This is a delightful heist novel. Jada, a young black woman who has a dream of dressing the rich and famous, especially on movie sets, but like many young career women, is sabotaged by an actress who refuses to accept that she has no concept of her own size. As quickly as a seam can rip, Jada is blackballed in the film industry, a career she’s gone deeply in debt for so she can go to film school.
Jada bounces back and finds a job in retail, which she loves. She loves the mall. She loves the vibe at Phoenix, the upscale store she works at for a 20% commission. She can make her rent and chink away at her student loan payments, but a lapse of judgment and a history of lifting goods left behind leaves her unemployed and basically unemployable.
Enter the Debt Police, in their ugly turquoise uniforms and propensity to violently beat anyone behind on their student loans, especially black women. Inspired by the bruises and pain inflicted on her and her friends, Jada masterminds a plan.
You are going to have to read the book to get the scoop, but it’s a quick and entertaining book with a lot to say about culture, race, and the police state that we seem to be flirting with today. The satire drips with authenticity and humor.
The Payback was published on July 15, 2025, by Atria Books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
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