The Payback A Novel
The Payback by Kashana Cauley, published by Simon and Schuster on July 15, 2025, is a novel that explores the challenges faced by Jada Williams as she navigates the pressures of student debt. After being relentlessly pursued by the Debt Police, Jada teams up with two coworkers from the mall to devise a plan to take down her student loan company. This edition spans 256 pages and is presented in English.
Readers will find a humorous yet incisive narrative that delves into themes of race, power, and the struggles of everyday life. Jada’s journey from a wardrobe designer to a minimum-wage worker highlights her unique ability to judge people by their appearance, which she now uses in unexpected ways. The story unfolds as the trio of women embarks on a heist to erase their student loans, offering a darkly comedic take on the societal systems that shape their lives.
Official synopsis Publisher
When Jada Williams is relentlessly pursued by the Debt Police, she is left with no choice but to take down her student loan company with the help of two mall coworkers—from the author of the “lethally witty” (The New York Times Book Review) The Survivalists.
Jada Williams is good at judging people by their looks. From across the mall, she can tell not only someone’s inseam and pants size, but exactly what style they need to transform their life. Too bad she’s no longer using this superpower as a wardrobe designer to Hollywood stars, but for minimum wage plus commission at the Glendale mall.
When Jada is fired yet again, she is forced to outrun the newly instated Debt Police who are out for blood. But Jada, like any great antihero, is not going to wait for the cops to come kick her around. With the help of two other debt-burdened mall coworkers, she hatches a plan for revenge. Together the three women plan a heist to erase their student loans forever and get back at the system that promised them everything and then tried to take it back.
“A novel of great fun and unforgettable fury” (Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning) The Payback is a razor-sharp and hilarious dissection of race, power, and the daily grind, from one of the most original and exciting writers at work today.
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