"I wasn't trying to play the victim until the world taught me what a powerful grift it is." This is the opening sentence of Victim, a novel presented as the memoir of flawed protagonist and Bronx native Javi Perez, who plays the game of tragic storytelling to his own advantage. Javi learns that his background – murdered father, single, struggling mother, best friend an imprisoned gang member – is the perfect route to fame and fortune, and he is soon creating – and selling – stories around his identity in order to gain recognition as a writer. This shrewd "hustling Icarus", as the New York Times Book Review describes him, is at this centre of this "energetic and deeply satisfying debut novel". The Southern Review of Books praises the author's mastery of character: "Boryga's character development is exceptional. He draws the reader into Javi's psyche, experiencing his constant rationalisations, the fear of being caught, and the occasional pangs of guilt." (LB)

First published March 12, 2024