Sharply observant and outrageously funny, *Rejection* is a provocative work of contemporary literary fiction and a plunge into the touchiest problems of modern life. The seven connected stories seamlessly transition between the personal crises of a complex ensemble and the comic tragedies of sex, relationships, identity, and the internet.

In “The Feminist,” a young man’s passionate allyship turns to furious nihilism as he realizes, over thirty lonely years, that it isn’t getting him laid. A young woman’s unrequited crush in “Pics” spirals into borderline obsession and the systematic destruction of her sense of self. And in “Ahegao; or, The Ballad of Sexual Repression,” a shy late bloomer’s flailing efforts at a first relationship leads to a life-upending mistake.

As the characters pop up in each other’s dating apps and social media feeds, or meet in dimly lit bars and bedrooms, this brilliant social satire reveals the ways our delusions can warp our desire for connection. These brilliant satires explore the underrated sorrows of rejection with the authority of a modern classic and the manic intensity of a manifesto.

Audacious and unforgettable, *Rejection* is a stunning mosaic that redefines what it means to be rejected by lovers, friends, society, and oneself.