»A compelling exploration of the fraught reality of race relations in Brazil . . . there is much that English-speaking readers stand to gain from the considered, quiet fury of Paulo Scott’s novel, not least the expansion of and challenge to modern-day discourses on race.«
Times Literary Supplement

»By avoiding simple solutions and investing in the protagonists‘ ambivalences of class and ethnic identity, Scott has perhaps produced an enduring novel, a profound interpretation of our time and our country.«
Folha de S.Paulo

»An illuminating examination of racial classification in a skilfully constructed story of two brothers divided by the colour of their skin… careful reading proves richly rewarding.«
The Guardian

»Phenotypes underscores how difficult antiracist projects can be at any scale… Scott’s characters quickly abandon the possibility of a comprehensive solution in favor of stopgap measures that may or may not work. Such are the inadequacies, the novel asserts, of treating entrenched and systemic issues as if they are only skin-deep.«
New York Times Book Review

»An artfully plotted tale about race, privilege and guilt . . . careful reading proves richly rewarding.«
Lucy Popescu, The Observer

»A keen, multifaceted and subtle look at the cultural and personal complexities of race and color and history. Phenotypes is entertaining. It’s brilliant and emotionally resonant. I put it down days ago, and I’m still walking around with it.«
Startribune

»A blistering examination of Brazil’s fraught racial history told through two brothers, one light-skinned and one dark-skinned.«
Katie Goh, i-D (Books to Read 2022)

»A story of crime, street-life and regret as much as a satirical novel of ideas.
Phenotypes is a seething masterpiece of rage and reconciliation.«
Bookshop.org

»Scott follows up Nowhere People with a profound story of colorism and familial loyalty set in Brazil. His portrayal of how colorism functions in Federico’s own family, and society at large, is nuanced and careful. The multiple layers combine for a mesmerizing and mature story.«
Publishers Weekly

»Scott pours out his indictment of Brazil in long, overflowing sentences that are equal parts outrage and cutting humor. [Phenotypes] is not easy to shake off. A blast of righteous (and spot-on) indignation by a formidable Brazilian author.«
Kirkus Review

»One of Brazil’s finest contemporary writers.«
John Keene

»This novel discusses racism in an incisive way that, I believe, has never been seen in Brazilian literature. It shows a racist Brazil with no way out, no perspective and no equality, giving us only escape as a right and a promise of happiness.«
Paulo Lins, author of City of God

»This is an indignant, eloquent, violent book: important. The novel questions what it means to be a black person, or to be considered a black person, by others or by oneself.«
Claire Williams, Oxford University

»An immersive and surreal experience. Unlike anything you‘ve ever seen.«
Meta Galáxia

»Really a work that can generate several debates and many theories.«
Seguindo o Coelho Branco

»One of the valuable lessons of MMXM is that it is at the moments of greatest oppression that art must be protected and preserved.«
Momentum Saga

»Embodiment of the complex relationship between upper-middle-class politics and impoverished, indigenous culture«
Kirkus

»Nowhere People is, I think, an exceptional book. It’s a clever, thoughtful, beautifully written, perceptive telling of a story that hasn’t been told before. (I hope you’ll read it when it’s out and I hope you’ll agree.)«
Asymptote

»Contemporary Brazil is kaleidoscopically diverse, and Scott takes up the messy human dramas that ensue when these disparate worlds collide in today’s hyperconnected, mobile society.«
Adam Morris, TLS

»Paulo Scott lends his voice to the forgotten.«
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»One of the most interesting voices in recent fiction.«
O Globo

»An audacious story, the novel fizzes with anger.«
The Guardian

»A raw and passionate tale about love, loss and family. A classic in the making.«
The National, Abu Dhabi

»Immensely powerful.«
O Estado de São Paulo