"The thing that makes I Don't Want to Die Poor an outstanding read is Arceneaux's voice. He writes like he's telling you, his friend, a story. That makes you want to spend more time with him, listening to his stories and marveling at the way people can share so much simply because demographic factors put you in the same situations. For Arceneaux, life hasn't been easy, and his writing shows that. Luckily for readers, every painful detail he shares is balanced out by a superb critique, a masterful turn of phrase, a funny use of popular culture or a couple of sentences that cut to the bone of a social issue and expose the core of it with unbending honesty. Heartbreaking, hilarious, unapologetic and smart, this collection of essays shows a talented young voice that can attack racist nonsense while discussing The Real Housewives of Atlanta . It's also a warning to future generations and a literary hug to those who have fallen into the unforgiving claws of student loan debt." -- NPR "Another unflinchingly smart and wickedly funny collection of essays.

Arceneaux's writing is meticulously researched, gut-bustingly funny, and rich with niche cultural references ready to surprise and delight his audiences at every turn." -- Booklist (starred review) "Arceneaux takes an emotional look at how debt has impacted his life--from dating to health to career--and exposes the toll it takes on his mental health, all while delivering his signature wit along the way." -- Paper "Though their subjects vary, the essays all point to a larger question about the true cost of higher education in the United States. Like in his debut I Can't Date Jesus, Arceneaux's voice is both enraged and humorous as he tackles the anxieties of financial insecurity." -- TIME "His latest essay collection brims with humor and pathos, as Arceneaux explores how a scarcity mindset combined with another looming recession permeates every aspect of his life." -- The A.V. Club "Remarkably, [ I Don't Want to Die Poor ] captures the economic stress of our current moment with prescient precision.

With humility and ample (and often self-deprecating) humor, the excavation of artifice--even his own--is a theme that looms large in I Don't Want to Die Poor, whether Arceneaux is hilariously musing over the "thot" he could have been or more seriously reckoning with the repercussions of his choices and shortcomings." -- The Root.