Cover image from Goodreads.com

Absolutely none of the characters in this book are likeable, but they are compelling.

This book of short stories centres around the theme of rejection, but also, I think, what it’s like to be in an echo chamber. The characters are each absorbed by the internet, they’ve become so attached to a tunnel-vision view of their lives that they seem unable to function in the world as a whole.

The stories are cross-referenced with each other, some of them show up as little cameos in the stories of others, which provides a really interesting view on the difference of how a character thinks of themselves compared to what someone else thinks of them.

The author does a magnificent job in characterization. Each character felt so real, I felt like I knew these people – warts and all – intimately. Also, in one story, the author gives a fantastic definition of the difference between shame and embarrassment.

While this collection of stories is a bit depressing, I’d read the author’s work again. This one will stick with me for a while, and make me want to get away from screens.