February 2025: Margo's Got Money Troubles

Title: Margo's Got Money Troubles

Author: Rufi Thorpe

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Summary: "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.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off."

I read this book for a book club that Amy invited me to join. This is the first fiction I have read in a while that has kept my interest. This story gives readers a glimpse into the world of a young mother who does not have a lot of support. Her dad is an addict and former pro wrestler, and her mom is a former hooters waitress turned devout Christian to play the role of loving wife (with a hidden gambling addiction) to her new husband. Margo is an absolutely lovable character, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the whole story. This book also shines a light on the unfair spotlight put upon sex workers who have children, particularly those that are single. It also highlights how predatory CPS can be, even more predatory, than the men on Margo's only fans. Surprisingly, these men seemed less predatory than her own mother and step dad who filed the initial complaint to CPS. Rufi Thorpe, plays around with narration throughout the story, which lends itself to one of the novel's overall themes: finding one's voice. By the end of the novel, Margo does this. The overall writing and storytelling, are a bit reminiscent of YA novels, but that was a welcomed respite from the non-fiction that I have been reading lately. 

Memorable Quotes/Morals/Moments: 

• A memorable moment is Margo telling off the CPS worker with her diligently compiled notebook of all of the other sex worker cases to establish legal president. 
• Margo leaning into being a heel and not a hero. 
• Jinx's addition and seeing how complex addiction really is. 
• The visceral hatred felt towards Mark, Mark's mother, Kenny, and Margo's mother. 
• The difficulty in raising a baby alone as a woman. Childcare, money, working all is so difficult in this society.

Links: 

Started/Finished: Start 1/18 Finish 2/14