Summary
After learning her MS is progressing, Mel discovers that new research shows she only has 6 orgasms left. The novel is written in a diary style as it follows Mel figuring out what to do with her last orgasms while navigating increasing mobility challenges, finances, and personal relationships. Mixed with magical realism and humour, Mel’s life rarely takes the turns you’d expect. 

Clark’s writing style is consistent but the book changes drastically from start to finish which (mostly) works well mirroring the progression of Mel’s MS. The book starts with a light-hearted, Bridget Jones style tone as you follow Mel and her last orgasms through her mess of a life and takes on a more serious note as Mel’s MS progresses. 

I loved seeing a queer, disabled, sex-positive protagonist who actually loves herself (and a middle-aged woman with a sex life!) I also loved the portrayal of sex work in a positive light. The bare bones, antics-focused writing style made it hard to attach to Mel at first but left me smiling at the funny and wild ride. As the story started focusing more on Mel and less on her orgasms, I became invested in Mel and her relationships and even got a little heartbroken. 
 
The biggest thing I struggled with was the ending. The ending was great - taking a lighthearted start and an emotionally challenging middle to a hopeful but somber end – until a plot twist in the last three pages. The twist made sense in the logic of the story and characters, but it was less satisfying. This may have been intentional to have a conversation about living with disability in today’s society, but it either went over my head because I don’t live with a physical disability, or it wasn’t clear enough in the writing (see end for spoiler thoughts). 

I also struggled with the portrayal of consent. CW: unwanted advances

At one point, Mel is on a date where the person makes unwanted advances. Mel is distressed in the moment and is able to get away, but it does not come up again. I can understand this scene portraying a marginalized person not giving situations like this a second thought because it’s a regular experience. However, part way through the book, Mel loses control of one of her hands which results in her regularly grabbing men’s crotches without meaning to. It is explained within the story and Mel apologizes and feels bad but because of the general silliness surrounding the situation, it is hard for it to not come across as a gag. There is also a moment where Mel experiences sexual advances she does not seem comfortable with at first but after enduring it for a bit, she eventually becomes into it. I think it would have been okay if the writing showed a thought process where Mel felt uncomfortable but wanted to engage to see if she'd enjoy herself but the scene happened so fast that it left me a little uncomfortable

 

Spoiler review on ending 

Plot summary:

Towards the end, Mel’s able-bodied friend dies in a bus accident while on vacation. In his will, he’s left everything to Mel. Mel uses his life insurance and his property to build an affordable, assisted-independent living community for people with mobility-related disabilities. In the last three pages, you find out that one woman who moved into the community is the man who died. The bus accident left the friend half paralyzed so, instead of returning home, he feigned memory loss and let everyone believe he had died. He returned with a new identity after finding out about Mel’s assisted living community. Mel is obviously upset about the huge lie but (in the span of a paragraph) she decides she has no choice but to live with it because he gave so much to her. The twist makes the emotions surrounding the character’s death and Mel building something positive out of it meaningless and the surprise reunion isn’t even satisfying because it sets up a weird, toxic relationship dynamic where Mel’s friend completely broke her trust and she knows she can’t forgive him, but she feels obligated to him for the rest of her life.

 

Thoughts:

I am not sure if it’s meant to be a larger conversation about disability being so shamed in society that someone would rather everyone they know think they’ve died, or about the relationship challenges related to having to rely on people when you live in an inaccessible world, or that you can only have a bittersweet ending if you’re a disabled person living in a world not built for you. If it is meant to have a nuanced conversation, the twist was covered in so short a time that it’s hard to unpack. If it was meant to be a whacky happy ending for a whacky story, the somewhat toxic relationship dynamic makes it hard to enjoy.