Victim - Andrew Boryga

I love a messy character. Like, really love a messy character. In Andrew Boryga’s debut novel, Victim, Javier Perez is one of the messiest.

Javier Perez, the main character in the book, knows about hardship. He’s lost a father to gun violence, lives with his single mom in The Bronx (you always capitalize the “T”), a part of New York that is known for being rough (but also amazing). He’s the type of marginalized person that white people love. His trauma is their drug, which he learns when it’s time for him to apply to college. From there, the author takes us on a ride that inevitably comes crashing down.

Let me say first that the main reason I wanted to read this book is because the character is from The Bronx. I lived there for 10 years when I was a kid and it never left me, even after all this time. The Boogie Down has a way of infecting you with its brashness, its noise, and its ability to create some of the best hustlers I’ve ever seen, good and bad. Javier is no different. He took an opportunity that changed his life and ran with it, even if it meant hurting everyone around him. But even with the doors being opened for him, he never left The Bronx, not truly. Because it is a part of him, whether he wants to admit it or not.

I think what Andrew Boryga has done with this book is great because he put a spotlight on how the trauma of Black and other POC is used in our society. And when I say used, that’s what I mean. Our trauma is marketed to white people in a way that makes them say, “poor them.” The superiority they feel at what we’ve been through brings out their savior complex, which is why they don’t know what to do with those of us who’ve never really been through hardship or didn’t grow up poor. It rattles their brains because the stereotypes they’ve always had of us are shattered. With Javier, he flipped it all on its head, because although he did suffer the death of his father in a very traumatic way, he also had a loving mother who always made sure he had a roof over his head, good food to eat and that he did his homework. Javier was also lucky enough to have encouragement in school, which I can tell you first hand is the extra push so many kids need to succeed. Javi’s life wasn’t “tragic” in the way most would think it to be. The conversation he had with the guidance counselor, the catalyst that really changed his life, is believable because it actually happens in real life.

Although I loved Javi’s character, the one I wish I could have known more about was his best friend, Gio. His life is similar to Javi’s, especially with them both losing a parent, but Javi had an outlet and support to grieve where Gio didn’t. Would his life been different if he had the same resources and support as Javi? We’ll never know. But I found him to be so interesting and would have liked more of him in the book. To be honest, I would love to read a book about Javi and his antics from Gio’s perspective.

Andrew Boryga has done a wonderful job of capturing not only the life and hustle of The Bronx but also what society thinks of victims and how they can be used to fit a specific narrative. A very well done debut.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where to buy: The Lit. Bar Loyalty Bookstores Call & Response Books

Andrew Boryga, author of Victim. Photo courtesy of the author’s website.

For more information about the author, please visit here.