Praise for People Like Us:
The follow-up to Mott s National Book Award-winning Hell of a Book weaves the stories of two Black authors one on an international book tour, the other confronting a deadly school shooting into a comedic, surreal exploration of love and loss. New York Times
"Part memoir, part travelogue, part fever dream, Mott s novel deploys wicked humor and pathos to explore issues around race, gun violence, fame and mental health. Atlanta Journal Constitution
A meta-novel that stings and touches the reader. . . . The whole book seems the literary equivalent of a post-bop jazz performance, with oblique happenings that compel attention because of the book s antic energy and lyrical passages. Kirkus (starred review)
"Mott s writing is funny, intelligent, and sharp as a knife. . . . This book is full of action, suspense, and laughs. Its reflections about being a Black American in Europe are insightful. Jump in for a full-force, visceral ride." Library Journal (starred review)
Picking up in a universe near the one represented in Mott s last book, the award-winning Hell of A Book, People Like Us involves the same tonal gymnastics. Mott s writing is electric. Sentences zing with the energy of darts. But all that riz ultimately serves to convey a lacerating critique of American gun violence. File this one under genre-bending tour-de-force. Lit Hub
"Mott follows up his 2021 National Book Award winning novel Hell of a Book with a surreal and intimate story about two Black writers contending with loss, longing, and gun violence." The Millions
The novel s mischievous humor gradually gives way to a frightening fever dream. Mott s satire is thoroughly uncompromising, which makes it all the more refreshing. Publishers Weekly
"A dynamic text moving faster than the pages turn, this is a novel true to our time s search for a path forward one that even dares to dream of togetherness." Booklist
A book that begs for an immediate reread, People Like Us hits the soul hard. It is haunting, vivid literary fiction at its finest. BookPage (starred review)