Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Hello friends! I’m back today to discuss one of my most recent reads, Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe.

It would be easy to read the description of this novel and not take this book seriously. As a character, Margo has a lot working against her. She’s the other woman. And a teen mom. Plus she’s about to lose her job because she can’t find or afford childcare for her newborn son.

But this book is written in a way that really exposes us as readers to Margo’s inner-workings. Most situations aren’t cut and dry and that is exactly the case for Margo. She struggles in so many ways and even though she has so much working against her, she has a good head on her shoulders. It’s quite the adventure to follow her on her journey to make ends meet.

I’m so excited to be discussing this book today. It was so fast paced and interesting. I think I devoured this story in only a day and a half. So keep reading for my full Margo’s Got Money Troubles book review. And for more book discussions you can read the rest of my reviews here.

What is Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe About?

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—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

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. (from Amazon.com)

My Initial Thoughts

This book doesn’t even seem like a book. These are some thoughts that I recently shared in my newsletter:

This is a book that doesn’t really seem like a book. Because even though it’s fiction and some elements of the story are more out there than others, it feels so real. I felt like I was right there with Margo as she struggled with new motherhood and tried to come up with a plan for her future.

Am I a good person? What exactly does it take to be a good person?

Those questions are posed many times throughout this story, and it’s something that Margo grapples with in different situations. This story will break your heart and give you hope and remind you that we are all just humans trying to do our best.

I really loved the writing style and will definitely be checking out the rest of this author’s work.

The Evolution of Margo’s Onlyfans Account

This is obviously a unique and interesting part of this story. I’ve heard of onlyfans but I’ve never been on it, so I had no idea how it worked. It was very interesting to read about the opening of Margo’s account and about how she had to choose her username and figure out what she wanted to post.

After Margo opens her account, she realizes that she needs help from the experts. So she befriends two local women who are doing very well on the website and forms a relationship with them. They are very different from her but they provide insightful information and are fun side characters to read about. You always need fun side characters to add to a story.

Social Media is Becoming Integral to Today’s Stories

Isn’t it funny how social media is featured in so many stories these days? I’ve read a couple of books lately (including this one) that feature twitter, but this is my first book to feature Onlyfans. I’m not familiar with that website and so I enjoyed reading about Margo trying to figure out the system.

The Deeper Meaning

I talked about this in a recent substack post, but Margo’s Got Money Problems is about so much more than trying to make ends meets.

It asks some very hard questions that everyone has to answer for themselves. When Margo finds out that she’s pregnant, the dad immediately assumes that she’s going to have an abortion. And it’s something that she grapples with. And although so many people (basically everyone she’s close to) tells her that having a baby will ruin her life, she goes with her gut. It’s scary. And she’s not looking for an award or anything. But it’s what feels right to her.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the juxtaposition of Margo living her live and her mom Shyanne living her life. Both of them are trying to good people but Margo’s version is way more realistic. While Shyanne is putting on a show being the perfect wife to her religious new husband, Margo is always being true to herself and I really liked that.

Things aren’t easy. But when it comes down to it, not many things worthwhile actually are.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is going to be a TV Show

I was doing a little internet perusing and apparently this book is being made into a mini series by Apple+. How cool! I love both Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman so I’m excited to see where this goes.

In Conclusion

This was a book that really I surprised my. I initially picked it up because I read about it in Becca Freeman’s Substack, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a story that will stay with me for a while and I know I’ll want to read it again.