“Mixing the comedic and dramatic is a tricky thing to pull off, but [Burgess] does so with astonishing success… I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.”
– George Pelecanos, best-selling author of The Man Who Came Uptown
“[A] talent to watch. His style is strikingly visual—Mr Burgess doesn’t sketch scenes so much as paint them as big and bright as a playground mural….. an energetic and disciplined writer.”
– The Economist
“Matt Burgess is a major talent, blessed with a unique voice full of humor and an attitude that’s ready to elbow its way into American letters.”
– Ernesto Quiñonez, author of Bodega Dreams
“Matt Burgess is a gifted and generous storyteller.”
– Scott Smith, bestselling author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins
“Uncle Janice is a lowdown masterful contribution to Urban American lit, charismatically written with terrific sly humor and a joyous dead-on ear. An addictive read, one of those books you wish would never end.”
– Richard Price, bestselling author of Lush Life and Clockers
“With an acute ear for dialogue and the poetry of the street…DOGFIGHT burns through this explosive weekend like a lighted fuse…..”
– New York Times Book Review
“Burgess…has a finely honed eye and a gift for rendering street-smart dialogue that is both credible and comic.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Is it possible that Burgess is doing for Queens what Junot Diaz is doing for New Jersey? No easy answer just yet, but this novel will make you wait for one to show up.”
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred)
“[Dogfight is a] hilarious, harrowing story of an extremely bad weekend in the life of 19-year-old Alfredo Batista, a very small-time drug dealer with some very big problems… I couldn’t stop laughing.”
– Ben Fountain, bestselling author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
“Like those before him, Burgess lives and dies by the credibility of his dialogue and details, and his portrayal is clearly the product of much close study.”
– Time Out New York
“Like Richard Price and the late, great Elmore Leonard, Matt Burgess is one of those cool, quick and funny writers who can turn a seemingly routine crime caper into something special.”
– Carl Hiaasen, bestselling author of Bad Monkey and Strip Tease
“Uncle Janice is that mythical sixth season of The Wire for which we have all been pining. Yeah, that good.”
– Charles Bock, bestselling author of Beautiful Children
