Awful People

by Scott Mitchel May

When a secret government agency called the Federal Paranormal/Psychological Investigation Bureau, whose soul purpose is to funnel money to defense contractors until the next war, accidentally discovers a telepath who can create undead rage-monsters from violent acts, they set out to recreate the circumstances which made it possible. Awful People follows a group of friends as they live out the moments that lead each one of them to being kidnapped and housed thirty stories underground forced to reconfront the craziest day of their lives ten years later. Dirty, real, absurd, funny, and horrific, Awful People is a reunion novel in a meat-grinder where likable people are harder to find than what it means to be a human today.

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 29, 2024

Reviews

[Adam McPhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of Awful People by Scott Mitchel May is up now at Heavy Feather Review.

[Natascha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book- I liked the title and cover and I am always here for something paranormal. But it seems like the author is as confused about the plot as me- in the description here it says that it focuses around the “telepathic” paranormal abilities of the “main” character, but it is fact telekinetic abilities - or I just didn’t understand it correctly, which can very well be but also adds to my point.
But this is obviously not why I did not like the book, it is rather all the detours the book takes. It jumps from one character to the next, from past to present, sometimes not telling you which (new) characters life you jumped in to for several pages. And it’s not like the writing style can give you hints, as it is majorly the same style where the author tries so bring philosophical aspects and intro perspective paragraphs to characters that we are simultaneously supposed to believe are shallow and not very smart.
Not only this but the whole book just screams of misogyny and all female character are overly sexualised - and it is not adding anything to the plot.

[epstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would have been better as a collection of short stories. As it is I lost the thread halfway through and started getting characters confused. I also don't know if there was a point. But damn if it wasn't entertaining reading!