FICTION

Really Good, Actually

by Monica Heisey
Morrow. Jan. 2023. 384p. ISBN 9780063235410. $27.99. F
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DEBUT Canadian comedian and TV writer Heisey takes readers along for a journey through divorce and dating in Toronto in her first novel. The heroine is 29-year-old Maggie, who is already divorced after briefly marrying her college sweetheart. After her now-ex-husband Jon walks out (taking the cat with him!), she struggles to afford rent and keep herself going day-to-day. She falls into a depression buffered by late-night burger delivery and a supporting cast of friends and advisors who try to coerce her into attending themed parties and “getting out there” again via online dating. Maggie soon meets Simon, another damaged soul, and their casual sex turns into a deeper connection that seems likely to be doomed by self-sabotage.
VERDICT There are some funny moments in this light read, but Heisey goes a little over the top in trying to represent peak millennialism via Maggie’s sexual exploration and niche interests. The characters are mostly relatable, all flaws properly accounted for, although they come across as exaggerated examples of personality types.
Reviewed by Chelsie Harris , Nov 01, 2022
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