The blurb for this was so unique I knew I was going to want to give it a try. I figured that, if nothing else, it would be entertaining. It was that and more. Shoutout to Libro.fm for the ALC, the narration was great. 

 

Growing up the daughter of a waitress/chain retail worker and a (not present) ex-pro wrestler, Margo never really had a ton of financial security or general stability. She enrolled at a local junior college and is trying to figure out where her life is going when an affair with her professor leaves her pregnant. Against familial advice and the preference of the professor, Margo decides to keep the baby. And thus begins an entirely different coming of age than she expected to have. Marog loves her son, Bodhi, but everything is much harder than she expected (she loses her job, her mom won't help with childcare, and two of her roommates move out), leaving her in dire financial straits. When her distant father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep fresh out of rehab, offering to move in and help with Bodhi, she agrees.That helps grows when she begins and OnlyFans account and Jinx's pro-wrestling background proves decidedly helpful in building her story/brand on the site. But even as things within her home stabilize, the pressure and criticism from external forces, after Margo makes it bigger than expected on OnlyFans, throws wrench after wrench into her plans for the future. Can she figure out how to navigate it all? 

 

Y'all, what a fantastically, weirdly charming novel. So unexpectedly quirky and I honestly loved it. Margo's was a really interesting and unique narrative voice. So personable. And the back and forth between first and third is something I hadn't really read before and it worked really well bringing Margo to life. Like, she seemed so real. She makes all the choices a genuine person would, for good and bad, with such relatable reasons…it’s like reading about someone I actually know (or at the very least, is like, a friend of a friend situation, you know). Plus, I appreciate the way she was written so much, because she could easily have gotten annoyingly stupid/young or unbelievably too mature, but she never did. Thorpe walked that line to perfection and that made Margo so legit. I loved her. 

 

Topically, I have never read such a totally unique combination of things. OnlyFans and Pro Wrestling?! Just like, what an original, and up-to-date, mashup. And it came with a surprisingly insightful look at the nature of performance, the process and maneuvering of creating a persona versus becoming that persona, and figuring out/remembering what is real. There was also, of course, quite an exploration of motherhood in these pages. It walked a well-plotted line of calling out social contradictions and impossibilities, but doing so in a humorous and entertaining way that fit the vibe of the rest of this slightly off-the-beaten-path story. There were a number of poignant reflections on expectations of females, as we are raised to value looks/body and the power they have, then castigated for using that power the “wrong” way..and the, obviously (if you're paying attention), inherent hypocrisy in the spaces between that. Other noted hypocrisies that holds space in these pages includes: calling out of "feminine solidarity" versus a fury-inducingly familiar public tearing down of a fellow female (whyyyyy do we make it have to be this way?!) and the question of why does everyone look down on sex and revile discussion of it, when most of us do it (and are literally programmed to, for the continuation of our species)?! Interrogations of themes that absolutely make sense and belong as part of this overall reading experience. There was, finally, quite a bit of exploration of the financial, moral, logistical, emotional aspects of motherhood. In this case, we especially get a highlight of how much you don’t know that you don’t know when you’re young (and whose fault is it, really? ...not the youth), and Margo deals with everything she's now facing. 

 

I also want to mention that there were some very real twists in the plot unfolding that I wasn’t expecting. not like , “plot twists” in the traditional "gasp!" sense, but just unexpected aspects or ways that the story unfolded. It kept me super invested. Really, this was a fascinating and well written spiral to watch/read. Even when I still felt like I knew what was coming and what to expect, the narrative voice was compelling and I was bought in and even heart-pounding at times, as the inevitable breaking points hit. But then, like I said, there were some moments where things turned in a way I didn't anticipate. I especially loved the way this wrapped up, from the creative turns the plot took to the relationships that Margo chose to accept/grow or to leave behind to the ways she took charge of her own life/future as she built something that worked for her (and f*ck you very much to those bullsh*t familial/societal expectations otherwise). Plus, I am alwayssss here for a book or situation that asks a reader to open their mind about sex work (as they should!). 

 

I don't know y'all. There was just something about this quirky, funny read that was simultaneously so tender and heartwarming. I felt weirdly empowered after reading it and my life looks nothing like Margo's. I have to recommend a book that left me feeling that way! Plus, if this is a selling point for you, I got a sort of modern age Erin Brockovich vibe that I can’t necessarily explain, but feels right as a watch/read alike. I'm all the way here for this unforeseen stunner! 

 

“But when they talked about the opportunities she would be missing [...] She hadn’t understood they meant that every single person she met, every new friend, every love interest, every employer, every landlord, would judge her for having made what they all claimed was the 'right' choice.” 

 

“It was amazing how depressed you could get and still find things funny. In fact, things seemed even funnier.” 

 

“Because that’s all art is, in the end. One person trying to get another person they have never met to fall in love with them.”