Bad Americans: Part I
The Human Tragedy, Volume 2
by Tejas Desai
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Sep 15 2025 | Archive Date Sep 15 2025
Talking about this book? Use #BadAmericans #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Summer 2020: the Covid-19 Pandemic is raging. A reclusive billionaire, Olive Mixer, calls twelve diverse & lonely Americans to his mansion complex in the Hamptons: nurses, lawyers, mechanics, social workers, students, financial analysts, soldiers, uber drivers, engineers, hair salon operators. During the day, the guests meet, compete, date, dine, flirt and fight. Each night, one must tell the group a story.
Their tales range widely in subject, style, length and decorum. Many stories respond to each other. They trigger passionate debate and fiery resistance. They change how characters perceive each other and affect the trajectory of the frame narrative. They make us ponder the nature of storytelling itself.
Bad Americans is part Boccaccio and part The Bachelor, but it is a creation all its own. Both a novel and short story collection, Bad Americans is at once a powerful portrait of the American pandemic experience and an examination of narrative itself. Bad Americans: Part I is the second volume of the profound and daring anthology series The Human Tragedy, following the subversive classic Good Americans. Bad Americans: Part II will be released on April 15, 2026.
A Note From the Publisher
Inspired by classics like The Decameron & The Canterbury Tales, as well as reality shows like The Bachelor and Big Brother, BAD AMERICANS is a Novel and Short Story Collection IN ONE.
It's Summer 2020 and the Covid-19 Pandemic is raging. New York City has been locked down for months. 12 diverse Americans, lonely and single, are selected via a dating app competition by billionaire Olive Mixer to stay at his ornate Hamptons mansion complex for 12 nights.
During the day, the guests meet, compete, date, dine, flirt and fight. Each night, one must tell the group a story.
Their tales range widely in subject, style, length and decorum. Many stories respond to each other. They trigger passionate debate and fiery resistance. They change how characters perceive each other and affect the trajectory of the frame narrative. They make us ponder the nature of storytelling itself.
More importantly, each story portrays a different aspect of American life in a vivid, accurate, innovative, entertaining and thought-provoking way.
All 12 stories can be enjoyed independently and are being published as eBooks ahead of the publication of the frame novel to be released in two Parts in multiple formats including Hardcover, Trade Paperback and eBook. Please scroll down for the full release schedule.
Advance Praise
"Desai's greatest strength lies in his ability to craft tales that are gripping in their own distinct ways—each story possesses a haunting quality that refuses to fade from memory long after it's been told. But what makes the collection particularly effective is Desai's timely and necessary exploration of American division, one that manages to find humanity even in our deepest disagreements.
"Takeaway: Powerful rendering of the human experience uniting a divided America."
--BookLife Reviews, Publisher's Weekly
"The fictional characters’ sentiments are carefully crafted, offering an intriguing range of realistic reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic. An illuminating...exploration of recent history and the people who lived through it."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Tejas Desai, one of the nation's boldest and most innovative writers, tackles the nature of American identity in Bad Americans, a panoramic tale of exploration and survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. Channeling Boccaccio and Chaucer, Desai sets his novel on the Gatsbyesque estate of dating-app magnate Olive Mixer, who invites each of twelve diverse guests to share their stories on consecutive days. What ensues is a poignant and often hilarious commentary on social experimentation and the individual's search for meaning in a world that co-opts and commodifies identity. Bad Americans is a daring novel as compelling as it is intellectually challenging."
-- Jacob M. Appel, author of Einstein's Beach House
"Tejas Desai skillfully examines human nature and Americanism, complete with all of its flaws, frustrations, absurdities, and convolutions. Bad Americans: Part I is an important contribution to our postmodern roaring twenties."
-- Raj Tawney, author of Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience
"In an age when authors are increasingly turning inward and literature seems to have gotten smaller, Tejas Desai has accomplished the remarkable task of writing about a topic as large as Covid, with a canvas as broad as the United States itself. This is a compelling story that is driven by an extensive cast of characters, each vivid in their own way. Together they comprise the mosaic of New York City's outer borough of Queens, whether Chechen, Filipino, Jewish, Taiwanese, or African American; they work as nurses and bloggers and pizza deliverers, in finance, hair salons, and hospitals. Desai weaves them all together seamlessly as he tackles the aftereffects of a deadly virus that no two characters either experience or absorb in the same way, raising many more questions than answers as the narrative unfolds. The author also has a fine eye for details--the ventilators and N95 masks that populate this medical battlefield. In the end, Desai makes us care about all these characters, and he leaves us wanting to know more about their stories. It makes for a captivating read."
-- William J. McGee, author of HALF THE CHILD and ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS
"The distinction between a dated book and a timeless book emerges in whether or not its subject matter hits upon universal notes. This is a book about COVID and Trump and many other soon-to-be dated subjects. And yet Tejas has focused his real ire upon death, his real hope upon love, and his deepest reflections upon the meaning of life itself."
— Lancelot Schaubert; author of Bell Hammers, Songwriter of H.A.L.T.S., filmmaker for Alaska
"This vivid recollection of the bad times of COVID-19 not only dives into the hardships and harsh realities of those years, the death, hardships, and the emotional toll it took from all of us but lays open the toxic politics and divisiveness that time whipped up. And the author does this not as a typical novel, setting up a single narrative, but presenting a mix of forms told from many points of view, some opposing and others sympathetic. From spoken word to novella, and short story to episodic arch, the book mixes the poor with the wealthy, immigrant and citizen, a swath of races, nationalities, and political stances. By holding all these ideas tightly together, he lets loose the natural frisson of these juxtapositions. The variety of narrative forms stands out as a particular strength, rising above partisanship and letting the underlying humanity show through. Much like the Decameron did during the Black Death almost 700 years ago."
-- W. Lance Hunt, author of A Perfect Blindness
"With Bad Americans, Tejas Desai poignantly describes the effects of Covid on NYC through a compelling fictional storyline. Twelve individuals are chosen to spend twelve nights at a billionaire's house in the Hamptons during the height of the pandemic. They vary in political, social, sexual, vocational, and economic backgrounds. After days of leisure with group activities each night a different personalized story is told. All twelve of the character stories are so gripping that you'll want to know what comes next."
-- M.C. Allison, Librarian & Blogger
Marketing Plan
Current Publishing Schedule for BAD AMERICANS:
Individual internal stories released as Kindle eBooks:
"On the Frontlines" (aka Andrea's Story, novelette) -- March 15, 2025
"Immigrants Unite!" (aka Cathy's Story, spoken word poetic tale) -- April 15, 2025
"Corona Chaos" (aka Taylor's Story, short story) -- May 15, 2025
"Black Boy's Ballad" (aka Rashan's Story, novella) -- June 15, 2025
"Mason Mayhem" (aka Ricard's Story, novelette) -- July 15, 2025
"Love Liability" (aka Nalini's Story, novelette) -- August 15, 2025
Part One of Novel containing six stories above, in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook formats:
BAD AMERICANS: PART I (frame novel with six stories) -- September 15, 2025
Individual internal stories released as Kindle eBooks:
"Barcelona Blasphemy" (aka Lisa's Story, novelette) -- October 15, 2025
"ISIS Crisis" (aka Khassan's Story, short story) -- November 15, 2025
"A Model Citizen" (aka Hayley's Story, novelette) -- December 15, 2025
"Cape Conundrum" (aka Pritesh's Story, novelette) -- January 15, 2026
"The Manchurian Algerian" (aka Sylvania's Story, novelette) -- February 15, 2026
"Dope Double Ditty" (aka Angela's Story, novella) -- March 15, 2026
Part Two of Novel containing six stories above, in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook formats:
BAD AMERICANS: PART II (frame novel with six stories) -- April 15, 2026
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781734727845 |
| PRICE | $6.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 388 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 4 members
Featured Reviews
Elly M, Reviewer
Bad Americans is a very intriguing exploration of pandemic experiences within the unexpected setting of a wealthy man’s estate. The contrast between the gravity of global suffering and the comfort of their temporary refuge creates a tension that lingers throughout the book.
The different voices and sheer breadth of varying experiences was fascinating with the polarization of perspectives. all this against food playing such a central role too as a cultural thread to connects, contrasts, and confuse the characters, reinforcing the book’s themes of privilege, displacement, and identity.
It a book that has stayed with me. Very interesting and important writing
Eric O, Reviewer
Tejas Desai’s Bad Americans is a riveting, razor-sharp portrait of ambition, corruption, and survival that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. With prose that crackles and characters that leap off the page, Desai exposes the contradictions of modern America, its promise, its pitfalls, and its morally gray heart.
What makes this book extraordinary is how seamlessly it blends propulsive storytelling with piercing social commentary. Each twist feels both shocking and inevitable, and every character is drawn with such nuance that you find yourself torn between condemnation and empathy. It’s that rare novel that entertains while also forcing you to confront uncomfortable truths.
Bad Americans is fearless, thought-provoking, and utterly absorbing. Tejas Desai has given us not just a novel, but a mirror, one that shows us who we are and who we might become. A must-read.
Sarah J, Reviewer
Book Review: Bad Americans: Part I – The Human Tragedy, Volume 2 by Tejas Desai
I have to say this was a really interesting book. I didn't know what I was getting into going into it and I'm still thinking about it after reading it (and admittedly laying out a bit too long and becoming a bit toasty since I lost track of time). There is a lot to unpack here. That said, here are my sunburned thoughts...
Overview
Tejas Desai’s Bad Americans: Part I is a bold and innovative literary experiment that merges the structural ingenuity of The Decameron with the raw immediacy of pandemic-era America. Framed as a reality-TV-meets-classic-anthology narrative, the novel follows twelve diverse strangers quarantined in a Hamptons mansion, whose nightly storytelling unveils the fractures and resilience of contemporary society. Desai’s hybrid form—a novel interwoven with standalone short stories—offers a panoramic yet intimate portrait of a nation in crisis, tackling themes of identity, politics, and human connection.
Key Strengths
- Structural Brilliance: The nested narratives allow for stylistic diversity, from spoken-word poetry (Immigrants Unite!) to gritty novellas (Black Boy’s Ballad), reflecting the multiplicity of American voices.
- Timely yet Timeless: While rooted in COVID-19 and its socio-political fallout, the book transcends its moment by probing universal struggles—grief, love, and systemic inequity.
- Character Depth: Each guest’s story is a microcosm of broader societal tensions, rendered with empathy and sharp detail (e.g., Andrea’s frontline perspective in On the Frontlines).
- Meta-Narrative Layers: The frame story’s competitive dynamics and the characters’ reactions to each tale invite reflection on storytelling as both catharsis and confrontation.
Critique
The novel’s ambition occasionally risks fragmentation, as tonal shifts between stories may challenge narrative cohesion. However, this mirrors the dissonance of the pandemic itself, turning a potential weakness into a thematic asset.
How I would describe this book:
- A masterful blend of The Decameron and The Bachelor—Tejas Desai captures the chaos and beauty of pandemic America.
- Twelve strangers, twelve stories, one unforgettable portrait of a nation. Bad Americans is the Great American Novel for the COVID era.
- Desai’s most daring work yet: a genre-defying tour de force that’s as provocative as it is poignant.
- Perfect for book clubs—each story sparks debate, just like the characters in its pages. (Hint...Hint...It would be great to have a book club kit for this book!)
Acknowledgments
Thank you to The New Wei LLC for providing an advance review copy of Bad Americans: Part I. This ambitious project, with its staggered release of stories leading to the full novel, is a testament to innovative publishing in step with Desai’s visionary storytelling.
Final Recommendation
A must-read for fans of socio-political fiction and experimental narrative forms, Bad Americans cements Desai’s reputation as a writer unafraid to interrogate the complexities of modern life. The September 2025 release of Part I promises to be a landmark literary event.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) — A flawed but vital mirror held up to America’s soul.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Melinda Taub
General Fiction (Adult), New Adult, Sci Fi & Fantasy
We Are Bookish
LGBTQIAP+, Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Marie Bostwick
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Lexi Davis
New Adult, Romance, Women's Fiction
© 2026 NetGalley LLC
• All Rights Reserved
