Kashana Cauley

Jada the MC has a lively, distinctive voice. She is a former Hollywood costume designer, and her interest in creative fashion (and disdain for wardrobe disasters) is infectious. I'm happiest in sweats and an old t-shirt, so it's not easy to engage me on that topic! Her gripes about her best friend's Afro-punk band shows are also priceless. The only part of the story that didn't work for me was actually the main plotline concerning Jada's attempt to take down the merciless student loan show more system.

The impact of crushing student debt is incisively portrayed, especially the fact that Black women statistically have higher debt and lower wages than other groups. The addition of brutally violent "Debt Police" increases the stakes even more. But the so-called "heist" is rudimentary at best and it doesn't even come together until the last 25%. The ending is out of step with the rest of the book's tone, although it's an intriguing twist. (Jada and her friends are caught and arrested, but an anonymous group pays for a good defense attorney, they are acquitted because everyone on the jury has their own student debt, and both public and private student loans are eventually declared illegal. Sure, Jan!) YMMV if you are a Millennial who is tired of being told you could afford to both own a house and pay down your student debt if you would just stop ordering avocado toast. show less

Can a darkly satirical book about how society treats black women be fun? Yes — if it’s The Payback by Kashana Cauley. After losing her dream job as a wardrobe head for low-budget movies, Jada ekes out a living by working retail at the mall, but her student loans continue to grow. In a world where the debt police harass and beat up people — especially people of color — who default on their loans, Jada needs to keep paying. When she gets caught stealing a watch left behind in a show more dressing room, it all falls apart, and she and her friends plot a way to fix everything. The Payback is part social commentary, part heist thriller, and laugh-out-loud funny. show less

This novel, with the wittiest opening paragraph I can recall in ages, turns into an intense experience that compelled me to stay up devouring the pages, and then sending me spiraling into a trough of despair afterwards. Narrator Aretha, a hard-working Black lawyer anticipating a promotion to partner, meets Aaron, a Brooklyn coffee roaster, recovered alcoholic and Superstorm Sandy survivor, and they develop warm, strong feelings for each other, like the globally-sourced coffee beans that show more Aaron travels to procure, almost immediately. Aaron is the partial owner of a palatial, pre-war Brooklyn brownstone on a comfortable block. Aaron's roommates, however, give Aretha fits and their very cold shoulders. James, a white, publicly denounced journalist-turned-plagarist, provides security for the brownstone-based growing business by stalking the hallways and the roof with guns in hand. Brittany keeps the books and is building a bomb shelter in the yard. Aretha becomes subsumed in the household, especially with Aaron always off on bean buying trips, and especially as she has lost hope of even staying status quo at the law firm when a new white associate receives the attention and acclaim that made Aretha confident of attaining a partnership. She also alienates her BFF Nia, when she finally invites her over to the brownstone and Nia is appalled to see the casual treatment of guns by the housemates. Aretha takes the nihilist path, becomes a "prepper", and assists James with the gun purchases and sales that keep the collective funded. She finds herself loving the nighttime gun deliveries all over metropolitan New York/New Jersey. Aretha's trip off the rails is mysterious and disturbing, although the racist treatment by the law firm gives her a very strong push in a very wrong direction. The ending is a bit comic but the overall impact of the ruin of Aretha's life is not. The writing is at times brilliant and never boring, but the downfall of Aretha is a very painful journey for the reader. show less

The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley covers a lot of ground — some good and some not so much — as she explores modern issues including how we measure success, social justice, and friendship. Aretha is the typical overworked lawyer obsessed with billable hours and clawing her way to partner until she meets Aaron on a dating app. He seems to have a lot going for him as he owns his own business and the Brooklyn brownstone that he runs it out of, but then he tells Aretha about his survivalists show more roommates. As Aretha gets more drawn into Aaron’s life, she finds herself questioning everything she knows and finds important. Cauley is very funny and it comes across in Aretha’s constant internal dialogue and her interactions with her best friend, Nia, but at times it feels like the author tries too hard. Some of the secondary characters never get drawn as clearly as I would have liked, which makes some of the plot feel unrealistic…but then I wonder if it is supposed to feel like that? Is it satire? I enjoyed parts of The Survivalists, but parts definitely left me feeling confused. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed The Other Black Girl, Hell of a Book, and The Sellout. show less