What do you think?
Rate this book
How It Works Out
“What an audacious, breathtaking, and inspiring debut. The power of this formally innovative and deeply funny book is that everything exists to serve the compassionate heart at its core. Myriam Lacroix’s work is a cause for celebration.” — George Saunders, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lincoln in the Bardo and Liberation Day
Surreal, darkly comic, and achingly tender, Myriam Lacroix’s exuberant debut How It Works Out sees a queer love story play out in many alternate realities.
What if you had the chance to rewrite the course of your relationship, again and again, in the hopes that it would work out?
How It Works Out follows the arc of Myriam and Allison’s relationship by running the couple through a series of hypotheticals. What if they became mothers by finding a baby in an alley? What if the only cure for Myriam’s depression was Allison’s flesh? What if they were B-list celebrities, famous for writing a book about building healthy lesbian relationships? How much darker—or sexier—would their dynamic be if one were a power-hungry CEO, and the other her lowly employee? From the fantasies of early romance to the slow encroaching of violence that unravels the fantasy, each reality builds to complete a brilliant, painfully funny portrait of love’s many promises and perils.
Equal parts sexy and profane, unsentimental, and gut-wrenching, How It Works Out is a formally inventive, arresting, uncanny exploration of queerness, love, and our drive for connection, in any and all possible worlds.
Surreal, darkly comic, and achingly tender, Myriam Lacroix’s exuberant debut How It Works Out sees a queer love story play out in many alternate realities.
What if you had the chance to rewrite the course of your relationship, again and again, in the hopes that it would work out?
How It Works Out follows the arc of Myriam and Allison’s relationship by running the couple through a series of hypotheticals. What if they became mothers by finding a baby in an alley? What if the only cure for Myriam’s depression was Allison’s flesh? What if they were B-list celebrities, famous for writing a book about building healthy lesbian relationships? How much darker—or sexier—would their dynamic be if one were a power-hungry CEO, and the other her lowly employee? From the fantasies of early romance to the slow encroaching of violence that unravels the fantasy, each reality builds to complete a brilliant, painfully funny portrait of love’s many promises and perils.
Equal parts sexy and profane, unsentimental, and gut-wrenching, How It Works Out is a formally inventive, arresting, uncanny exploration of queerness, love, and our drive for connection, in any and all possible worlds.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
November 4, 2024
stellar addition to the unhinged and slightly horrifying lesbian cannon
December 17, 2023
How It Works Out is truly unlike any other book I’ve read before - it was polarizing, refreshing, and I see myself easily picking this back up as a reread in 2024!
Each chapter is a different (but somehow they all feel cohesive and interconnected) alternate reality in which we’re introduced to Myriam and Allison. Sometimes they’re human, sometimes they’re not, sometimes they’re in love, and sometimes they’re doing something that’s shaped like love but feels like torture. It was so interesting learning about the little quirks and details of these two characters as they transcend their first reality and their personalities of the previous chapter. It was.. weird, to say the least. I think Chapter 2 is probably the most shocking and visceral (CW cannibalism) and once you’re sucked into the book, you’ll be confused but you won’t want to put it down. I reread the last chapter TWICE at like 3 in the morning and I still feel like I didn’t want this book to end. I didn’t fall in love with the characters but I didn’t want to say goodbye to them, either.
I don’t think I grasped everything this book has to offer my first time reading this, which is why I see this as an easy reread. You see these characters’ essence morph into everything and nothing and anything in this debut novel, and I’ll be looking forward to whatever Lacroix releases next. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion!
Each chapter is a different (but somehow they all feel cohesive and interconnected) alternate reality in which we’re introduced to Myriam and Allison. Sometimes they’re human, sometimes they’re not, sometimes they’re in love, and sometimes they’re doing something that’s shaped like love but feels like torture. It was so interesting learning about the little quirks and details of these two characters as they transcend their first reality and their personalities of the previous chapter. It was.. weird, to say the least. I think Chapter 2 is probably the most shocking and visceral (CW cannibalism) and once you’re sucked into the book, you’ll be confused but you won’t want to put it down. I reread the last chapter TWICE at like 3 in the morning and I still feel like I didn’t want this book to end. I didn’t fall in love with the characters but I didn’t want to say goodbye to them, either.
I don’t think I grasped everything this book has to offer my first time reading this, which is why I see this as an easy reread. You see these characters’ essence morph into everything and nothing and anything in this debut novel, and I’ll be looking forward to whatever Lacroix releases next. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion!
December 16, 2023
This was funny, queer (in every sense of the word), and oddly comforting. There's a very specific way women love other women and Lacroix really captures that here perfectly without being heavy-handed or dramatic; she finds the truth in the humor, tension, desire, frustration, and all the other small moments that make up a relationship.
I don't think everyone will "get" this book, particularly those who aren't gay as hell. I am, so it appealed immediately and really delivered. The Tegan and Sara inclusion? Hilarious. The story about the dog and the mantis? Ridiculously bizarre and yet shockingly... relatable? I could go on and on here, but there was something really special here. I haven't read anything like it before, so every page was the best surprise.
This was everything I wanted it to be without knowing what I wanted it to be at all when I started. Fantastic debut; if this is a sign of what the author has in her, I'll read everything she ever releases.
I don't think everyone will "get" this book, particularly those who aren't gay as hell. I am, so it appealed immediately and really delivered. The Tegan and Sara inclusion? Hilarious. The story about the dog and the mantis? Ridiculously bizarre and yet shockingly... relatable? I could go on and on here, but there was something really special here. I haven't read anything like it before, so every page was the best surprise.
This was everything I wanted it to be without knowing what I wanted it to be at all when I started. Fantastic debut; if this is a sign of what the author has in her, I'll read everything she ever releases.
June 9, 2024
i loved this.
it was weird. it was queer. it was symbolic. it was meta. it was wild. it was lovely.
add it to your tbr now!
thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the ARC.
it was weird. it was queer. it was symbolic. it was meta. it was wild. it was lovely.
add it to your tbr now!
thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the ARC.
June 1, 2024
How It Works Out is a mosaic novel, made up of discrete chapters that each take place in a different reality and imagine Myriam and Allison’s relationship in a new way.
I expected something as poignant and laser-sharp as In the Dream House, or as meta and postmodern as City of Saints and Madmen, or as varied and imaginative as How High We Go in the Dark. Alas, How It Works out never quite lived up to other mosaic novels (and, in the case of Dream House, memoirs) that I’ve read. I love the idea of retelling a love story, over and over; but the execution did not wow me.
That said, I did love a couple of the chapters: “The Sequel” and “Anthropocene.” Maybe it’s not coincidence that both of these stories are from Allison’s point of view instead of Myriam’s, but I’m not sure what that says about me.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for review.
I expected something as poignant and laser-sharp as In the Dream House, or as meta and postmodern as City of Saints and Madmen, or as varied and imaginative as How High We Go in the Dark. Alas, How It Works out never quite lived up to other mosaic novels (and, in the case of Dream House, memoirs) that I’ve read. I love the idea of retelling a love story, over and over; but the execution did not wow me.
That said, I did love a couple of the chapters: “The Sequel” and “Anthropocene.” Maybe it’s not coincidence that both of these stories are from Allison’s point of view instead of Myriam’s, but I’m not sure what that says about me.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for review.
February 4, 2024
This book is Everything Everywhere All at Once for U-haul lesbians. An examination of love's many perils, promises, and pile-ons, How It Works Out follows Myriam and Allison as they try to reframe and reimagine the course of their relationship in a series of alternative realities that collapse the real and the surreal: in one, the two learn to navigate motherhood having adopted a baby they found in an alleyway. In another, they are a praying mantis and a dog devoured by their intense passion for each other. Yet others makes us consider an all-consuming love in the form of cannibalism (pun very much intended), the powerplay between a high-and-mighty CEO and the humble customer service representative she falls for, and the way it < i>really works out between a celebrity couple of self-help book fame. Through each of these scenarios dripping with wit, madcap humour, and queer audacity, Myriam Lacroix brings the reader closer to understanding the lovely, lowly, and altogether absurd drive for romantic connection that makes us human.
Each iteration of Myriam and Allison here, though remarkably varied, divulges something essential about their unique dynamic: their shared and individual traumas, their anxieties about themselves and each other, their tumultuous experiences of motherhood, their moments of avoidance and of dependency, their struggles to grow and change separately and together. At the same time, their story – or many stories – are peppered with references to the near-universals of queer life and love. These range from ironic (Tegan and Sara) to sincere (primal screaming, mind-blowing sex, lactose intolerance, and Tegan and Sara). Lacroix's brand of humour here is grotesque and decidedly queer, unafraid of exploring stereotypes and exposing clichés from within the community. But there is also an admirable tenderness to the whole thing, something that peeks through the sometimes unsentimental and sometimes gut-wrenching way in which the narrative takes shape, and makes it sing.
What really brings this book together for me is the sheer inventiveness of it: in writing a speculative history of a relationship, Lacroix has created something genuinely unlike anything else, where not a single turn of phrase – let alone turns of events – can be predicted. In putting together a narrative that shifts perspective between characters who are themselves unbound in time and space, in shape and form, Lacroix is able to bend her own rules, break the fourth wall often, and metanarrativise more times than I thought was conceivable (a highlight of this, for me, was in the chapter called "The Sequel," and I loved the subtle and unexpected ways in which certain other chapters make references to each other).
How It Works Out is a funny, disturbing, and strikingly original genre-bending and shape-shifting masterpiece that I never once wanted to end. I will be thinking about Myriam and Allison's metaverse for a long time to come; I know that there are many more layers to unpeel here and revelations to be had. This is the kind of book that manages to keep me on the edge of my seat long after the last page, and so I can't wait to dive in again with fresh eyes.
4.5 stars.
Each iteration of Myriam and Allison here, though remarkably varied, divulges something essential about their unique dynamic: their shared and individual traumas, their anxieties about themselves and each other, their tumultuous experiences of motherhood, their moments of avoidance and of dependency, their struggles to grow and change separately and together. At the same time, their story – or many stories – are peppered with references to the near-universals of queer life and love. These range from ironic (Tegan and Sara) to sincere (primal screaming, mind-blowing sex, lactose intolerance, and Tegan and Sara). Lacroix's brand of humour here is grotesque and decidedly queer, unafraid of exploring stereotypes and exposing clichés from within the community. But there is also an admirable tenderness to the whole thing, something that peeks through the sometimes unsentimental and sometimes gut-wrenching way in which the narrative takes shape, and makes it sing.
What really brings this book together for me is the sheer inventiveness of it: in writing a speculative history of a relationship, Lacroix has created something genuinely unlike anything else, where not a single turn of phrase – let alone turns of events – can be predicted. In putting together a narrative that shifts perspective between characters who are themselves unbound in time and space, in shape and form, Lacroix is able to bend her own rules, break the fourth wall often, and metanarrativise more times than I thought was conceivable (a highlight of this, for me, was in the chapter called "The Sequel," and I loved the subtle and unexpected ways in which certain other chapters make references to each other).
How It Works Out is a funny, disturbing, and strikingly original genre-bending and shape-shifting masterpiece that I never once wanted to end. I will be thinking about Myriam and Allison's metaverse for a long time to come; I know that there are many more layers to unpeel here and revelations to be had. This is the kind of book that manages to keep me on the edge of my seat long after the last page, and so I can't wait to dive in again with fresh eyes.
4.5 stars.
Read
June 8, 2024a teeny bit too much cannibalism for me :/
May 10, 2024
This book is an idiosyncratic multiverse of horror and romance and comedy. I’ve never read anything like it. It transcends experiment; it’s mad fucking science.
July 26, 2024
I have written often in my reviews about the wonders and conundrums of being lost in a book. I was often lost in How It Works Out. Because it was an Otherppl Book Club selection, I had the advantage of listening to Brad Listi’s interview with Myriam Lacroix. Brad is so great at pulling out the essence of what the writers he interviews are attempting to do in their work.
The book is a series of interwoven stories about two queer women and their tumultuous relationship. It is also autobiographical but in a speculative mode. I learned from her interview that Myriam was in an abusive relationship with another woman while she was doing her graduate work as a writer. She suffered from unhealthy mental states and wrote these stories during the time she was finding her way out of that relationship.
Each story is another possible version of the relationship and how it played out in each one. The intricate details, the imaginative horrors, the sparkling humor, all combine to bring the reader into Myriam’s world.
It is a brilliant way of constructing a book, I have to admit. It made me realize how much imagination goes into working out one’s life and one’s difficulties in living. I also realized that I seem to have read more books about male gay relationships than I have about women in gay relationships. Since I am female, though straight, the book bored more deeply into my psyche.
I was raised to be homophobic. I had to read my way out of that. Where would I be without books?
The book is a series of interwoven stories about two queer women and their tumultuous relationship. It is also autobiographical but in a speculative mode. I learned from her interview that Myriam was in an abusive relationship with another woman while she was doing her graduate work as a writer. She suffered from unhealthy mental states and wrote these stories during the time she was finding her way out of that relationship.
Each story is another possible version of the relationship and how it played out in each one. The intricate details, the imaginative horrors, the sparkling humor, all combine to bring the reader into Myriam’s world.
It is a brilliant way of constructing a book, I have to admit. It made me realize how much imagination goes into working out one’s life and one’s difficulties in living. I also realized that I seem to have read more books about male gay relationships than I have about women in gay relationships. Since I am female, though straight, the book bored more deeply into my psyche.
I was raised to be homophobic. I had to read my way out of that. Where would I be without books?
September 29, 2024
i REALLY struggle with short story collections sometimes but this was really good!
May 7, 2024
I couldn't keep track of what all was going on in this book. There are a series of hypothetical situations/scenarios that play out between the same two women - some more interesting or bizarre than the rest.
I found the book very unusual and out there at times, the chapter when the couple start eating human flesh is when I started to really wonder just what the heck I was reading! That said, I did like that it was set in Canada, I ADORED all the Tegan and Sara references but I honestly couldn't detect much of a plot and at times it felt like the line between fiction and memoir kind of got fuzzy.
I did like the dual POV narration by Anika Venkatesh and Lucy Ellis but this book definitely won't be for everyone! Raw and original, this is a unique story that is sure to get people talking!
I found the book very unusual and out there at times, the chapter when the couple start eating human flesh is when I started to really wonder just what the heck I was reading! That said, I did like that it was set in Canada, I ADORED all the Tegan and Sara references but I honestly couldn't detect much of a plot and at times it felt like the line between fiction and memoir kind of got fuzzy.
I did like the dual POV narration by Anika Venkatesh and Lucy Ellis but this book definitely won't be for everyone! Raw and original, this is a unique story that is sure to get people talking!
June 4, 2024
this book made me wish i didnt know how to read.
honestly ? wtf was that.
honestly ? wtf was that.
July 18, 2024
it makes no damn sense. compels me though…
Weird, gory sapphic horror exploring the ways a couple loves each other in various realities: such as an ice skating accident leading to cannibalism (which cures depression!); submissive-dominant dynamics with as a CEO and employee; if one of them was a dog... A very strange book that captures that special something about sapphic love, with such evocative and entrancing writing.
Weird, gory sapphic horror exploring the ways a couple loves each other in various realities: such as an ice skating accident leading to cannibalism (which cures depression!); submissive-dominant dynamics with as a CEO and employee; if one of them was a dog... A very strange book that captures that special something about sapphic love, with such evocative and entrancing writing.
April 17, 2024
Myriam and Allison are just like any other sapphic couple…except their relationship is ever-changing through the lens of several different realities. One day they find a baby in an alley and raise it together. Next Myriam falls into a deep depression and the only cure is Allison’s flesh. Then maybe Myriam has a degradation kink and is the CEO of the company Allison works for. And what happens if they’ve fallen out of love and turn to running a marathon to save them?
With each each sapphic scenario Myriam and Allison peel back another layer in this unique exploration of queerness. From naive young love to falling out of it, they explore timeless questions through nuanced lenses. If you loved Everything Everywhere All At Once but wished it was gayer and in book form then How It Works Out is for you.
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and the writing style is sharp but soothing. I think the main draws are how layered the overall themes are and how widely varied the hypotheticals are in exploring Myriam and Allison’s relationship.
An interesting theme in each story is that of Myriam’s germaphobia and depression. Which we see through her own eyes and the perspective of Allison. Although displayed more prominently in stories such as “Love Bun” and “The Sequel”, her struggles are consistent throughout the book. Germaphobia is not an issue I would commonly associate with the body gore detailed and I think this lends itself to a unique sense of queer irony. How society pushes queer people into any box in an attempt to make them somewhat palatable for the dichotomies of the heternormative matrix. Yet here is Mariym, a cannibalistic germaphobe who is prone to bouts of depression cured only by her lover’s flesh.
Not to mention the overarching commentary on how co-dependent and all-consuming queer, specifically sapphic, love can be. Allison is seen frequently losing herself to Myriam’s manic highs and depressive lows. Although she is initially understanding and almost has a compulsive “need to be needed” it does eventually wear on her. We see her grow increasingly complacent and dissatisfied as the stories go on and her perspective shifts to resent Myriam. The difference in Allison from “Love Bun” to “Love and the Dark” shows the mental toll being a people pleaser can take on how someone views themselves and their partner.
Metaphors aside this book is exceptional on a line level. It is a truly beautiful piece of prose, which can be hard to do with some of the more “taboo” subjects. Topics such as cannibalism or mental illness are often used for shock value and not much stock is put in the actual crafting of the scenario. This book is a fantastic example of how to incorporate these subjects thoughtfully. Of course, certain scenes left me feeling a little nauseous but it was purposeful and with care. There wasn’t eating flesh just for the sake of eating flesh, it allowed for empathy and reflection on the emotions behind the cannibalism. Which is a very hard task to accomplish without grossing out the reader too much.
All in all, if you are a lover of the stranger side of sapphic literature then this is the book for you. Perfect for fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Julia Armfield. This cluster f- of queer love, kink, and gore will have you unable to put the book down. However please make sure to check the trigger warnings as there are some situations not suitable for all readers. If you like wild queer shorts, unique metaphors, and unreliable narrators then this is the book for you. Happy reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
CW: Abusive relationship, alcohol, amputation, animal abuse, anxiety, attempted r*pe, blood, bones, cannibalism, cheating, child abuse, child death, death, depression, emotional abuse, gore, homophobia, hospitalization, kidnapping, murder, PTSD, sexual assault, sexually explicit scenes, and terminal illness.
For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, Goodreads, and Tiktok
With each each sapphic scenario Myriam and Allison peel back another layer in this unique exploration of queerness. From naive young love to falling out of it, they explore timeless questions through nuanced lenses. If you loved Everything Everywhere All At Once but wished it was gayer and in book form then How It Works Out is for you.
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and the writing style is sharp but soothing. I think the main draws are how layered the overall themes are and how widely varied the hypotheticals are in exploring Myriam and Allison’s relationship.
An interesting theme in each story is that of Myriam’s germaphobia and depression. Which we see through her own eyes and the perspective of Allison. Although displayed more prominently in stories such as “Love Bun” and “The Sequel”, her struggles are consistent throughout the book. Germaphobia is not an issue I would commonly associate with the body gore detailed and I think this lends itself to a unique sense of queer irony. How society pushes queer people into any box in an attempt to make them somewhat palatable for the dichotomies of the heternormative matrix. Yet here is Mariym, a cannibalistic germaphobe who is prone to bouts of depression cured only by her lover’s flesh.
Not to mention the overarching commentary on how co-dependent and all-consuming queer, specifically sapphic, love can be. Allison is seen frequently losing herself to Myriam’s manic highs and depressive lows. Although she is initially understanding and almost has a compulsive “need to be needed” it does eventually wear on her. We see her grow increasingly complacent and dissatisfied as the stories go on and her perspective shifts to resent Myriam. The difference in Allison from “Love Bun” to “Love and the Dark” shows the mental toll being a people pleaser can take on how someone views themselves and their partner.
Metaphors aside this book is exceptional on a line level. It is a truly beautiful piece of prose, which can be hard to do with some of the more “taboo” subjects. Topics such as cannibalism or mental illness are often used for shock value and not much stock is put in the actual crafting of the scenario. This book is a fantastic example of how to incorporate these subjects thoughtfully. Of course, certain scenes left me feeling a little nauseous but it was purposeful and with care. There wasn’t eating flesh just for the sake of eating flesh, it allowed for empathy and reflection on the emotions behind the cannibalism. Which is a very hard task to accomplish without grossing out the reader too much.
All in all, if you are a lover of the stranger side of sapphic literature then this is the book for you. Perfect for fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Julia Armfield. This cluster f- of queer love, kink, and gore will have you unable to put the book down. However please make sure to check the trigger warnings as there are some situations not suitable for all readers. If you like wild queer shorts, unique metaphors, and unreliable narrators then this is the book for you. Happy reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
CW: Abusive relationship, alcohol, amputation, animal abuse, anxiety, attempted r*pe, blood, bones, cannibalism, cheating, child abuse, child death, death, depression, emotional abuse, gore, homophobia, hospitalization, kidnapping, murder, PTSD, sexual assault, sexually explicit scenes, and terminal illness.
For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, Goodreads, and Tiktok
August 19, 2024
*Thank you to the publishers and author for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.*
One star as a book but like four and a half as some sort of conceptual art.
I don't think this was for me as a reader; I wished there was just more cohesiveness between the stories. I know it goes against the essence of it, but I felt like by the end of the book I didn't really know who the characters were at all despite the writing style being pretty good and the queerness of the stories being very beautiful.
Honestly though, if I had seen this organized in art gallery I think I would have loved it.
One star as a book but like four and a half as some sort of conceptual art.
I don't think this was for me as a reader; I wished there was just more cohesiveness between the stories. I know it goes against the essence of it, but I felt like by the end of the book I didn't really know who the characters were at all despite the writing style being pretty good and the queerness of the stories being very beautiful.
Honestly though, if I had seen this organized in art gallery I think I would have loved it.
May 9, 2024
Fuck no.
May 25, 2024
I mean, sure !
May 17, 2024
This book was a fever dream. Experimental and absolutely visceral. I've never read anything quite like it before, and I'm 95% sure that's a good thing.
In a nutshell, this book follows two characters and their relationship to one another through alternate universes in one of the most interesting structures I've read. The first universe was by far the weakest in my opinion, and honestly had me very close to dnfing this, but I'm so beyond glad that I stuck with it. As the story developed, so did Lacroix's extremely unique style, and I found myself absolutely drawn in. This book is unapologetically queer and fucked up, and I already want to reread it.
In a nutshell, this book follows two characters and their relationship to one another through alternate universes in one of the most interesting structures I've read. The first universe was by far the weakest in my opinion, and honestly had me very close to dnfing this, but I'm so beyond glad that I stuck with it. As the story developed, so did Lacroix's extremely unique style, and I found myself absolutely drawn in. This book is unapologetically queer and fucked up, and I already want to reread it.
July 31, 2024
It is RARE for me to dislike a book this much! Hard to swallow in every sense of the word, & entirely not worth the struggle by the end. I like her writing style but the narrative(s) were cheap, messy, & seeped in stereotypes. Very hard to connect. Respect the effort tho
May 23, 2024
i enjoyed this, but am not totally sure i understood it?
October 5, 2024
(In all definitions possible) a very queer book
March 14, 2024
thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS for the advanced digital copy of this one!
this comes out May 7th, 2024.
--
okay, so this one is my bad - i went into this knowing not much of anything other than the fact that it's gay and "darkly comic". for some reason, my brain never computed the "hypothetical scenarios" part of the synopsis so i went into this engaged with the writing to be whipped into a new story.
so, let's get this out there for the people: this book is about a couple, myriam and allison. this book is different chapters thrusting these two characters into different stories and scenarios, some of which are cringe, some of which are kind of horrific, some of which will make you hate one or the other, some of which are completely absurd.
once i caught on to what was happening, i took very swiftly to the concept - though some scenarios really put me off (looking at you, that one story at the beginning where they're cannibalizing each other and their children wtf) - i do think that most of these little fictions were well-written, compelling, and if not "darkly comic" they were at the very least a masterclass in character study.
probably the most interesting story for me in this was the one where allison is a low-level employee at an air conditioning company in a world rapidly being impacted by global warming. one day, she gets completely overwhelmed by the negging of a customer who thinks his premium repair membership entitles him to having a repairman practically teleported to him. she yells, completely destroying ceo myriam for the company's politics, using the piles of money that it makes to lobby the government against green energy that may reverse the impacts of global warming/conceivably put the company out of business.
another great one for me is in the form of whiny, hypochondriac celesbian myriam, constantly thrusting a camera into beleaguered wife allison's face for the 'gram. we learn that allison has felt stuck in the relationship because of myriam's mental illness manifesting in a variety of ways, primarily her aversion to any food that's not prepackaged.
i really enjoyed how each jump in their little metaverse revealed something new about each character and something new about their dynamic with each other. a surprise because it was absolutely weird and not exactly what i was expecting, but a surprise when i made quick work of the rest of the book and realized i had a great time with this.
this comes out May 7th, 2024.
--
okay, so this one is my bad - i went into this knowing not much of anything other than the fact that it's gay and "darkly comic". for some reason, my brain never computed the "hypothetical scenarios" part of the synopsis so i went into this engaged with the writing to be whipped into a new story.
so, let's get this out there for the people: this book is about a couple, myriam and allison. this book is different chapters thrusting these two characters into different stories and scenarios, some of which are cringe, some of which are kind of horrific, some of which will make you hate one or the other, some of which are completely absurd.
once i caught on to what was happening, i took very swiftly to the concept - though some scenarios really put me off (looking at you, that one story at the beginning where they're cannibalizing each other and their children wtf) - i do think that most of these little fictions were well-written, compelling, and if not "darkly comic" they were at the very least a masterclass in character study.
probably the most interesting story for me in this was the one where allison is a low-level employee at an air conditioning company in a world rapidly being impacted by global warming. one day, she gets completely overwhelmed by the negging of a customer who thinks his premium repair membership entitles him to having a repairman practically teleported to him. she yells, completely destroying ceo myriam for the company's politics, using the piles of money that it makes to lobby the government against green energy that may reverse the impacts of global warming/conceivably put the company out of business.
another great one for me is in the form of whiny, hypochondriac celesbian myriam, constantly thrusting a camera into beleaguered wife allison's face for the 'gram. we learn that allison has felt stuck in the relationship because of myriam's mental illness manifesting in a variety of ways, primarily her aversion to any food that's not prepackaged.
i really enjoyed how each jump in their little metaverse revealed something new about each character and something new about their dynamic with each other. a surprise because it was absolutely weird and not exactly what i was expecting, but a surprise when i made quick work of the rest of the book and realized i had a great time with this.
June 1, 2024
I won't lie I'm still thinking about this book the ending was a bit confusing. But overall, I enjoyed the weirdness of it!
May 28, 2024
the queer love story of my actual dreams
June 14, 2024
This read more like a short story collection than a novel: in each section, Myriam and Allison live in very different realities, and through these bizarre hypotheticals, the novel tests the various manifestations of how their relationship could play out. I was not expecting these hypotheticals to be as absolutely bonkers as they were, from a cannibalistic couple who gets sexual gratification from eating each other to a CEO and her dominatrix employee to minor celebrities who are besties with Tegan and Sara. As twisted and experimental as this book was, I also found it quite melancholy in the way it takes two people and their connection and twists it into different shapes and forms with a desperation that I think a lot of people can relate to: what if this, or what if that, or if I was x and they were x, or if we had children, or if we didn't, or if we had a whole bunch of them that we started eating slowly (ok... maybe that part was a little less relatable...)
May 19, 2024
This surreal novel follows a queer couple, Myriam and Allison, through different alternate universes. Each chapter reads like an interconnected short story in which Myriam and Allison wear many hats—baby thieves, cannibals, animals, celebrities, clones, and so on. Lacroix brilliantly uses speculative scenarios as a lens to explore self-discovery, queer love, and all of the complicated stages a relationship goes through. Lacroix’s writing is sharp, funny, and tender and will equally disturb and comfort you. This is a mind-blowing debut that will resonate with many readers and I loved every minute.
September 29, 2024
How It Works Out by Myriam Lacroix presents a compelling exploration of love and identity through alternate realities. Somebody said 'this is Everything Everywhere All at Once for U-Haul Lesbians', and I agree. The narrative examines the multifaceted dynamics between the protagonists, Myriam and Allison, as they navigate the complexities of their connection across various incarnations. It was amazing to learn more about each character by looking at how they mesh and act in each universe. I am obsessed with evil climate change leading CEO x woke employee that hates her job AU.
I refuse to say more-- I'm begging my lesbian friends to read this!
I refuse to say more-- I'm begging my lesbian friends to read this!
July 8, 2024
This book was a fever dream that I almost wish didn’t end
August 19, 2024
dude !!!! this was bizarre and visceral and so so good. only took me so long to finish the last short story bc it was so body-horror-core and on my kindle. enjoyed it immensely
Shelved as 'abandon'
September 11, 2024Abandon. Je ne suis pas dans un mood pour lire quelque chose d’aussi déjanté..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews