A tour de force, Mateo Askaripour's Black Buck takes the familiar rags-to-riches story and injects comedy, identity politics, and social commentary to create an intelligent debut novel. The story is told at a breakneck pace and follows 22-year-old high school graduate Darren as a chance encounter transforms his life and catapults him into the high-octane business of sales. While the descriptions are rich in detail and the setting, vibrant, Askariprour's writing really shines in the dialogue and the way he captures the energy between his characters. Darren and his friends feel larger than life, and I find it particularly entertaining when Darren breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader with his tongue-in-cheek observations ("Reader: Quote that and pay me my royalties"); it's a clever writing device that instantly builds camaraderie. If I had a complaint, it would be that it feels like Askaripour tries to fit too many things into his story and doesn't devote enough time to fully explore each theme. Also, less of a complaint and more of an observation: while the events that happen in the book might normally beggar belief, Askaripour keeps everything off-kilter enough that it feels diegetic to his world. I'd say that the comparisons to Sorry to Bother You are quite apt. Overall, I found Black Buck to be an enjoyable and engrossing read.