Monica Heisey

Really Good, Actually

Ellie 

I am an ‘average-sized' woman-still, it is very difficult for me to buy trousers, like it seems impossibly hard, and I don’t totally understand who trousers are for, if not average-sized people in general. 

Maggie is fine. She’s doing really good, actually. Sure, she’s broke, her graduate thesis on something obscure is going nowhere, and her marriage only lasted 608 days, but at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, Maggie is determined to embrace her new life as a Surprisingly Young Divorcée™.

Now she has time to take up nine hobbies, eat hamburgers at 4 am, and “get back out there” sex-wise. With the support of her tough-loving academic advisor, Merris; her newly divorced friend, Amy; and her group chat (naturally), Maggie barrels through her first year of single life, intermittently dating, occasionally waking up on the floor and asking herself tough questions along the way.

A Novel

Emma Hak-Kovacs

I’m trying to imagine the kindest way to say I’ve met someone when:

I turn at the same time Jon does. We both see the man immediately—can’t miss him, because of the crowd that’s formed. He runs toward us in his massive, experimental trousers, smiling and waving.

“There she is,” says Harry Styles, slipping a stylish, tattooed arm around my waist.

Jon clocks it immediately: our easy intimacy, the flush in my cheeks. I feel a flicker of compassion for the man who was once my husband. I want to ask Harry Styles to be a little less familiar, to show some respect for the awkward situation. I want to say, Harry Styles, please. But I know I can’t stop him—he’s too excited, it’s all so new. Jon’s face falls, but he reaches out to shake the hand of the international superstar I met by chance on an airplane and charmed by pretending to be unfamiliar with his discography.

“Better not, mate,” says Harry Styles. “I’ve spent all morning fingering your wife.”

sina (she/her) 

It seemed impossible that I was supposed to keep loving - even revering – my body as it decomposed in slow motion. Why not give in and have low self-esteem? Maybe I could slay in that way instead. Inspiring: This Woman Hates Herself. 

Keeping a journal seemed like a slower, somehow more tedious way to think about the things I had already bored myself with by overthinking, No.

Amy, one false eyelash starting to peel away from the corner of her eye, looked at me like I was the dumbest idiot alive.

In the past, I was worried about basically everything, basically all the time. Now my constant, low-level anxiety was replaced by a feeling of dull invincibility I referred to as 'haha, so whať'.

Katie Thyer

I want to mean it when I tell someone ‘no worries’. 

Even if it feels like the worst year of your life, it could always, always get worse. 

Did have some lol moments.  Surprisingly I could relate to some of Maggie's struggles from my own divorce journey. Some of the language was not for me, but that's a me problem not the book's problem.  I just felt the book overall was missing something. In general a good book. 👍🏼 

Mar Or

Serves me right for getting a book with a People Magazine review on the front cover 

Elyse 

Eva Ströberg

Really Good, Actually - Monica Heisey
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⭐️
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No, it’s not really good, actually. I should’ve known when I read those quotes from Marian Keyes on the cover praising the book, because I never liked hers. But it’s my own fault that I checked this book out from the library 🤷🏻‍♀️
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Twenty something Maggie was getting a divorce from Jon, the former love of her life. Being in limbo because she never actually dated anyone before Jon, and feeling too young to call herself a divorcee, she mopped her way throughout the book that was almost too painful(ly boring) to read through. 
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Maggie listed her google searches, her voice mails to her ex-husband (that went unanswered for months, her search for more affordable apartment (since Jon paid most of their bills), and her venture into the dating world in Toronto.
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Listen, I get it. I got divorced too a while back, but I don’t recall being so whiny about it, or if I ever did, this book is a reminder to send apologies to all my friends. I am just having a hard time relating with the character and find this book almost unbearable to read
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#monicaheisey #reallygoodactually #canadianauthor #2023readingchallenge #2023reads #currentlyreading #bookstagram

Liyah 🤎

This book was basically a trainwreck. It was wayy to self aware of online discourse and really dated itself. It had annoying pseduo left of liberal commentary. I felt like it very rarely meaningfully engaged with the complex emotions of divorce and instead opted for a persistent spiraling self destructive nihilism. It’s narration was a first person inner monologue that had this “Fleabag” like quality that i think too many books about Millennial women adapt which is grating and not interesting to me. The books few shining elements that earned its two stars was a smattering of humor, the romance between the main character and Simon, and the mixed media portions of the books where it reads her google searches or emails to show her mental and emotional state. 

The main character was difficult to like just a complete self absorbed but not necessarily self aware mess. i wish the book had explored more about how she maybe used meeting her partner young to avoid developing any sense of independent self or grow. Instead she almost crystallized in her relationship and when she suddenly came out of it was functionally immature goo. Her friends SUCKED except for Amy. Her ex-husband was a dick too.

Bria

I don't think I was the target audience for this. Nothing was relatable and I don't like the main character at all.

This book dipped low and high, at times I felt too dazed with my mind zoning in and out of the book. Nothing really gripped and it was a slow tread to get through. Other times, I couldn't put it down, working to get through the next chapter.

Overall, I don't regret me purchasing it but I probably shouldn't have bought the hardcover and waited to get it in paperback. It's one of those type of books if you know what I mean? Not a must buy, recommend if I saw it on a bookshelf, but not worth the hardcover.

Jawahir M

This book dipped low and high, at times I felt too dazed with my mind zoning in and out of the book. Nothing really gripped and it was a slow tread to get through. Other times, I couldn't put it down, working to get through the next chapter.

Overall, I don't regret me purchasing it but I probably shouldn't have bought the hardcover and waited to get it in paperback. It's one of those type of books if you know what I mean? Not a must buy, recommend if I saw it on a bookshelf, but not worth the hardcover.

I don’t think I’ve encountered a more whiney, self-absorbed and cringe-worthy narrator in my life. Really good, actually, despite the title, is quite the opposite. I found the writing repetitive, overly try-hard, and lacked any sort momentum. 

Yes, I understand Maggie had just gone through a divorce, but it was no excuse for how insufferable she was as a character. The book was littered with hard-core millenialisms, and my god did the author love to talk about ‘eating ass’. 

I couldn’t finish this book, decided to read the summary to see if anything eventful happened, but it would seem the book consisted of more self-pity and wallowing. Really bad, actually.

Robyn Claridge

I don’t think I’ve encountered a more whiney, self-absorbed and cringe-worthy narrator in my life. Really good, actually, despite the title, is quite the opposite. I found the writing repetitive, overly try-hard, and lacked any sort momentum. 

Yes, I understand Maggie had just gone through a divorce, but it was no excuse for how insufferable she was as a character. The book was littered with hard-core millenialisms, and my god did the author love to talk about ‘eating ass’. 

I couldn’t finish this book, decided to read the summary to see if anything eventful happened, but it would seem the book consisted of more self-pity and wallowing. Really bad, actually.

Normally I love the aimless, whinge of a 29-year-old figuring out life and while there were times this book had me laughing or nodding my head in complete agreement, this book was still lacking. It was fun as well it being set in Toronto/Kingston, but the lulls in character development and overall story overshadowed a lot of what I did enjoy about the book. I did enjoy Monica Heisey's writing which is not a surprise given her history with television shows I also love so will be interested to see what she has upcoming in the future.

Side note: there was one part where Maggie moves back home and casually mentions using a stationary bike and then like a page or two later she's talking about completing a triathlon. Was a bit lost there, could have been me not fully reading it and just wanting to finish the book, but still it was odd.

taryn

Not quite a three-star, but close?

Normally I love the aimless, whinge of a 29-year-old figuring out life and while there were times this book had me laughing or nodding my head in complete agreement, this book was still lacking. It was fun as well it being set in Toronto/Kingston, but the lulls in character development and overall story overshadowed a lot of what I did enjoy about the book. I did enjoy Monica Heisey's writing which is not a surprise given her history with television shows I also love so will be interested to see what she has upcoming in the future.

Side note: there was one part where Maggie moves back home and casually mentions using a stationary bike and then like a page or two later she's talking about completing a triathlon. Was a bit lost there, could have been me not fully reading it and just wanting to finish the book, but still it was odd.

really funny and (i hate to use this word but) relatable. the book doesn't take itself too seriously, which is a refreshing quality in a story about heartbreak / the end of a relationship

petrina

I really enjoyed this. It felt as if you was standing by a friends of yours, listening to there ups and downs.

Kinda wish we had a bit more at the end but I think does have a rounded end with a real truth of life realisation and how we carry on.

Zoe Kelly

3 1/2 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this. It felt as if you was standing by a friends of yours, listening to there ups and downs.

Kinda wish we had a bit more at the end but I think does have a rounded end with a real truth of life realisation and how we carry on.

The whole book, I felt like yelling at the main character, Maggie, to be a better friend or just a better person. She spent too long trying to get ahold of herself till she lost everything and was left to pick up the pieces alone. I didn’t care to actually read the book till about 80% done. 

Jenna Moreland

The weirdest part for me about all this was that this person apparently was getting divorced in Toronto in the same year as I was on the same exact block of the city that I was and that kept really messing with my head/ability to read this. (Although I was pretty okay with my divorce, I kept being irrationally terrified that at any point that something related to my restaurant was going to come up because let me tell you about what a year that was for us.) 

I also could not decide whether or not we were supposed to feel sympathetic towards to protagonist or laugh at her being a mess. Or maybe the ever switching vibe was the thing it was meant to convey, like the manic then depressive confusion of it.

Regardless, I need to stop reading Toronto type books. Too real. Too 

. Had a very hard time getting lost in the story because it was so RIGHT HERE. 

Apiecalypse Jen

The weirdest part for me about all this was that this person apparently was getting divorced in Toronto in the same year as I was on the same exact block of the city that I was and that kept really messing with my head/ability to read this. (Although I was pretty okay with my divorce, I kept being irrationally terrified that at any point that something related to my restaurant was going to come up because let me tell you about what a year that was for us.) 

I also could not decide whether or not we were supposed to feel sympathetic towards to protagonist or laugh at her being a mess. Or maybe the ever switching vibe was the thing it was meant to convey, like the manic then depressive confusion of it.

Regardless, I need to stop reading Toronto type books. Too real. Too waves hands around generally. Had a very hard time getting lost in the story because it was so RIGHT HERE. 

Really enjoyed the book. Very relatable laughed and cried at different points but also an easy read.

Liz Madden

Needed an easy read to get me out of my slump and it worked. The book covers the post-breakup year of the protagonist, so at times it was tough and I can relate to the struggles she experiences. I felt like the protagonist pointed out how things should be, what she should be doing, now newly single, making ironic references to movies and series, but how she is not feeling like doing this - just to then do exactly that, but add 100x the drama. Might have been the irony that the author aspired to - creating a protagonist going through a divorce that wants to deviate from the behavior we know from Television, just to create a figure that does exactly that.

Overall, the plot was fine, not too surprising, the protagonist was, unfortunately, unlikeable. 

Needed an easy read to get me out of my slump and it worked. The book covers the post-breakup year of the protagonist, so at times it was tough and I can relate to the struggles she experiences. I felt like the protagonist pointed out how things should be, what she should be doing, now newly single, making ironic references to movies and series, but how she is not feeling like doing this - just to then do exactly that, but add 100x the drama. Might have been the irony that the author aspired to - creating a protagonist going through a divorce that wants to deviate from the behavior we know from Television, just to create a figure that does exactly that.

Overall, the plot was fine, not too surprising, the protagonist was, unfortunately, unlikeable. 

I really wanted to like this book! Unfortunately the plot was verrrrry thin and Maggie both began and ended as an unlikeable character. 

Harriet Langan

Not that good, actually 🤷‍♀️

I really wanted to like this book! Unfortunately the plot was verrrrry thin and Maggie both began and ended as an unlikeable character. 

Maggie, at 29, is left dealing with the ending of her marriage after only 608 days. But she's really good, actually! Or is she? She has a job she doesn't love and left facing her life not being anywhere near she expected it to be. She vows to take charge of her life.

This book has all the feels and is completely relatable in every way! Watching Maggie deal with the breakdown of her marriage and face life head on as a new divorcee is messy and complex, in the most beautiful, real, and honest way possible. 

Sometimes it's OK to not be ok, but the important part is realising that and picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off and plodding forward anyway, which is what we watch Maggie do during her year of separation towards divorce.

The cringing as we watch Maggie go through all the turmoil of divorce, the ghosting from her soon to be ex-husband, and the online dating scene (a jungle itself) is laugh out loud funny. Couple this with the satisfaction of successfully pull herself back together and reach, not necessarily where she wanted to be, but where she needed to be, taking each day a step at a time was heartwarmingly enjoyable!

The characters, the writing, and the drama of the plot all blended together perfectly, making Really Good, Actually so much more than really good!

Victoria Justice

Maggie, at 29, is left dealing with the ending of her marriage after only 608 days. But she's really good, actually! Or is she? She has a job she doesn't love and left facing her life not being anywhere near she expected it to be. She vows to take charge of her life.

This book has all the feels and is completely relatable in every way! Watching Maggie deal with the breakdown of her marriage and face life head on as a new divorcee is messy and complex, in the most beautiful, real, and honest way possible. 

Sometimes it's OK to not be ok, but the important part is realising that and picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off and plodding forward anyway, which is what we watch Maggie do during her year of separation towards divorce.

The cringing as we watch Maggie go through all the turmoil of divorce, the ghosting from her soon to be ex-husband, and the online dating scene (a jungle itself) is laugh out loud funny. Couple this with the satisfaction of successfully pull herself back together and reach, not necessarily where she wanted to be, but where she needed to be, taking each day a step at a time was heartwarmingly enjoyable!

The characters, the writing, and the drama of the plot all blended together perfectly, making Really Good, Actually so much more than really good!



Maggie and Jon were together for almost a decade, ever since college.  But shy of 2 years of marriage they are calling it quits.  What follows is Maggie's  almost diary like entries.  We hear about how they met, fell in love and seemingly now just drifted apart.  

She's trying to embrace her new found singlehood and get back into being on her own.  However, her posse of friends are all interfering - giving her advice, nightmares of their own dating history and potential blind dates.

There are laughs and groans throughout but I sadly just didn't find it a funny as I thout it'd be.  I was thinking it was more of a romcom and this was less LOL than that.  Maggie is a sarcastic gem but ever so occasionally I felt her slipping into the "woe is me" category and I wanted to slap her! 

Her friendship group is great and very diverse and that allows for a lot of sane, and zany, advice from a collection of viewpoints and experiences.  Maggie's google search i must admit were hilarious!

I did feel it was a bit longer than it need to be and could have been chapters shorter.  However, as I'm a Scot and a creaky gen x-er, I'm probably not this books target audience!

Nicola Sarah Brooks

Maggie and Jon were together for almost a decade, ever since college.  But shy of 2 years of marriage they are calling it quits.  What follows is Maggie's  almost diary like entries.  We hear about how they met, fell in love and seemingly now just drifted apart.  

She's trying to embrace her new found singlehood and get back into being on her own.  However, her posse of friends are all interfering - giving her advice, nightmares of their own dating history and potential blind dates.

There are laughs and groans throughout but I sadly just didn't find it a funny as I thout it'd be.  I was thinking it was more of a romcom and this was less LOL than that.  Maggie is a sarcastic gem but ever so occasionally I felt her slipping into the "woe is me" category and I wanted to slap her! 

Her friendship group is great and very diverse and that allows for a lot of sane, and zany, advice from a collection of viewpoints and experiences.  Maggie's google search i must admit were hilarious!

I did feel it was a bit longer than it need to be and could have been chapters shorter.  However, as I'm a Scot and a creaky gen x-er, I'm probably not this books target audience!

Really Good, Actually

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