The Hobbyist by Darryl Shelly

The Hobbyist is a coming-of-age story masked as a sex addict's roller coaster. Based upon true events, the author authentically chronicles sexual awakening from a man's perspective as he pulls back the curtain, and with staggering honesty, invites you into his private world of decadence. Not to be confused with a book on recovery, this raucous account is a cautionary tale of heartbreak and hilarity as a young man rises to manhood and into the throes of full-blown, sexual addiction in New York City.

This was a fascinating look into the rarely-spoken of world of sexual addiction. Although it is a novel and therefore fiction, the author drew on his own experiences in New York to give a realistic portrayal of a sexual addict.

The tension in the book is very effective. The author manages to catch our attention from the beginning and slowly starts building up the anxiety and fear that the protagonist feels. In a way, we are just as surprised as he is when his life starts spiraling out of his control. It’s not an easy read, because of the emotional trauma we can spy behind the words, but it is a compelling one.

The one issue I had with the book’s structure was the pretty frequent change in tenses, so that we weren’t too sure, throughout the story, which moment was the present one. Other than that, the book flows very well and the writing is simple enough to allow the actions to come through, unadorned.

This is definitely not a book for everyone. There is, of course, a lot of sexual material, so if that makes you uncomfortable, better not choose this one. But if you want to know a bit more about this addiction, then this is a great book to pick up.