PRAISE FOR THE PAYBACK

“A novel of great fun and unforgettable fury, The Payback sharply questions the punitive systems we live within, the contradiction between social wellbeing and individual wellness, and what it means to work toward a decent life.” —Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning

“Could this novel be any more timely or more delightful? Delicious, fabulist and cuttingly insightful about the current moment, The Payback is Moonstruck meets heist movie, true fun with real teeth. We will all be reading Cauley for many years to come.” —Rufi Thrope, author of Margo's Got Money Troubles

“Cauley burnishes her page-turner with shrewd commentary on the debt burden placed on first-generation college students. It’s a knockout.” —Publishers Weekly

“The Payback is as shady, cunning, and wickedly fun as its gimlet-eyed narrator. It describes - like nothing else - an America drowning in cheap merch and dipping FICA scores, the endless want of living here. Luigi, save us. We know not what we've done.” —Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television

“A 30-something woman strikes back against her draconian student loan servicer in Cauley’s raucous latest. Cauley burnishes her page-turner with shrewd commentary on the debt burden placed on first-generation college students. It’s a knockout.” —Publishers Weekly

“A stylish, blazingly original take on the heist novel, The Payback is both a whip-smart critique of contemporary capitalism and a moving character study of the workers most often caught in its clutches.” —Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

“In an Afrofuturist world of barbaric debt police and an absurd heist to bring it all down, The Payback is a delightfully dark comedy of three coworkers-turned-conspirators hell-bent on revenge. This trio of Robin Hoods taking matters into their own hands out of grief and desperation will have you alternating between raucous laughs and fear for their safety. California strip malls, 80s fashion, punk and hacker culture, all combine in a tenacious cocktail of sweet justice shared by all.” —Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming and Anita de Monte Laughs Last

“Smart, socio-politically astute, and sidesplitting hilarious, The Payback's inventive wit solidifies Kashana Cauley's place among our most entertaining social critics and novelists.” —Camille Perri, author of The Assistants and When Katie Met Cassidy

“An exciting and hilarious heist novel that centers down-on-their-luck older millennials who are riddled with debt and decide to take matters into their own hands to dismantle the system. Timely and witty, Cauley's plotting, prose, and character development will keep you hooked from start to finish.” —Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be Undoing

“Like Ocean's Eleven but no one's famous. The Payback is a love letter to the American mall, the revenge of the break room, and a laugh-cry of the gods of retail. The result is obsessive truth-telling fun, with zingers, dishy thrills, bodysuits, and a few wigs that have seen better days but are hoping to have the best one yet.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel