A Black writer, whose name we never learn, is on a book tour for this wildly successful debut novel. It's called, 'Hell of a Book' which is in some ways the inside joke you as reader will become a part of. Soon you will see that it doesn't matter what the title of the book is, just as it doesn't matter what the writer's name is. He is a generically successful Black man, who is generically successful in his career. And part of the reason for that success we learn is that he's been "media trained" to "keep Blackness out of it." "It" being the dog-and-pony show he has to do to promote his work and usher it comfortably into the mainstream consciousness. He has to come across as not particularly aggrieved, not particularly ... well, "Black". Listen ... when I tell you this is a thing, believe me--one's ability to succeed as a Black person in America is strongly correlated to one's ability to make white people comfortable with you. So... unnamed writer does the rounds, talking about his book, but never really hearing himself speak because he has become an automaton, stripping the uniquely Black aspects of his work and experience from his work and experience, so that he can succeed.

Anyway, so, this generic author of a generically successful book is on this book tour, traveling from city to city and having shallow one-night-stands with women he meets, and drinking far too much when snippets of news reach him about the police shooting of a ten-year-old Black boy. The writer, either by happenstance or design, manages to avoid hearing the kid's name, or the exact circumstances of his death. He doesn't want to hear because to know will be to confront things in his own past that he has studiously avoided by drinking, having casual sex and being glib and superficial in just about every interaction he has with other people. Just as the writer begins to notice civil unrest breaking out around the country in protest over the shooting, an apparition of a Black boy, very dark in complexion, so startlingly dark his skin "seems to absorb light" comes to the writer, and becomes his unseen and not altogether unwelcome companion on the book tour.

Through this mysterious boy, who he comes to think of as "The Kid" the writer slowly begins to reckon with his own story, his own pain and the painstaking effort he's labored under to eliminate from his consciousness all knowledge about the countless anonymous Black people who suffer violence simply because of their race. This reckoning is accelerated when his agent informs him that this time, he simply must talk about his Blackness. The boy's death has become a national story and suddenly, the writer's Blackness has currency and value. Whiplashed by this demand to center those things about himself and his experience that he has been literally trained to suppress (and not to mention the appearance of a kid no one else can see), the writer unravels.

I LOVED this book, because it was humorous and poignant and tragic and thoughtful but also because it expresses perfectly the knotty and sometimes unanswerable questions that some Black creatives face about their work--to feel, or not to feel? Express what they feel, or to squelch it in order to broaden their "reach" and appeal? Invite in the pain of the world in one's work, or not? And of course, there are the other, underlying deeper questions about Black humanity and its value or lack thereof. This is a hard one to review because some of the most extraordinary things about it are things that I can't describe without spoiling it for you, but I'll just say this: it entertained me, and moved me and made me think. And those are the best of books.

Highly recommended.

I can not recommend this book enough! I read Hell of a Book in one day. This book is one of best books of 2021.. I appreciate net gallery and selected publishers for this early copy

I loved this story and the writing style. The two stories combined to make one hell of a book, pun definitely intended.

Hell of a Book is a clever, thought-provoking book that will stay with me for a long while. I interviewed Jason for my podcast and very much enjoyed our conversation about the auto-biographical nature of the book. I definitely recommend it.

This started off as a solid 3 star read for me. I was intrigued by the story but it jumps around in time and also jumps between reality and imagination and it was getting on my nerves a bit. However, as I progressed, I began to trust the author a little more and just let the story take me where it wandered. I really started to get more out of the second half of the book. This is definitely a book of it's time, but still manages to be original and creative among dozens of other recent releases that address similar issues.

I'm on the fence with this one. I was confused most of the time, trying to decipher what was reality and fantasy, much like the main character. Although the messages of racism were quite clear and heartbreaking. I wasn't a fan of the writing style. But, I was a fan of Soot. He was my favorite character.
In the end, I'm left with a lot of unanswered questions. I think at some point I may re-read this book to see if my perspective changes. But, for now, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

<u>Hell of a Book</u> follows the perspective of an unnamed author and a boy only known as "Soot". Through their chapters, the way in which they are irrevocably tied together also sheds light on the timeless injustices dealt against Black Americans.

Let me preface this review by saying simply that this novel is difficult to review. As the unnamed author's readers keep saying about his book (titled <u>Hell of a Book</u>) it is, well, a Hell of a Book! Powerfully written, sprinkled with bits of humor, riddled with profound ruminations, and genre-transcendent. It's a book within a book about characters within characters. It's about race and racism but also about the human condition. It's an interesting read. An important read. A book that's difficult to discuss with others that haven't read it yet, so this is my sign that I really need to just wrap this up and encourage you to read this <u>Hell of a Book</u>.

I have never read a book like this. It was a wild emotional, mind numbing ride. I honestly need more time to process. I believe this is a book that will be talked about for quite some time.

How do I even start describing the most powerful book I’ve read in years? I know I won’t be giving you a synopsis of the story. If you’re hoping for a clear-cut, concisely written reason to buy this book, this review isn’t going to help you.

The author calls this a love story. I can’t disagree. It’s all that and a bag of chips. Now, let’s talk about that bag of chips. Reach in the bag and pull one out. Is it everything you expected? Maybe it’s a burnt-black chip. Do you keep that one, or do you throw it away without a second thought? Is the chip broken? Is it damaged? Is it pure white and perfect in every way? Is the bag empty? Could the chips be invisible?

If you haven’t read the book yet, you’re wondering what I’m babbling about. If you’ve read it, hopefully you get my meaning. The story starts with a lot of Dave Barry-ish style humor as the author of Hell of a Book travels around the United States on a book promotion tour. Along the way—while getting blind drunk and womanizing at his various hotels—he meets The Kid, a young, extraordinarily black boy, who makes a simple request of the author. ‘See me.’ What the author’s best at seeing is the bottom of a bourbon glass, but he manages to tell The Kid in all sincerity ‘I see you’.

After that The Kid appears often to the author. Difficult conversations between them take place. Slowly, their life stories are revealed. The plot manages to retain a good helping of wit and absurdity, but new, more somber layers are being folded into the cloth of the story. Other lives are revealed and examined, one of which is Soot, another black child.

By the time the author lands in Denver, I hope you’ve got the rest of your day clear, because this is the no-turning-back point. Reality and fantasy are weaving together in heart wrenching twists and turns. I had no choice but to stay riveted to the book until I turned the last page. I put it down with a mixture of sadness and relief. I didn’t want to leave the author, but I also didn’t think I could handle any more harsh truths.

Many books have been written about the Black experience. What sets this one apart from most is how we’re pulled into an intimate relationship with Black Americans who have experienced racism, police violence, poverty, and injustice. If you aren’t Black, throw your preconceived notions and assumptions to the curb and listen. If you are Black, perhaps this story will help you put your feelings into a new context.

My thanks to author Jason Mott, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

“So maybe time is just how we measure meaning. Maybe time is how we best measure love.”

HELL OF A BOOK is a story with parallel timelines. in one we meet an accomplished Black author on book tour across the country; in the other we meet Soot, a young Black boy whose parents want nothing more than to protect him. Jason Mott blurs the lines of reality with an additional character—The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who keeps appearing to the author at different stops during his book tour. the book is a heartbreaking story of love and family and belonging, and of what it means to be Black in America. though this novel tackles heavy themes of inequality and race, there are plenty of funny lines and tender moments as well. it’s a completely original book that lends itself to interesting conversations and book club discussions

I do not have an idea when did the author decides to publish this but releasing it now is the best
time for it. A book that could enlighten the life of African-Americans. It was a good read, the title
says it all for its readers, it's one Hell of a book.

The story somehow gave me a vibe like the movie Inception, with different themes and topics
obviously. This novel follows two stories, one is about a man who travels to promote what he
had created. He was an author promoting his book. During his tour, he can see this random boy
who appears wherever he goes. The author has a condition in which he can not tell which is
reality and which is his imagination. That is why he can not tell if the boy is real or not. The other
story is about a boy who lives in a small community. A perspective of his struggles. And then
there is this news that a kid was shot and killed by police. This results in nationwide protests
that seek justice. Who is this kid that has been shot and what is his role against the author who
is just on a journey to promote his book?

There is not much to tell or share about the novel that can never spoil its content. Explaining it
further would ruin how clever the author`s writing style. Just like what the synopsis had told this
is a story of racism, police brutality, and the untold story of Black Americans. You would not
understand most of it at first, but everything will make sense after you finish reading it. As you
turn the last page, your thought will surely be “this is one hell of a book.”

It was such a dreary, rainy day, I decided to reward myself with book time. Hell Of A Book was just released on Tuesday and I have a feeling it will be getting lots of attention. Jason Mott has crafted a powerful story that in one moment had me laughing and then crying in the next. It’s definitely thought provoking! It would make an excellent book club choice.

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott is a unique narrative that follows an unnamed African American author on a book tour, a young black boy called Soot, and a possibly imaginary boy known as The Kid. The book addresses racism, police brutality, mental health, and the publishing industry.

I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of Kurt Vonnegut. The style and structure of Hell of a Book remind me of Vonnegut's writing. I would say this book is to racism what Slaughter-House Five is to war (hopefully that makes sense to other readers!).

With that said, I am not a Kurt Vonnegut fan, and I also wasn't a fan of this book. I appreciate what Mott is doing in this book, and I believe it will likely become a highly regarded novel, but I just don't enjoy reading this style of writing. Those who do should absolutely check it out, though!

This book didn’t work for me, as I really disliked the style and structure of the book. The premise, the underlying theme is an important one.

Parts of the book are quite powerful, and I highlighted a few passages, and this helped me to keep reading, to see if there would be any final resolution.

The experience for this book reminded me of other meta-fiction/post-modern books that I didn’t like as well, for the structure. It’s just not a style I enjoy. I’m sure others may approach this book differently, not every book can work for every person.

A book that talks about book, Jason Mott’s Hell of a book is straight in the list of my best reads for 2021. This book is certainly exceptional that it wrangles and explores love, loss, friendship and the racial violence in America.

The nameless author in the story is on a book tour across the United States, promoting the novel called Hell of a Book, shifting to different places to do interviews. As the mystery follows, there’s this imaginary Black kid whom he talks and appear whenever the author is. Along with his improbable friendship with THE KID, the author descriptions to the following chapters is the story of Soot, who is being bullied in a small town on the reason of his very dark skin and he was also tested with tragic situations.

This book feels heavy, as the nameless author were puzzled with the situation he has and how he digested it. The switch chapters between the author and Soot viewpoint unfolds revelations I knew that will happen but it was tinge with unexpected twists. As such, Jason Mott’s writing style is outstanding and impactful. This book touches fears, questions, and mourning that will make you cry and at there’s this point that will make you laugh as well.

Hell of a Book will keep you invested in reading the entire entries and will definitely lingers in your head.

(Massive thanks to PRH International for providing an eARC edition of this book my way.)

Unique, interesting and utterly engaging story of identity, race and acceptance. The main character takes us on a journey of self acceptance and what his expwrience is as a person of color in the world. It's a refeshing take on racism as it isn't heavy handed and infuses a health ydose of deak humor to cut the tension in the story. Hihgly reccommend.

I say this often in my reviews I know, but I mean it. I was not expecting this at all. I previously read the return by Jason Mott, which was....ok... However this novel was elegant, timely, and hands down one of the best things I read this year. It is a fierce and steady story of rage, forgiveness, and acceptance that also stays mysterious until the last page. I loved this book 5 out of 5!

This novel certainly utilized its characters to illustrate the human experience in an incredible light. Was absolutely delighted with the piece and its general storyline. Mott gives a voice to his characters that makes them come alive.

This is a new release from an American author and poet. It is fiction and the plot revolves around an African-American author (his name is not given) who is traveling the country promoting his novel entitled "Hell of a Book". The author has a medical condition that he describes as a strong imagination, but it causes him to hallucinate people and thus as readers we are never really sure what is real. We also meet a young boy who is called Soot by his classmates and bullied because he is so dark. The story explores issues of racism and police violence. It is funny and sad, thought provoking and very weird. It is a good recommendation for those who are looking for something different and are interested in the subject of race and while not an easy read. it would be an amazing book club choice.

I can't say that I was a fan of this book. It seemed accusatory and seemed to add fuel to a fire that has enough already. I can't think of anyone if recommend this book to.