“[A] darkly comic debut. . . . Wry and incisive. . . . A new view into the psyche of the disillusioned work force.” —Hilary Leichter, The New York Times Book Review
“Putting a twist on “Fake it till you make it,” Serrano’s narrator Marisa creates a new mantra for herself: “Fake it till they leave you alone” . . . . Laugh-out-loud hilarious. . . . The story’s climax is deliciously stunning as her fantasies become reality. This debut gem is a fast page-turner that most readers will finish in a few sittings.” —Library Journal (starred)
“Tremendously entertaining.” —The Guardian
“Beneath the novel’s breezy “Office Space”-style nihilism. . . Serrano — via a seamless translation by Lethem — locates the profound loneliness of her protagonist, who seems to live almost entirely behind screens or via surface encounters. Discontent is one of this year’s loveliest small surprises: a melancholy and tartly funny little bonbon of a book with a (literal) knockout ending.” — Leah Greenblatt, The New York Times Book Review (Favorite Hidden Gems of 2025)
“Hilarious – full of one liners and pithy observations. I rooted for Marisa from the start.” —Daily Mail
“Fun, caustic and mercilessly observed, Discontent announces an impressive new comic talent in European fiction.” —The Telegraph
“A wry work of spectacular wit, Discontent skewers every novel of workplace ennui that has come before it. Beatriz Serrano writes with a caustic flare for detail, exploring the small humiliations of the everyday corporate office with charm and utter hilarity. Absolutely brilliant.” —Danya Kukafka, author of Notes on an Execution
“Office Space for literary weirdos. Discontent is brimming with witticisms and scathing observations about our modern-day malaise. While Serrano’s narrator is drowning in existential dread, her debut novel never feels weighed down. Electric, lively, and brilliantly constructed by a new writer of immense talent.” —Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza Girl
“This intelligent, engaging novel perfectly captures the discontent of our contemporary minds, managing all the while to be totally hilarious.” —Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists
“Our heroine compulsively watches YouTube, pops Ativan, quotes both Britney Spears and Proust, dreads work small talk, and, at one point, Googles ‘how to be creative.’ I adored her. Discontent is a razor-sharp debut with a riveting climax.” —Anna Dorn, author of Perfume and Pain
“An acidic reflection on the existential crisis of a generation that thought it had guaranteed success. . . . Humor in abundance, a punk ending that blows the reader’s mind and markedly agile writing, which hides necessary and hard reasoning.” —Glamour (Spain)
“[Discontent] is not only an x-ray as clear as it is painful of a job market that is often willing to steal the souls of those who inhabit it, but also one of the most outstanding literary debuts of 2023.” —Harper’s Bazaar (Spain)
“A faithful portrait of millennial disenchantment.” —Vogue (Spain)
“Discontent [is] a generational phenomenon that has crossed borders.” —Esquire (Spain)
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