Hamptons Beach Read Of The Day: The Trouble Boy

by CARSON GRIFFITH · August 13, 2009

    The fact that The Trouble Boy, by Tom Dolby, has been compared to a "dark and gritty, gay Sex & the City" didn't surprise, as the story does take place around one main character, a gay "social" writer and his friends, living in New York City, going to the most popular places. An accurate comparison pretty much ends there. Entirely. Even though the majority of the critical hype around this book was based upon it's focus on the magnitude of gay characters, its extremely relatable to a wide span of people. Toby Griffin, fresh out of college, moved to New York City, and hit the ground running at a time when anything seems possible...Whether it's taking over the city and the social scene one day or falling flat on your face the next, for him sometimes, this just means paying his bills and finding a boyfriend. Writing for a website, dealing with celebrities, photographers - it all adds to the glitz of the New York City setting, but it doesn't make the story. The character's admittance to his issues and problems, and understanding of those around him does. The New York society story has been told so many times, it's getting hard to tell a good, original one with any depth, but in the case of The Trouble Boy, it was done quite well.