Really Good, Actually

October 1, 2022
The trials and tribulations of a young divorc�e. "My marriage ended because I was cruel. Or because I ate in bed. Or because he liked electronic music and difficult films about men in nature. Or because I did not. Or because I was anxious, and this made me controlling." Narrator and protagonist Maggie introduces herself by presenting a litany of all the reasons why she and her husband, Jon, are getting divorced. Some of these reasons will be familiar to most longtime couples--"Or because he forgot our anniversary once"--while others seem quite specific to this couple--"Or because he kept insisting we go vegan, then sneaking pizzas into the apartment while I slept." ("Or because we finished watching The Sopranos and never started The Wire" is difficult to categorize.) In the aggregate, they suggest a relationship that has collapsed for a whole lot of reasons and no particular reason at all, and they make it clear that the story Maggie is going to tell is defined by that loss. Which is not to say that she doesn't have other issues. She kind of hates her teaching job, and her dissertation has stalled. But she might have coasted along forever without completely falling apart if not for her divorce. Novels about women who unravel somewhere around the age of 30 aren't exactly rare, but this one stands out both because it's laugh-out-loud funny and because of the artful way Heisey reveals that her heroine is most definitely not OK. Maggie's tales of dating-app life and trying out new hobbies with another young divorc�e are recounted with ironic humor, but the cracks in her carefree persona expose a deep despair. For instance, Maggie torpedoes her relationship with a guy named Simon because he's "too nice" to her. During a couples counseling session Maggie schedules so she can finally sort out everything with Jon and finalize their divorce, it becomes apparent that Maggie isn't just an unreliable narrator of the story she's telling us; she's also an unreliable narrator of the story she's telling herself. Her ultimate breakdown is inevitable, and she has to work hard to win back the trust of the people who love her most--and regain trust in herself. Maggie's redemption is well earned. Smart, bighearted, and hilarious.

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November 7, 2022
Comedian and TV writer Heisey delivers an appealing debut novel (after the essay collection I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better) about a 28-year-old stalled PhD candidate left adrift after her divorce. Maggie’s former husband, Jon, departs with their cat, and, despite their mutual promises to have a “Good Divorce,” Jon is soon incommunicado, and Maggie is surprised by how much she struggles with being alone. She stays up most nights streaming crime shows she terms “British murder television” and is disappointed that she remains “annoyingly committed” to habits such as ordering late-night burgers. Maggie progresses to online dating (the men in Maggie’s area of Toronto are “bearded and left-leaning”), and after striking out there, she tries exercise classes and creative writing workshops, but wherever she joins up, she’s “wall to wall with the recently dumped.” Later, the grief for her marriage morphs into a kind of self-obsessed nihilism that alienates her closest friends and torpedoes a burgeoning relationship with a nice guy. Even in its darkest moments the book is very funny, and Heisey’s inspired skewering of urban millennial life hits the mark. Readers will gobble up this Bridget Jones’s Diary for the smartphone era. Agent: Marya Spence, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

November 1, 2022

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.--Chelsie Harris

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February 1, 2023
Maggie's marriage has abruptly and unexpectedly ended after less than two years, leaving her to figure out what comes next--which, at first, involves making questionable financial decisions until she can no longer afford the apartment she shared with her husband. Desperate to take her mind off her woes, Maggie joins a variety of dating apps and has a series of hook ups that range from sexy to creepy. Then, after a mishap at a summer-camp-themed bar, Maggie meets Simon, who is struggling with a break up of his own. Simon is intelligent, caring, and self-aware--everything she should want in a partner, but learning to trust again is more difficult than she expected. Heisey's portrayal of the joys and pitfalls of online dating will ring true, and Maggie's self-deprecating, often snarky humor keeps the deeper themes of the story from getting too heavy. It's a thoroughly modern take on 1990s chick lit, exaggeratedly over the top in the best possible way. Readers will cheer messy Maggie on as she stumbles inelegantly toward a happy, postdivorce life.

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