Tony Tulathimutte paints a brutally honest portrait of love and desire in the age of dating apps and social media. Characters grapple with unrequited crushes, the pressure to perform, and the constant fear of being ghosted. For instance, in "Pics," a young woman's infatuation spirals into an unhealthy obsession fueled by the curated perfection of online personas.

The characters in "Rejection" are united by a shared sense of displacement and a desperate need for validation. Tulathimutte explores how rejection, both romantic and societal, can chip away at our sense of self. "The Feminist" highlights this through a man whose performative allyship masks a deep-seated insecurity and loneliness.

From societal pressures to familial expectations, Tulathimutte's characters are burdened by the weight of unspoken rules and unattainable ideals. In "Ahegao; or, The Ballad of Sexual Repression," a young man's awkward attempts to navigate his first relationship expose the anxieties and unrealistic expectations surrounding intimacy in a hypersexualized culture.