Member Reviews
I am so in love with Margo! Rufi Thorpe is brilliant. Who knew I'd love a book about a pro wrestler and a single mom who starts an OnlyFans account!? Loved every minute of this book!
This book was alright, but it just was not for me. I did finish it and there were parts of it I did enjoy. But in all, it just was not my cup of tea.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufus Thorpe is a quick and amusing read! It fits snugly into the new adult genre, perfect for readers in their early twenties. While not a literary masterpiece, the plot is engaging, featuring well-developed characters who are enjoyable and easy to cheer for. Personally, I adored Margo’s pro wrestling Dad and his nostalgic WWF references that took me right back to watching pro wrestling in middle school 😂."
“It was fun: making things up, pulling each detail out of the dark of my mind like a rabbit from a hat.”
Rufi Thorpe's magic took hold of me with this story; Margo pulled me in from the first pages and kept me immersed in her unconventional world. The story touched on so many deeper issues, but the humor and heart throughout the pages made this a story, and a character, that I will remember. Baby barf and bursting bags of Runts may seem like an odd combo, but were only a couple of the many chuckle and sweet moments that filled this story. Thanks to Rufi, and Margo, I think Arby's will be on the menu for lunch today!
I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of Rufi Thorpe's Margo's Got Money Troubles; thank you NetGalley and William Morrow.
The blurb provided for this novel is pretty comprehensive. Fortunately, it doesn't begin to cover the various ways that the characters mature and how their lives become interwoven. It's not a complicated story, though there are several parts where I felt I was too old to get some of the social media stuff, but the relationships develop so naturally, it was really a great read.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Loved this! Very unique, both in the writing style and the content. It was a treat hanging out with Margo and her witty banter.
I was lucky enough to receive a NetGalley ARC of this book and read it over a coastal weekend. I haven't ever encountered a story quite like this one. There are notes of The Rachel Incident and even some beats that reminded me of Ready or Not, which I recently read as well. However, there is an element of kooky and unreliable to this story that was simultaneously unsettling and intriguing. I couldn't help but root for Margo and her unconventional but truly loving community. -1.25 stars because the end of this tale felt a bit rushed. Thorpe had exquisitely set up a unique framework and I would have liked a bit more payoff. (Also noting that sensitive readers should definitely check out the content warnings for this one because there is definitely some ~content~).
Thank you to NetGalley, author Rufi Thorpe, and publisher William Morrow for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
I was not prepared for the emotions of this book!! Truly one of the most original plots I've read in quite some time, yet carried out with so much heart and relatability. I found myself rooting for Margo every step of the way and charmed by Bodhi, Jinx, Suzie, and JB. I thought this would just be a fun wacky read, but Thorpe does an amazing job of not shying away from the absolute challenges real-life motherhood presents coupled with added anxiety of the stigmas of sex work, drugs, being taken advantage of, unemployment, and unusual living situations. I'm leaving this read with my heart full of many moments of laughter and smiles but also with lots to think about and melancholy. I do not remember loving Thorpe's previous work quite as much, but now I'm anxious to reread to see if I can find as much charm as Margo's Got Money Troubles. Highly recommend if you are looking for a book to think about this summer, but be sure to check trigger warnings before picking up!
This book was so unique and unexpected. Initially, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all and getting used to the writing style almost made me abandon it. However, I am SO GLAD I stuck with it. Some parts broke my heart and other parts infuriated me, while some lines also cracked me up.
This book is real life and shows how messy and imperfect people and relationships can be. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read. A sincere thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this electronic arc. This review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rufi Thorpe’s best book yet. She’s always written compelling characters with twisty, odd circumstances that nonetheless read as relatable, but Margo wins. From the clever POV references to an entirely probable mindset that results in, whoops, a baby, I’ve thought about this book since I first read it. Though the almost breezy tone could’ve rendered the story a fun, but forgettable summer read, the gravitas the author gives the emotional development—and the realistic turn of events with a drug-addict father—bury the story in the reader’s heart. Rufi Thorpe goes for broke, and absolutely produces a stunner.
In Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Margo got pregnant at age 19 after an affair with her professor and needed a quick way to make money as a single mom. And so commenced her time on OnlyFans. This book was so quirky, so clever and so hilarious. I guffawed so many times. Margo had grit and did what she had to do. She was complicated and messy but so entertaining. Her friends and family were hysterical. But it was also emotional and raw and made me root for Margo every step of the way. I loved watching her grow up. An absolute joy to read.
A refreshing and unexpected read from Rufi Thorpe. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns which I did not see coming. It redefines family and parental relationships. It could have easily ended in disaster, but it ends on a hopeful note. I will recommend this book as a great beach read with substance.
Having read all of the author's previous work, I had some expectations for her latest novel and I was most definitely NOT disappointed! Margot is such an amazing character and I find myself still thinking of her after three weeks have passed since I finished this book. Rufi Thorpe must have done some extensive research on several themes/topics covered within the novel and I appreciate her diligence; I learned some things while reading this one, which added to the pleasurable experience and kept me talking about this one to so many others!
In addition, I did a combination of print reading and audio listening and I cannot recommend the audio highly enough! The novel is narrated by Elle Fanning and there could not be a more perfect voice for Margot; she did a fantastic job and I can only hope to hear her again in the future. Highly recommend this novel and it will certainly be in the top ten of my 2024 reading!
Nobody could have prepared me for the true plot of this book—though the synopsis promises an array of juicy details.
For yes, this is about OnlyFans and TikTok and pro-wrestling. It’s about a 20-year-old single mother, her son the result of an affair with her english professor.
And yet…oh man, oh yet. It is also a deeply, agonizingly human story about the judgments we make, the way we try and decide who “deserves” a Good Life.
Rufi Thorpe, master of fleshing out realistic characters for people to relate to, has somehow surpassed even herself. Here is a novel full of people who keep handing you reasons to root against them….though I promise you’ll stay glued to the story for the exact opposite reason. You will love them.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles was a complete and total surprise for me. I was expecting light and offbeat, and I got complexity, nuance, heart, and so much more.
The plot is unusual: Margo is a young mom who needs money and ends up trying Only Fans as a way to support herself and her baby.
But this book is so much more than that. It’s a story of a young woman with very little support and a terrible example, but who is an excellent mother. She’s a character who has had some bad things happen, but her heart is wide open and she draws in a cast of ragtag, nuanced characters to be her new family. I loved Margo so much, and I loved her relationship with her estranged ex-pro wrestler dad, Jinx.
I really liked what this book had to say about motherhood, especially young motherhood, and how harshly mothers (and women) are judged. I found myself reexamining some of my own biases.
This is my first Rufi Thorpe, and I’m so excited to find a new author with a backlist I can dive into! This was a five star book for me — I just its freshness, creativity, and perspective.
I went into this novel with low-key expectations as I was not previously familiar with this novel or author. Well, I was blown away by this totally engaging and unique story that I could not consume fast enough to see what happened next.
Margo becomes pregnant by her college English professor. She decides to keep the baby. Mark, the married professor who already has two children already, wants nothing to do with Margo now.
Margo gives birth and comes back to her college apartment. She loses 2 roommates as they don't want to deal with a newborn in the apartment. This happens just as Margo's father, a former professional wrestler shows up (after a stint in rehab) looking to help and needing a place to stay.
I won't give any more plot details as I don't want to spoil a wild ride. The characters in this book are so well-written and interesting, they shine, especially Margo. She is nuanced and complex and it was a pleasure to witness her character growth.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.
When I saw the synopsis of this book, I requested it so quickly that my fingers may have caught fire. And I am so thankful I did, this is easily in my top 5 books of the year. I would be naturally drawn to literally no individual element of a high-level summary of this book; I don't like babies, I don't care for wrestling much, and I feel mostly indifferent about OnlyFans. But the culmination? I don't know what to say besides oh my god. This book is hilarious and original and I have recommended it more than any other book so far this year.
Rufi Thorpe is a new author for me. I picked the book up because it just sounded interesting and because it says it is "blisteringly funny" and I could certainly use some laughs. I know many of us have had money troubles at some point over the years and have had to find ways to overcome them or manage.
Description:
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.
My Thoughts:
This was a fun an unconventional read that, even though many parts were sad, kept me laughing through much of the book. This was a coming of age story for Margo and she was certainly in a bad situation with no money, no partner, and a baby on the way. Her imaginative and unconventional approach to tackling her money problem was hilarious! I think she was much smarter than most people gave her credit for too. Throughout the book I was hoping for Margo, and her father too, to succeed. There were parts of the story where I was so afraid Margo would lose everything. Well written and well plotted by the author. The story moved well and kept me reading.
Thanks to William Morrow through Netgalley for an advance copy.
I don't know that I have anything to say that hasn't already been said, but Margo's Got Money Trouble is one of the most unique and wonderful books I've read. The premise couldn't get better. The writing is tight but so thoughtful. What it does with points of view is really good even though I don't have a technical explanation for why it works.
The story follow's Margo, who becomes pregnant after a brief affair with her college English professor. After giving birth to Bodhi, she struggles to find childcare and loses her waitressing job. Margo starts an OnlyFans account as a way to make money on a schedule that works for her, and her gentle-yet-intimidating father, who is famous is the wrestling world, helps her figure out a persona to increase her following. There's so much more that happens in this book, but I think it's best to just dive in.
I am jazzed that this is set to be a TV series so I can enjoy it all over again.
4/5!
I went in blind to Margos Got Money Troubles (aside what's given in the title lol) and I was pleasantly surprised! It was funny, quirky, and heartwarming (although frustrating at times!).