Fiction

Agatha of Little Neon

Agatha of Little Neon

  • Downloads：9198
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-13 02:18:58
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Claire Luchette
  • ISBN：B08W9GB2M3
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Jennifer （aka EM） ，

Loved this。 It starts out quirky and almost whimsical with Sister Agatha's first-person POV voice jumping off the page。 The story is simple: there's a group of four nuns living in a Lackawanna （Buffalo）， NY convent which has fallen into financial difficulty。 The foursome is relocated to a half-way house of ex-cons and recovering drug/alcohol users in a rough town in Rhode Island。At first， the nuns' naiveté and limited life experience shows up as good-hearted if slightly misguided ministrations t Loved this。 It starts out quirky and almost whimsical with Sister Agatha's first-person POV voice jumping off the page。 The story is simple: there's a group of four nuns living in a Lackawanna （Buffalo）， NY convent which has fallen into financial difficulty。 The foursome is relocated to a half-way house of ex-cons and recovering drug/alcohol users in a rough town in Rhode Island。At first， the nuns' naiveté and limited life experience shows up as good-hearted if slightly misguided ministrations to the residents of Little Neon （the house is a fluorescent chartreuse colour thanks to on-sale paint）。 But the Neons are， each of them， folks with difficult pasts and big problems， and the only tools the sisters have at their disposal are too light for heavy work。 We soon see that there is callousness and a distinct lack of compassion， even cruelty， being perpetuated – albeit unintentionally。 Luchette's writing of these scenes and the way she executes the gradual shift in tone is phenomenal。 The novel unfolds steadily in short chapters， almost snippets， which end abruptly。 There is a lot of gentle， wry humour; lots of it based around the built-in anachronisms of a 'modern' nun's life。 So one doesn't quite realize how the story is building， deepening， growing ever more sharp and serious。 Concurrently， Agatha's character， through her observations and narration， is fleshing out。 Words have always been hard for Agatha， we learn， but the more of hers we get， the more we recognize that there is something about her not like the others。 She is separate from， and separating from， the flock。This is a slow burn of a novel， concise and deceptively simple – until it's not。 And then it packs a real punch。I really hope this is considered for the Tournament of Books this year。 It deserves wide readership。I listened on audio performed by the absolutely exceptional Hilary Huber。CW: （view spoiler）[suicide， animal abuse。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Heather ，

I enjoyed this book very much。 It is a quiet and melancholy slice of life。Edit: After reflecting on it for a day I changed my rating to 5 stars。

Brittneybook Book ，

This book is beautiful and for anyone who wants to feel less alone。 If you need grace or to learn how to give grace， if you gain comfort from the simple kindness of others， and if the smart and zany wit of 4 nuns makes you laugh and burn with a passion for this world then read this book。 It was calming for me to read。 This will be one I pull from the shelves and will read again and again。

vagomer ，

I loved this book！ I heard it reviewed on OPR and decided to order it。 The book gave a realistic view of life as a nun。 As it progressed， you could tell what the ending was going to be。 The author described various church people in ways that were realistic and the same for the people who lived in the Neon house。 Not everyone could be saved。

Michelle ，

…。just。 Wow。 Beautiful prose that brought up so many feeling。 An exquisite novel。

Elbrackeen Brackeen ，

I liked this book and if I were a former or struggling catholic I would have liked it even more。 But as an old lesbian on her third novel in a row with a low-key coming out lesbian character I am feeling a bit put out。

Margaret ，

A lovely book！

Jane ，

Agatha is one of four Catholic sisters who is dispatched to take the helm of a halfway house for those in recovery。 This stage of her life， including a posting as a geometry teacher， brings to bear loss and love and wrath and loneliness。 I loved this book because it highlights the fact that everyone is in “recovery” from something。 Agatha’s recovery depends on whether she can find a way through the Church， bypassing its duplicities， into the peace of God。 Sweet and wry。

luce ，

4 ½ stars （rounded up as this is a debut）“We were fixed to one another， like parts of some strange， asymmetrical body: Frances was the mouth; Mary Lucille， the heart; Therese， the legs。 And I， Agatha， was the eyes。” Agatha of Little Neon is a gem of a novel。 Claire Luchette’s prose is a delight to read， its deceptive simplicity bringing to mind authors such as Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett。 From the very first pages， I was taken by Agatha’s thoughtful introspections—on her sisters， the people aroun 4 ½ stars （rounded up as this is a debut）“We were fixed to one another， like parts of some strange， asymmetrical body: Frances was the mouth; Mary Lucille， the heart; Therese， the legs。 And I， Agatha， was the eyes。” Agatha of Little Neon is a gem of a novel。 Claire Luchette’s prose is a delight to read， its deceptive simplicity bringing to mind authors such as Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett。 From the very first pages， I was taken by Agatha’s thoughtful introspections—on her sisters， the people around her， her new community， the church—and her quiet wit。Not only does Luchette demonstrate huge insight into human nature but I was always aware of how much empathy she had towards the people she’s writing of， regardless of who they are。 While I was reading Agatha’s story it was clear to me that Luchette cared deeply about her characters， and she showcases both tenderness towards and understanding of her characters （ their struggles， desires， ‘flaws’， regrets）。“No one could understand why I hated talking， why it was so much work to come up with something to say。 It was even more work to make it true or funny or smart。 And then when you’d come up with it， you had to say it， and live with having said it。” Agatha’s voice drew me in， so much so， that it seemed almost to me that I had been transported alongside her to Little Neon。 After their parish experiences， some financial setbacks Agatha and her three sisters are relocated to Woonsocket where they will be staying at a halfway home， ‘Little Neon’。 Over the previous 9 years the four sisters have led a symbiotic existence but once in Woonsocket Agatha finds herself growing apart from them。 While her sisters stay at Little Neon， where they are meant to watch over its residents， Agatha teaches geometry at a local all-girl school。 Here， for the first time in years， she is alone and unsupervised and this new independence forces her to reconsider who she is and what she wants。 These realizations dawn on her slowly and over time， which made her ‘journey’ all the more authentic。Agatha is a quiet and observant person who was drawn to the Church by her faith in God and by her desire to belong。 For years her sisterhood with Frances， Therese， and Mary Lucille fulfilled her longing for connection but once she begins living at Little Neon she finds herself growing attached to its various residents in a way her sisters do not。“How horrible， how merciful， the ways we are， each of us， oblivious to so much of the hurt in the world。” Much of the narrative focuses on seemingly mundane， everyday moments。 Meals， chores， trips to the local shops， car journeys。 Yet， many of these scenes carry a surprising weight。 These ‘small’ moments are given significance， Agatha， and by extension， us， may come to know someone else better or she finds her mind drifting to her past， her faith， her sisters。 Throughout the course of Agatha’s story， Luchette shows， without telling， the many ways in which the Church disempowers， exploits， and silences its women。 Luchette’s commentary on the Church and its hierarchies and inner workings never struck me as didactic。 Agatha’s disapproval of the Church does not result in loss of faith， something that I truly appreciated。 Luchette’s meditations on Christianity， sisterhood， loneliness， longing， belonging were truly illuminating。 The author’s prose is graceful without falling into sentimentalism。 In fact， some of the imagery within the story is quite stark and much of the narrative is permeated by a gentle but felt melancholy。 This made those moments of connection and contentment all the more heartfelt and special。There was a sense of sadness too， one that often resulted in many bittersweet moments。 And， this particular line broke my heart as it reminded me of Jude from A Little Life: “I don’t think I have the constitution for it。 For being alive。”Agatha of Little Neon is an exquisite debut novel。 The writing is beautiful， the characters compelling， the narrative moving。 While it won’t appeal to those who are interested in plot-driven stories， readers who are seeking rewarding character arcs and/or thematically rich narratives should definitely consider picking this up。 ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Sister Agatha's life first falls apart and then expands when her parish goes belly up， Mother Roberta concedes to age， and she， along with three other sisters are sent to Woonsocket， Rhode Island to staff a sort of halfway house for addicts and others。 She's spent her life trying to stay in the shadows but now she's coerced into teaching geometry to high school girls （after teaching it to herself） and into developing relationships with others。 Tim Gary， a man who descended into opiate addiction Sister Agatha's life first falls apart and then expands when her parish goes belly up， Mother Roberta concedes to age， and she， along with three other sisters are sent to Woonsocket， Rhode Island to staff a sort of halfway house for addicts and others。 She's spent her life trying to stay in the shadows but now she's coerced into teaching geometry to high school girls （after teaching it to herself） and into developing relationships with others。 Tim Gary， a man who descended into opiate addiction after cancer took part of his jaw， touches something in Agatha she's not felt before-not romance but empathy。 So too with the women at the house。 I loved these characters wh0 leap off the page with well turned phrases。 The writing shines in this slim novel that packs a punch。 Yes it's charming but it's also tragic in spots。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Highly recommend。 。。。more

Moonkiszt ，

There is something new here。 A thoughtful， wry voice with eyes that are open wide。 From page one I pronounce myself an Agatha fan， and am interested in her day-to-day world as she lives a life I never in a million years would choose。 It didn't not put me off at all。 In fact， like best friends who make weird choices， I was right by her side， and as she confessed her vulnerabilities， quirks， preferences， questions and concerns， I realized we are not so very far apart。 She's a champion， making hard There is something new here。 A thoughtful， wry voice with eyes that are open wide。 From page one I pronounce myself an Agatha fan， and am interested in her day-to-day world as she lives a life I never in a million years would choose。 It didn't not put me off at all。 In fact， like best friends who make weird choices， I was right by her side， and as she confessed her vulnerabilities， quirks， preferences， questions and concerns， I realized we are not so very far apart。 She's a champion， making hard choices， seeing and hearing sights and sounds missed by her beloved sisters， and dispelling fear in the best way possible: just walking through it。There's a lot we don't get here， on purpose 。 。 。 but the author is artfully leaving gaps small enough to allow readers to build their own bridges in the narrative。 Still， you can't blame me for wanting more from Agatha in the future， the rest of the story。 I highly recommend this book and hope for another！ A Sincere Thanks to Claire Luchette， Farrar， Straus and Giroux， and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review。 #agathaoflittleneon #NetGalleyPub date: 03 Aug 2021 。。。more

Kim ，

Devoured this in one sitting。 Agatha was a good main character and her point of view was refreshing。 Nice to read about all of her inner workings as she went along。 Having grown up around a lot of sisters and nuns some of the descriptions brought me back in time。 The abbess was a character I would have liked to learned more about。 Overall a great book。 Especially for a first novel。 My one gripe is I don’t think there is a Kroger near Lackawanna or Buffalo， pretty sure the closest one is down nea Devoured this in one sitting。 Agatha was a good main character and her point of view was refreshing。 Nice to read about all of her inner workings as she went along。 Having grown up around a lot of sisters and nuns some of the descriptions brought me back in time。 The abbess was a character I would have liked to learned more about。 Overall a great book。 Especially for a first novel。 My one gripe is I don’t think there is a Kroger near Lackawanna or Buffalo， pretty sure the closest one is down near Albany。 So the couple of Kroger references were confusing。 Especially after the author mentioned Tops （local store）。 Why not use Tops again or Wegmans or another local chain？ 。。。more

Jennifer Holloway Jones ，

I really found this book quirky and liked seeing a more realistic humanistic view of nuns that it not related to just being devout。 I found this book endearing in many ways and really liked the comical little quips and unique characters in the neon house。 I really wish the pacing of the book would have been better and the story would have been more developed。 The ending seemed to just fall completely flat to me It was very matter of fact and in no way showed any real emotion about making the tra I really found this book quirky and liked seeing a more realistic humanistic view of nuns that it not related to just being devout。 I found this book endearing in many ways and really liked the comical little quips and unique characters in the neon house。 I really wish the pacing of the book would have been better and the story would have been more developed。 The ending seemed to just fall completely flat to me It was very matter of fact and in no way showed any real emotion about making the transition from nearly a decade of living one way and having that change。 There were many parts in the book that just seemed to amble around and just go off on a tangent， but then go nowhere。 This was frustrating。 I found Agatha to have more of a follower mindset， but then had ambitions for things to be different。 I found this to be unique。 Thanks for the ARC， NetGalley。 。。。more

Lark Benobi ，

I just finished reading Agatha of Little Neon and I feel， I don't know， maybe the word is: "raptured。" Which is different from feeling merely "enraptured，" I don't even care what this story is about--although I loved the story--because what has left me feeling weepy and loose-jointed and maybe even a little in love with Claire Luchette is the prose。 The words。 The way the sentences leap and curve and sometimes stop still and hang there， suspended--until the next breath comes。 The language stupef I just finished reading Agatha of Little Neon and I feel， I don't know， maybe the word is: "raptured。" Which is different from feeling merely "enraptured，" I don't even care what this story is about--although I loved the story--because what has left me feeling weepy and loose-jointed and maybe even a little in love with Claire Luchette is the prose。 The words。 The way the sentences leap and curve and sometimes stop still and hang there， suspended--until the next breath comes。 The language stupefied me。 I kept thinking: How can words on their own be so delightful？ How can words keep silently making these lovely little starbursts come inside my mind， almost entirely independent of their meaning？ How can a whole book of sentences just keep on， and keep on， each next-sentence so unexpected？ So here is what I'm trying to say: If you're a prose person， then you may feel the same way。 It's not elaborate prose。 It's more like the most lovely handmade thing you ever came across in an antique shop， that handcrafted thing you've been looking for all your life and didn't know it。 There it is in front of you。 I can't be trusted about this novel any longer is what I'm trying to say。 Because this novel has enchanted me。 。。。more

Theresa ，

What a charming and emotional novel！ I was hooked just after the first paragraph。 "Agatha of Little Neon" is a beautiful story about 4 sisters （Catholic nuns） who get transferred to work at a halfway house for recovering addicts。 Agatha is the main protagonist and wow; I thought she was such a down-to-earth and relatable character。 Agatha really goes an emotional journey throughout this novel; you can't help but root for her。 The story takes place during the church abuse scandal in the early to What a charming and emotional novel！ I was hooked just after the first paragraph。 "Agatha of Little Neon" is a beautiful story about 4 sisters （Catholic nuns） who get transferred to work at a halfway house for recovering addicts。 Agatha is the main protagonist and wow; I thought she was such a down-to-earth and relatable character。 Agatha really goes an emotional journey throughout this novel; you can't help but root for her。 The story takes place during the church abuse scandal in the early to mid 2000's The main plot is not about sexual abuse misconduct， but about Agatha's relationship with her sisters， and the people who live at the halfway house （the house is called Little Neon）。 Agatha begins a friendships with one of the recovering addicts， Tim Gary， and Agatha begins teaching at the nearby Catholic high school。 It's best not knowing much going into this book， it's more character-driven but I still teared up at the end。 The writing was hilarious， breezy， and heartbreaking。 Hard to believe this Claire Luchette's debut novel。 I'll definitely keep my eye out for more by Luchette in the future。 I finished this book about a week ago and I can't stop thinking about it。 An absolute gem！ Thank you， Netgalley and FSG for the digital ARC。Release date: August 3， 2021 。。。more

Krista ，

This book struck a chord with me。 As a woman with a complicated relationship with the Catholic Church， I related to Agatha's struggles with her vocation。 Agatha seems to be a very moral person， and sometimes morality is in outright conflict with religiousness。 I enjoyed the way she cared for those around her。NetGalley provided me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 This book struck a chord with me。 As a woman with a complicated relationship with the Catholic Church， I related to Agatha's struggles with her vocation。 Agatha seems to be a very moral person， and sometimes morality is in outright conflict with religiousness。 I enjoyed the way she cared for those around her。NetGalley provided me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Cariann ，

This novel fell a bit short for me — as one could probably tell by how long it took me to read it 🙃 I was hoping for some substantial exploration of Catholicism and sisterhood but thematically it felt rushed and under-developed。 Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC though！

Fran ，

"Back then， our faith was form and founded。。。Mother Roberta made the rules。。。Twice a year she sewed our made-to-measure habits from yards of a black poly-wool blend。。。Everything we knew about living， we knew because Mother Roberta had showed us。" In Spring 2005， the Buffalo Diocese's churchgoers had fallen by half。 A new Montessori school opened， setting off an "enrollment exodus" from the day care center run by four young nuns: Agatha， Mary-Lucille， Therese and Frances。 In Agatha's words， "I ca "Back then， our faith was form and founded。。。Mother Roberta made the rules。。。Twice a year she sewed our made-to-measure habits from yards of a black poly-wool blend。。。Everything we knew about living， we knew because Mother Roberta had showed us。" In Spring 2005， the Buffalo Diocese's churchgoers had fallen by half。 A new Montessori school opened， setting off an "enrollment exodus" from the day care center run by four young nuns: Agatha， Mary-Lucille， Therese and Frances。 In Agatha's words， "I can still see that version of us， younger and more at ease， returning from some errand。。。see the face of Mother Roberta。。。her face is expectant， lit up with love。。。Oh， they're back！""Agatha wanted to be overlooked。。。undistinguishable from other girls。" "She found a little constancy [in church]: the familiar rhythm of the hour， the stories with endings [she] knew。" While working in a convenience store， after her mother's death， Agatha saw a woman in a habit。 She looked bubbly。。。was smiling。"Mother Roberta refashioned our future in one afternoon。" Abbess Paracleta headed an order that ran a halfway house called Little Neon in the town of Woonsocket in Northern Rhode Island。 Recovering addicts and ex-convicts， people trying to start over， could stay in Little Neon as long as needed if the house rules were followed。 "We knew next to nothing about halfway houses and reentry and parole。。。"。The nuns often referred to Mother Roberta's words of wisdom when confronted with a new challenge。 "Everything can be used for something else"， including the repurposing of nylons for an emergency car fix。 Abbess Paracleta was nothing like Mother Roberta。 Once the party of four arrived， she quickly left Little Neon and returned to her convent to continue to oversee her order's mustard production， marketing and distribution of Divine Dijon Mustard。While ministering to the quirky occupants of Little Neon， a teacher of geometry was needed， ASAP， by the Catholic High School nearby。 New hire Agatha felt that "every shape， every theorem looked foreign。。。All I could remember was one sentence。 All squares are rectangles， but not all rectangles are squares。" Friendship with another newbie to teaching made Agatha look inward and reflect upon whether a different path， a life change would lead to fulfillment。"Agatha of Little Neon" by Claire Luchette is a wonderful debut literary novel。 "Goodness is somewhere inside these people-these addicts and felons。。。your job is to coax the goodness out。。。One day you'll feel like a failure， the next you'll feel like a million bucks。" I highly recommend this tome。Thank you Farrar， Straus and Giroux and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Annie ，

Agatha of Little Neon， by Claire Luchette， is a curious and thoughtful book。 It is one of the most unusual books about the loss of faith that I’ve ever read because the titular character doesn’t lose her faith in god; instead she loses her faith in the church that ordered her days and explained all mysteries。 Nearly all of the books I’ve read about loss of faith have characters who find peace in agnosticism or atheism。 Some of them are angry books。 Most of them are melancholy。 Agatha of Little N Agatha of Little Neon， by Claire Luchette， is a curious and thoughtful book。 It is one of the most unusual books about the loss of faith that I’ve ever read because the titular character doesn’t lose her faith in god; instead she loses her faith in the church that ordered her days and explained all mysteries。 Nearly all of the books I’ve read about loss of faith have characters who find peace in agnosticism or atheism。 Some of them are angry books。 Most of them are melancholy。 Agatha of Little Neon is sometimes angry and sometimes melancholy， but there is a strange feeling of hope as Agatha learns to find her way in the world。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more

Zuzana ，

In this book we follow Agatha， the Sister of Catholic Church。 She spent the last nine years living with her sisters under Mother Roberta in Buffalo， NY， content with the sameness and familiarity of her days and service。 Due to financial troubles of their parish， she and her sisters are transferred to Woonsocket， a little town in Rhode Island where they are assigned to a halfway home Little Neon （called that way because it is， in fact， painted bright neon yellow）。 And what's more - Agatha accepts In this book we follow Agatha， the Sister of Catholic Church。 She spent the last nine years living with her sisters under Mother Roberta in Buffalo， NY， content with the sameness and familiarity of her days and service。 Due to financial troubles of their parish， she and her sisters are transferred to Woonsocket， a little town in Rhode Island where they are assigned to a halfway home Little Neon （called that way because it is， in fact， painted bright neon yellow）。 And what's more - Agatha accepts a job teaching geometry in the local school and for the first time in years， finds herself somewhat independent and with something that is just hers。 I really enjoyed reading this little novel from Agatha's perspective。 Despite her quiet demeanor， her voice is very distinct and her observations sharp and witty。 With her newfound independence， she starts to question everything she knows and her choices that made her devote her life to Catholic Church。 She strikes a friendship with fellow new teacher Nadia and their interactions were so charming， I wished there was more of them。 Actually， author did a really great job of Agatha connecting with a cast of side characters - the residents of Little Neon who were all unique and quirky characters。 On the other hand I found Agatha's sisters to be underdeveloped and easy to forget （and I kept mixing them up the whole time）。 Throughout the book there a few hints at Agatha's past and I would love to get more details and more exploration。 It's something I missed while reading the story in overall - that some topics （eg。 critique of Church， sex scandals， misogyny） would be explored more deeply。 It was enjoyable （and quick！） read， due to short chapters and Agatha's voice。 Even though it's a story that explores faith and devotion （or lack of）， I think it's a book anyone could enjoy as in its heart it is about finding your authentic self。Many thanks to NetGalley and FSG for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Carol Ann ，

Loved this book， loved Agatha。。。 I'm still thinking about the characters， the stellar writing-it's a win-win。 Loved this book， loved Agatha。。。 I'm still thinking about the characters， the stellar writing-it's a win-win。 。。。more

Catherine M。 ，

At some point in your life， if you are gay， you have probably experienced at least one sudden， pivotal moment of realization that the people around you were different from you in a way you could not articulate。 Perhaps this moment came one day while you were feeling left out at recess in elementary school， or one night when your friend stood too close to you at a high school dance。 Or perhaps， like Agatha， you are a nun--newly punted from your familiar diocese of origin into a bright green halfw At some point in your life， if you are gay， you have probably experienced at least one sudden， pivotal moment of realization that the people around you were different from you in a way you could not articulate。 Perhaps this moment came one day while you were feeling left out at recess in elementary school， or one night when your friend stood too close to you at a high school dance。 Or perhaps， like Agatha， you are a nun--newly punted from your familiar diocese of origin into a bright green halfway house in Rhode Island， and starting to question everything you once believed about yourself， your family and the world。For anyone with the lived experience of being a gay Catholic， or of being a member of either of these two communities， Luchette’s writing will resonate with eerie emotional accuracy。 Her examination of faith through the eyes of one in doubt may well reignite a spark of belief or sense of belonging that you thought you had left behind a long time ago。 However， straights， atheists and others will indubitably find much to love about this novel as well。 This book is delicately and beautifully wrought， with a decent helping of lovable misfit characters that will appeal to fans of Tom Robbins or John Irving。 You can breeze through it in an afternoon， but it will stay with you for much longer。 。。。more

anklecemetery ，

Absolutely unexpected and deeply moving。 This is such a tender novel， raw and frustrated in places and full of grace in others。

Maria ，

*I received an arc by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*There was something so calming about this book and how the story is told。 I loved reading from Agatha’s perspective—her interesting and unique way of looking at the little things in life。 This is the kind of book where you have a clear feeling of where the story is going， but you’re in no rush to get to the end。 You want to take your time and enjoy the journey。 It’s a book that feels safe

Laurel ，

Reading a galley in my usual genre （Female-Fronted aka "Jam Out With Your Clam Out" Fiction） has just been inundated with autofiction lately。 Did y'all at first also think that autofiction was like， "automatic writing" fiction？ I feel like I operated under that assumption for a long ass time。 When I was in college， I transferred from a small， niche creative writing school to a large urban and urbane university， and I decided to make my way with a writing concentration。 So I enrolled in a class c Reading a galley in my usual genre （Female-Fronted aka "Jam Out With Your Clam Out" Fiction） has just been inundated with autofiction lately。 Did y'all at first also think that autofiction was like， "automatic writing" fiction？ I feel like I operated under that assumption for a long ass time。 When I was in college， I transferred from a small， niche creative writing school to a large urban and urbane university， and I decided to make my way with a writing concentration。 So I enrolled in a class called "Creative Nonfiction，" which I also had miscategorized as "Yr life story， but with lying，" So to know that autofiction was a genre all along？ That 21 year old me， LB， would have thrived in？ Breathtaking！ My first piece for that Creative Nonfiction class I was blasted by another kid who said， "I don't think this is nonfiction。 You already said you didn't know what Creative Nonfiction is， and this piece is about how you lied and made up quotes for stories in your last journalism class and they were published as fact。 I believe that。 But I don't believe you。"Why I'm writing all this on a book review that is not a book that at all smacks of autofiction is besides the point。 Maybe I'm going to start reviewing for like， real publications， idk。 I may have lied in two semesters of college journalism but I am not lying here。 There is nothing in this book that comes across as "A life I kinda lived，" for which the author should be given all the credit in the world。 I've got no clout， I'm just a librarian with a bad attitude， but I'm gonna get this book ordered at my library。 。。。more

Sarah ，

2。5 rounded upI've been mulling over how to review this novel in the couple of days since I finished reading， and I've been struggling to form a view on it。 After some thought I think this stems from my difficulty in working out what Agatha of Little Neon is trying to be as a novel。Agatha （the name she takes on when she becomes a nun） has been a nun since her late teens， going about her daily life with her three sisters （Frances， Therese and Mary-Lucille）。 Their church runs out of money， and the 2。5 rounded upI've been mulling over how to review this novel in the couple of days since I finished reading， and I've been struggling to form a view on it。 After some thought I think this stems from my difficulty in working out what Agatha of Little Neon is trying to be as a novel。Agatha （the name she takes on when she becomes a nun） has been a nun since her late teens， going about her daily life with her three sisters （Frances， Therese and Mary-Lucille）。 Their church runs out of money， and they are sent to Rhode Island to help out at a halfway house for recovering addicts -- taking the nuns out of their comfort zone and forcing them to interact with a group of people quite different to them。 After the move to RI， alongside her duties at Little Neon （so-called because it is a small building the colour of a tennis ball） Agatha becomes a geometry teacher at a local Catholic school， and through this - and her relationship with the residents of her new residence and a fellow teacher - she begins to question her surroundings， her daily life and whether she is happy or fulfilled by it。I guess I'd describe this as a gentle or sweet story， which sometimes hints at something darker in Agatha's past。 It reads very quickly but did feel a little rushed or glossed over in places。 I'd have liked to learn more about Agatha's past， but I expect it was the author's intention to leave this a little bit vague。Thank you Netgalley and Farar， Straus and Giroux for the advance copy， which was provided in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sara Broad ，

"Agatha of Little Neon" by Claire Luchette is a novel about how Agatha and her band of sisters （nuns） move from their original convent to help run a sober living facility in New England。 On top of this， Agatha braves the role of high school math teacher at a local Catholic girls school。 This is definitely one of the most original novels I have ever read。 Luchette takes a group of nuns， with Agatha as the focus， out of their usually habit（at） and shows how empathy and camaraderie are what is need "Agatha of Little Neon" by Claire Luchette is a novel about how Agatha and her band of sisters （nuns） move from their original convent to help run a sober living facility in New England。 On top of this， Agatha braves the role of high school math teacher at a local Catholic girls school。 This is definitely one of the most original novels I have ever read。 Luchette takes a group of nuns， with Agatha as the focus， out of their usually habit（at） and shows how empathy and camaraderie are what is needed to help some struggling folks。 This move also allows Agatha to see what she may need in her life that she never thought was really missing。 This was a really light and enjoyable read。 。。。more

Aimee ，

Set against the backdrop of the early 2000s during the time the Catholic church's sexual abuse crimes began to emerge， "Agatha of Little Neon" follows four Catholic Sisters as they leave behind their home in Lackawanna， NY for Rhode Island。 There， they find themselves taking charge of the residents of a halfway house， a task they know nothing about。The story is set in the year after the women leave New York and told from the perspective of Agatha， who is described as the "eyes" of the four women Set against the backdrop of the early 2000s during the time the Catholic church's sexual abuse crimes began to emerge， "Agatha of Little Neon" follows four Catholic Sisters as they leave behind their home in Lackawanna， NY for Rhode Island。 There， they find themselves taking charge of the residents of a halfway house， a task they know nothing about。The story is set in the year after the women leave New York and told from the perspective of Agatha， who is described as the "eyes" of the four women。 Of the women， Agatha is the one selected to teach geometry at the local Catholic girls' school。 As she begins her new life， she starts to question what she knows and feels about the world， her faith， and her own self。This is a quiet book， in the best way。 Luchette does an amazing job of engaging readers with Agatha and her story。 Agatha is witty with a keen ability to observe her world， so this feels like I've been allowed to peer in on a life so different than my own。 The cast of secondary characters is fascinating and help to break up Agatha's tendency to mull over her experiences at length。This was a strong debut novel， and I can't wait to see what Claire Luchette does next。Many thanks to NetGalley and FSG for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

James Beggarly ，

Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 In rural America， the Catholic Church is falling on hard times。 A parish outside Buffalo closes and four sisters that work there are sent to Rhode Island where they will change from running a day care center to running a halfway house for local parolees with substance abuse issues。 The sisters， all in their late twenties， are described as Frances was the mouth， Mary Lucille the heart， Therese the legs and Agatha， the narrator of the novel， is the eyes。 Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 In rural America， the Catholic Church is falling on hard times。 A parish outside Buffalo closes and four sisters that work there are sent to Rhode Island where they will change from running a day care center to running a halfway house for local parolees with substance abuse issues。 The sisters， all in their late twenties， are described as Frances was the mouth， Mary Lucille the heart， Therese the legs and Agatha， the narrator of the novel， is the eyes。 But Agatha is so much more。 Anyone can watch all that goes on， but Agatha misses nothing and she’s constantly processing what she sees and what it means to her， her sisters and to the church and how there grow more and more cracks between them。 Agatha also starts to teach geometry at the local Catholic girl’s school and connects more to herself at that age。 But most importantly， Agatha starts to find her voice。 Once she starts asking questions， and questioning who she is， life changes are inevitable。 This book is written in short chapters that add up to so much and are told with great humor and love， while not shying away from any of life’s very hard questions。 I think this is an extraordinary first novel and I’m excited to see where the author goes next。 。。。more

sylvie ，

Love this novel。