Hell of a Book

Hell of a Book is a 2021 book by Jason Mott. It won the 2021 National [Book Award for Fiction].

Plot summary

In alternating chapters, the novel tells the stories of two different characters: a nameless novelist on tour for a book also titled Hell of a Book, and an African-American child named Soot. Soot, who lives near Whiteville, North Carolina, is being bullied on the school bus, while the novelist is troubled by visions of a child he calls "The Kid", who speaks to him and seemingly guides him through his issues.

Reception

The Star-News said that with the novel, Mott earned "a place on the shelf beside such African-American writers as Colson Whitehead and Octavia Butler".
On November 17, 2021, the novel was awarded the 2021 National Book [Award for Fiction]. It was also longlisted for the 2022 Andrew [Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction], the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize.