In Antisocial, Joshua Ericson delves into the lives of two individuals, Stranger and Sasha, who grapple with antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. The first moment Stranger encountered Sasha was when she was delivering a catering order to an office meeting. Sasha radiated optimism and made everyone feel acknowledged, including Stranger. Without even trying, Sasha captivated Stranger; she had a penchant for individuals who were a bit risky. Sarah, Stranger's half-sister, served as his anchor following the trauma he faced in his childhood. Sarah was keenly aware when Stranger was merely pretending to be fine and always checked in on his well-being. When Sarah met Sasha, she could sense Stranger's feelings for her and felt pleased for him. Sasha realized that Stranger truly listened to her. Sasha understood that Stranger was not the person he presented himself to be, but she also believed he would never hurt her. There was a unique bond between Sasha and Stranger.

Antisocial by Joshua Ericson is not a traditional love story. It is unconventional and delves into the fragile terrain of trauma, mental health, and the need for connection. The plot was built on need and pain. The pacing left room for emotional intensity to build, and the action was more psychological than physical. Despite all this, the plot did not lack suspense, and I was on the edge of my seat. Themes of psychological manipulation, emotional abuse, trauma, and acts of violence were woven through the plot. The characters were well-developed and authentic. Stranger was damaged and was shaped and scarred by past abuse. The book was expertly written with honesty and empathy. There was no sugarcoating, and everything was described and presented as it really was. It was a powerful read, and I was engaged throughout.

In Antisocial: A Love Story by Joshua Ericson, “Stranger” moves through a life defined by surveillance and detachment, maintaining a quiet but strategic distance from everyone around him. Sure, there's therapy with Cora, but the man who obsessively grips onto the familiar is about to come crashing down. Enter Sasha, a match made in not the usual idea one has of heaven, but a match nonetheless, who disrupts his patterns with intensity he cannot deflect, dragging him into a frenzied relationship that jumbles every impulse he’s tried to contain. Stranger might be able to get away and even start to tiptoe into new flirtations with another. But, the ramifications when the manifestations become reality could and are very likely to shatter any chance of returning to what came before.

Antisocial by Joshua Ericson is a superbly constructed piece of organized chaos; precise, spiraling, and strangely intoxicating. The writing hums with urgency, as if every scene is filtered through a nervous system running too hot. There’s a delirious energy to Stranger’s internal monologues, which often feel like watching someone narrate their own life from inside a lucid hallucination. Despite being fully coherent, the book has the sensation of a story told from the edge of sleep or the fog of something far more pharmacological. A simple moment of Sasha teasing Stranger in a coffee shop or Cora noting a pause too long in therapy becomes electric in Ericson’s hands. The balance between restraint and collapse is engineered so precisely that it feels accidental, but it never is. Everything here works toward a cold, beautifully disordered whole that’s hard to look away from and even harder to put down.