A timely and topical novel about three young women pushed over the edge by student debt. Narrated by Jada who, now in her thirties, dropped from working on films to working retail, it's very relatable and yet unrealistic. Audrey a former NSA hacker and Lanae who fronts a punk rock bank are also caught in the net of the Debt Police with their abrupt tactics turquoise uniforms. And then they hatch a way out using their skills. They become the Robin Hoods only they didn't factor in the extent to which there is surveillance of everything, It's a turner. I liked the characters especially Jada and her sense of humor. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read for anyone with loans looming.

In The Payback by Kashana Cauley, Jada Williams loses her dream job, and with it, any hope of paying off her student loans. She takes a retail position that barely covers her bills, let alone her monthly payments. Her coworkers are similarly afflicted. underemployed, scraping by, and drowning in debt.

It’s a stressful but survivable existence… until the Debt Police show up.

This elite (and terrifying) branch of law enforcement is tasked with intimidating or outright beating payments out of debtors. Author Kashana Cauley describes these cash-hunting cops in teal-trimmed spandex as perfectly coiffed, wellness-obsessed and needlessly cruel. Mostly white. Mostly male. And they disproportionately target Black women.

The futility of squeezing minimum-wage workers for tens of thousands of dollars seems completely lost on them. Eventually, Jada grows tired of living in fear and, with nothing left to lose, enlists the help of her coworkers in a plot to exact revenge on the usurious student loan company on behalf of everyone the Debt Police have harmed.

The Payback is sometimes darkly funny, sometimes infuriating. She paints a dystopian but timely picture of a system that punishes the poor while pretending to uphold justice.

Caule could not have known that by her publication date, there would be uncanny parallels between her fiction and the daily reality of people being racially profiled and scooped up by a cruel branch of law enforcement. A group with no apparent oversight or regard for the Constitution. It makes the story hit particularly hard.

I received this Advance Reader Copy of The Payback from Atria and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria books and the author for this read. This one was not the best for me, but it was not bad either. The book was funny and very chaotic, but I was just wondering where it was going. There is a message in the book as well. I would suggest everyone to read it for themselves and make up their minds how they feel if this is a book they would like to read,

Jada Williams was once a rising Hollywood costume designer, now reduced to folding jeans at Glendale Mall. Her crushing student debt never eases up no matter how hard she grinds away in a system that promises success but very rarely delivers. When impulsively she steals a customer's luxury watch and gets caught, Jada finds herself unemployed and in the sights of the Debt Police, a newly instated force that are out for repayment and blood. Along with two other co-workers, together they hatch a plan to rob the very institutions that have kept them chained.

I don't know guys. I really wanted to try something different so I thought that a dark comedy/heist novel set in the near future might give me what I wanted. I felt like The Payback was bold and genre blending, trying to join social commentary and a high-stakes heist, but the execution wasn't quite there. Jada is very relatable with her frustration with the crushing debt but dead end work ratio. And when she teams up with her co-workers, the one-liners and observations about race and capitalism are spot on and the satirical edge is perfect. My main problem was with the pacing and the cohesion. The first third of the book is a lot of setup and introspection but not a lot of action. Then it picks up but almost feels too rushed. Overall I would definitely still recommend The Payback even though it wasn't my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kashana Cauley, and Atria Books for this ARC! Publication date is July 15th 2025.

The Payback has a sharp, timely premise—three women taking on student debt and systemic injustice, all while being chased by the satirical “Debt Police.” The commentary on economic inequality, especially as it affects Black women, is compelling, and there are moments of biting humor and nostalgia that shine.

However, the execution feels uneven. The pacing lags in spots, character development is hit-or-miss, and the plot sometimes leans too far into chaos without much payoff. I expected more cohesion and sharper satire based on the premise.

A quick, creative read with bold ideas—but it didn’t fully land for me.

When I first heard the author talk about this book on social media, I knew I had to read it. A story about shutting down the student loan companies was exactly something I wanted.

Jada was a retail clothing store employee whose dreams of being a Hollywood wardrobe stylist were destroyed by an unfortunate incident on set. Then she looses her job because she is caught on camera taking something that a customer left in the dressing room. That is when she falls behind on her student loan payments and the Debt Police come after her.

The Debt Police go after people who are late on their loan payments and use violence to scare people. Jada finds out that they have gone after her two former coworkers as well. Those ladies come together and decide to get revenge. One of them is a hacker who was fired by the federal government.

This was a delightful journey. There were a few twists and turns. It was funny and full of action. The author did a wonderful job with description.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Very glad I read it.

Thanks to Atria for a physical ARC via Goodreads Giveaway along with NetGalley access in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Payback is a short relatively quick speculative fiction read where there is a Debt Police that goes after people to pay back their student loan debts. It starts out very realistic, with a late thirties female main character working in a mall (the description brought that Cinnabon mall smell direct to my brain) because her career trajectory didn't work out as she had hoped. After years of college and film school, a mishap on a film set basically ruined her career, so now Jada is working at a clothing store in the mall and attempting to maintain her lifestyle including the luxury of living in a one-bedroom apartment ALONE!
There were parts where I laughed out loud, and there were many parts where I cringed. The first time the debt police appear and physically assault someone for not paying back their loans was a bit shocking to read. I don't think the blurb for this one does the best job at describing it, because the heist doesn't happen (or even get planned) until the last third of the book. I was expecting more action on that end.
The author includes a lot about race and class and society, and I think if I had read this a year ago I would have cracked up at the satire. However, in 2025 it seems to hit too close to home for me.

This book is bold, funny, and a little wild as three co-workers team up to take down a loan company, and the chaos is cathartic.

A witty and insightful look into the politics and practice of student loan payback set against racism and the greed of capitalism. I enjoyed the characters and the ways three women work to outsmart the “debt police” who of course are men! But the story is also real and I could picture these women and the grind and hassle of having to live on limited incomes and pay a debt that never seems to go away. Short quick enjoyable read. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading this book.

Jada had a great life, but like so many times, a little misstep (and not even hers) blew it all up. Black, single, female, and under a lot of debt, she works part time in retail and struggles to make the minimum payments on her student loans. In what is another scarily possible future reality, there are now debt police who are authorized to hunt down debtors. It isn't pretty. There is a certain satisfaction in following along and Jada and her friends devise a plan to get revenge. I enjoyed the development of their characters and friendship. I also really enjoyed the social commentary. There is a half-paragraph that sums up a lot of the problems with student loan debt and the minority communities. This book is well written. It makes the reader think, but not realize they are thinking because they are enjoying the story!

I ended up DNFing this book around 25% in. I personally did not care for the writing style and the plot was definitely out of my comfort zone. I appreciate the publisher and author for the opportunity to read the e-ARC!

The Payback by Kashana Cauley has a killer premise—a debt-erasing heist!—and a snappy, voice-driven style that’s undeniably fun. But despite the setup, it never quite cashes the check it writes. It reads more like a promising first draft than a polished takedown of capitalism, and the “heist” part? More of a quiet shuffle than an Ocean’s-worthy sprint. Still, worth a read for the vibes and sharp wit alone.

A fun, delightful romp for anyone that remembers the world when malls were still alive or those who want to see it.With quirky characters reminiscent of the "Big Lebowski" vibe

3.5 stars

What happens when three women, each buried under crushing student loan debt and stretched thin by multiple low-wage jobs, decide they’ve had enough? In The Payback, Kashauna Cauley takes readers on a darkly funny, satirical ride through a speculative world where the debt police wield terrifying power. With social commentary that's spot on, Cauley shines a light on the absurdity of modern economic systems and social class—and the resilience of those they try to crush.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the humor, especially in the depiction of the debt police—who preach that giving up avocado toast is the solution to every financial woe. The satire is unrelenting, pulling no punches as it critiques not only the student loan crisis but the broader social and economic systems that disproportionately impact Black women. I also loved the unlikely friendship that blossoms between the three women at the heart of the story. Each character felt distinct, and their bond brought humanity to a high-stakes plot. The book’s nostalgic ode to mall culture with rich, vivid descriptions of bustling food courts (I could smell the Cinnabon) and familiar shopping scenes added an unexpected charm that balanced the heavier themes.

That said, I did find some elements of the story a little disjointed. Certain plotlines felt underdeveloped or out of place, making the overall narrative seem less cohesive by the end. The pacing also lagged in spots, with some sections moving quickly while others dragged, pulling me out of the flow.

Overall, The Payback is a smart, timely, and often funny take on the crushing weight of debt and the lengths people will go to fight back. While not without its flaws, the satire and strong social themes make it a worthwhile read for anyone who appreciates speculative fiction and social commentary.

I unfortunately did not connect with this book. I found Jada uninteresting. For a lot of the book she was just complaining about her lackluster life and her debt/debt police, instead of doing something about it. It felt repetitive instead of building the plot or developing the characters.

First thank you to atria books and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Jada is a young woman struggling in retail after being fired from her dream job. She gets fired from her latest job which causes her to get behind on her debt payments. She gets a visit from the debt police who rough her up. She vows revenge

What I liked: this book was a great surprise. The premise was great who wouldn’t want to get revenge against the debt police. This was a contemporary novel that I know will resonate with many people. Jadas struggles but seems to have talent in fashion. I loved her role and plan. I don’t want to spoil anything but definitely worth a read. It is quick and made me think. Excited to read more from this author.

The Payback by Kashana Cauley is a funny novel in which a trio middle-aged Black women pull a heist to eliminate the student loan crisis.

In terms of plagues on American society, cops and student loan debt rank must rank pretty highly. Kashana Cauley combines the two to conjure the Debt Police, a horrifying entity that beats up people for falling behind on their student loan payments (and, for some unexplained reason, wear a lot of turquoise and follow bullshit New Age mystical practices?). Jada Williams is a former film costume designer blacklisted by Hollywood after an on-set wardrobe malfunction. Jada lives and breathes fashion, so upon her exile from the film industry, she settles for the next best job: mall clothing salesperson. She enjoys her job, more or less, but her meagre salary barely makes a dent in the crushing student loan debt she owes from attending film school. When she loses her job, the debt police hunt her down along with countless others—particularly Black women—who are behind on their payments. Jada and two of her coworkers-turned-friends hatch a plan to hack into the student loan data center and erase everyone’s debt balances.

The Payback is an odd little novel. Cauley blends some genuinely strange narrative choices with a relatable premise for an effect that is not quite literary nor thrilling heist story, but that is nevertheless enjoyable. For example, the book doesn’t explore its themes in a particularly deep or interesting way. It is cathartic, however, to read the perspective of a character who loudly rails against the enraging stupidity of the student loan crisis and how it disproportionately affects black women. Jada is a hilarious narrator whose zany obsession with clothing compliments her incredibly relatable predicament of struggling under student debt. It’s heartwarming to see her form a bond with her two coworkers, Lanae and Audrey. The three women differ drastically in their personalities and interests, but they connect over being targets of the Debt Police and their inability to pursue their dreams due to their crushing financial burdens. Their noble criminal activities against the cartoonishly evil debt police provide a fun avenue for wish-fulfillment and empowerment, even if the criminal activities require a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. I think readers who go in with no expectations and appreciate The Payback for what it does well will get the most enjoyment out of it.

Trigger Warnings: Police brutality, death, grief, alcohol, disordered eating, criminal activity

I hope this is made into a movie as I will watch it for sure! This is dystopian story set in the “near” future that honestly feels like it could happen next week in the US. The author, Kashana Cauley scopes you up and takes you along on the heist that has you cheering for the main character and her friends every step of the way. At times I found myself laughing and other times almost in tears as Cauley makes sure her readers understand just how debilitating and soul sucking student debt can be. I look forward to what Kashana Cauley writes next. As the US feels like it might be entering (if not already there ) it’s’ “dystopian era” this novel is a timely read that just might urge readers on to resisting or protesting what is presently happening. Read this book! A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books and Kashana Cauley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This book really resonated with me. As someone who has dealt with debt as an American, I can attest to the feelings and treatment the author describes. Of course it’s not as extreme as it is in the future described in the book. I found this book very amusing, easy to read and very entertaining.

Jada works in retail after an incident as a Hollywood costume designer got her fired. Now she’s fired again and outrunning the newly instated, Debt Police. She gets with two fellow mall workers, and debtors, to hatch a plan to erase student loans forever.

This story is a contemporary Office Space meets Robin Hood. I was hooked from the beginning when it starts in the mall. I always love a story that used retail as an environment. It’s a fast read, despite the minimal dialogue. It’s also a big satirical which makes it humorous as well.

“That was me, crime cheerleader, ready with my Pom-Pom’s and an illegal plan.”

The Payback comes out 7/15.