Victim

by Andrew Boryga
Victim cover
Good Books rating 3.38
Contemporary Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 456
  • Added: 2025-09-11
  • Updated: 2025-09-12
  • ISBN: 9780385549981
  • Publisher: Vintage
  • Published: 2024-03-12
  • Formats: 6
  • Reviews: 4
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £14.99

Victim follows Javier Perez, a young man from a family of hustlers in the Bronx who learns early how to use his challenging background—a murdered drug dealer father, a struggling single mother, and a best friend in prison—to his advantage. Encouraged to emphasize trauma and hardship, Javier crafts a compelling but increasingly fabricated narrative to secure a prestigious academic scholarship and launch a writing career focused on identity and victimhood. His viral success as a journalist hinges on these embellished stories, gaining acclaim for his 'unique perspective.' As Javier's career rises, the novel explores the consequences of exploiting trauma for personal gain, especially as his closest friend Gio, who knows the real Javier, challenges the authenticity of his narrative. Victim is a fearless satire that critiques diversity initiatives and the commodification of identity, while tenderly portraying friendship and asking what genuine diversity truly means in today's society.

Reviews
Cyprus Mail · 2024-04-16
compelling 4.00

The novel compellingly explores themes of identity and social justice with a flawed protagonist, raising important questions about authenticity and agency in diversity discourse.

This review highlights the book's strong dramatic tension and realistic storyline centered on a flawed but compelling protagonist who manipulates narratives of victimhood. It praises how the novel reflects contemporary issues of superficial diversity initiatives and the complexities of identity politics. The reviewer notes the sad irony of the protagonist’s pride in traits that ironically serve to reinforce stereotypes, and appreciates the book’s capacity to provoke reflection on the limits and consequences of performative social justice.

Quick quotes

    Victim is a compelling work with a flawed protagonist, a realistic storyline, and strong dramatic tension.

    Victim raises important questions about how much fabrication is allowable in storytelling and who gets to own certain narratives.

    The sad irony of the fact that Javi is proud of possessing qualities that allow affluent white people to view him as a victim is part of the novel’s critical edge.

Southern Review of Books · 2024-04-10
thought-provoking 3.75

The novel presents a compelling story with a flawed protagonist and strong dramatic tension, raising important questions about identity and truth in contemporary society.

This review appreciates the novel's ability to engage readers through a realistic storyline and a protagonist who is complex and flawed, which adds depth to the narrative. It highlights how the book effectively explores themes of identity, fabrication, and the social currency of victimhood, prompting readers to reflect on what it means to claim victim status in today's culture. The reviewer values the dramatic tension throughout the novel and the provocative questions it raises about authenticity and the consequences of manipulating personal narratives. While acknowledging imperfections, the review sees the book as a significant and thought-provoking contribution to contemporary fiction that challenges readers to reconsider the dynamics of identity politics.

Quick quotes

    Victim is a compelling work with a flawed protagonist, a realistic storyline, and strong dramatic tension.

    Victim raises important questions about identity and truth in contemporary society.

    The novel challenges readers to reconsider the dynamics of identity politics.

Kirkus Reviews · 2024-03-12
disappointing 2.00

The novel tackles the topical theme of victimhood and identity politics but does so in a manner that feels superficial and underdeveloped, with a protagonist whose talent and moral complexity remain unconvincing.

This review critiques the novel for its shallow treatment of the important and timely topic of playing the victim. The protagonist, Javi, is depicted as a hustler who manipulates narratives of trauma and identity to his advantage, but the reviewer finds his supposed writing talent unimpressive and his character lacking depth. The novel's climax and moral reckoning are described as abrupt and unearned, leaving the story feeling incomplete and the narrative unreliable on multiple levels. The review suggests that despite the novel's interesting premise and relevant social commentary, it falls short in execution, particularly in developing a believable and compelling protagonist. The reviewer implies that the novel's potential is undermined by its superficial approach and narrative inconsistencies, resulting in a work that promises much but delivers little in terms of emotional or literary impact.

Quick quotes

    Recognizing what a “powerful grift” playing the victim can be, young Nuyorican Javier Perez becomes an in-demand writer, but with troubling consequences.

    Boryga is relentlessly superficial in his depiction of Javi, whose supposed talent is never on display.

    Javi’s inevitable comeuppance is dropped late like a cement shoe—the novel has both an unreliable narrator and an unreliable author.

Goodreads · Cindy522 · 2024-03-12
thought-provoking 3.75

The book is a fearless satire on diversity initiatives and trauma narratives, with a fun tone and some laugh-out-loud moments despite some missed opportunities for deeper character nuance.

This review appreciates the novel as an entertaining satire that critiques performative allyship and how trauma is commodified for success and recognition. The reviewer notes that while the satire could have been sharper and Javier's story more nuanced and realistic, the book still pushes readers into discomfort and provokes thought about current social justice dynamics and victimhood culture. The humor and pace make it an engaging read, even if some aspects feel underdeveloped.

Quick quotes

    Victim is a fearless satire about a hustler from the Bronx who sees through the veneer of diversity initiatives and decides to cash in on the odd currency of ...

    I wish it gave space for the main character's story beyond his grift to allow more nuance, but still a fun read and some parts even made me laugh out loud.

    This debut is an excellent companion piece to Yellowface: Both are satires about the public's fascination with trauma porn, written from the first-person perspective of a fraudster defending their actions...

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