Tag Archives: literary fiction

Book Review: A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins

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A GOOD HAPPY GIRL by Marissa Higgins

Publisher: Catapult
Publication date: 4/2/24

Goodreads synopsis:

A poignant, surprising, and immersive read about a young professional woman pursuing an emotionally intense relationship with a married lesbian couple.

Helen, a jittery attorney with a self-destructive streak, is secretly reeling from a disturbing crime of neglect that her parents recently committed. Historically happy to compartmentalize— distracting herself by hooking up with lesbian couples, doting on her grandmother, and flirting with a young administrative assistant—Helen finally meets her match with Catherine and Katrina, a married couple who startle and intrigue her with their ever-increasing sexual and emotional intensity. 

Perceptive and attentive, Catherine and Katrina prod at Helen’s life, revealing a childhood tragedy she’s been repressing. When her father begs her yet again for help getting parole, she realizes that she has a bargaining chip to get answers to her past.

In her exploration of queer domesticity, effects of incarceration on family, and intergenerational poverty, Marissa Higgins offers empathy to characters who don’t often receive it, with unsettling results.

My thoughts:

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet, but A GOOD HAPPY GIRL was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. Seriously, I pre-ordered this book many months before its publication date. I’m so happy to say that it lived up to my expectations entirely. I laughed out loud, nearly cried, and reflected upon my own relationships while reading this perverse, queer as hell novel.

I noticed that some other reviewers of A GOOD HAPPY GIRL thought the narrator’s (Helen’s) intrusive thoughts were too weird or gross; I’m sort of under the belief that perhaps this book wasn’t the right pick for them (and that’s okay!). A GOOD HAPPY GIRL is definitely one of those chaotic, sexually and emotionally unhinged-girl main character books, which happens to be my favorite genre. It is erotic, thought-provoking, and strange all at once. I really like the incorporation of polyamory and Helen’s tumultuous relationship with her parents, too. I know so many LGBTQ folks who have familial struggles, so this aspect of the book will likely be relatable for them.

Overall, I think this is an incredible debut novel. I can’t wait to see what subversive, queer work Marissa Higgins puts out next. I’ll definitely be thinking about A GOOD HAPPY GIRL for a while and I’m quite confident it will make my list of top 2024 reads!

Review: Bugsy & Other Stories by Rafael Frumkin

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Bugsy & Other Stories shown face up with a lilac/clear, floral bookmark on a wooden background

Bugsy & Other Stories by Rafael Frumkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: 2/13/24

Rating: 5/5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

“A wildly imaginative story collection about sex, desire, queer identity, and the celebration of social taboos, by the author of Confidence.

Bugsy & Other Stories is a deliciously entertaining collection of six genre-defying stories. In the title story, “Bugsy,” a queer young adult battling depression finds community and transcendence through sex work.

In “Futago” a psychiatrist loses his mind after a voice—eerily similar to that of Alex Trebek—appears in his head.

In other stories, you will meet an e-girl and her fans, an elderly woman flashing through the pivotal scenes of her life, and a young boy on the spectrum trying to navigate life in a neurotypical world.

Together, these six stories explore tenderness and what it means to care for each other and for ourselves, especially in a time when technology threatens to tear us apart.”

My thoughts:

BUGSY & OTHER STORIES completely blew my mind in all the best ways. The title story, Bugsy, is an absolute stand-out in this literary gem. After she drops out of college due to mental health struggles, Bugsy’s life takes a turn when she befriends a group of sex workers and begins exploring her sexuality and interest in women. In my college days, I took a class about queering sex work; it still is one of my all-time favorite courses. If it was possible, I would go back in time, take Rafael Frumkin (along with BUGSY & OTHER STORIES) with me, and demand the collection be added as mandatory reading for the class. Seriously, though, this book is exemplary and I’m going to be recommending it to anyone who will listen.

In the final story, The Last Show, an old woman named Flora is in a state of half-consciousness as her health is declining. While she is existing in this limbo at the hospital, people from all corners of her past come to visit. Flora gets long-needed closure with friends and family members and gets to see her now-grown children as adolescents again. Reading The Last Show gave me goosebumps and brought me back to visiting my father in hospice care in 2021. As someone who still feels like she is freshly grieving a parent, I am so thankful this story exists. All this to say: Rafael Frumkin is a genius with words.

Anyone with an interest in queering or subverting topics such as sanity, gaming, streaming, and death will certainly find this mesmerizing collection of interest. There truly is something here for everyone. BUGSY & OTHER STORIES is one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given.