Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey (Review by Kelly Glecoff)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

From Schitt’s Creek and Workin’ Moms writer Monica Heisey comes her debut novel about Maggie, a 29-year-old bisexual woman rediscovering life as a new divorcee. The book felt like a porthole into the relatable, hard, hilarious, ugly, and at times, super cringe-y parts of learning to move on after a marriage has come to a close. I loved how the chapters were interspersed with a variety of different material such as lists of Maggie’s Google search history or lists of the most devastating things the people in her life had said to her. They helped add to the story and kept me chuckling.

While the book was filled with real and raw moments of Maggie’s life (I had to audibly react and cringe at the whole hamburger delivery debacle!), I found that her character growth overall was minimal and that she was less and less likeable as time went on. By the middle of the book, I found her to be quite obtuse and super disconnected from those around her. It felt like watching a metaphorical car crash – there was nothing you could do to stop her from making horrible decisions and push others away as she continued being dry, dark, and self-deprecating. But, I suppose, maybe this was the point? By the end of the book when her relationships were being patched up, I thought it felt rushed and insincere. I just did not buy that the whole year’s shenanigans could be smoothed over with so little effort.

Overall, I would imagine this book would be enjoyed by readers who want to read a contemporary novel about the perspective of a somewhat messy 29-year-old divorcee with plenty of comedic and cringe-y moments as she learns how to reintegrate with the world around her. The romance (and to be honest, even the friendship pieces) did not land for me, so I would hesitate to describe the book through those themes. I did enjoy the first half of the book quite a bit, so I’d absolutely be willing to pick up Heisey’s next book and give her another go.