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.

BIO

Kashana Cauley is the author of The Payback and The Survivalists, which was named a best book of 2023 by the BBC, Today, Vogue, and more. Cauley is also a television writer, having worked on The Great North, Pod Save America on HBO, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and more. Find out more at KashanaCauley.com.

REVIEWS

“Riotous – and righteous.” -- Vanity Fair

“For all that it deals with systemic racism and economic precarity, The Payback is a terrifically fun book that made me laugh out loud at least once every chapter.”  -- The Los Angeles Times

New York Times 31 Novels to Read This Summer

“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

“In Cauley’s timely and playful novel, three retail co-workers-turned-friends hatch a plot to wipe out student loan debt. From bonding over their distrust of the debt police to carrying out their daring scheme, the trio’s story reads like a delightful heist movie. (Actually, Hollywood, if you’re listening: Snap this one up).” -- Bustle, Most Anticipated Books of Summer

[H]  Atria Books  /  July 15, 2025

0.93" H x 8.56" L x 5.87" W (0.75 lbs) 256 pages