Loner is a 2016 American novel by Teddy Wayne that explores the themes of toxic masculinity, sexual assault, ambition, socioeconomic stratification, and social media saturation in a campus novel setting.

In the process, he also stalks Veronica across campus, following her to courses such as "Gender and the Consumerist Impulse" and "From Ahab to Prufrock: Tragically Flawed Hero(in)es in American Literature."

While his relationship with Sara becomes more serious, David remains obsessed with Veronica, who he learns (from her Facebook photos) is dating an attractive, wealthy senior, Liam, from one of the school's final clubs.

After he breaks up with her (thinking that the longer he stays in the relationship, the less likely Veronica will be interested in him), he learns from his roommate that she considers the acts rape.

To his horror and astonishment, he learns that Veronica had been using him the entire time as a case study for toxic male behavior, referring to him as "Beta" in comparison to her "Alpha" boyfriend.

In a final flashback, David remembers being led out of his dorm by the police on the night of his attempted rape--a moment he thought would be full of glory, but which only confirmed his anonymity.

[3] Elizabeth Rowe of Bookish rated it among the best books of 2016, for "its ability to make the reader simultaneously feel real discomfort and a reluctance to put it down.