Really Good, Actually: A Novel

Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain descriptions of grief, divorce, eating disorders, illegal drug use, risky sexual behaviors, and depression. The source material also uses language that some readers may find offensive.

Maggie, a 28-year-old PhD student and research assistant, separates from her husband Jon, who is an assistant advertising copywriter, after less than two years of marriage. The couple met in college and dated for six years before tying the knot, and they have since drifted apart. Maggie reflects on her various personality traits and preferences, wondering if they may have contributed to this separation. She ultimately decides that a sense of dissatisfaction has gradually snowballed into misery.

During a dinner conversation, Maggie confronts Jon about their relationship, and the interaction prompts Jon to move out. After Jon's departure, Maggie takes a photograph of herself, attempting to document the event. However, she immediately edits the photo, sacrificing realism to maintain a sense of attractiveness. The morning after Jon leaves, Maggie wakes up in tears, facing her first morning alone. She and Jon exchange texts, attempting to ensure an amicable separation.

Maggie engages in a group chat to help plan a friend's birthday party, but she refrains from informing her college friends—Clive, Amirah, Lauren, and "Emotional Lauren"—about Jon's departure, as she is still grappling with the reality that her relationship has ended.