What You Should Worry About

by Meryl Branch-McTiernan

In this beautifully crafted and often hilarious debut novel, thirty-seven-year-old Layla Moody must navigate the coronavirus pandemic lockdown while finding family on her own terms


"What You Should Worry About is literary, feminist, sexual, brave, smart, and hilarious. Meryl Branch-McTiernan is a real voice of our city and time."

—Jennifer Belle, author of Swanna in Love


IT’S JANUARY OF 2020 and thirty-seven-year-old Layla Moody is trying to worm her way into a party at the Sundance Film Festival. When she’s not picking up other people’s abandoned drinks or skinny-dipping in the hot tub, she’s trying to gain access to someone who can jump-start her stymied career as a Hollywood television writer. After a run-in with one of her creative heroines, she lands an opportunity to get her show produced. The only catch is, she has to return to New York, which she’s been avoiding since her father’s death.


But soon all is thwarted when COVID-19 shuts down the entertainment industry and any opportunity to propel her life forward. While quarantining alone in her parents’ apartment in Queens, she wrestles with the ghost of an ex-boyfriend who disappeared unexpectedly, the grief of processing the loss of her father, and the notion that she just might be the one responsible for her current state of solitude.


Finally, in spite of warnings and stay-at-home orders, she throws caution to the wind and joins a share house on Fire Island where she spent summers in her twenties. By returning to the house and its eclectic denizens, she is reintroduced to the comfort and annoying tendencies of other people, and begins to grasp how to find family on her own terms.

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Cortez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meryl Branch-McTiernan is the feminist Phillip Roth!!

I am reminded this TikTok I saw of a mother blending up vegetables to pour over her kids pasta to trick them into eating healthy— I think “What You Should Worry About” has the same quality at times, it is soooo deliciously entertaining that it takes a minute to realize how deeply nurturing it is for the soul.

Branch-McTiernan beautifully balances a commentary on women living against the grain of societal expectations with a moving meditation on grief and what it means to be a human being in the 2020s. She powerfully reimagines what family means and, in a way that I have never read before, brilliantly captures the cruelty of modern dating norms (namely ghosting!)

I can’t believe I waited until this point to mention this because it feels so obvious but— this book is FUNNY. Like genuinely laugh out loud funny. This novel was such a daily joy that I am sad to be leaving Meryl’s odd, hilarious, beautiful, honest and completely original world.

Hopefully she writes ten thousand more books!

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel can best be described as a solo road trip novel crowded with friends and lovers hitching a ride with impetuous 37 year Layla Moody who may own a GPS, but usually ignores it. (Think Bridget Jones in the US)
She leaves the West Coast and returns home, to Queens, NY as the pandemic closes it down . She listens to Governor Cuomo, admires him , but cannot find a pod to isolate in. Layla is a free spirit who runs in circles.
She carries her beloved father’s ashes with her. They seem to comfort her. It was his wish that she lay him to rest in the ocean. And the ghosts of old lovers chase her into the hands of new lovers.
Eventually, Layla floats off to Fire Island. It is either a brave thing to do in light of the pandemic or suicidal,but she desperately needs to see and be seen. Only by the beach can she safely remove her mask though she still needs to wear it when she hooks up with a handsome stranger.
Branch -McTiernan takes the reader on this reckless trip with Layla, who is so thoughtful ,so honest so confused about her life. You can see why she needs a glass of wine every once in a while.
It’s exciting to see a female writer with such abandon. She describes sex with no Intimacy and intimacy with no sex . Not only does Branch-McTiernan’s Layla have history on Kismet, Fire Island,but she is encircled by a colorful housemates who are as annoying and loving as family.
Branch-McTiernan gives the protagonist a sharp tongue with a keen eye .
The prose are sumptuous. Layla compares herself to pupae waiting to grow wings. She, like the rest of the country , is fixated on bread. Half the country is making bread and the other half is eating it. Using her acerbic wit, she reminds us that bread sustains us .She depends on the kindness of those she meets along her way…the sea, the sun, and a doe which inhabits the island are her constants.
Reaching the final chapter is not the end for Layla. She has miles to go and maybe another book.
Although this novel has laugh out loud moments, there is also the fear of what is to come with our heroine and what is to come to the plague stricken country. Following Layla reminds us of our past and makes us wonder how she will navigate her future.

[Shaunacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny and tender in all the right places. Block out some time because you won't want to put it down.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meryl Branch-McTiernan’s beautifully crafted and hilarious debut novel, What You Should Worry About, is a brilliant time capsule of 2020 that explores the messy intersection of stymied ambition and sudden isolation.

The book opens in January 2020 at the Sundance Film Festival. From its inception in 1978 to its full evolution into an indie empire, the book masterfully portrays what the Sundance Film Festival has become for modern creators: the ultimate gatekeeper and launchpad. Branch-McTiernan accurately captures the raw, modern hustle of indie film and TV writing. Layla’s desperate networking—crashing parties and hunting for industry gatekeepers—mirrors how Sundance has evolved from a niche film showcase into a high-stakes marketplace where Hollywood television and streaming deals are forged, changing the landscape of who gets their stories produced.

When COVID-19 shuts down the industry, Layla is forced to quarantine alone in her late parents’ Queens apartment. Here, the novel digs deep into how we are often the architects of our own solitude. Isolated with the ghost of an ex-boyfriend who vanished and the heavy grief of her father's death, Layla faces a harsh truth: her isolation isn't just a byproduct of lockdown. Her tendency to avoid emotional reckoning—like fleeing New York after her father died—and her self-sabotaging patterns are what truly anchored her in loneliness. The book brilliantly shows how solitude is built brick-by-brick by our own avoidance.

The narrative shifts beautifully when Layla escapes to a Fire Island share house. Surrounded by an eclectic cast of characters, the novel explores the friction of human connection. Branch-McTiernan perfectly balances the annoying tendencies of housemates with the profound comfort they provide. It’s within this forced proximity that Layla learns to find family on her own terms—not through perfect, conflict-free relationships, but by accepting the chaotic package deal of human flaws and vulnerability.

​A witty, deeply resonant read about surviving a crisis and coming out connected.

[B. McCall Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Meryl Branch-McTiernan is one of the most gifted writers I've ever read, and I laughed on every page. The book's protagonist, Layla Moody, is an aspiring screenwriter mourning the loss of her father and obsessing about her latest boyfriend's betrayal when, in a hot tub at a Sundance Film Festival party she wasn't invited to, she lands a potential film deal. On a flight to New York to consummate the deal, she notices people wearing masks and the loudspeaker announces she can't have a drink because of a coronavirus she never heard of. In the throes of the emerging pandemic, Layla's spirited response to shattered dreams is alarming, surprising, sometimes heartbreaking, never gratuitous, often hilarious. The book's sensitive but keen examination of human fragility renders every deeply flawed character lovable, believable, and memorable. She writes fearlessly about sex, ambition, loneliness, and friendship. I heartily recommend.

[Beth Wecksell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While many of us want to or have blocked out the pandemic, this touching and hilarious book brought me back in all the best ways. For 3 days I could not put this book down as I followed Layla in her search for love and happiness. I laughed out loud throughout and teared up in heartfelt moments. I felt truly inspired to embrace my inner wild child and appreciate the joy that is already here. I cannot wait for Meryl to write her next novel. What a gift her voice brings to the world.

[Ty Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delicious read about unexpected new beginnings. Layla Moody is a messy, relatable protagonist navigating her late thirties. Her struggles felt authentic, and I found myself rooting for her even when she wasn't sure what she wanted herself.

The novel touches on the COVID era through a nostalgic lens that made me reflect on my own experiences during that time with an unexpected sense of warmth and perspective. Rather than dwelling on the hardships, it captures the strange intimacy and self-reflection that period brought to many of our lives.

I'm not usually a particularly fast reader, but I finished this book in just three days. What I especially appreciated as a female reader was how the novel celebrates the act of wanting as a form of romance in itself. As Layla reminisces about a past relationship throughout the story, the longing, memory, and possibility become just as compelling as any traditional love story.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in female desire as well as stories about chosen family, self-forgiveness, and letting go.

[Meryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book and I think it’s kind of groovy. Not sure when I finished reading it… it happened like 16 times.

[Betsy McTiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layla Moody, Meryl Branch-McTiernan's narrator in her debut novel is someone you won't soon forget. No spoilers here, so I'll leave out the details. The setting is Forest Hills, Queens and Fire Island with flashbacks to LA. The plot is anchored by her isolation during the first month of Covid, an isolation that comes shortly after her father's death as well the abandonment by the man she thought she would marry. She senses that these griefs, compounded by the loneliness of isolation, could pull her under. Her journey is about coming to grips with herself and her feelings. And what a journey it is! Layla is alarmingly honest, funny, infuriating, lovable, and looking for love in all the wrong places. If this 37-year-old single woman were a same-age single man, we would likely see her as free-wheeling, free-thinking, party-loving, and maybe even a bit of a rogue. But when those same characteristics are those of a woman, we are challenged to confront our inherent cultural prejudices about women, and how much honesty we can take. This is one of this novel's many strengths. Layla made me laugh and sometimes cringe and see the world anew. At times I was reminded of the 17th c. picaresque novel, Tom Jones; sometimes Erica Jong; and often David Sedaris who writes entire essays about things most of us have never noticed. Layla does a lot of that. She is very funny and, like all good humorists, she mostly makes herself the focus of her humor.
Layla took me on a wild, funny, and heartfelt journey. I really like her. I hope Branch-McTiernan gets the readership she deserves.

[Annie Forbes Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What You Should Worry About,” by Meryl Branch-McTiernan, opens at the Sundance Film Festival, where our aspiring screenwriter heroine, Layla Moody, 37, is hoping to land a deal. She’s also processing the loss of an ex-boyfriend, who ghosted her, then promptly took up with another woman—on whom she spies online. (As one does.) Her witty, compelling voice and wonderfully off-kilter sense of humor pull us in immediately, and we know we’re in good hands.
When HBO shows interest in her work, she moves back to New York to clinch the deal, just as the COVID-19 pandemic grips the country and everything shuts down. Isolated for weeks in her parents’ apartment in Forest Hills, Queens, sustained only by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefings, she mourns her recently deceased father, ponders ex-boyfriends, and questions the direction of her life.
The temporary solution is a share house in Kismet, Fire Island. Occupied by a collection of eccentric characters, the house acts like catnip for Miss Moody’s existential search for meaning.
Here, she finds family, albeit a highly dysfunctional one. Puppy, as she’s nicknamed by the house’s ring leader, Tequila Ted, is vulnerable, funny, insightful, messy, and sometimes blissfully unaware of social conventions. And we’re glad for that. Because Puppy takes us on an unapologetically raunchy journey involving sex, prospective beaus, bodily functions, and lots of sand in the wrong places.
Ultimately, it's a novel about grief, loneliness, reinvention, and finding your tribe when life doesn't unfold according to plan. All in all, it’s a ripping yarn and a rollicking good beach read. Especially if you’re actually on a beach. Even better if you’re on Fire Island.
I look forward to the next literary outing with Ms. Branch-McTiernan.

[Amys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meryl Branch-McTiernan writes an incredible tale with What you should worry about

In What you should worry about, the reader is brought into the life of Layla Moody, and its setting is the Sundance Film Festival, in just the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic. Layla is a writer, who is trying to figure herself out, along with what to do when she encounters unfamiliar territory, such as relationships, setbacks with her career, and her anxieties. It's a good read that is told in Layla's voice, which is candid and definitely self-critical. Though, through wit and humor, she comes off as a regular person, dealing with life's unknown. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. Since Layla is also the narrator, it gives the story an interesting perspective. Layla shares her experiences with heartbreak, family, and the absurdities of pandemic life are depicted with honesty and nuance. Her connections with friends and family, especially her mother, are both touching and hilarious. What a appealing story. What you should worry about is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, heartfelt read - I crushed it in one weekend!

While I see why Branch-McTiernan has been referred to as the "female Philip Roth," the literary forebearer that this book reminded me most of was Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, both in its emphasis on found family and in the way it managed to seamlessly interweave sex and loss into something both meaningful and hilarious. And, as with Tales of the City, the location (or, in this case, locations) become characters unto themselves, with the story being propelled along by the author's characterizations of Park City as the backdrop for industry strivers, the shell-shocked streets of a pandemic-scarred outer borough, and the quirks of a Fire Island share house.

I hope we get to spend more time with Layla and the bi-coastal cast of characters!

[Stephanie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm writing this review after two glasses of wine, which I think the author would support.
Still clear-headed, I want to recommend What You Should Worry About as a fabulous summer read. It's funny, heart-wrenching, and resonates deeply for people who are women or love women, who are growing or want to grow, who've loved deeply, or who hope to, who love NYC, and maybe even those who love L.A. It's trite to say I couldn't put it down, so I'll say I can't wait to read more about this character or by this author.
Buy it, read it, give it to your best friend.

[Christina Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn all-in by this saucy protagonist's life and galloped along with her, like a bingewatch. I nearly fooled myself that I wished my life were like this. But it's the juicy voyeurism that fantastic literature grants - Layla is going through more emotional turmoil than I would choose. She has both go-for-it recklessness, and a driving passion and professional, creative goal in a field we all consume (tv/film), but likely don't know the real workings of. I'm a Liza Minelli/Cabaret fan, and there's a plaintive "Maybe This Time, I'll Win" energy; and a darkness - civilization as we know it is collapsing, but Layla doesn't yet know for how long: the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. I was grateful to have an author return me to those uncertain pandemic days and remind me of the disbelief and the negotiations or wishful thinking choices we made. An undercurrent of the novel is Layla's poignant relationship with her parents. I don't have pictures of the pandemic that prompt my personal memories, but the vivid scenes of this book did. I wish the novel were longer and am hoping there is a sequel.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the ick at the end of chapter 1 - toe fungus and hot tub juice is my germaphobe nightmare. But so glad I stuck through - everyone can relate to love, loss, a loss of love, and the feeling of being unmoored in the world. Compound that with Covid. Spoiler - Layla finds her mooring in Fire Island of all places.

Hope there will be more Layla adventures. I understand the author also has a movie, “Katie’s Mom” that I will be watching soon.

[Freya Rigterink · Rating 5 out of 5]

What You Should Worry About is a deliciously raw, funny, and perceptive journey into single adulthood during the early days of the pandemic. Life’s usual expectations and rites of passage are the background, while the messy realities of friendship, love, desire, grief, and ambition take center stage. The protagonist — unconventional, relatable, sincere, capricious — scoops the reader right into her life with earnestness and wit, and it’s a pleasure to go along for the ride.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel has it all — a wryly funny perspective, an unflinching account of the pandemic years, a richly textured cast of characters, and a whole lot of heart driving it all. Would highly suggest this book!!

[Olya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t think reading about the pandemic could make me laugh, but this funny, emotional, and surprisingly relevant novel completely proved me wrong.

[Jeremy Bohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, honest and irresistibly charming. A great beach read but really more than just that. Loved it!

[Rachel]

Review to come