Margo's Got Money Troubles

A Novel

By: Rufi Thorpe

Narrated by: Elle Fanning

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Audiobook Narrated by Elle Fanning!

“The warmth of Thorpe’s tone, together with the thoroughness of her imagination and the artfulness of her pacing, means that skepticism is kept at bay. She sells us on both the characters and the plot . . . [in] this enormously entertaining and lovable book.” —Nick Hornby, New York Times Book Review

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.

“A wholly original novel. . . . Thorpe is both poetic and profound in the way she brings her remarkable story to an end.” —The Associated Press

©2024 Rufi Thorpe (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Hilarious and brilliant

The synopsis sounds nuts, but Rufi Thorpe works magic. Here’s hoping there’s a sequel. Great narration by Elle Fanning.

Funny Ghost

Funny, realistic and thoroughly enjoyable! Highly Recommend you read it too, you'll also enjoy, really

Best book of 2024

This is the best thing I’ve read this year. It was heartfelt, funny and deep. The characters were fantastic. Margo’s a hero

Oh Margo...

"Margo's Got Money Troubles" is not in my usual wheelhouse of genres. It's unlike any book I typically pick up. However, I saw it featured in several book review posts and decided to give it a try.

Margo is sweet, well-plotted, and realistic to a point. It lost me around chapter twenty-two. After that, I mostly didn't care what was about to happen in Margo's life. I skipped ahead to the last chapter just to see if anything mind-blowing happened, and it didn't.

This book is easy, fun, and perfect for reading by the pool on a lazy Saturday. It wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean it won't be for someone else.

Refreshingly real

I loved how real this story was. I laughed and squirmed at the creative descriptions of Margo's life.

Family & All the Way We Fail and Save Each Other

5 stars for Margo's Got Money Troubles - one of the best books I've read in a long time! Margo is a whip smart college student whose life gets derailed by a college professor who knocks her up then abandons her to deal with the pregnancy on her own. Her mother, a retired Hooter's waitress with fake boobs and an affinity for designer clothes and cosmetics decrees she will not be helping Margo with the baby either. With her options for childcare critically non existent, Margo loses her waitressing job and is forced to reach out to her dad, a man she has rarely seen growing up due to the fact that he is 1. married to a woman who is not her mother and has several children with that woman and 2. his WWE Wrestling career and pseudo celebrity status. Her dad is slow to respond to her SOS and in the meantime, Margo solves her own problems by opening an Only Fans account and rating penises as Pokemon characters for $20 tips. IF THIS isn't enough to get you interested in this book, then it might not be for you. Truly one of the most touching and real stories about family I've read. The author shines by highlighting all the ways we fail each other and all the ways we forgive and save each other. I thought the writing was tack sharp and with lines like, "Nothing cheered up aging alcoholics like a baby," I was laugh crying through the whole story. One small critique is that the structure was a bit off with the main character openly switching from first person narration (which worked for me) to third person narration (which threw the pacing off.) But that is a small knit because overall I feel like I can recommend this book to just about anyone. Super clever. Super fun!

So good on so many levels

A rare gem of a book that operates on so many levels from it unique and unforgettable characters to its humor, heart, and spot on commentary on the impossible challenges of modern day motherhood and womanhood, to a rather meta dive into the very heart of fiction—of an art that tells the truth by lying. Whether she’s talking to you in first or third person, you will root for Margo at every turn.

just a good fun read

Author has a playful way of developing her characters to make them funny and very real and likable. This book was such a a different escape from my usual historical fiction and I found myself taking it along everywhere, snickering while driving, shopping.... I just opened Audible to look for more titles by the author. What a fun escape.

Strange and fun

The story starts slowly, but the characters grow on you. Margo somehow pulls herself out of her desperate situation and you root for her as she figures it out. Fresh story, told well.

Relatable, thought provoking

Man, I gained so many perspectives from this story. Hard to put into words but each character is developed so deeply and brings a new light and side to every presented situation to the point where I genuinely could almost feel every emotion. 10:10 would (and probably will) listen to it over and over again like it’s a late night rerun episode of Friends. So many tiny side stories that have such a big message- but at the same time don’t overwhelm the story line. Absolutely incredible writing and narration 👏😍