Name: Margo's Got Money Troubles
ISBN: 9780063356580

Rufi Thorpe

"A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman's attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world-from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen"--

A Novel

Margo's Got Money Troubles

Iris

Fullerton's money didn't come from industry. It came from its connection to learning, the colleges reason enough to keep the rents high and dollars flowing. Mark was a part of all that. He was a wind chime in human form, dangling dorkily from the glorious tree of higher education.

claire

There is a desperation to a novel that is unsettling. The world so painstakingly re-created in miniature; this tiny diorama made of words.

Clara

This was quite good until its very end, which was really... American.

I found that the novel managed to build complex characters with equially complex motivations, and treat them with so much compassion. This is particularly important that it deals with a cast of characters representing a social stratum of vulnerable people who are often dismissed and demonised.

I found Margo's motivations for keeping her baby and then resorting to sex work at a time when she felt utterly alone and abandoned, consistent with the choices of a 19- / 20-year old college dropout. The narration never frames this as a tragedy (which helps keep the novel grounded and compelling), but it is still true that the consistent lack of support from the people around her left her particularly susceptible to this. I liked this element to the story, I thought it was well done - so much so that I was surprised such a nuanced depiction was coming from a pop novel.

But then, at the very end, when the novel tries to deal with some of the ethical questions involved in aiding other people in their sex work and getting paid for it, it just falls flat. If we are being honest, it already starts struggling with some of its concepts when it starts talking about the normalisation of sex work in contemporary society (and among vulnerable groups, such as young single mums). It is like it is on the precipice of saying something profound but it never quite gets there.

I still found the overall execution surprisingly good and would not discourage people from picking it up - for what that is worth.

This was quite good until its very end, which was really... American.

I found that the novel managed to build complex characters with equially complex motivations, and treat them with so much compassion. This is particularly important that it deals with a cast of characters representing a social stratum of vulnerable people who are often dismissed and demonised.

I found Margo's motivations for keeping her baby and then resorting to sex work at a time when she felt utterly alone and abandoned, consistent with the choices of a 19- / 20-year old college dropout. The narration never frames this as a tragedy (which helps keep the novel grounded and compelling), but it is still true that the consistent lack of support from the people around her left her particularly susceptible to this. I liked this element to the story, I thought it was well done - so much so that I was surprised such a nuanced depiction was coming from a pop novel.

But then, at the very end, when the novel tries to deal with some of the ethical questions involved in aiding other people in their sex work and getting paid for it, it just falls flat. If we are being honest, it already starts struggling with some of its concepts when it starts talking about the normalisation of sex work in contemporary society (and among vulnerable groups, such as young single mums). It is like it is on the precipice of saying something profound but it never quite gets there.

I still found the overall execution surprisingly good and would not discourage people from picking it up - for what that is worth.

knocked my fucking socks off! what a very deft exploration of what sex work means in terms of autonomy and in parenthood. but also a genuinely beautiful running riff on story telling and the art of personahood and through the narrative structure of point of view is just so so so smart and well executed. I cannot stress how much the change if POVs was so true to the subject matter and to the voice of the character. And also jinx is a fucking hoot! i wish he was REAL. i do think rufi thorpe is an ahgase however. Which is crazy. At least it wasnt jackson wang. 

shaye

TBR Roulette #10

knocked my fucking socks off! what a very deft exploration of what sex work means in terms of autonomy and in parenthood. but also a genuinely beautiful running riff on story telling and the art of personahood and through the narrative structure of point of view is just so so so smart and well executed. I cannot stress how much the change if POVs was so true to the subject matter and to the voice of the character. And also jinx is a fucking hoot! i wish he was REAL. i do think rufi thorpe is an ahgase however. Which is crazy. At least it wasnt jackson wang. 

Overall a cute funny book with the reiterating theme that sex work is work. It got weird and sappy toward the end but overall I enjoyed it. Also, Cheyenne is the absolute worst 😤

Jessy Tatum

If you were ever curious about the similarities between onlyfans and professional wrestling... this book is for you. Delightful 

Rebecca Harwood

Did this book actually make me want to have a baby?

Bonus review for writers: there’s always a new way to break the freaking mold!!!

Margo Koss

Did this book actually make me want to have a baby?

Bonus review for writers: there’s always a new way to break the freaking mold!!!

the tense-shift threw me a lot and the romantic aspect i could’ve honestly for without at TIMES but man… the characters were lovely 

abi a

Sweet, unique, funny. Margo gets herself in quite a pickle despite being a well-intentioned person. If anything, I hated that the book's worst character just kinda redeems themself in one scene. But a good page turned to start the year off with!

Katelyn Caillouet

Involved teen pregnancy, OnlyFans, Pokemon, professional wrestling and drug addiction. Go for it.

Jess Rez

Definitely enjoyed this more than I thought. I found myself still thinking about this one while waiting for my libby hold again. (I had started it late and it had to be returned and the waitlist was so long😭)

RacquelElizabeth

Such a heartwarming book about family, relationships and identity! This was a funny, sad, easy read. Love!! 

Danielle Rose

"Arguing that women have the right to sell their bodies is an attempt to hide the argument that men have the right to buy women." 

This book is incredibly well written and was a joy to read. It was the first time I have ever seen an author talk about social media in a way that wasn’t completely cringy (although I hace to admit that I did not love the tiktok storyline)

This is a lighthearted book that I throughly enjoyed, although I would say that was due to the writing, and not necessarily the story. It deals with complex family dynamics and is eye opening about struggles that many of us will never experience, mostly highlighting how hypocritical the world is regarding subjects like drugs and sex.

The reason why this book is not rated higher is the underlying argument that sex work is empowering, which I think is a harmful idea, specially for young women struggling financially, like Margo. The “empowering” ending of the book bothered me a little. Far from me to shame women who are doing sex work, but the way it is portrayed as an easy way to gain money bothered me, because it is not realistic. I believe the book “glamorised” the reality that most of these women face, limiting itself to barely grazing the surface of the problematic dynamics it brings. 

However, I also understand it is supposed to be a “lighthearted, funny” book and not feminist literature. And if that is what you are looking for, a book to laugh and take your mind off life for a bit, I think this absolutely does it’s job. 

Brunella

"Arguing that women have the right to sell their bodies is an attempt to hide the argument that men have the right to buy women." 

- Francoise Heritier

This book is incredibly well written and was a joy to read. It was the first time I have ever seen an author talk about social media in a way that wasn’t completely cringy (although I hace to admit that I did not love the tiktok storyline)

This is a lighthearted book that I throughly enjoyed, although I would say that was due to the writing, and not necessarily the story. It deals with complex family dynamics and is eye opening about struggles that many of us will never experience, mostly highlighting how hypocritical the world is regarding subjects like drugs and sex.

The reason why this book is not rated higher is the underlying argument that sex work is empowering, which I think is a harmful idea, specially for young women struggling financially, like Margo. The “empowering” ending of the book bothered me a little. Far from me to shame women who are doing sex work, but the way it is portrayed as an easy way to gain money bothered me, because it is not realistic. I believe the book “glamorised” the reality that most of these women face, limiting itself to barely grazing the surface of the problematic dynamics it brings. 

However, I also understand it is supposed to be a “lighthearted, funny” book and not feminist literature. And if that is what you are looking for, a book to laugh and take your mind off life for a bit, I think this absolutely does it’s job. 

Margo's Got Money Troubles A Novel

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