the past has a way of sucking us in and holding us there

Book Review 

 

Rating  * * * *

 

Title: Everything is Probably Fine

 

Author: Julia London

 

Published: this novel was published in 2025 (!); I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Harper Muse; read by Marni Penning; 12 hours) 

 

What is the story? 

    Lorna Lott has been leaning into the awkward side of things most of her life. Her intensity and drive haven't earned her any friends, but at least her sales team is meeting their quotas. Why should she care that they call her King Kong when her promotion to senior vice president is within reach? Or it was—until she made a mistake that even apology donuts couldn't fix.
    Now she's been mandated to attend a thirty-day wellness program, and everything is on the line. If she can't get her low-key rage thing under control, stop her eyes from leaking, and figure out how to be more likeable, she won't get a promotion or raise. Which means she won't be able to buy back her grandmother's house and reclaim the happiness she hasn't felt since childhood.
    Cooperating with the program means coming to terms with her past. Mainly, how her older sister's substance abuse ruined Lorna's life--and her many regrets about the way she handled things. With the help of her oddly endearing eight-year-old neighbor and his equally charming father, she throws herself into the process of making amends. But as she begins to accept that there is nothing she could have done to change the course of her sister's life, Lorna faces her most challenging task yet: changing the course of her own. --from the publisher 

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? standard/colloquial

 

Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? easy

 

Did you like this book? hmm... sort of? It's almost too well-written, because Lorna's anxiety and aggression are palpable. That makes her easier to understand, but also offensive and hard to like. The first two-thirds of the book was a struggle for me. There are moments of humor and some real beauty, though, and the last part really made up for the discomfort of what had come earlier. That means my answer is Yes, but with caveats.

 

If you could change something, what would it be? I would tone down some of Lorna's rage and rants, especially later in the book, and balance them with a few more moments of clarity or at least self-awareness. I really wanted to like her, and it wasn't until the last segment that I could do that, unreservedly.

    NOTE: There was some bad law that made my jaw clench. Fixing that would not have changed the story whatsoever, so it felt like a flat note in an otherwise pleasant song.

 

What were your favourite parts? floating, the science fair, and talking about knocking out a wall

 

Who stands out, among the characters? oh, that was Bean, for sure! Openhearted, mostly sunny, full of curiosity and enthusiasm and a delightful weirdness, Bean is a complete joy from top to bottom. He makes the book a winner. 

    Agnes/Aggie is right up there, too. 

 

What is your recommendation? recommended for those who will stick it out for the payoff. People dealing with anxiety, addiction, and complicated family in their own lives. Readers who appreciate a comedic novel that's got a dramatic heart.

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: funny, painful, relatable, well-voiced, hopeful

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from this book]