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A review by avieherman
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book. I love a good flawed, struggling and relatable MC. It felt a little longer than it needed to be, (I felt the climax came a little late and the denouement felt a little rushed) but it was well written and flowed very well — I didn’t want to put it down.
I loved seeing her struggle and be a bit of an unreliable narrator, but also her unreasonableness always felt so reasonable and understandable — it brought you right into her head. And I loved the hopeful but realistic ending so much.
Fave quotes:
“‘Alright,’ I said. ‘I’m angry that my threshold for discomfort is so low. Like, I can function totally normally as long as there is no uncertainty in my life, but if I’m waiting to learn the outcome of something, the entire day is fucked.’
…
‘Unfortunately,’ I continued, ‘my threshold for what counts as “something” is very low, so we’re talking, like, responses to emails, likes on a tweet, results of a routine Pap smear… this year has been like having a rash, continuously, for months. And also? I’m angry about glamping.’” (Page 298)
“I wandered into the kitchen and told my father I was experimenting with inferiority…
‘This sounds very basic,’ I said, ‘but you don’t have to say everything you think and feel to everyone around you all the time. Even if you want to. You can keep it to yourself. Sometimes, that feels better.’” (Page 311)
I loved seeing her struggle and be a bit of an unreliable narrator, but also her unreasonableness always felt so reasonable and understandable — it brought you right into her head. And I loved the hopeful but realistic ending so much.
Fave quotes:
“‘Alright,’ I said. ‘I’m angry that my threshold for discomfort is so low. Like, I can function totally normally as long as there is no uncertainty in my life, but if I’m waiting to learn the outcome of something, the entire day is fucked.’
…
‘Unfortunately,’ I continued, ‘my threshold for what counts as “something” is very low, so we’re talking, like, responses to emails, likes on a tweet, results of a routine Pap smear… this year has been like having a rash, continuously, for months. And also? I’m angry about glamping.’” (Page 298)
“I wandered into the kitchen and told my father I was experimenting with inferiority…
‘This sounds very basic,’ I said, ‘but you don’t have to say everything you think and feel to everyone around you all the time. Even if you want to. You can keep it to yourself. Sometimes, that feels better.’” (Page 311)