Under a Neon Sun

by Kate Gale

Unable to afford rent, Mia—a community college student—lives out of her car, cleaning houses of the well-to-do in the LA area to meet her shoestring budget. Then Covid hits, and everything changes.

For people living in houses and apartments, with stay-at-home jobs, the pandemic was inconvenient. For Mia—a student and housekeeper whose budget is so tight she lives in her car—the pandemic destroys the very source of her paltry income. Fortunately, gutsy and funny Mia is a determined survivor. After weeks of cutting her limited spending even further, missing meals along the way, her wealthy employers become desperate for her services again. This time, she’s determined not to let them take advantage of her as they have in the past. Her newfound confidence gives her new hope as she works to escape the shackles of poverty on her own terms. Sally Rooney meets Elizabeth Strout in this brilliant fiction debut.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Audible Audio

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Dr. Kate Gale is managing editor of Red Hen Press, editor of the Los Angeles Review, and president of the American Composers Forum, LA. She was the 2005-2006 president of PEN USA. She is author of five books of poetry: her most recent, Mating Season, from Tupelo Press; a novel, Lake of Fire; and Rio de Sangre, a libretto for an opera with composer Don Davis. Her most recent projects include a co-written libretto, Paradises Lost with Ursula K. LeGuin and composer Stephen Taylor, and a libretto adapted from Kindred by Octavia Butler with composer Billy Childs. Her new poetry collection, Goldilocks Zone, will be released by University of New Mexico Press in February 2014. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Lizzy Brannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I really enjoyed this unique easy piece of historical fiction. It's essentially "RENT" for 2020. The protagonist drew me in with her way of life and personality and had me rooting for her the whole time.

It's 2019 and Mia is homeless in California. She ran away from her mom's toxic cult environment at an early age. Living in her car, she cleans houses, tutors kids, and runs errands for the wealthy. Her work ethic is admirable and she works for every dime. She's saving to go to UCLA. As she encounters new clients, we begin to see her admirable qualities. She is honest, funny, fights for the justice of the oppressed, and takes care of the women she meets. Just when she starts falling into a groove of making money, COVID hits the USA in early March sending the county into shutdown. Not surprisingly, the wealthy cannot do without their lifestyles and Mia comes to the rescue cleaning, nurturing, and helping. She always makes time for her family, made up of dear friends along the way. And with the death of George Floyd, Mia joins in the protest for justice.

I am glad I read "Under a Neon Sun". I'm still unsure what the title has to do with the book, but I found myself wanting to know more about Mia and what happens in the lives of her clients, friends, and long lost family. The writing is simplistic, but raw. I've not encountered writing like this in fiction. I see it more commonly in Biographies and Memoirs. The drama unfolds mostly within the houses Mia cleans. There is something very stereotypical in the way the wealthy characters are written, creating a shallow monotony among them. The less fortunate characters have much more depth because the reader is meant to empathize with them. Of course, I get it. It's from Mia's POV. I just felt the wealthy characters could have been more multidimensional. The entire through-line of the book is social justice. It was actually the point, the focus, and the heartbeat of the storyline to a point where it got extremely political on every page. I liked the message of the book. It's a necessary focus. I just didn't want to hear about Trump and Biden, positive or negative, on every page. Overall, this was a good easy read and I hope it does well when it's published!

Thank you Kate Gale, NetGalley, and Three Rooms Press for this special ARC in exchange for an honest review

[chrissyg☕️lattesbooksandblankets · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows pov Mia during the pandemic, She ran away from a cult at 14 and has been on her own since. Mia works several jobs to pay her way through school; She wants to attend UCLA. She has been living in her car on some land owned by a generous employer. She starts to get cancelations as the pandemic progresses/worsens. Without work, how will Mia survive? As a reader, you are given a lot of insight into the different perspectives and experiences at the different households during Covid. You see some different effects of the Lock downs within the households: divorces, addictions (Xanax).
Great story, Rooting for Mia the whole way through. Despite all the grief and drama, you also recognize the generosity, empathy, community, and love within each story. I love that Mia was able to find her own family, and the pieces all come together for everyone together.

Thank you, Netgalley and Three Rooms Press, for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under A Neon Sun by Kate Gale follows houseless college student Mia as she fights to survive after escaping the cult she grew up in. You will be sucked into Mia’s LA world from the beginning. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been in LA for any amount of time, you’ll feel like you’re with Mia in her car, at the beach babysitting, and rushing to the hospital. Kate could have written a story about Mia fighting for a normie life. That would have been enough of a problem to overcome, but it is exponentially compounded when the pandemic hits. Mia’s sources of income are all service-related which offers a unique view into how her wealthy clients managed versus those with limited or no means.

The book speaks to our need for connection and a “family” who loves unconditionally and stands by you without judgement and how more times than not it seems that those with the most wealth are the least likely to be able to survive and find joy no matter the situation.

If you’ve been a fan of Kate’s poetry, you will love hearing her “voice” In her standout debut novel about Mia surviving the pandemic.

[Sammie Voto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kate Gale captures the zeitgeist of COVID-19 from the perspective of an unhoused, essential worker, named Mia.
It feels mundane at times, but so did the pandemic.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought back Covid times to the forefront of my mind. Mia is currently living in her car and attending community college. She wants to graduate with no student debt so she cleans houses, tutors kids and whatever else she can do to make money. When Covid happens and the world shuts down she has to figure out what happens next.

This book definitely made me think about different elements of Covid and how it affected people who don't have homes or steady jobs. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it wasn't something I really thought about before. Luckily, at least for Mia, she has great friends who are her chosen family. They support her and are there for her in all the ways that matter.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jillian]

Honestly, one of the only books centering COVID that would ever interest me. Want more of my thoughts? Check out my review of Under the Neon Sun at Booklist: https://www.booklistonline.com/Under-....

[Denise C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book that explores several key conflicts within characters and our society. At the beginning of the story Mia is an unhoused young woman who is making her way by working hard cleaning houses, running errands, tutoring and living in her car. Mia's big dream is to be able to attend UCLA after graduating from a community college and without a net of any kind, her day-to-day life is perilous. When the pandemic arrives, it becomes the great equalizer for every character, rich and poor in this story. Guess what, without a moral compass or inner life, it's tough living in a house with a person you may have partnered with for reasons other than love and respect. I enjoyed Mia's ability to pick herself up and keep going, her lack of self-pity, her kindness and determination in the face of adversity and her understanding that without caring parents and no safety net, she is on her own. She has to make her own family and they are precious. The novel is funny even with a recounting of the pandemic that somehow manages to avoid being grim, and most of all, the story is full of hope and though most people will never change, a few of us can transform into better beings!

[Carlos Allende · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicious dark comedy with a few poignant moments about how the very rich and the very poor did during the pandemic while the rest of us were in hiding, baking cookies. Mia and her hardworking friends are the good ones, but the real treasure of this book is all the villains: the awful rich people Mia works for. They are so selfish, irresponsible, vain, and inept that you cringe at first, but then you can only laugh. They’re hilarious! Imagine a series of Lucille Bluths (Jessica Walter from Arrested Development) and Tanya McQuaid-Hunts (Jennifer Coolidge from The White Lotus) married to Elon Musk-types and the like. They sound a little too awful to be real, but then you realize there are people just like that, and you don't know if you should be horrified or enchanted because they're so funny. As a reader, you keep yelling at Mia: CHARGE THEM MORE! It’s refreshing to read something that doesn’t glorify the upper class like so much modern pop culture does. If you are absolutely terrified about a second Trump presidency but you love being shocked and can't stop watching videos mocking MAGA supporters, this book is definitely for you.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It changed how I think about the pandemic. Read why in Mom Egg Review here:
https://merliterary.com/2024/03/29/un...

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author, Kate Gale, delves into the lives of American essential workers during Covid, juxtaposed against southern California’s wealthy elite. Gales’ captivating prose immerses readers within the fringes of society, while scrutinizing classism, racism, and entitlement during the height of the 2020 pandemic.
Mia is an unhoused, community college student, working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet so that she can realize her goal of entering college to become a writer. During the lockdown, her roles as personal assistant, housekeeper, and tutor become lifesaving. Becoming a writer would allow her to give voice to the discounted. Mia commits to escaping poverty and chooses to circumvent her many obstacles through connection and compassion.
As societal structures of American life temporarily disintegrate during Covid, Mia and her friends forge an indelible bond creating a bridge to their dreams through resourceful partnership. Under A Neon Sun delivers a realistic, poignant, portrait of resilience while exposing the complexities of how adversity makes us all vulnerable.

[Dave Suiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Gale delivers a compelling and fast-paced page-turner with "Under A Neon Sun," which explores the life of Mia, an unhoused cleaning woman navigating the Covid pandemic. Through her interactions with wealthy "fat cats" struggling to adapt to the changing world, Gale highlights how Mia transcends societal expectations, offering fresh perspectives on life and resilience. The story is both eye-opening and jaw-dropping, with moments that challenge perceptions and inspire empathy. Gale’s writing is sharp, engaging, and highly enjoyable—this book is a thought-provoking and satisfying read.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Five stars.
I think this book is semi autobiographical, from reading about the author’s past. I am giving this one five stars because it is unique and different and I know it will remain in my thoughts and memory for some time. This is also Kate Gale’s debut novel, so I am keen to see what she will come up with next. The author herself is obviously a very impressive woman, and this is reflected in the story she has produced here.

My thoughts are all over the place on this one. I have to applaud Kate Gale for how she wrote a situation that is ultimately very sad and ultimately depressing in such a way that I read it with hope. Sometimes when I read books that have difficult situations it makes me feel stifled and frustrated and angry. This book didn’t do that for me and that is partly contributing to my five star rating. Being able to read about someone who is homeless and downtrodden and whom for every day is a battle, and not feel depressed by it, well they certainly takes a skilful writer.

The characters in this were unique, well rounded and complex. I did get a little confused between some of the rich families Mia cleaned and tutored for, but that could have been a purposeful thing as they were very similar. I really liked how interwoven through the story was a sharp commentary on the state the US is in. It didn’t seem pervasive, and I enjoyed the perspective that was presented here. It was also interesting that this was written as happening during the pandemic, and I got to see how people doing it tough even before this handled the new circumstances.

Overall, Mia is clearly a strong, intelligent, capable and determined young woman and I enjoyed how much she knew her mind and trusted herself. I think this is a book which should really be read by a lot more people, as there are definitely some important messages here.

Thank you NetGalley, Three Rooms Press and Kate Gale for providing an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story set deep in that unsettling time between the beginning of COVID and the American insurrection. It follows Mia, who is living in her car and her poor friends as they tend to the needs and wants of their unpleasant, spoilt, rich employers. It focuses on class, money and privilege and what not having these things can lead to. It's an interesting point of view - particularly as many of the rich people are unpleasant in a general sense and then quite nice to Mia, giving her food and shelter and clothes. It's like that person we all know who says homophobic things and has gay friends because they make exceptions for the known.
The ending of the book gets a little clunky and rushed - the thing with her father could have been a whole book in itself. I'm not sure that the author knew how to end it, since it was the story of one group of people doing their best under difficult circumstance and another throwing money at problems, and that's a story that doesn't have a neat ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for and honest review.

[Reva Moderix (Semi-Hiatus)]

DNF at 50% - No rating, Only review

"I drive away, thinking about rich people and how weird they are."

Mia is a broke college student who cleans houses for rich people. Her story takes place during the pandemic when the only ones that are allowed to go outside are service workers. She decides to run errands for them and charging them more money.

Although this book has an interesting concept (Our main character providing her services for rich people in the middle of a lockdown), I found that there's too much problems going on at once and it's not easily understandable. There are a lot of characters and every chapter, Mia usually visits them and then they would appear again on a couple chapters.

All the characters have something going on with their lives so things get complicated. It gets confusing at times reading this, I would have to go back a few pages just to remember who they are. Despite that, I thought the relationship Mia built with the people around her is nice. I'm sure someone else will enjoy this book, if they're interested in this genre.

Thank you to Three Rooms Press for the e-ARC in exhange for my honest review!

[Liz Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel about vulnerability, about what it means to be vulnerable, about who and what can pull us back from the edge. Mia, parentless and unhoused, knows her life and the future she dreams of are precarious, but as she darts from gig to gig--cleaning houses, babysitting, running errands--she makes a mark on those around her, the clients who both exploit and depend on her, and other gig-laborers like Sophia, who welcomes Mia into a family rich in love but very little else. When the pandemic hits, the tables begin to turn as Mia's wealthy clients become increasingly dependent. They need Mia to buy their groceries and weed, to tutor the children they don't know how to parent, to clean up the messes they make and the messes they've become. This is a story about one young woman's quest for survival, but it's also a meditation on family, on whose labor really is essential, and on how little is left to those whose privilege is built on money rather than love. This novel is beautifully written with characters so real it reads like a memoir.

[Rayo Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for granting my request to read this book for FREE in exchange for my honest review.

Alot of things happened during covid and this book is an eye opener on what happened during that period. I loved how resilient Mia and her chosen family was and I admire her bravery for standing up to some things. In a world where people choose to dwell on their despair Be a ray of hope. I loved Mia as a character.

But..... The story did not hit home for me

[Alvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too few novels deal with America's appallingly extreme class stratification, so kudos to Ms. Gale for tackling the subject head-on. The characters are all marginalized service workers employed freelance by ultra-wealthy schmucks, and their interactions are wildly and deeply distressing. The prose is occasionally a little choppy and certain scenes feel rushed, but readers will find themselves rooting for the scrappy, level-headed protagonist and her pals as they fight to survive in a world disfigured by hyper-capitalism, covid, police brutality, fire, and the MAGA catastrophe.

[Gabby C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was beautifully done. Closer to 4.5, primarily because I am not sure I could really keep track of all of the rich white people Mia was supporting, which was maybe the point, but all their problems really did start blurring together as the story went along. All things considered though, this was a powerful and well told story about the essential workers who kept the elite going during the pandemic.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a self proclaimed "Debbie Downer" I have a rather negative outlook on many things in life. However this author makes me look like an incredibly positive person with the portrayal of humanity in this book. Additionally the story jumps around to so many different characters and jobs Mia has that it like watching a dog who couldn't figure out what squirrel to chase. This one was not for me.

[Summer Daidone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Takes place during the first year of COVID and is told through the perspective of a girl who lives in her car and cleans homes for the wealthy in LA. I really liked being able to take a glimpse into the lives of various other characters through Mia’s work. The ending made me sad knowing the state of our world today😕

[Katie Shumpert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. The writing wasn’t bad and I did feel like I got to know the main character. I like books set in LA because I lived there and am familiar with it.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done unique plot and well written. i'd def recommend reading it. thanks for the arc.

[Rachael M · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly level tale of the first year of Covid. Not the greatest of books but something to read.

[Katie Luehrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book caused me to reflect back on Covid times, while also reminding me to have hope and remember the significance of our biological and chosen families.

[Cheri Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, this lyrical novel about Mia, a scrappy, sensitive young woman who cleans up after the messes of rich people in Los Angeles, lays out in stark contrast the lives and concerns of the wealthy versus those of the poor. She is a character with a great deal of emotional and psychological depth. As she struggles to make ends meet, we also see Mia, abandoned by her parents, create a family of friends and imagine a future in which she’ll take part in helping to fix a broken world.