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How It Works Out

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“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 debut 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?

After Myriam and Allison fall in love at a show in run-down punk house, their relationship starts to unfold 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

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Myriam Lacroix

3 books44 followers

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5 stars
326 (21%)
4 stars
576 (37%)
3 stars
429 (28%)
2 stars
140 (9%)
1 star
51 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
Profile Image for Zoe.
161 reviews1,283 followers
November 4, 2024
stellar addition to the unhinged and slightly horrifying lesbian cannon
Profile Image for Jennifer.
154 reviews213 followers
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.
Profile Image for tia ❀.
193 reviews825 followers
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!
Profile Image for Vartika.
519 reviews774 followers
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.
Profile Image for Anna Farley.
21 reviews
Read
June 8, 2024
a teeny bit too much cannibalism for me :/
Profile Image for Emma Ann.
563 reviews849 followers
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.
Profile Image for alexa.
185 reviews17 followers
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.
Profile Image for Judy.
1,952 reviews451 followers
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?
Profile Image for Erin McManus.
114 reviews21 followers
June 4, 2024
this book made me wish i didnt know how to read.

honestly ? wtf was that.
Profile Image for Zach Zoeller.
53 reviews3 followers
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.
Profile Image for The Lesbian Library (Maddy).
132 reviews268 followers
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
Profile Image for Frances.
30 reviews2 followers
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
Profile Image for imogen.
208 reviews172 followers
September 29, 2024
i REALLY struggle with short story collections sometimes but this was really good!
Profile Image for Rach A..
424 reviews165 followers
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.
Profile Image for gracie.
537 reviews233 followers
September 5, 2025
A series of short stories following two women's lives together in alternate realities, some strange, some where they're not human, and some comical. I enjoyed some more than others obviously but the cohesiveness of these stories in the book is something I have to applaud. Truly, I love strange, disturbing sapphics in fiction.
Profile Image for Shannon.
8,118 reviews413 followers
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!
Profile Image for Cali.
420 reviews7 followers
March 22, 2025
In an effort to prove her trust to the readers, Lacroix bestows three items: a passport, a key, and a television. The passport takes us to urban Canada, an autofictive space that is Vancouver and Montreal, 2006 and 2022. The house, that stretches into both spaces yet fulfills neither, opens with a wrought iron key. Once inside, we find an endless labyrinth of rooms, each piled high with bright coloured memories that shift and lie with ease. The TV, placed on an altar in the middle of the house, blasts static. Every once and a while, though never when you're looking, a single, coherent image flashes across the screen. It is gone before it registers. If you remain in the house long enough, camouflaging your expectations with the hideous wallpaper, the dissonance begins to diffuse a familiar warmth. Such is the entangled, cannibalistic projection of Myriam Lacroix.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for catherine ♡.
1,701 reviews171 followers
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.
Profile Image for SSA.
378 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2024
Fuck no.
Profile Image for caro .
260 reviews26 followers
July 26, 2024
3.5
lesbians eating babieeeeees
Profile Image for mali.
222 reviews549 followers
January 31, 2025
oh this was excellent, i loved the exploration of one singular relationship through different lens, “what if x was different? what if x happened? or if x was like x?”

loved how despite how different each particularity in allison’s and myriam’s relationship was, the stories felt connected and linear. i also really enjoyed reading about how each particularity affected their relationship with each other in so and so type of way. in some stories they were in love, in others just friends, in another cannibals or in quite a few of them going through rough patches or weren’t even together.

i enjoyed how campy and absurd this was at times but how it still managed to bring something of meaning to the table, will definitely be on the lookout for more myriam lacroix (also how iconic is it to name a character in your book after yourself)
Profile Image for Ula .
220 reviews9 followers
Read
February 11, 2025
when you get used to how unhinged this book is halfway through the second chapter, you actually start enjoying the ride, and it's fun!

an engaging page-turner that plays well on stereotypes, is hilarious and makes you say "what the fuck" out loud surprisingly often, "how it works out" is an unexpected gem that you won't see me recommending as much as it probably deserves as i'm scared people will find me loving it concerning (it really is insane in the best way possible)
Profile Image for Hannah Fraser.
12 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2025
Loved the climate-conscious lesbian Babygirl chapter
Profile Image for Katie.
181 reviews3 followers
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.
Profile Image for Gem Shackleton.
23 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2025
I understand the absurdity and humour this was going for but it just didn't do it for me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews

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