Reviews

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

bhnmt61's review against another edition

5.0

I’m pretty sure this book is brilliant. It’s complicated, and beautiful, and heart-breaking, and I didn’t always understand exactly what was happening. But it’s not difficult to read- I read a review ahead of time that intimidated me, but even though there were a couple of times I just had to keep going without being 100% sure what was going on, for the most part the pages turn themselves. It’s an entirely unique reading experience with a lot of meta elements- the narrator is figuring out how to tell the story as he’s telling the story, which sometimes involves contradicting himself or retelling a moment he’s already narrated in slightly different way. I’m not doing a good job of convincing you to read it, I know, but if you’re at all interested in race and social justice, and particularly if you’re interested in writing and the creative process, Hell of a Book is not to be missed. Fascinating.

vannychopiny's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

kluwes's review

challenging dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ndrewfan's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

aclopez6's review against another edition

3.0

This review is entirely based on my own preferences in writing style and writing pet peeves. It is not a reflection of the book's values-highly recommend checking out other reviews! This was just not for me.

katricia's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

zeotoy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jamieblaikie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

windermerepeak1's review against another edition

Idk. I’ve read such good thing about it but just couldn’t vibe with it. But sometimes reading on my phone doesn’t hit the same as reading an actual physical book — might try again in the future :)

nonesensed's review against another edition

5.0

I've been told that this book is the author's attempt at portraying what it's like to be a black person living the USA. I haven't seen the source of that supposed quote. Even if I had, I'm not really in a place to judge how well this portrayal is executed.

That said, this book was well worth the read. It's a harrowing story, balanced with moments of levity; a look at what it's like to learn that you're part of a minority and at how having to tell children that they're seen as lesser will hurt them but hopefully keep them safe(r).

Recommended reading for pretty much anyone!