"Engrossing . . . get comfortable in what you think is the widely accepted version of reality at your own risk, because you're about to be transported elsewhere whether you're ready or not. . . . excellent."

-Adventures in Americana

"Jake La Botz writes with a bruised, musical lyricism, capturing revelations that arrive not through grand redemption but through small, fleeting graces. . . . La Botz's comfortable prose hums with quiet tenderness, highlighting how his characters find resilience and dignity that persist."

-Compulsive Reader

"Jake La Botz's heroes are not superstars. He captures the dignity and survival of ordinary souls dealt a poor hand, spurred by real-life issues. Rarely written about, the subject matter here reflects life in America's margins, and La Botz in his stories seldom wastes a word."

-Lonesome Highway

"Jake La Botz writes like the bastard spawn of Denis Johnson, Hubert Selby, and Flannery O'Connor. His prose is as haunting and deep as the dark, beautiful, twisted heart of life itself. Your Place in This World is the kind of book you don't just read, you stop people in the street and tell them they have to read. It's that kind of good. I loved these stories."

-Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight

"Fierce and kinetic, La Botz ferries us through his collection with the precision of someone who's lived every note, every scar, every song."

-Meg Tuite, author of Planked by the Abyss

"Your Place in This World has an emotional depth and street-smart verisimilitude reminiscent of works from writers like Saul Bellow. . . . An absolute feat of a debut."

-Daniel Peña, author of Bang: A Novel

"A vibrant and delightful ride through a ramshackle realm."

-Louis Greenstein, author of The Song of Life

"Emotionally stunning . . . stories that shimmer against the dark world they illuminate."

-Elizabeth Oness, author of The Hopefuls