could relate to the overwhelm the protagonist sometimes felt - I associate that with my ADHD & functioning in a different way than Neurotypical people do, so maybe the fact that both she and I don't think in a typical manner made her relatable to me. Her way of analysing also felt familiar, it is something I often do too. I havent read this in a book before, so it made me very happy to have found that here. 

I loved some of the protagonist’s observations and felt that she was very relatable in many aspects. Something that stood out to me was how privileged she was in some aspects and didn't always realise this. This sometimes made her unlikeable, but also made her very real. Sometimes it’s hard to be in someone else’s thoughts, but with the way this was written I didn’t have any trouble feeling engaged. I could have read three more books of how the protagonist experienced the world. 

While some parts felt a bit rushed or unnecessary, I can wholeheartedly say that I loved this book and the very real protagonist (flaws included).

Lovely book that is clearly targeted towards a young adult audience. I especially loved the role food played in this book - the functions cooking and eating as well as the different meals served. 
Have used this book for an essay where I analysed the use of food and cooking in the novel.

Een aantal verhalen hadden me enorm in hun greep, van deze auteurs ga ik zeker meer werk opzoeken. De bundel bevat een prettige variatie aan type teksten.