Tulathimutte's previous novel Private Citizens was my favorite book of the 2010s, and I have to say it looks like he's done it again. There's no one else around who writes with the same observational acuity about people who have been driven to insanity by loneliness in a world where the things that seem like they should help i.e. dating apps and social media only reinforce said loneliness because that's what they actually exist to do and how they make their money. In Private Citizens we saw the lives of several archetypal millennial characters as they bounced off each other, the activist, the girlboss, the STEM incel, the cool girl, and the affable guy on the spectrum, and it felt like the most realistic survey of the way it felt to live in those times that I ever read. Here Tulathimutte turns to the dark heart of a society that's only become more isolated and invented more ways to produce and then justify that isolation in the intervening decade. Rejection is simultaneously incredible funny and crushingly sad for its entire length as we watch people who are self-absorbed but basically well-meaning become demons over and over because they're unable to reckon with the possibility that people they like might not like them. It's the most fundamental human concern, our desire to be liked and/or loved, and as the book shows we've created a screen-prison constantly reminding us that other people don't seem to have any problems achieving this.

A weapons-grade-funny collection of short stories orbiting the theme of contemporary romantic rejection. Would that all books were so funny! Also, the highest-functioning execution of interconnected stories with recurring characters that also engaged with different forms and tones—the pieces were set up in a very pleasing domino chain reaction order, with some meta moments at the end.

Going beyond well-written into the land of pure textual glee at the extremity of human behavior and how we're forced to talk about it (groupchats, "popular" slang, political-cultural rhetoric, metaphor, etc.) Very online, delightfully committed to its perversions, and so enjoyable for its intensity and specificity. Made me want to read aloud whole stories to my friends.

A sharp, hilarious collection with complex, filthy characters.

Although I'd read a few of these before, I found the way the collection functioned, adding more and more depth the further I went along, even more satisfying. No story goes where you'd expect (they go there... then go even further...). Also worth noting that Tony does a whole lot in terms of form. The second story, for example, is half-told via text messages in a group chat.

Did I mention how disgustingly funny these stories are?

I want another collection!! I want more stories!! I want this to keep going forever.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley.

wowowow, to say I loved this would be an understatement!! such fun and unique stories - the first 3 blew my mind with how well they were written. I liked the second half a lil less than the first half but still had so much fun until the very end. I absolutely loved how the stories overlapped and interweaved with the others, loved the internet jargon, loved how real and unlikeable and complex each character felt, how tulathimutte really got into their heads and absolutely nailed it every single time. also got meta as hell towards the end.

if you aren't really 'online' or into stories that are, you might not understand or relate to some elements of this collection but if you are, I think you'll have an absolute blast. it's vile, it's smart, it's creative, it's brutal and weird and goofy and wise. I laughed out loud regularly (a rarity) and underlined something on practically every page. this book managed to get Deep as Hell while still completely making fun of itself for doing so.

10/10 recommend and can't wait till its published. thank you netgalley and william morrow for the arc!

A big-brained and hilarious short story collection... so happy to have gotten a galley and can't wait to interview the author!

I came into this having read (and really enjoyed) "The Feminist" and "Ahegao," so I knew I would like this collection, which contains both of those stories (though the book version of "Ahegao" is much longer). The book gets way trippier than those stories, though. There's a lot of play with form: "Pics" features a group chat of Twittery funnygirls, "Our Dope Future" takes the form of a Reddit post, "Main Character" is a novella-length wiki about the lore and theories behind a massive Twitter hoax, "Sixteen Metaphors" is a Lydia Davis-flavored, maybe Carmen Maria Machado-scented list story – and "Re: Rejection," a publisher's rejection of the very book we're reading, takes apart and craps on each story, including itself.

I had a great time reading this and hope TT releases some Rejectionverse (or TTEU, since Cory from Private Citizens reappears in "Main Character") DLC... I want to know how Bee and Alison and Cory react to what Craig does at the end of "The Feminist" (I guess if we're taking the linked character relationships at face value, which "Main Character" somewhat challenges). I want to know if Kant and Cory and Craig find out about Bee's bot hoax, &c &c (same disclaimer). Guess I'll have to ask the author himself...