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A review by zyzah
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Maggie is going through it. She’s heartbroken and we know how messy it can be when it doesn’t work out with the one person you think gets you.
I was expecting something to happen in this book: maybe a reference to some childhood trauma that turned Maggie into this person who is needy, and highly critical (of herself and others) and suffers body dysmorphia and doesn’t know when to stop. Or maybe some big healing that helps her get through the pain and in her case, shame, of being divorced.
However, nothing big happened and I think that’s what I love about the book. The reminder that healing isn’t hunger, you don’t just eat a large meal and have your heartbreak disappear. In Maggie’s case, she went through episodes of meeting new people, being annoying to her friends, and the most cringey, kept sending her husband text messages.
Maggie doesn’t heal at the end of the book but there are signs that she’s close. Signs that her friends will always be there for her, signs that she has an idea what she wants, and signs that she can manage to do life alone.
Reading this book, I kept wondering, can my reaction to divorce or heartbreak be as bad as this? I wasn’t sure of the answer but I’m very scared of going through a process where the person you’re doing life with doesn’t want to do life with you anymore.
I was expecting something to happen in this book: maybe a reference to some childhood trauma that turned Maggie into this person who is needy, and highly critical (of herself and others) and suffers body dysmorphia and doesn’t know when to stop. Or maybe some big healing that helps her get through the pain and in her case, shame, of being divorced.
However, nothing big happened and I think that’s what I love about the book. The reminder that healing isn’t hunger, you don’t just eat a large meal and have your heartbreak disappear. In Maggie’s case, she went through episodes of meeting new people, being annoying to her friends, and the most cringey, kept sending her husband text messages.
Maggie doesn’t heal at the end of the book but there are signs that she’s close. Signs that her friends will always be there for her, signs that she has an idea what she wants, and signs that she can manage to do life alone.
Reading this book, I kept wondering, can my reaction to divorce or heartbreak be as bad as this? I wasn’t sure of the answer but I’m very scared of going through a process where the person you’re doing life with doesn’t want to do life with you anymore.