stockboy nation

Phillip Doherty is at a crossroads in his life. He has moved from New York to California. He is engaged to be married to his long-time girlfriend, Melissa, his career is going nowhere and his latest novel has flopped beyond a reasonable doubt. Phillip thinks his only way out of money troubles is to go back to retail by working for Milton’s World of Fun which was the company where he worked when readers first met him in the original book, Stockboy (2013).

Life doesn’t work out easily for Phillip in a forever-changing world where things transform in the blink of an eye. This story is Phillip’s journey to discover a new normal for himself and, somewhere along the way, decide what he will do for work. When confronted with another romantic partner, he also must re-evaluate his relationship and decide who he really loves. Stockboy Nation aims to make you laugh, cry and think in ways you’ve never done so before.

Duffy’s Thoughts On Stockboy Nation

I haven’t read Stockboy, and was wondering if I would be able to pick up the thread of Phillip’s story in Stockboy Nation. However, I really enjoyed Social Work, another of Duffy’s books so I thought I would give it a go.

Phillip is in his forties and after moderate success with the publication of one of his books, he thought he was on a trajectory for success money and the life of a successful author. However, all that came to a grinding halt when a departure from non-fiction for his next book was a complete flop. At mid-life Phillip is back where he started and the problem is, he has no idea which step to take next.

Thomas Duffy has a talent for creating characters with depth and realism. You won’t find fantastical plot lines, crazy twists or improbable scenarios in his books. Instead, you will find an intimate analysis about the lives, loves and struggles we all go through, explored through a small cast of characters.

Some readers may well find themselves frustrated with Phillip, the main character, as he bounces from one idea to the next, and those people really must have life all figured out! For me, Phillip’s tale triggered memories, regret and decisions in my own past which on reflection weren’t right for me.

I don’t feel my age, and I’m no stranger to being awake at 4am wondering what the hell I’ve been doing all this time, and all those years wasted in past relationships and jobs, settling for safe and comfortable rather than making the jump into a new life. As we all know, a gamble is just that. Making the jump doesn’t always pay off, so should we just stay in our lane and settle for what we know? This is the theme of Stockboy Nation.

Be prepared to have a mirror shone on your own life choices as you read Stockboy Nation. It’s a great read which at times will have you shouting at the page to make Phillip’s decisions for him!

Learn more about author Thomas Duffy