Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Really Good, Actually

Alright, add it to my pile of unpopular opinions. I love this! I totally get why people don’t like it but I am not one of those people. Maggie is an unlikeable, mostly deranged divorcee (or soon to be) who acts as if the world revolves around her. And yes, the character is hyperbolic to the point of almost painful, but there’s a little bit of everyone here. A unique take on divorce in chick lit isn’t an easy feat, but somehow the author made it so the “finding yourself” trope felt fresh and believable. If you’ve ever been through a rough breakup, or suffered imposter syndrome, or struggled with body dysmorphia, there’s at least something in here that will speak to you.

Content Warnings

kmsander4's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is messy. Maggie is a trainwreck - and that might be putting it lightly. She is tragic, her life is falling apart, and she continually ensures she burns everything to the ground. But, like a phoenix, she rises.

The way Monica tells Maggie's story about love, loss, grief, and finding oneself in the midst of a personal tragedy is brilliant. As a reader, you don't always like Maggie. Honestly, I spent much of the book actively hating her and wanting her to grow up, but that's not fair. I've never been in her shoes, maybe I too would become an insane person that annoys every single person in my life after a divorce. (I hope to never find out!)

I just loved the realness of the story. There was nothing extravagant about the story, it was just a messy depiction of something that quite literally happens every single day. I don't think we appreciate stories like that enough.

I'll be suggesting this one to all of my friends. As we navigate our 30s, I feel like there are pieces of Maggie's story that each and every single one of us can relate to, regardless of our relationship status.

Bonus points, of course, for the Canadian content! I always love when I can recognize the backdrop for the novel I'm reading.

Content Warnings

quillreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Why I Read It: I chose Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey as my add-on for my Book of the Month Club pick.

Review:

Really Good, Actually pulled me in from the first page with its wit, humor, relatability, and emotional depth, in a manner that reminded me somewhat of David Sedaris’s writing. As the book went on, I realized that it is so much more than a humorous account of millennial life: it is a book that has something to say, and it brilliantly explores mental illness, loneliness, feminism, and other issues without ever hitting the audience over the head with its message. In the hands of anyone but a master writer, this story could have easily been trite, obnoxious, cringeworthy, or shallow, but Really Good, Actually blew me away with the deftness and skill of Monica Heisey’s writing and storytelling. In particular,

I loved how the book mimics the gradual of Maggie’s mental and physical health by morphing from funny relatability into horrifying mental crisis so smoothly that the reader is left wondering: how did we get here?

The Run-Down:

You will probably like Really Good, Actually if:

· You can relate to the protagonist, either by virtue of demographic or life situation

· You enjoy humorous writing with a serious side

· You appreciate a story that realistically portrays mental health struggles

You might not like Really Good, Actually if:

· You dislike unlikable or difficult protagonists

· You hate reading about “first world problems”

Content Warnings

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