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Daytona Teddy Riggs
Set in mid-nineties South Texas, Daytona Teddy Riggs follows a has-been high school football star on his quest to become the World’s Strongest Man.
It’s 1996 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Teddy Riggs—call him Daytona—will stop at nothing to win the World’s Strongest Man competition. He spends his days training and downing as many calories as possible. Outcast from his oil-rich family, his main companion is a tape set by self-help guru Pat Dupree that he plays on repeat.
When a Dupree seminar is set to take place in Houston just before a regional qualifying event, Teddy knows the universe is aligning in his favor. But as the seminar approaches, a new relationship with Tammy, a local bodybuilder, brings all his crushing insecurities to the forefront, and he must confront who he really is beneath the muscles.
At once an outrageous comedy, a biting satire of the self-help industry, and an earnest look at the facets of obsession, Buxton’s riotous debut novel chronicles how masculinity, privilege, and mental illness intersect.
It’s 1996 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Teddy Riggs—call him Daytona—will stop at nothing to win the World’s Strongest Man competition. He spends his days training and downing as many calories as possible. Outcast from his oil-rich family, his main companion is a tape set by self-help guru Pat Dupree that he plays on repeat.
When a Dupree seminar is set to take place in Houston just before a regional qualifying event, Teddy knows the universe is aligning in his favor. But as the seminar approaches, a new relationship with Tammy, a local bodybuilder, brings all his crushing insecurities to the forefront, and he must confront who he really is beneath the muscles.
At once an outrageous comedy, a biting satire of the self-help industry, and an earnest look at the facets of obsession, Buxton’s riotous debut novel chronicles how masculinity, privilege, and mental illness intersect.
- GenresFiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 25, 2026
About the author
Drew Buxton
3 books15 followersDrew Buxton is a writer from Texas. His short story collection So Much Heart won the 2024 Sergio Troncoso Award for First Book of Fiction. His work has been featured in Southwest Review, Joyland, The Drift, and Vice among other publications. His first novel Daytona Teddy Riggs will be published by Hub City Press in 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 29, 2026
Funniest novel I've read in years. Tender and heartbreaking and completely unpredictable.
Read
August 31, 2026Lots of other people seem to love this, but I found the MC super unlikable. I’m pretty sure thats the point, but in that case, this book is not for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Call him Daytona. Call him Teddy. Call him the biggest strongman in Corpus Christi, Texas. But whatever you do, just don’t call him a quitter. “There’s a lot of strong guys out there,” he says, “but I want it more than any of them.” Right before sniffing smelling salts and pulling his Chevy across the beach, he tells himself “I’m fucking undeniable” as he blasts Mötley Crüe’s “Rattlesnake Shake” in the South Texas night. In Daytona Teddy Riggs, Drew Buxton’s debut novel, it’s the summer of ’96, and Daytona Teddy Riggs believes his calling is to be the World’s Strongest Man, but first he needs to compete in Gulf’s Strongest Man in Houston in early July. When he learns that Pat Dupree, the foul-mouthed self-help guru whose tapes he gobbles up as voraciously as he would a ten-egg omelet, is holding a seminar in Houston the same week as the GSM competition, he believes the stars are aligning just for him. He is destined to be the World’s Strongest Man. Nothing can get in his way. Teddy is twenty-four years old. He’s a Riggs of Riggs Gas Co. His grandfather served on the USS Lexington. He was once the “Tuloso-Midway District’s all-time single-season sack leader.” Daytona Teddy Riggs wants to be a strong man. This desire is the why behind every deadlift he does, every massive Whataburger order he scarfs down, and every measured breath he takes as he adds more weight to an existence already laden with familial and cultural expectations. But what does this all really mean? To be the World’s Strongest Man? To be strong? To be a man?
Throughout the novel, Buxton deftly and hilariously explores these questions through Daytona Teddy Rigg’s obsessive quest to become the World’s Strongest Man. Through his Oakley-shaded perspective, we see a world in which he wants to be recognized for his strength and also doesn’t “want anyone to see [his] arms” because “[he] feel[s] fucking tiny.” It’s a world full of massive biceps and steroid-induced “dead dick”. It’s a world where strong men don’t cry and where DTR is lying in the dirt chained to his Chevy “cry[ing] like a baby” through a bloody nose thinking about how his family doesn’t love him. It’s a world where real men only love women and a world where DTR is almost always questioning his sexuality as his reality rubs up against societal expectations. It’s a world where “[w]omen are just distractions, obstacles standing between [him] and [his] goals” and a world where all he wants is to be cared for by Tammy, the woman he falls head over heels for and who bankrolls his training the week leading up to the GSM competition. In Daytona Teddy Riggs, Buxton has created a character that is as sure of his destiny as he is insecure. He’s as strong as he is prone to running into walls of his own making. Despite everything, he’s Daytona Teddy Riggs. He’s undeniable. And that’s got to count for something, right?
Throughout the novel, Buxton deftly and hilariously explores these questions through Daytona Teddy Rigg’s obsessive quest to become the World’s Strongest Man. Through his Oakley-shaded perspective, we see a world in which he wants to be recognized for his strength and also doesn’t “want anyone to see [his] arms” because “[he] feel[s] fucking tiny.” It’s a world full of massive biceps and steroid-induced “dead dick”. It’s a world where strong men don’t cry and where DTR is lying in the dirt chained to his Chevy “cry[ing] like a baby” through a bloody nose thinking about how his family doesn’t love him. It’s a world where real men only love women and a world where DTR is almost always questioning his sexuality as his reality rubs up against societal expectations. It’s a world where “[w]omen are just distractions, obstacles standing between [him] and [his] goals” and a world where all he wants is to be cared for by Tammy, the woman he falls head over heels for and who bankrolls his training the week leading up to the GSM competition. In Daytona Teddy Riggs, Buxton has created a character that is as sure of his destiny as he is insecure. He’s as strong as he is prone to running into walls of his own making. Despite everything, he’s Daytona Teddy Riggs. He’s undeniable. And that’s got to count for something, right?
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Daytona Teddy Riggs is big. Like, really big.
Funny, too. Like, really funny.
The first read of the book: I enjoyed it. The book is often hilarious as Daytona just can’t seem to get out of his own way—whether it’s struggling with his delusions, his sexuality, or what it means to be a man. And while these situational setups / punchlines are funny, they are often head-shakingly cringe-inducing, which makes Daytona dopily adorable and fun to read for the ~200 pages of the book.
Also, set in the 1990’s, Daytona’s zealous adherence to a South Texas self-help guru—making up about half book’s the narrative engine, the other half being the desire to be win World’s Strongest Man in a desperate bid for self-worth—reads interestingly in 2026, considering the rise of Manosphere Masculinity and the effects it has on our culture and young men.
However, on the second read: for me, the sleight of hand of the tense / POV reveals itself somewhat. First-person present-tense narration is an interesting choice. It’s one that I don’t see often. I admire Buxton’s use of it here; he really goes for it, and he uses it to successfully create much of the humor of the book. Although, the tense / pov pairing feels less suited for plot, making the consequence of each action feel less earned as most of the information release hinges upon Daytona’s delusions and impulsivity. This is intentional, but it felt less rewarding to me on a second read. Daytona’s more moment-to-moment, bad decision-making drives us forward, rather than increasing consequences of plot.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I’d say give it a lift, especially if you see it on the shelf of your local gym.
For perhaps a more thorough review, I liked the review by Jace (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Funny, too. Like, really funny.
The first read of the book: I enjoyed it. The book is often hilarious as Daytona just can’t seem to get out of his own way—whether it’s struggling with his delusions, his sexuality, or what it means to be a man. And while these situational setups / punchlines are funny, they are often head-shakingly cringe-inducing, which makes Daytona dopily adorable and fun to read for the ~200 pages of the book.
Also, set in the 1990’s, Daytona’s zealous adherence to a South Texas self-help guru—making up about half book’s the narrative engine, the other half being the desire to be win World’s Strongest Man in a desperate bid for self-worth—reads interestingly in 2026, considering the rise of Manosphere Masculinity and the effects it has on our culture and young men.
However, on the second read: for me, the sleight of hand of the tense / POV reveals itself somewhat. First-person present-tense narration is an interesting choice. It’s one that I don’t see often. I admire Buxton’s use of it here; he really goes for it, and he uses it to successfully create much of the humor of the book. Although, the tense / pov pairing feels less suited for plot, making the consequence of each action feel less earned as most of the information release hinges upon Daytona’s delusions and impulsivity. This is intentional, but it felt less rewarding to me on a second read. Daytona’s more moment-to-moment, bad decision-making drives us forward, rather than increasing consequences of plot.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I’d say give it a lift, especially if you see it on the shelf of your local gym.
For perhaps a more thorough review, I liked the review by Jace (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Review of advance copy
Daytona Teddy Riggs by Drew Buxton is an outrageous and sharply observed debut that combines comedy, satire, obsession, masculinity, privilege, and an unexpectedly vulnerable examination of identity. Set in 1996 Corpus Christi, Texas, the novel follows Teddy Riggs, a former high school football star determined to transform himself into the World's Strongest Man, regardless of the physical and emotional costs.
What makes the story particularly engaging is the contrast between Teddy's enormous physical ambitions and the insecurities he struggles to confront beneath them. His obsessive training, dependence on a self-help guru's teachings, complicated relationship with his wealthy family, and developing connection with Tammy gradually reveal a character searching for validation and purpose. The setting and period also give the novel a distinctive atmosphere while allowing its satire of self-improvement culture and traditional masculinity to land with considerable force.
Readers drawn to literary comedy, contemporary satire, character-driven fiction, dark humor, and stories examining masculinity and obsession should find Daytona Teddy Riggs especially compelling. Its unusual premise gives it a memorable identity, while its exploration of privilege, self-help culture, mental health, and the pressure to embody a particular version of strength provides plenty of material for thoughtful reader and book-club discussion.
What makes the story particularly engaging is the contrast between Teddy's enormous physical ambitions and the insecurities he struggles to confront beneath them. His obsessive training, dependence on a self-help guru's teachings, complicated relationship with his wealthy family, and developing connection with Tammy gradually reveal a character searching for validation and purpose. The setting and period also give the novel a distinctive atmosphere while allowing its satire of self-improvement culture and traditional masculinity to land with considerable force.
Readers drawn to literary comedy, contemporary satire, character-driven fiction, dark humor, and stories examining masculinity and obsession should find Daytona Teddy Riggs especially compelling. Its unusual premise gives it a memorable identity, while its exploration of privilege, self-help culture, mental health, and the pressure to embody a particular version of strength provides plenty of material for thoughtful reader and book-club discussion.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the pleasure of watching this book come into focus, and having read the finished product more than once, I feel uniquely qualified to sing its praises. Teddy is unlike any narrator I’ve ever come across. He’s a former football star and wannabe strongman, of course, but his neuroses and unassuming way of looking at the world are endearing and truly funny—I found myself shaking my head at him just as many times as I found myself actually laughing out loud. Buxton skillfully immerses his reader in the world of 1990s South Texas—a land of HEB, Whataburger, and self-help lectures on cassette tape—and seems to have as much fun rendering this landscape as Teddy has inhabiting it. Amid the Oakleys and deadlifts and pizza buffets, though, lies is a sideways sort of cultural critique that stuck with me long after the Pat Dupree seminar came to a close. Daytona Teddy Riggs is written in the same quirky, retro vein as Buxton’s short story collection, but I was happy to spend a little more time with one of his characteristically offbeat narrators, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store next.
September 30, 2026
This ridiculous romp through early ’90s Southeast Texas achieves exactly what it set out to do. Beneath the absurdity is a character study centered on identity and role. Despite the misery Teddy imposes on himself, I’m left wondering whether things might have turned out differently had he been raised in a less prescriptive environment. We are left with a lot to chew on once the laughter ends. Terrific debut effort from Buxton.
August 30, 2026
I absolutely love this crazy book. The book is about a 24 year-old bodybuilder who wants to become the strongest man in the world. The majority of the plot is about him, trying to figure out his purpose. The book is very very quirky and has a lot of strange stories and incidents that occur. I really enjoyed every second. I wish it wasn’t so short.
September 30, 2026
I don't know how I feel about this one. On the one hand, we have a cast of unreliable and kind of unlikeable characters. On the other, a really interesting meditation on masculinity and community that sometimes gets lost in the aforementioned unreliable narration. Strong effort from Buxton and I would read more from him in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Author
In a literary landscape crowded with novels about Brooklyn polycules, DTR stands out as a first-rate picaresque about a Texas man who hopes becoming the world's strongest man will give his life meaning.
Review of advance copy received from Author
He did it again!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Fun! Sort of a "dudes rock" read
September 28, 2026
advertised as a comedy but made me incredibly sad
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews