Loved this. A book that pays close and careful attention to the kinds of people and relationships that are too rarely depicted in fiction. And the relationship between Helen and the wives is beautifully drawn—extremely queer, nuanced, and messy in the best way.

DNFed at 35%

This book just wasn't for me. I felt as if the scenes I read weren't just intentionally stark or purposefully lacking, but struggled to hold interest in a way that made me want to learn more. It felt like a book meant for fans of Sally Rooney and Poor Things, neither of which I enjoyed.

I did enjoy the twisted inner monologue and the way Helen would inject the oddest sentiments of intense violence or gross attraction. The execution of the world around Helen just wasn't appealing enough to continue.

Thank you Catapult and NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this book was so weird, fun, queer and crunchy!!! the perfect blend
(full review on bookstagram to come)

This is a strange and visceral character study that I very much enjoyed. Helen is a a mess, an absolute wreck that I could not look away from; reading about her spiraling out was simultaneously anxiety-inducing and understandable. I found all the characters interesting and I appreciated the complex relationships between them, particularly Helen and the wives.

A Good Happy Girl covers plenty of complicated territory in visceral detail: neglect, avoidance, trauma, queerness, kink and power imbalances; I found it a welcome addition to the ~sad (and very gross) girl~ literary canon. I would recommend this to readers of Ottessa Moshfegh, Jen Beagin, Mona Awad, K. Patrick, or Jenny Fran Davis.

All I can say is what the bleep!! I am loving stories about crazy queer people. Even though this was a cooky read it was well worth it.

I loved living in the chaos of this narrator's mind. I can't recall a novel that's made me feel so up close to so much bad decision making before, though that doesn't seem right either. I loved this narrator. The ride of a novel I got buckled into. Marissa Higgins is the real deal.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

If you want a book that highlights 'Intrusive Thoughts' you neeeed need to read this because book is FULL of them!

You follow Helen as her life is a bit of a mess brought up from an unstable abusive drug addicted parents and pretty much she is the the result of all that. She leans heavily on her bad decision making and intrusive thoughts while just seeking to be cared for but in the only way she knows....painfully. She is self destructive as well when things go well, to test those around her.
You get a glimpse into a period of her life while she meets what seems like the perfect married couple for her- the bonding and mess that comes with Helen creates for a rollercoaster whirlpool ride.

The only thing that brought this review from 5 stars to 4 was the ending, I did not understand quite what happened exactly.

A deliciously weird novel about a lesbian couple-cum-throuple. If you like Kristen Arnett, this is definitely in that wheel house (although Kristen Arnett is the absolute goat). If you want something off the beaten path this is the one.

i was so excited for this one, but i really just could not get into it. like, polyamorous lesbians? sign me up. but i didn't like it. very strange with lots of real, flawed characters. very strange sex scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Marissa Higgins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Describe this book in three words: Weird. Gay. Raw.

Main takeaways: I love lesbian throuples; Helen's intrusive thoughts were fascinating and I loved the inclusion of them; Helen's deep-seated guilt when it came to her parents and her grandparents was so real and raw it made my chest hurt.

A weird little sapphic story that was equally entertaining and stomach-churning. The character study of Helen was very interesting, as she at times was truly unhinged (something I love in a female main character) but also very interesting to uncover. The prose was beautiful but a little confusing at times, but overall I still I enjoyed the book.

I knew "A Good Happy Girl" was my kind of book when I marked six passages in the first four pages. Higgins' beautifully crafted melancholic style pulled me in, creating a personal connection I couldn't ignore. Describing my attachment to the main character, Helen, is challenging; she stands out as the most raw, unconventional, and vulnerable character I've encountered. However, Helen's struggles with parental dynamics, millennial-like dependence on cough syrup, and the complex desire for affection felt familiar to me. I can't praise this book enough; it reads like a diary of a wandering queer millennial but with engrossing and relatable scenes. Fans of Elle Nash, Ottessa Moshfegh, and Ella Baxter will likely resonate with this book.

I received an early e-book copy from NetGalley and Catapult Press, but I will be buying a hard copy to have Helen nearby.

This was very weird! The prose was great and the sick, nasty dynamic between the main character and the married couple is interesting and compelling. Helen's desire to be ill is also a fascinating throughline. I found the plot itself somewhat underwhelming, but I blew through it.

Love the language & storytelling & intimacy here! I haven't finished the book yet but feel compelled to shout it out. Strange is right, in a beautiful way. I feel like the narrator's confessional tone, her discomforts and insecurities really speak to me. Also, who doesn't love the story of a queer thruple that doesn't promise a happy ending? "My fantasy self was finally getting what I wanted." Language that I love: "naked with bloated belly out and pretty," "My dream self slurped vaginal fluid from the pavement no oil no grime no dust only the good stuff and thanked the wives for soothing me with their sharp laughter," and also "Brattiness came naturally to me; I never behaved that way as a girl and I wanted the same women who abandoned me to repair me." So much to love in this book. Look forward to more from Marissa Higgins!

not gonna lie, I absolutely loved this strange sapphic book!!! I really appreciated the uniqueness of all the characters - they all felt flawed and complex and ugly and honest - especially Helen, the narrator, who I loved even though she was a big ole wreck the entire book (with the strangest & darkest intrusive thoughts) . the throuple dynamic was explored really interestingly, the power dynamics, the kinks, the cat & mouse of it. as much as I loved the parts of the book that focused on the romantic elements, I feel like I especially loved the parts that focused on Helen's family and how deeply flawed & fricked up those relationships were as well. as weird as this book is, I just really don't have anything bad to say about it - except that it probably won't be for everyone. Helen is quite a freak (sexually & otherwise), but once you learn to love the unpredictable and unusual waves of her mind, the prose is just incredible.

4.5 stars rounded up. thanks net galley and catapult for the arc!

Where do I even begin?

A Good Happy Girl follows Helen as she deals with grief, guilt, gluttony and a faux sickness that may be a physical manifestation of the bad things about her self.

The writing in this book is very good, lovely prose in places. Everything is well pieced together, the story flowed nicely until the end which doesn’t really resolve anything but still has a sort of bittersweet taste.

Helen, being the MC is very fleshed out. Unfortunately every other character, except maybe the grandmother, isn’t as well written. Or perhaps not important to be learned about since Helen is so caught up in herself.

The f/f/f aspect was interesting, I applaud the author for not using terms like “hole” or “warmth place” during sex scenes, this book covered a lot of different kinks and that would’ve made it unbearable.

Overall, this was a good book. Felt kind of similar to A Certain Hunger or MilkFed with a little more oomph.

Thank you for the ARC via netgalley

A GOOD HAPPY GIRL is the weird, sexy, sapphic novel we’re all waiting for, and will be talking about in 2024. Our protagonist Helen is reeling from the arrest of her parents for elder abuse and attempts to find comfort and satisfaction with a married couple that is looking for a third. Helen doesn’t want commitment, she wants attention that will distract her from her life. But this strange couple only helps Helen in her quest for self destruction.

Higgins is an incredible writer and I had a hard time putting this book down. Her prose is unique and her characters are unlike any ones I’ve come across in literature. I was surprised at every turn! I really loved and felt for Helen, and wanted her to figure out what she was looking for and come to terms with her past and her family. Higgins does an incredible job building such a rich and vibrant main character, with side characters that are both strange and unforgettable. I can’t wait to read more and more from her in the future.

This was such an interesting read. I have never seen a book in this type of voice and tone, and it was invigorating to try something new! "A Good Happy Girl" by Marissa Higgins offered such an intense view into a really f***d up mind. It's also quite the statement on queer domesticity. It's so interesting to see the wives and their interaction with Helen.

Desire is such a weird and complex emotion, and when you combine that with self-destruction as foreplay, this novel had everything from the mundane to the grotesque to the visceral emotions. Against the backdrop of queer throuple dynamics, the novel intoxicates readers.

I really don't know what else to say about this book other than.... grab yourself a glass of wine, settle down and read it from beginning to end in one sitting. It's THAT good of a book.

Thank you NetGalley and Marissa Higgins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Good Happy Girl was such an overwhelming and enthralling read. I did not expect it to go the way it went. But i absolutely loved how this was written and how these two storylines intertwined. The main character Helen having such a difficult and almost disturbing past led by her parents leaves a huge mark on her present and future. SHe has trouble keeping relationships and her taste in such is peculiar. This leads her to seeking out a lesbian couple looking for a third with very specific requirements. What spirals is so intriguing and how these two plots come together blinds and bombs in a way that makes you glued to the story. I loved the storyline of Helens background, i thought it was very original and nothing id read about before. Helens family being neglectful to her grandmother and then going to jail for it is a huge and traumatic thing to happen to someone. I thought her relationship with Catherine and Katrina was extremely fascinating and how Helen manipulated them in the end to help her essentially harm her father was eye opening to Helens character. It was a very heavy read and wholesomelly engrossing.

Messed up, unhinged lesbians is my favorite genre, so I was really excited to request this book. It was a really fast read for me--two days of getting inside Helen's head--and I loved every second of it. It's a weird book and a weird character that might not appeal to everyone, and while Helen's particular journey is vastly different than my own experience, she was still a character that I really enjoyed spending time with and getting to know. I definitely recommend this story and it's peculiarities, it's trauma, and it's bizarre healing.