cakt1991 's review for:

The Payback by Kashana Cauley

4.0

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 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

I only vaguely read the blurb of The Payback before requesting it, and decided it sounded fun. But it definitely hits harder in the current political climate, where student loans are actively under threat, with the threat of wage garnishment for people who defaulted on them being one of the more extreme actions proposed. So, this book served as wonderful wish-fulfilment for me and, I’m sure, anyone else who’s been stuck in a rut thanks to their loans and the economy. 

While I saw the page count before going in, I didn’t expect the story to be as straightforward as it was. The first part begins a tad mundanely, with some everyday retail stuff, but it kicks into gear by the end, with the worst-case scenario, and things propel from there, with Jada and the others planning out and executing the heist, with the fallout occurring just at the very end. 

With it being a very plot and theme-focused story, the character development felt rather minimal, which is odd, as the accompanying letter from the publicist drew comparisons between Jada and some iconic antiheroes of pop culture. However, I do appreciate that the narrative follows a Black woman without having the narrative explore racial trauma, although there are some implications that can be made about how her racial identity intersects with the issues of poverty and class which are more directly unpacked by the central premise as it relates to student loans. 

While not the most deep or insightful book, I had a lot of fun with it. If you’re in the mood for a book that’s both a rather timely read about student loans and a fun, if somewhat unevenly paced heist story.