Really Good, Actually Summary, Characters and Themes

Really Good, Actually is a young adult novel by Monica Heisey. It follows Maggie, a 28-year-old dealing with the fallout of her short-lived marriage.

The story explores themes of grief, self-discovery, and navigating life after divorce. Maggie grapples with loneliness, financial strain, and her own emotional complexities. Through humor and introspection, the novel depicts her journey as she tries to rebuild her life, mend relationships, and find happiness again.

Summary

Maggie, a 28-year-old PhD student, is going through a tough divorce after just two years of marriage. Struggling with loneliness, depression, and financial woes, she leans on her friends for support. 

Maggie tries dating apps and explores her bisexuality but feels overwhelmed by the online world.

As she grapples with mixed emotions, Maggie moves in with her boss Merris temporarily. 

She also starts dating Simon, a 31-year-old media professional. However, their connection is complicated by Maggie’s guardedness and lingering feelings for her ex-husband Jon.

The holiday season brings family drama and Maggie cancels her New Year’s plans, isolating herself further. Her inability to express her emotions leads to a fight with Simon, and they break up. 

Maggie’s depression worsens, and she attends couples therapy with Jon who doesn’t show up.

At a wedding, Maggie spirals out of control, leading to an accident for her friend Merris. This incident makes Maggie reflect on her behavior and the fear of losing more loved ones. 

She prioritizes therapy and rebuilding friendships.

Maggie decides to move in with her father and work part-time at a cheese shop. 

While focusing on her well-being, she reconnects with Amy, another divorced friend. Maggie prioritizes her emotional health and puts dating on hold.

She volunteers at a cat shelter and finds joy in simple pleasures. One day, she sees Jon on a bus and chooses to walk away. 

Maggie celebrates her 30th birthday with friends and shares her success at the shelter, leading to new job opportunities.

Although Maggie has made progress, she still grapples with emotions. She receives the divorce papers, signifying a move towards acceptance and a new chapter in her life.

Characters

Maggie

Maggie, the protagonist of the story, is a 28-year-old PhD student and research assistant navigating the painful and tumultuous aftermath of her divorce from Jon. Her character is marked by a blend of vulnerability and resilience. 

Initially, Maggie is depicted as struggling with profound grief and depression, compounded by insomnia and financial worries. 

Her journey through the narrative is one of self-discovery and gradual healing. Despite her often cynical and detached demeanor, Maggie’s interactions with friends, colleagues, and new acquaintances reveal her deep-seated desire for connection and understanding. 

Her journey is punctuated by moments of introspection and humor, offering a realistic portrayal of someone grappling with the complexities of post-divorce life. 

As she moves through various emotional highs and lows, Maggie learns to confront her flaws, embrace her bisexuality, and eventually prioritize her mental and emotional well-being.

Jon

Jon, Maggie’s ex-husband, is an assistant advertising copywriter whose decision to end their marriage serves as the catalyst for the novel’s events. 

While Jon’s presence in the narrative is somewhat peripheral, his actions significantly impact Maggie’s emotional journey. 

The awkward and protracted separation process, coupled with Jon’s eventual silence and detachment, exacerbates Maggie’s feelings of abandonment and isolation. 

Despite his limited on-page presence, Jon’s character embodies the complexities of failed relationships, where love and companionship are overshadowed by growing emotional distance and incompatibility. 

His removal of Maggie as the cat’s primary caregiver symbolizes his final severing of ties, prompting Maggie to further reflect on her own shortcomings and their shared history.

Amirah, Clive, Lauren, and “Emotional” Lauren

Maggie’s college friends—Amirah, Clive, Lauren, and “Emotional” Lauren—form a crucial part of her support network. Each friend offers a unique perspective and form of support that helps Maggie navigate her grief. 

Amirah, with her direct and no-nonsense attitude, often serves as a grounding force for Maggie, providing practical advice and emotional stability. Clive’s empathetic nature and consistent presence offer Maggie a sense of continuity and reassurance. 

The two Laurens, each with their own distinct personalities, contribute to Maggie’s emotional landscape in different ways. 

“Emotional” Lauren, in particular, shares a deeper emotional connection with Maggie, understanding her more complex feelings and offering a shoulder to cry on.

Merris

Merris, Maggie’s boss, plays a multifaceted role in her journey. 

As someone who offers Maggie the flexibility to work from home and later provides her with temporary housing, Merris’s actions demonstrate a blend of professional support and personal kindness. 

However, their relationship also highlights the tensions that can arise in professional settings when personal issues intersect with work responsibilities. 

Merris’s accident, caused indirectly by Maggie’s actions at a wedding, serves as a pivotal moment that forces Maggie to confront her reckless behavior and its impact on others. 

This incident catalyzes Maggie’s realization of her need to change and prompts her to take more responsibility for her actions.

Calvin

Calvin, Jon’s former roommate, re-enters Maggie’s life unexpectedly, reigniting unresolved emotions and complexities. 

His platonic night with Maggie provides a moment of comfort and companionship, contrasting with her otherwise turbulent social interactions. 

Calvin’s character serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of relationships and the lingering ties that persist even after a breakup. 

His presence helps Maggie process her feelings of loss and confusion, offering a brief respite from her emotional turmoil.

Amy

Amy, another divorcee whom Maggie meets later in the narrative, represents a different approach to dealing with the end of a marriage. 

Amy’s fiery attitude and unapologetic demeanor towards her ex-husband initially spark Maggie’s envy but ultimately inspire her to explore new aspects of her identity, including her bisexuality. 

Amy’s encouragement to use dating apps leads Maggie into the world of online dating, which brings both excitement and disillusionment. 

Amy’s friendship becomes a source of strength for Maggie, particularly when they decide to live together, symbolizing a new chapter in Maggie’s journey towards self-acceptance and healing.

Simon

Simon, a 31-year-old who works at a local media company, becomes a significant figure in Maggie’s post-divorce dating life. 

Their relationship is marked by moments of intimacy and connection but also by tension and misunderstandings. 

Simon’s attempts to address the issues in their relationship often clash with Maggie’s inability to articulate her emotions, leading to their eventual breakup. 

Simon’s character highlights the difficulties of forming new connections in the wake of a significant emotional upheaval and underscores Maggie’s ongoing struggle with vulnerability and trust.

Olivia and Other Colleagues

Maggie’s colleagues, including Olivia, offer glimpses into her professional life and the challenges she faces in maintaining a sense of normalcy. Their interactions are often laced with sympathy and understanding, but they also reflect the frustrations that come with balancing personal crises and professional responsibilities. 

These characters contribute to the broader context of Maggie’s life, illustrating the interplay between her personal and professional worlds.

Themes

Grief and Recovery

“Really Good, Actually” delves deeply into the theme of grief, illustrating Maggie’s tumultuous journey through the aftermath of her divorce. 

Her initial response to the end of her marriage is marked by intense sorrow and denial, leading her to isolate herself and struggle with everyday activities. As Maggie navigates her grief, she experiences a spectrum of emotions, from anger and guilt to moments of introspection and clarity. 

Her encounters with others, such as Amy and Simon, further reflect her ongoing struggle to cope with her loss. Through therapy and personal reflection, Maggie begins to confront her pain, gradually finding ways to rebuild her life and seek emotional healing. 

The novel portrays grief not as a linear process but as a complex, multifaceted journey that requires time, support, and self-compassion.

The Irony of Everyday Life

Monica Heisey’s novel is rich with irony, highlighting the absurdities and contradictions of everyday existence. 

Maggie’s life, filled with mundane activities and social interactions, is often tinged with a sense of the ridiculous. 

Despite her profound emotional turmoil, she encounters humorous and ironic situations that underscore the disparity between her internal world and external reality. 

For instance, her attempt to find solace in self-help books and collage art offers temporary relief but also underscores the superficiality of these efforts compared to the depth of her pain. 

The irony in Maggie’s experiences serves to emphasize the unpredictable and often nonsensical nature of life, making her journey both relatable and poignant. 

Heisey’s use of humor amidst sorrow reflects the duality of human experience, where moments of levity can coexist with deep suffering.

The Complexity of Relationships

The novel intricately explores the complexities of relationships, particularly in the context of divorce and its aftermath. 

Maggie’s interactions with her ex-husband Jon, her friends, and new acquaintances reveal the multifaceted nature of human connections. 

Her relationship with Jon, initially filled with love and hope, deteriorates, leading to a painful separation that forces Maggie to reassess her identity and the dynamics of their bond. 

Her friendships, while a source of support, also become strained as she navigates her emotional upheaval, illustrating the challenges of maintaining connections during personal crises. 

Maggie’s encounters with new romantic interests, such as Simon, further complicate her understanding of intimacy and trust. 

The novel portrays relationships as evolving entities that require effort, understanding, and resilience, reflecting the inherent challenges and rewards of connecting with others.