‘Margot’s Got Money Troubles’ by Rufi Thorpe

Margot’s Got Money Troubles has a fantastic premise that feels incredibly relevant. With more people turning to platforms like OnlyFans, whether to chase financial success or simply survive, the novel explores a topic that’s very much of the moment without reducing it to a simple morality tale.

Margot’s life spirals after an affair with her college professor leaves her pregnant. Despite pressure from him to terminate the pregnancy and protect his own reputation, she decides to keep the baby. As her relationship with her mother deteriorates and her estranged, drug addicted former professional wrestler father reappears, Margot is left trying to navigate single motherhood with mounting bills. Eventually, she turns to OnlyFans as a way of supporting herself and her son, leading to scrutiny over her work and her ability to parent.

The writing is accessible and the pages fly by, making this an easy novel to sink into. For me, the strongest aspect wasn’t Margot’s work as an online creator, but her determination to prove she’s a good mother despite the judgement she faces. That emotional core gave the story far more weight than the social commentary alone.

At its heart, this is a novel about dysfunctional families and the ways history repeats itself.

Ironically, the OnlyFans storyline itself was probably the least interesting part. Some of the content Margot creates felt awkward and a little contrived, almost as though it had been toned down to avoid being too explicit. While I’m sure there’s a niche audience for almost anything online, it sometimes came across as more quirky than believable.

The wrestling backdrop was another element that didn’t quite land for me. Margot’s father being a retired professional wrestler results in countless references to wrestling history and famous names. If you’re not already familiar with that world, it’s easy to find yourself glazing over during those sections. His career could have been almost anything else without changing the heart of the story, and I think the novel might even have benefited from being a little leaner because of it. Likewise, the romantic subplot never really developed into anything compelling, and I found myself largely indifferent to where it was heading.

At its heart, this is a novel about dysfunctional families and the ways history repeats itself. The parallels between Margot’s upbringing and the family she’s trying to build for her own child are thoughtfully drawn, and those relationships are where the book is at its strongest.

Everything comes together neatly by the end, which made for a satisfying conclusion. That said, given the provocative premise, I couldn’t help feeling the novel played things a little too safely. It had the ingredients to be messier, sharper and bolder than it ultimately was. Still, its exploration of complicated family dynamics makes it an engaging and worthwhile read.