Agnes Lives!

by Hallie Elizabeth Newton

Bloomsbury presents Agnes Lives written and read by Hallie Elizabeth Newton

"An astonishing debut as mesmerizing as it is unnerving." --Joyce Carol Oates

A day-in-the-life debut novel about a fading socialite on the hunt for someone to kill her before her next SoulCycle class.

"A tale of suspense, a statement, a cry for help, and a delicious tour-de-force.” --Nell Zink

New York City, 2014. Agnes Maurer seeks a willing murderer and wonders what she should wear. Candidates an icy magazine editor with a special cutlery set; an eccentric designer from her past; and Agnes’s cruel novelist boyfriend. As she Ubers from Upper East Side shopping to Craigslist gun deals, Agnes’ desperation becomes an exhibition, a swan song of millennial sexuality as internalized abuse and consummate style, with the knob righty-tightened all the way.

Newton's prose is disturbingly fun, relentless, shattering. A crafted study of existential despair that culminates in a worthy, intense denouement.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Literature, Adult Fiction, Horror

Audible Audio

First published June 23, 2026

Reviews

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride)]

This sounds unhinged. I can't wait to read it.

[Sophia Eck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agnes Lives! and I am basically indifferent that she ever did, and somewhat wish that I could’ve potentially used the approximately 2.5 hours I spent reading this in wiser, more valuable ways. I’m quite frankly getting tired of authors and publishers expecting us to potentially spend $18-$29 on books that ultimately feel like first drafts or writing exercises. Yes, I read the ARC not the final draft, but this needs copious amounts of linguistic tidying and actual meaning and coherence given to the narrative to make it feel like a worthy focus of my time. These unlikable, incoherent, vapid, self serving and out of touch female characters are starting to get really old and increasingly dangerous for us to be perpetuating in media in our currently already anti-intellectual society that is regressing to be less and less “politically correct” every second. I know there are going to be a good handful of people who like this book, probably the same people who still support the show Euphoria, but personally I am less and less enthused day by day with this current trend of pointless provocation and crude shock factor used constantly as a crutch in today’s media. And I mean it could be argued that shock value is nothing new, which it definitively isn’t, or that “it’s not that deep” and that media doesn’t necessarily have to have a underlying through line of deeper meaning to be worth consuming, but I feel otherwise in the media I choose to consume, and I think it more often should be made out to be that deep, and that media should have some kind of valuable imparted meaning even when prioritizing itself more as entertainment over something that is more purposely conducive to mindful engagement. I want to care! Make me care!

[Annaliese · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is deranged, but not in the “weird girl lit” way that’s been popular, but in a “difficult to want to read” way. The text is made up of Agnes’ racing, mostly crass stream-of-consciousness thoughts, but she is such a grating character. I know she’s crazy, but it isn’t done well. Agnes is supposed to be a madwoman, but is simply not interesting enough to be the central character of a book. This book could have been 100 pages shorter; it would still be all over the place, but at least its reader would get it over with faster. I am genuinely disappointed that such a terrible book could be published.

Overall an unpleasant reading experience, to put it mildly. If you want to read a book about a woman who buys an interesting dress and is intently seeking out the perfect person to kill her, just read Muriel Spark’s The Driver’s Seat. It’s leagues beyond Agnes Lives!

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Bloomsbury.

[Liv Noble]

Halfway through the book, Agnes, free associative American Psychess, puts an orchid in her hair—from then on, I was unable to imagine her as anything other than caroline calloway, which really elevated the reading experience

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly feel gaslit by this book. 4 and 5 star reviews, yet it felt like reading an extended version of the short stories I listened to in my undergrad creative writing workshops. I’ve never been so excited to be done with a first person POV—it was like reading one long fever dream (and not in the way I usually enjoy).

[Melissa Remark · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I was intrigued by the premise - a socialite/former model (?) struggles with her deteriorating mental health over the course of 24 hours in New York City and searches for someone to kill her, seemingly because she doesn't have the strength to do it herself - but I stayed for the immersive stream of consciousness. While I found the writing style hard to stick with (and honestly, I lost the plot several times, which I believe is the point), we don't often get to read stream of consciousness these days. Agnes Lives! provides that rare opportunity, and placing this style of writing in the mind of a tragically dissociative and distracted, status-obsessed woman is both smart and maddening. This is not a fun book to read, and in the end, I still have many questions. Agnes Lives! is challenging. It asks the reader to empathize and understand what happens to a mind consumed with validation, whether in person or online, and it's an ugly place to be. It's a worthwhile read. I think I would have loved it if it were novella length, even though it's a short book as is.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

[eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so, I actually feel so conflicted about this one, and I am not quite sure where exactly I lean on whether I loved it or hated it— I am currently sitting somewhere in the middle, I think. On paper, it has everything to be something I would absolutely love.

And partly, it is. From the very first second, this is incredibly unhinged. You are sucked into Agnes' brain and, while it might not be the best place to be, it still is such an interesting concept. I love a good stream-of-consciousness, and this definitely ticked the box.

Agnes might not be the best person, and is honestly quite insufferable, but I do think it makes sense with this kind of story. I think, honestly, my main issue simply was that I didn't care. That's not to say it's a bad book— I don't think that at all, and I am sure others will love it way more than I did.

I want to say the audiobook is an absolute gem, and it did wonders for me. I popped my earbuds in, and they didn't come out until it was over. Listening to this felt kind of like a slow motion train wreck. You just can't look away— stop listening, in this case, I guess? The narration perfectly captures that sort of manic energy Agnes' thoughts carry, and, for me, made this that much more enjoyable.

Biggest thanks to Libro.fm & Bloomsbury for the ALC; all opinions are my own.

[suzannah ♡]

dnf @ 80 pages. it’s told through a string of consciousness which i don’t like, and i found the protagonist really annoying. on to the next!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

agnes lives and subjects us to an incoherent 250 page POV

[Amy Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the stream of consciousness writing style. I thought it was perfect in showcasing the chaos of Agnes' mind. Agnes' thoughts are rapid and all over the place. She's also not the most likable girl, very privileged, but not without traumas that, despite her acting nonchalant ab0ut, have clearly deeply affected her. She's surrounded by people and leads a high functioning life that looks perfect on the surface but internally she is a wreck and kind of all alone. Her thoughts jump around while mixing with dialogue and her actions over the span of a day. No real plot other than her goal to find a gun and someone willing to end her life but overall was a really interesting character study. I listened to the audiobook and I honestly think its the perfect format to consume this type of story. The author did a wonderful job narrating it.

[Taylor Penn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely deranged :-)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you loved My Year of Rest and Relaxation I would highly recommend this, but if you are emotionally susceptible to inner monologues from severely unwell young women I would not recommend this.

[moodreadermal · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely chaotic ride. Agnes Lives throws you headfirst into her stream of consciousness and just doesn’t let up. I listened on audiobook and honestly can’t imagine experiencing this any other way, the narrator’s voice made the manic energy hit so much harder. There’s something about hearing the spiral out loud that made it feel intimate and unsettling at the same time.

Agnes herself is a mess in the best way. She’s vain, she’s insufferable, she says and does things that made me want to shake her and yet the book never lets you forget why. The things she’s lived through, the undiagnosed issues clearly simmering under the surface, all of it makes her descent into madness feel like an inevitability. I understood her even when I couldn’t stand her, which is exactly the kind of messy, complicated character work I live for.

It’s chaotic, it’s intense, it lives entirely in one very unwell head without any outside POV or input. What an experience 😅

[Anthony G. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rage bait for BookTok. I read it, all of the pages, because Joyce Carol Oates called it “an astonishing debut.” Picture the prolific 88-year-old Oates, a professor, masterful storyteller, reading the line, “Buzz buzz buzz on the phone, omigod. Craigslist. That was so fast.” Thinking, "Let's put my blurb on the cover."

This book badly wants to be another book (at least until it becomes American Psycho). You know the one: New York, detached sad girl, single day, years ago. But where that book made you feel something, this book is some words on some small pages, experimental only in the sense that all the dialogue is one-sided and italicized. Like listening to an annoying phone conversation in a hot subway car.

Look, I love characters you're supposed to hate: flawed, vain, selfish, whatever. I don't hate Agnes; she is profoundly boring. She tries so hard to shock you, but more than anything, she needs 11 or more likes on an Instagram post. This book is that post, not to be confused with a commentary on existential despair, not an insightful one, anyway. It's Nausea for very online people with a high tolerance for incoherent narrative.

“Bite, bit. Hit. Clit. Clitoris. Sisyphus. Sissus pus. Sissy sit. Sisters. Scissors. Scissor fit. Clitty tit.” Shout-out to these 16 published words for surviving multiple (?) drafts.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d like to congratulate myself for my stubborn perseverance in finishing this ….book.

Reading Agnes Lives felt like discovering a forgotten manuscript I might have written in my early twenties when I had a rotating pharmacy of substances in and out of my system, severe depression, and suffered from sleep deprivation.

Characters appear, vanish, monologue, and emotionally unravel with the confidence of people who have never once met a coherent thought. The one thing that did peak my interest was the accidental murder spree 🤷🏻‍♀️

Was that a profound look into the deteriorating mind of a self absorbed insecure woman, performance art, or evidence submitted during a custody hearing? Thanks to the vague ending I guess we’ll never know.

[Peyton Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

listened to as an audiobook! this was the most absurd consistent stream of completely unhinged thoughts. I’m all for weird girl lit with an insufferable fmc but this felt like it was done with no purpose??? the plot was non existent until the very end. it was just Agnes thinking things that were so so so so so odd and sexual and I really did not love that. it just felt like a spewing of thoughts in no direction and again I’m all for a weird narrative structure but this was just not done well. plus the casual brushing past multiple rape and sexual assault references and then a rape scene being depicted on page just really icked me out. I just wish a little more care had been taken with those choices.

this had such an in interesting premise and there were VERY brief moments that had me hooked at the idea of this unhinged woman looking for someone to murder her and her thought process behind how she would achieve that, but those were such fleeting moments that were never followed through on.

[Temple Ruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. I know it has gotten mixed reviews, and I understand the extremes of response. That said, I adored every minute and can't wait to discuss at my next book club.

It's 2014, and Agnes is over it all. She's done. Now, she just has to find someone to kill her. That's it. A (hopefully, last) day in the life of Agnes Maurer. We follow the former model / now editorial assistant around Manhattan, privy to her one-side of conversations as she pleads to boyfriends (current and former), bosses, family members, and strangers. We watch as the spiral becomes more and more coiled.

While a wild surface-level ride, this book goes deep. It's a treatise on commodification that examines themes of age, race, gender, and class. What happens when we become invisible? Why are they willing to hurt us but not kill us? What three Times' headlines piqued your interest today?

'Agnes Lives!' is dark. It will also (possibly and questionably) make you laugh out loud. Just be careful Googling any references...

[Jaelyn Guiton]

DNF at 28%.

omg I just remembered I have free will. Despite a premise that's right up my alley, I was so bored. The stream of consciousness was a chore, even for me. It felt like the author was experimenting with narrative styles and perspectives, which is nice, but maybe we could've perfected it before actually publishing it??

I'm gonna be gracious and not rate because I probably didn't make it to the real meat of the book. Maybe I'll come back when I have more patience.

[Alex Duggan]

What was that????

[tropie · Rating 2 out of 5]

what if sophie kinsella wrote my year of rest and relaxation? actually, strike that. what if moshfegh wrote the shopaholic series. i was actually fond of agnes by the end. deducting a star for spelling it "cum".

[em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never wanted a first person POV to end more than I have when reading this. Agnes was incredibly frustrating to read about, and not in an unlikeable narrator way, but in a dim witted and self absorbed way. She was stupid, naive, self obsessed and utterly clueless. Her unreliable narrative felt like I was stuck reading her journal, it was messy and overwhelming. A great concept, but a very annoying character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #AgnesLives #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys the reviews are low on this one but I liked it...specifically in audiobook format.
Overall, I think Newton did such an excellent job with the mind of an unreliable and manic narrator! Agnes is like comically annoying white woman nepo baby archetype, which I find to be annoying and overdone usually but I was pretty entertained by her stupidity, and couldn't look away. Like watching a car crash in slo-mo.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Agnes… why were you never diagnosed with some sort of mental illness?!

I think it’s best to go into this book blind. The best way I can describe this is that this story is heartbreaking yet manic but in a satirically pretentious way. The entire story takes place over the course of 1 day – chapters broken down by times – as we follow Agnes on her decent into pure madness.

For lovers of weird girl lit, this is the crème of the crop. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. Bravo to Hallie on her debut novel, excited to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and my review is left voluntarily.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and affecting

[Jamie Rosenblit · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 65% - even the SoulCycle references couldn’t save this one for me.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok i see why people don’t vibe with this because it is one long stream of consciousness day with a psychopath but idk i found it kinda fun

[Smam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this the "weird girl lit" I keep hearing about? Because I think it might just not be for me. This is 100% a love it or hate it kind of book. It's very readable and has a strong narrative voice that both pulls in and repels readers. Agnes as a narrator is so self-centered that we don't even hear anyone else's dialogue, only her own. She's also clearly mentally ill and has been abused throughout her life by the people around her. She'll be narrating some nonsense and then go on a brief tangent about the guy that raped her and then onto the next topic in a way that built a strong portrait of her as a person. But wow, the NYC-ness of it all was pretty insufferable to me. I also kept thinking "this doesn't feel like 2014," but 2014 in NYC was probably very different from 2014 where I was living at the time. Ends very abruptly but I actually kind of loved that. But the excess of the narrative and the stream-of-conscious style were just too grating for me.

[A.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine.

[Kaysey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3.5 & 4 stars

[Sadie Zabawa]

Here's what I'll say: the author really should have let someone else read the audiobook