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Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater
LONELY? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT.
Reeling after a breakup, young animator "K" is pushed by a friend to join the popular dating site Lovebug. His journey begins as a search for true love, but soon awakens a relentless craving for novelty and sexual conquest.
With the touch of a button, K embarks on a dating spree, browsing a digital marketplace of the flesh. Who can stop when Lovebug offers an endless stream of prospective mates, sorted by algorithms and stored on a distant server, ready on demand like TV episodes or Chinese takeout? And in the face of this addiction, can K hold on to his friends, his job, or even his humanity?
The acclaimed author of In the Flesh and The Abaddon presents an evocative tale of modern love... in a world where even full bars can lead to a bad connection.
Reeling after a breakup, young animator "K" is pushed by a friend to join the popular dating site Lovebug. His journey begins as a search for true love, but soon awakens a relentless craving for novelty and sexual conquest.
With the touch of a button, K embarks on a dating spree, browsing a digital marketplace of the flesh. Who can stop when Lovebug offers an endless stream of prospective mates, sorted by algorithms and stored on a distant server, ready on demand like TV episodes or Chinese takeout? And in the face of this addiction, can K hold on to his friends, his job, or even his humanity?
The acclaimed author of In the Flesh and The Abaddon presents an evocative tale of modern love... in a world where even full bars can lead to a bad connection.
232 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2016
4 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Koren Shadmi
27 books86 followersKoren Shadmi is a Brooklyn Based illustrator and Cartoonist; he earned his degree in Illustration in 2006 from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His graphic novels have been published in France, Italy, Spain, Israel, and the US.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 11, 2018
There’s a number of graphic novels and memoirs about sex, usually about/by self-deprecating nerds—Spent is a harshly honest memoir from Joe Matt; Joe Ollman’s The Abominable Mr. Seabrook is also harshly honest about Seabrook, for sure, and Chet Brown’s Paying For It, well, is an interesting (and possibly troubling) defense of prostitution. Every Girl is the End of the World for Me is a very funny “loser” tale by Jeffery Brown of all the women he failed to make a connection with over one holiday break. Comics about sex (or the desire for it) are also Crumb territory, which he honestly and disturbingly chronicles in his My Trouble With Women. Fascinating? Funny? Insightful? Sometimes all of the above.
Wait: Is this review making you uncomfortable?! ☺
Some graphic stories I’ve read about sex are seriously intellectual and poetic meditations about it, such as Blaise Larmee’s 3 Books or Andy Burkholder’s Qviet, both very interesting artistically, and thoughtful.
Yes, women do create these stories, too, such as Julie Doucet’s My Most Secret Desire, a kind of unfiltered dream journal focused in part on her fantasies; Gina Wynbrandt’s Someone Please Have Sex With Me is hilarious; Kiss and Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22 by MariNaomi is fascinating!
Love Addict is a memoir by self-proclaimed nerd Brooklyn cartoonist /animator Shadmi about his largely “successful” year (in his own terms, of how much sex he was able to have) in dating. Shadmi had broken up with his girlfriend, and at his roommate’s urging, he goes on an online dating site, LoveBug. His roommate dates constantly, so soon they both do, all the time, out of control. Some weeks they have a date every night! Crazy! Obsessive! And with both of these boys, the object for some time seems to really be sex, not love. Should I say “of course”?
This story, which should have been called Sex Addict—and it is quite graphic in that respect—can make you uncomfortable at times, and it is a male’s version of these events, obviously, but it is actually quite conventional, finally, in that he is really looking for love, and lo and behold, he finds it, after realizing what he is doing is what we all could have told him: It’s shallow and self-serving, and sometimes disrespectful of these women, and sorta sad. I guess I should also say that the women he hooks up with seem to often also just be seeking sex; they--sometimes--“use” him as he uses them. And it is true that he did find his “true love” online through LoveBug!
The book I read it one sitting. It’s amazingly well drawn (though largely stereotypical in its depiction of women’s bodies, so that will be annoying for some readers, without question) and it’s a pretty interesting story, honest and self-deprecating and sometimes very funny. You know, it’s (artistically) good comics! It is! It’s essentially a confession, exploring the very idea of online dating as one common means for our contemporary search for love. I have never had anything to do with these sites, so am an outsider looking in. Usually what I have heard has been terrible from people who use such sites. This book sort of confirms what I had heard, in many ways.
Wait: Is this review making you uncomfortable?! ☺
Some graphic stories I’ve read about sex are seriously intellectual and poetic meditations about it, such as Blaise Larmee’s 3 Books or Andy Burkholder’s Qviet, both very interesting artistically, and thoughtful.
Yes, women do create these stories, too, such as Julie Doucet’s My Most Secret Desire, a kind of unfiltered dream journal focused in part on her fantasies; Gina Wynbrandt’s Someone Please Have Sex With Me is hilarious; Kiss and Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22 by MariNaomi is fascinating!
Love Addict is a memoir by self-proclaimed nerd Brooklyn cartoonist /animator Shadmi about his largely “successful” year (in his own terms, of how much sex he was able to have) in dating. Shadmi had broken up with his girlfriend, and at his roommate’s urging, he goes on an online dating site, LoveBug. His roommate dates constantly, so soon they both do, all the time, out of control. Some weeks they have a date every night! Crazy! Obsessive! And with both of these boys, the object for some time seems to really be sex, not love. Should I say “of course”?
This story, which should have been called Sex Addict—and it is quite graphic in that respect—can make you uncomfortable at times, and it is a male’s version of these events, obviously, but it is actually quite conventional, finally, in that he is really looking for love, and lo and behold, he finds it, after realizing what he is doing is what we all could have told him: It’s shallow and self-serving, and sometimes disrespectful of these women, and sorta sad. I guess I should also say that the women he hooks up with seem to often also just be seeking sex; they--sometimes--“use” him as he uses them. And it is true that he did find his “true love” online through LoveBug!
The book I read it one sitting. It’s amazingly well drawn (though largely stereotypical in its depiction of women’s bodies, so that will be annoying for some readers, without question) and it’s a pretty interesting story, honest and self-deprecating and sometimes very funny. You know, it’s (artistically) good comics! It is! It’s essentially a confession, exploring the very idea of online dating as one common means for our contemporary search for love. I have never had anything to do with these sites, so am an outsider looking in. Usually what I have heard has been terrible from people who use such sites. This book sort of confirms what I had heard, in many ways.
February 3, 2017
Freshly dumped K gets signed up to online dating site Lovebug by his rambunctious roommate to lift his spirits. What starts off as a series of disastrous dates leads to an extremely active sex life as K discovers a world of women ready to fool around with him. But where will all of this temptation lead our once-meek protagonist?
I was in a bit of a mood when I picked this one up. I was sick of reading one crap book after another and was looking for something to be absolutely killer - I was only going to give this one twenty pages to wow me and then I was gonna toss it and stare at the wall instead. Well, it grabbed me in ten! Koren Shadmi’s Love Addict is a really great comic.
The opening ten page prologue is a truncated version of K’s last relationship from meet cute to breakup. I wasn’t expecting the speed but it was a perfectly paced beginning – no time wasted reheating the same romantic clichés! The story then takes us through K’s dates with various women who come with their own strange stories, all of them compelling. It’s the best kind of reading experience where you don’t feel like you’re reading a book, it’s just happening.
Never having done online dating, particularly in a vast metropolis like New York City, I can’t tell if this is an accurate representation of the experience but I get the feeling that this is semi-autobiographical and “K” is really Koren (they look similar too). There is a large amount of sex in this book, graphically depicted in the art, so this isn’t one for the kids. I do wonder though if Koren did get this ridiculous amount of trim or whether some of the women were made up to drive home how the site consumes him.
The subject matter and art style reminded me of Bob Fingerman’s comics, which is to say the visuals are quite cartoonish. Did the comic have to be so explicit? Eh, it’s arguable, but it’s a book about sex so it’s not exactly unexpected, and it’s not like K’s shying away from the reality of the modern dating scene. It’s not like the author makes himself look that great either, particularly towards the end.
And that’s the other thing: the book doesn’t have anything original or profound to say - sleeping around is shallow, partying all the time becomes sad after a while, and sex with someone you love is more fulfilling - it’s just very entertaining to read. Even though I could see where K’s headed, I didn’t mind the predictability when I was enjoying the journey so much.
But it’s not like it’s a one-sided indictment of online dating either. Prior to joining Lovebug K didn’t think much of himself or his work until he discovered he’s considered to be quite a catch and women were impressed with his illustration skills. It did his self-esteem wonders and made him take some chances with his work that got him closer to where he wanted to be professionally; it’s just that he took things a bit too far and got carried away with what the site had to offer.
Koren Shadmi’s Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater was an excellent read. It grabbed me from the start and I was hooked on seeing K’s story through to the end. I recommend it to adult readers looking for an entertaining and humorous look at modern yoof dating, and particularly for fans of Joe Matt’s comics.
I was in a bit of a mood when I picked this one up. I was sick of reading one crap book after another and was looking for something to be absolutely killer - I was only going to give this one twenty pages to wow me and then I was gonna toss it and stare at the wall instead. Well, it grabbed me in ten! Koren Shadmi’s Love Addict is a really great comic.
The opening ten page prologue is a truncated version of K’s last relationship from meet cute to breakup. I wasn’t expecting the speed but it was a perfectly paced beginning – no time wasted reheating the same romantic clichés! The story then takes us through K’s dates with various women who come with their own strange stories, all of them compelling. It’s the best kind of reading experience where you don’t feel like you’re reading a book, it’s just happening.
Never having done online dating, particularly in a vast metropolis like New York City, I can’t tell if this is an accurate representation of the experience but I get the feeling that this is semi-autobiographical and “K” is really Koren (they look similar too). There is a large amount of sex in this book, graphically depicted in the art, so this isn’t one for the kids. I do wonder though if Koren did get this ridiculous amount of trim or whether some of the women were made up to drive home how the site consumes him.
The subject matter and art style reminded me of Bob Fingerman’s comics, which is to say the visuals are quite cartoonish. Did the comic have to be so explicit? Eh, it’s arguable, but it’s a book about sex so it’s not exactly unexpected, and it’s not like K’s shying away from the reality of the modern dating scene. It’s not like the author makes himself look that great either, particularly towards the end.
And that’s the other thing: the book doesn’t have anything original or profound to say - sleeping around is shallow, partying all the time becomes sad after a while, and sex with someone you love is more fulfilling - it’s just very entertaining to read. Even though I could see where K’s headed, I didn’t mind the predictability when I was enjoying the journey so much.
But it’s not like it’s a one-sided indictment of online dating either. Prior to joining Lovebug K didn’t think much of himself or his work until he discovered he’s considered to be quite a catch and women were impressed with his illustration skills. It did his self-esteem wonders and made him take some chances with his work that got him closer to where he wanted to be professionally; it’s just that he took things a bit too far and got carried away with what the site had to offer.
Koren Shadmi’s Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater was an excellent read. It grabbed me from the start and I was hooked on seeing K’s story through to the end. I recommend it to adult readers looking for an entertaining and humorous look at modern yoof dating, and particularly for fans of Joe Matt’s comics.
August 18, 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Not a fan. This book made me feel a combination of sad and icky in regard to the main character. He descends into this greedy sex addict with little regard for women, treating them like objects meant for his visual and physical enjoyment (although to be fair he seems to view women as things and not people right from the outset of the book so perhaps he didn't have far to descend) When the main character (Who is the author?!) commits sexual assault the book treats the incident so poorly. He has a brief moment of recognizing he's become a monster but there is no real recourse. No apology to the woman, no seeking of help, nothing beyond a very brief hard(ish) look in the mirror. Instead, the author/main character takes the incident to mean he's ready to commit to a relationship with the one girl from the sexual smorgasbord he'd been sampling that he seemed to click with. What a lucky woman.
This book does a terrible job of engaging with mental health, sexual assault, and even dating in any productive (or even critical) manner. It's intellectually lazy writing that, if the author really is like the main character he's styled after himself, we shouldn't be surprised by.
As other reviewers have said the title "Love Addict" is a misnomer. There's no love here.
Not a fan. This book made me feel a combination of sad and icky in regard to the main character. He descends into this greedy sex addict with little regard for women, treating them like objects meant for his visual and physical enjoyment (although to be fair he seems to view women as things and not people right from the outset of the book so perhaps he didn't have far to descend) When the main character (Who is the author?!) commits sexual assault the book treats the incident so poorly. He has a brief moment of recognizing he's become a monster but there is no real recourse. No apology to the woman, no seeking of help, nothing beyond a very brief hard(ish) look in the mirror. Instead, the author/main character takes the incident to mean he's ready to commit to a relationship with the one girl from the sexual smorgasbord he'd been sampling that he seemed to click with. What a lucky woman.
This book does a terrible job of engaging with mental health, sexual assault, and even dating in any productive (or even critical) manner. It's intellectually lazy writing that, if the author really is like the main character he's styled after himself, we shouldn't be surprised by.
As other reviewers have said the title "Love Addict" is a misnomer. There's no love here.
February 7, 2017
There was something here, but I don't think it was tapped. It skimmed the very surface and just said something that most people (I hope?) know, which is casual sex doesn't work for everyone and can often just enhance the loneliness you feel. I'm also not crazy about the sexist bullshit in here. I get it, that's how a lot of guys casually talk to their friends about women, but what bothered me even more is that every "beautiful" woman drawn was in one of two categories: fit with big tits, or less fit with bigger tits. Are you fucking kidding me? Women and beauty come in millions of shapes and sizes and reducing them all to two body types is just lazy artistry, or maybe lazy observation?
I also think a better name for this would be Validation Addict. I didn't see love anywhere here.
I also think a better name for this would be Validation Addict. I didn't see love anywhere here.
July 11, 2016
Decent comic about a nerdy guy who hasn't had the best luck with women who tries online dating, and the casual hook ups that can easily become the focus of it. Even though I usually like books about online dating this one fell a bit flat for me. I found the story interesting enough, but not sure if I would recommend.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow
Check out more of my reviews here
February 21, 2023
This is an example of a well-executed project that did not add up to much. Is this book intended for adults who are totally un-self-aware? Otherwise a reader might be disappointed.
The protagonist is completely out of touch with his own emotions, and vulnerable to peer pressure from his best friend / roommate who has substance abuse issues. None of these issues are dealt with. Instead we have a parade of hot girls, inexplicably drawn to our hero. Hot girls must be fun to draw, so there's that — but why are they interested in this guy? I haven't a clue.
Some of the vignettes or anecdotes are mildly amusing, but the narrative does not progress very far and does not achieve very much. The "happy ending" is pathetic.
The protagonist is completely out of touch with his own emotions, and vulnerable to peer pressure from his best friend / roommate who has substance abuse issues. None of these issues are dealt with. Instead we have a parade of hot girls, inexplicably drawn to our hero. Hot girls must be fun to draw, so there's that — but why are they interested in this guy? I haven't a clue.
Some of the vignettes or anecdotes are mildly amusing, but the narrative does not progress very far and does not achieve very much. The "happy ending" is pathetic.
November 6, 2016
3.5 Un libro entretenido, divertido. Una historia que refleja la actualidad del el mundo de las web o Apps de citas. Un libro sobre la adición al sexo, el autoestima, las relaciones amorosas y amistosas, sobre los estereotipos de hombres sexualmente activos y sus consecuencias.
Una novela gráfica que puedes leer en un par de horas, ambientada en la actualidad, con personajes que te pueden recordar a cualquier amigo tuyo, o incluso a ti mismo.
Una novela gráfica que puedes leer en un par de horas, ambientada en la actualidad, con personajes que te pueden recordar a cualquier amigo tuyo, o incluso a ti mismo.
May 23, 2024
1,5 * za szczerość
Co ja właśnie przeczytałam?! 🤯🥴
„Maniak miłości” to autobiograficzny komiks o karierze autora na portalu randkowym. Koren ma 30 lat, rozstał się z dziewczyną, więc współlokator namawia go do założenia konta na Love Bug. Ponieważ sam ma w tym olbrzymie doświadczenie zdradza mu tipy na to jak je prowadzić, żeby mieć jak najwięcej lasek i już wkrótce okazuje się, że nieśmiały żydowski chłopak, który nie radził sobie z kobietami, został demonem randkowania. Koren wsiąka w portal całkowicie, umawia się nałogowo, przestaje kontrolować swoje poczynania, siostra wyraźnie daje mu do zrozumienia, że zmienia się w kogoś niefajnego, chociaż jemu samemu wydaje się, że czuje się najszczęśliwszy na świecie, na największym haju przerywa nawet terapię. Oczywiście ma czasem przebłyski, że coś jest nie tak, że to takie puste, może nie dla niego, ale ego zdobywcy bierze górę, aż do momentu kiedy przegina naprawdę.
Ponieważ jest to komiks autobiograficzny, trudno nie docenić odwagi autora w opowiadaniu o intymnych sprawach z całkowitą szczerością, niestety dla czytelniczki jest to przeżycie na pograniczu wstrętu i złości. Jeśli macie jakieś najbardziej stereotypowe wyobrażenie o tym jak faceci funkcjonują na Tinderze, to ten komiks w 100% to potwierdza i jest to obrzydliwe. Przede wszystkim, nie powinien mieć tytułu „Maniak miłości”, tylko „Maniak ru#ania”, bo uczucie to ostanie, na czym bohaterowi zależy. Skupia się tylko na fizycznych cechach kobiet, bohaterki są uprzedmiotowione i sprowadzone do roli obiektów seksualnych. Nawet jeśli randka jest dziwna, chodzi o to żeby zaliczyć. W bezpardonowy sposób opisuje tu taktyki polegające na upiciu kobiety, manipulacji, świadomym wykorzystywaniu, choć teoretycznie wszystkie te relacje są konsensualne. Za to kiedy przekracza granicę, nie widzimy żadnej refleksji czy ukorzenia, nie przeprasza nawet partnerki, wobec której zachował się jak predator. Dzwoni za to do dziewczyny, którą odrzucił - chociaż wcześniej deklarował, że chce spróbować czegoś stałego, nie mógł jednak oprzeć się cyckom wszędzie dookoła - i prosi o kolejną szansę, bo jednak zmądrzał. Nie uwierzyłam mu za cholerę.
Od 20 lat mam tego samego partnera, więc świat tinderowego randkowania mnie zupełnie ominął, ale bardzo mnie przygnębia i czuję, że zupełnie nie mogłabym się w nim odnaleźć. Współczuję dziewczynom, które muszą się przebijać przez ten gąszcz narcyzów i dupków, kiedy to, że facet pisze gramatycznie i nie wysyła zdjęcia penisa urasta do rangi super zalety, tej powierzchowności relacji, wiecznemu byciu poddawanej ocenie. Nie wiem jak znając zasady tej gry można komukolwiek zaufać i mieć nadzieję na normalny układ. Wiem oczywiście, że pewno są kobiety, których potrzeby też są w ten sposób spełniane oraz, że są pary, którym się udało, ale wydaje mi się, że to zdecydowana mniejszość. Jak patrzę na tinderowe przeżycia moich koleżanek, to zazwyczaj jest to doświadczenie dalekie od przyjemności.
Ten komiks zdaje się to potwierdzać. Bardzo przygnębiający obraz męskiego ego.
Co ja właśnie przeczytałam?! 🤯🥴
„Maniak miłości” to autobiograficzny komiks o karierze autora na portalu randkowym. Koren ma 30 lat, rozstał się z dziewczyną, więc współlokator namawia go do założenia konta na Love Bug. Ponieważ sam ma w tym olbrzymie doświadczenie zdradza mu tipy na to jak je prowadzić, żeby mieć jak najwięcej lasek i już wkrótce okazuje się, że nieśmiały żydowski chłopak, który nie radził sobie z kobietami, został demonem randkowania. Koren wsiąka w portal całkowicie, umawia się nałogowo, przestaje kontrolować swoje poczynania, siostra wyraźnie daje mu do zrozumienia, że zmienia się w kogoś niefajnego, chociaż jemu samemu wydaje się, że czuje się najszczęśliwszy na świecie, na największym haju przerywa nawet terapię. Oczywiście ma czasem przebłyski, że coś jest nie tak, że to takie puste, może nie dla niego, ale ego zdobywcy bierze górę, aż do momentu kiedy przegina naprawdę.
Ponieważ jest to komiks autobiograficzny, trudno nie docenić odwagi autora w opowiadaniu o intymnych sprawach z całkowitą szczerością, niestety dla czytelniczki jest to przeżycie na pograniczu wstrętu i złości. Jeśli macie jakieś najbardziej stereotypowe wyobrażenie o tym jak faceci funkcjonują na Tinderze, to ten komiks w 100% to potwierdza i jest to obrzydliwe. Przede wszystkim, nie powinien mieć tytułu „Maniak miłości”, tylko „Maniak ru#ania”, bo uczucie to ostanie, na czym bohaterowi zależy. Skupia się tylko na fizycznych cechach kobiet, bohaterki są uprzedmiotowione i sprowadzone do roli obiektów seksualnych. Nawet jeśli randka jest dziwna, chodzi o to żeby zaliczyć. W bezpardonowy sposób opisuje tu taktyki polegające na upiciu kobiety, manipulacji, świadomym wykorzystywaniu, choć teoretycznie wszystkie te relacje są konsensualne. Za to kiedy przekracza granicę, nie widzimy żadnej refleksji czy ukorzenia, nie przeprasza nawet partnerki, wobec której zachował się jak predator. Dzwoni za to do dziewczyny, którą odrzucił - chociaż wcześniej deklarował, że chce spróbować czegoś stałego, nie mógł jednak oprzeć się cyckom wszędzie dookoła - i prosi o kolejną szansę, bo jednak zmądrzał. Nie uwierzyłam mu za cholerę.
Od 20 lat mam tego samego partnera, więc świat tinderowego randkowania mnie zupełnie ominął, ale bardzo mnie przygnębia i czuję, że zupełnie nie mogłabym się w nim odnaleźć. Współczuję dziewczynom, które muszą się przebijać przez ten gąszcz narcyzów i dupków, kiedy to, że facet pisze gramatycznie i nie wysyła zdjęcia penisa urasta do rangi super zalety, tej powierzchowności relacji, wiecznemu byciu poddawanej ocenie. Nie wiem jak znając zasady tej gry można komukolwiek zaufać i mieć nadzieję na normalny układ. Wiem oczywiście, że pewno są kobiety, których potrzeby też są w ten sposób spełniane oraz, że są pary, którym się udało, ale wydaje mi się, że to zdecydowana mniejszość. Jak patrzę na tinderowe przeżycia moich koleżanek, to zazwyczaj jest to doświadczenie dalekie od przyjemności.
Ten komiks zdaje się to potwierdzać. Bardzo przygnębiający obraz męskiego ego.
January 20, 2019
I guess I just didn't need to read a comic that was 80% about objectifying and judging women's bodies. It felt gross. I get that that shallowness was kind of a ~problem~ for the main character, but when so much of our culture is all about ladies' bods anyway, I don't need these cartoonishly gigantic boobies and booties shoved in my face by some insecure dude. These women are just walking body parts... I don't need that cultural reminder, know what I'm saying? The narrative is a little stale in 2019.
June 6, 2023
Great art, totally unredeeming story.
February 14, 2022
2.5 stars
March 16, 2017
The title should most definitely be Sex Addict, not Love Addict. I went into this expecting a story about funnyish codependency but got instead a story about fucking as many women as possible without regard to their wants or feelings. It gets a little rapey at the end and the main character learns no lesson apparently since everything wraps up in a nice little package for him. But the art was solid and I read it cover to cover in a single sitting so it was compelling in its own strange way. I don't regret reading it but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either.
November 9, 2016
The art was great; the introspection was not quite what I wanted. Shadmi is less introspective than easily made aware of his (or his character's) shortcomings by his close friends.
September 13, 2019
Misogynistic and low key rapey. Definitely manipulative and abusive with no room for redemption as none of said abusive traits are addressed nor condemned by the author.
March 11, 2017
Although this graphic novel seems superficially to be a "depraved" "sex-crazed" account of the author's "adventures" in the world of online dating, and it certainly does contain many explicit scenes, it's actually a story of the author looking for real love after a devastating breakup, and finding it. The book, in a way, reaffirms "traditional" belief in love - despite the "rush" the author experiences as he flits from one hookup to the next, until he finds someone he's compatible with.
I read the entire book in one sitting in about an hour - and must say Shadmi's drawing style & color palette conveyed the essence of what it means to be a young person in NYC, which, aside from the mediation of computers/cell phones, isn't so different from what it was all along: The messy room-mate apartments, camaraderie, the annoying bosses at jobs where a person is struggling to get along and not get fired, the sense of random excitement or encounters that might happen at any time - encapsulates what it means to be young, exactly the opposite of what "settling down" and growing older represent (routines/security/safety/less risky behavior). The protagonist/author met the woman he broke up with, which precipitated his foray into the online dating scene, in just such one random encounter, or chance meeting - she and a friend bought a chair he and his roommate were selling in a sidewalk sale, they began chatting, and she gave him her business card. They eventually moved in together but eventually she threw him out in a furious breakup. However, it is just such "random" encounters - that seem so exciting & potentially important at the time - that make youth a completely different world than middle-age or of course old age, when people are much more worldly-wise, skeptical, and perhaps interested more in self-preservation than in possibly exposing themselves to any possible "danger" or "risk" in meeting people, unlike when they are young, and they feel "immortal" or "impervious to danger" and that their life will go on forever.
In "Love Addict" the protagonist is careful to use protection every time he jumps in the sack with a newfound pickup (that is, a girl he has just met via a dating website that he's managed to lure to his apartment & bed) except for one time when he wakes up in someone's bed and has no idea who the person is and how he got there or whether he used protection. That precipitates one of his recurring visits to his therapist (as well as an AIDS testing clinic) - he seems to be "happy" when his date book is filled, and he is busy "conquering" dates (although of course, many of the girls may be just as interested in impersonal hookups as him, so the "conquests" may not be such accomplishments after all) - yet something is missing.. the protagonist never really got over the traumatic breakup, and eventually, despite previously freaking out over the prospect of committing to one woman, he decides to hook up again with the one he was most compatible with (and with whom he had broken up) - it's only then that he is really happy, knowing he has someone to love. It may sound corny, but maybe he's finally learned that there is a difference between jumping into bed with as many women as possible and getting the same sexual thrill from a parade of women, and being loved by one woman that he also sleeps with.
This is not the usual sort of graphic novel I'd read since it does contain explicit content but even so it's handled without prurience or violence, and actually is exactly correct about what the world of youth really experiences - has always experienced - in the world of dating. What K went through via the dating website, youth somehow managed without the help of computers to find dates/people - although the random aspect of meeting people unexpectedly, and being interested in making friends or possibly eventually sleeping with people you meet, is exactly the same in any era.
This is an amusing graphic novel, that is in the end a satisfying read. It is a page-turner because the reader wants to find out - like the protagonist - what the next dating "adventure" will bring. It's gratifying, heart-warming even, that in the end, K returns to May - finds love, which is what was missing all along since his disastrous breakup.
I read the entire book in one sitting in about an hour - and must say Shadmi's drawing style & color palette conveyed the essence of what it means to be a young person in NYC, which, aside from the mediation of computers/cell phones, isn't so different from what it was all along: The messy room-mate apartments, camaraderie, the annoying bosses at jobs where a person is struggling to get along and not get fired, the sense of random excitement or encounters that might happen at any time - encapsulates what it means to be young, exactly the opposite of what "settling down" and growing older represent (routines/security/safety/less risky behavior). The protagonist/author met the woman he broke up with, which precipitated his foray into the online dating scene, in just such one random encounter, or chance meeting - she and a friend bought a chair he and his roommate were selling in a sidewalk sale, they began chatting, and she gave him her business card. They eventually moved in together but eventually she threw him out in a furious breakup. However, it is just such "random" encounters - that seem so exciting & potentially important at the time - that make youth a completely different world than middle-age or of course old age, when people are much more worldly-wise, skeptical, and perhaps interested more in self-preservation than in possibly exposing themselves to any possible "danger" or "risk" in meeting people, unlike when they are young, and they feel "immortal" or "impervious to danger" and that their life will go on forever.
In "Love Addict" the protagonist is careful to use protection every time he jumps in the sack with a newfound pickup (that is, a girl he has just met via a dating website that he's managed to lure to his apartment & bed) except for one time when he wakes up in someone's bed and has no idea who the person is and how he got there or whether he used protection. That precipitates one of his recurring visits to his therapist (as well as an AIDS testing clinic) - he seems to be "happy" when his date book is filled, and he is busy "conquering" dates (although of course, many of the girls may be just as interested in impersonal hookups as him, so the "conquests" may not be such accomplishments after all) - yet something is missing.. the protagonist never really got over the traumatic breakup, and eventually, despite previously freaking out over the prospect of committing to one woman, he decides to hook up again with the one he was most compatible with (and with whom he had broken up) - it's only then that he is really happy, knowing he has someone to love. It may sound corny, but maybe he's finally learned that there is a difference between jumping into bed with as many women as possible and getting the same sexual thrill from a parade of women, and being loved by one woman that he also sleeps with.
This is not the usual sort of graphic novel I'd read since it does contain explicit content but even so it's handled without prurience or violence, and actually is exactly correct about what the world of youth really experiences - has always experienced - in the world of dating. What K went through via the dating website, youth somehow managed without the help of computers to find dates/people - although the random aspect of meeting people unexpectedly, and being interested in making friends or possibly eventually sleeping with people you meet, is exactly the same in any era.
This is an amusing graphic novel, that is in the end a satisfying read. It is a page-turner because the reader wants to find out - like the protagonist - what the next dating "adventure" will bring. It's gratifying, heart-warming even, that in the end, K returns to May - finds love, which is what was missing all along since his disastrous breakup.
July 3, 2021
This whole thing felt so toxic?? I went back and forth about whether that was to teach the protagonist a lesson, and in the end he does end up back in a “healthy” relationship, but he didn’t learn anything. Nor does the book condemn the terrible treatment and attitude toward women. Nor do I feel like it had a grounded depiction of addiction. AND SPOILER: 10 pages from the end he tried to rape a girl and receives no consequences. Kind of hated it. ✌🏻
August 27, 2020
El dibujo puede no parecerte muy sofisticado en principio pero te tiene enganchado todo el tiempo por las historias que hay detras de cada personaje. Esta muy bien la idea de mostrar como ha cambiado las relaciones apps como tinder, aunque desconozco a que porcentaje de personas puede afectar
February 9, 2020
Good art, but the story, characters, and dialog have nothing to offer but frat boy misogyny
June 12, 2018
Love Addict, Confessions of a Serial Dater by #KorenShadmi is an almost embarrassingly honest look at modern dating.
Newly single K. is encouraged by his roommate to get out there dating again with the help of a dating app. His search for love quickly spirals into a hunt for new sex. It gets sad and icky from there.
I can't really say I enjoyed this one and think I might need a shower to feel less gross, however I was admittedly voyeuristicly fascinated with Love Addict, a dishonest title to be sure. Not so much because of the titillating graphics and subject matter but because of how seemingly realistically it portrays today's technologically assisted world of online dating. And the ups and downs that the fast-food, order-in mentality of today's world can inflict on the complex nature of relationships. Makes one grateful to be in a long-term, committed relationship.
Please note that this is not at all a comic book for kids - there is a large amount of graphically depicted sex and nudity in this book along with frank discussion about sex and sexuality.
Newly single K. is encouraged by his roommate to get out there dating again with the help of a dating app. His search for love quickly spirals into a hunt for new sex. It gets sad and icky from there.
I can't really say I enjoyed this one and think I might need a shower to feel less gross, however I was admittedly voyeuristicly fascinated with Love Addict, a dishonest title to be sure. Not so much because of the titillating graphics and subject matter but because of how seemingly realistically it portrays today's technologically assisted world of online dating. And the ups and downs that the fast-food, order-in mentality of today's world can inflict on the complex nature of relationships. Makes one grateful to be in a long-term, committed relationship.
Please note that this is not at all a comic book for kids - there is a large amount of graphically depicted sex and nudity in this book along with frank discussion about sex and sexuality.
July 5, 2017
'Love Addict' by Koren Shadmi is about the world of online dating and casual sex. It's a shallow enough topic, but I'd hoped the plot would offer more.
"K" has had a recent breakup and he's on the rebound. He has a friend who recommends a dating app called Lovebug. Soon "K" is dating and sleeping with all kinds of women. It becomes an addiction for him. He can't focus on work. Sometimes he confuses the dates he is with. He can't seem to have an ongoing relationship with one woman.
I'm not sure what the point of this graphic novel was besides drawing naked people. It seems like the author gets close to making a point, then veers away from it. This lifestyle seems to have a negative effect on his friend, but then the story veers off into more casual sex.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Top Shelf Productions, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
"K" has had a recent breakup and he's on the rebound. He has a friend who recommends a dating app called Lovebug. Soon "K" is dating and sleeping with all kinds of women. It becomes an addiction for him. He can't focus on work. Sometimes he confuses the dates he is with. He can't seem to have an ongoing relationship with one woman.
I'm not sure what the point of this graphic novel was besides drawing naked people. It seems like the author gets close to making a point, then veers away from it. This lifestyle seems to have a negative effect on his friend, but then the story veers off into more casual sex.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Top Shelf Productions, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 7, 2018
De los cómics más divertidos que he leído y además puedo decir que me sentí un poco identificado jejeje ups... Nos cuenta la historia de un hombre que descarga una aplicación tipo Tinder en la cual concreta citas con muchas mujeres y empieza a tener sexo por montones, cosa que para muchos sería la gloria xD. Aunque no todo es tan sencillo como parece y nuestro protagonista tendrá que enfrentarse a muchos demonios que lo acosan (demonios no literalmente hablando). La verdad lo recomiendo mucho, eso si para mayores de edad!!
February 22, 2020
Un altre home heterosexual blanc de mitjana edat explica els seus dubtes, inseguretats i conquestes sexuals en un còmic.
Entretingut? Sí. M'ha recordat les històries d'algun amic? També.
Redundant i una mica per fardar. Sobretot.
Entretingut? Sí. M'ha recordat les històries d'algun amic? També.
Redundant i una mica per fardar. Sobretot.
August 31, 2020
Tinder,Badoo y demas redes sociales de ligoteo han cambiado las reglas del juego. Esta historia nos cuenta las mieles y hieles que pueden sufrir sus usuarios.
January 19, 2025
Saw a copy at the library and the title reeled me in as well as the NYC setting. Except this was uninsightful, unfunny, and immature. He needs to fix his attitude towards women. good concept I suppose; poorly done.
March 3, 2019
Le personnage principale m’est tellement antipathique que j’ai du mal à noter plus mais ca montre bien les intérêts et les limites de la technologie dans la drague.
September 5, 2022
Koren Shadmi è un autore interessante. La sua biogradia di Rod Serling è favolosa. Quando poi ho visto questo, ho cominciato a fargli la posta su internet per vedere se compariva una copia di seconda mano. E la mia pazienza è stata premiata.
Direi che sono 2,5 stelline, ma arrotondo per eccesso.
Lui viene scaricato dalla ragazza e si piange addosso. Gli amici gli consigliano di crearsi un profilo su una app di incontri e lui, non troppo convinto, lo fa. Il compagno di casa lo aiuta e gli dà i primi consigli, poi lui parte da solo.
Come nei manga hentai di ShindoL, il sesso fa impazzire tutti. Se il tipo prima è tutto sommato tranquillo, dopo un po' di appuntamenti si trasforma in un drogato di sesso: è l'unica cosa cui pensa e ciò gli crea qualche problema al lavoro. Senza contare le volte in cui si dimentica addirittura con chi sta uscendo.
È un'altra discesa all'inferno. Però - a differenza di ShindoL - c'è una speranza di uscirne. E questo succede quando lui si accorge di forzare troppo una ragazza. E si comincia a ricostruire una vita senza sesso irragionevole.
Tante scene di nudo con ragazze sembre diverse. Lui mi sa che si è divertito parecchio a mettere su carta le sue avventure.
Disegni particolari, piuttosto diversi da quelli di Rod Serling.
Mi sa che recupero altro di suo.
Direi che sono 2,5 stelline, ma arrotondo per eccesso.
Lui viene scaricato dalla ragazza e si piange addosso. Gli amici gli consigliano di crearsi un profilo su una app di incontri e lui, non troppo convinto, lo fa. Il compagno di casa lo aiuta e gli dà i primi consigli, poi lui parte da solo.
Come nei manga hentai di ShindoL, il sesso fa impazzire tutti. Se il tipo prima è tutto sommato tranquillo, dopo un po' di appuntamenti si trasforma in un drogato di sesso: è l'unica cosa cui pensa e ciò gli crea qualche problema al lavoro. Senza contare le volte in cui si dimentica addirittura con chi sta uscendo.
È un'altra discesa all'inferno. Però - a differenza di ShindoL - c'è una speranza di uscirne. E questo succede quando lui si accorge di forzare troppo una ragazza. E si comincia a ricostruire una vita senza sesso irragionevole.
Tante scene di nudo con ragazze sembre diverse. Lui mi sa che si è divertito parecchio a mettere su carta le sue avventure.
Disegni particolari, piuttosto diversi da quelli di Rod Serling.
Mi sa che recupero altro di suo.
October 2, 2016
Maybe the story wasn't that special but I loved the drawings so professional and add too much to the work.
April 12, 2016
Nachdem K. (es handelt sich nicht um den Protagonisten aus dem PROZESS; vielleicht steht K. ja für Koren und die Schilderungen in LOVE ADDICT sind biografisch geprägt? Schließlich ist ja auch K. Zeichner von Beruf) von seiner Freundin verlassen worden ist, bläst er Trübsal. Er kommt mit Frauen nicht leicht ins Gespräch und ist nicht der selbstsichere Typ. Sein Mitbewohner Brian kann sich das vermeintliche Elend nicht länger ansehen und richtet für K. einen Account auf der Dating-Plattform Lovebug ein. Und langsam, ganz langsam häufen sich bei K.. die Dates. Er trifft zunehmend öfter Frauen, manche gutaussehend, manche nur an Sex interessiert, einige mit ziemlich schriller Persönlichkeit. Und über alle diese für ihn ungewohnten und unverhofften Abenteuer beginnt sich auch K. zu verändern. Smalltalk fällt ihm zunehmend leichter und er gewinnt an Selbstvertrauen. Doch als er endlich eine nette Frau kennen lernt, die zu ihm paßt, ist er bereits zu tief in die Welt der schnellen Datings und sexuellen Abenteuer abgerutscht. Sein Wunsch nach einer Beziehung ist durch Sucht nach schnellem Sex abgelöst worden. Und schließlich kennt sich K. selbst kaum wieder...
Ich war sehr gespannt auf LOVE ADDICT und konnte für den leicht neurotischen K. zu Beginn der Graphic Novel Sympathie aufbringen. Seine zahlreichen Begegnungen mit Frauen bedeuten im Verlauf der Handlung nicht nur K. immer weniger, sondern auch mein Interesse sank ab. LOVE ADDICT ist kein erotisches Buch und will es auch nicht sein. Es geht Koren Shadmi nach meinem Verständnis darum zu zeigen, was mit Menschen geschieht, die sich zu sehr auf Dating-Foren einlassen. Interessanterweise lernt K. außerhalb der Community keine anderen Frauen kennen, obwohl sein Aussehen attraktiver und sein Auftreten sicherer werden.
Die Begegnungen werden im gleichen Maße stereotyper, in dem es K. nur noch um Sex geht, und Überdruß und Katerstimmung haben sich auf mich beim Lesen übertragen. Leider dringt Koren Shadmi nicht weiter in die Tiefe und als Leser erfährt man über K.s Leben so gut wie kaum etwas, alles dreht sich um seine Verabredungen. Und wenn K. am Ende des Buches Lovebugs überdrüssig geworden ist, ging es mir genau so.
LOVE ADDICT bietet kaum tiefere Einsichten und Handlung und Artwork haben mich nicht wirklich umgehauen. Zu didaktisch kam mir das Buch vor, zu vorhersehbar.
Ich war sehr gespannt auf LOVE ADDICT und konnte für den leicht neurotischen K. zu Beginn der Graphic Novel Sympathie aufbringen. Seine zahlreichen Begegnungen mit Frauen bedeuten im Verlauf der Handlung nicht nur K. immer weniger, sondern auch mein Interesse sank ab. LOVE ADDICT ist kein erotisches Buch und will es auch nicht sein. Es geht Koren Shadmi nach meinem Verständnis darum zu zeigen, was mit Menschen geschieht, die sich zu sehr auf Dating-Foren einlassen. Interessanterweise lernt K. außerhalb der Community keine anderen Frauen kennen, obwohl sein Aussehen attraktiver und sein Auftreten sicherer werden.
Die Begegnungen werden im gleichen Maße stereotyper, in dem es K. nur noch um Sex geht, und Überdruß und Katerstimmung haben sich auf mich beim Lesen übertragen. Leider dringt Koren Shadmi nicht weiter in die Tiefe und als Leser erfährt man über K.s Leben so gut wie kaum etwas, alles dreht sich um seine Verabredungen. Und wenn K. am Ende des Buches Lovebugs überdrüssig geworden ist, ging es mir genau so.
LOVE ADDICT bietet kaum tiefere Einsichten und Handlung und Artwork haben mich nicht wirklich umgehauen. Zu didaktisch kam mir das Buch vor, zu vorhersehbar.
November 28, 2016
I enjoyed this graphic novel- even though it made me a tad uncomfortable being "not a stranger" to online dating.
The story starts off with K getting broken up with by his long-term gf, and plans to "just stay single" until the next long-term gf comes along. Clearly he has always been a one-woman type of dude, and is clearly uncomfortable when his friends push him into getting an online dating profile.
After a few super-awkward dates (I totally related to these- pretty much exact replicas of dates I had been on myself), he is about ready to quit. Then the impossible happens, and he starts to get more and more attention from the female community- and begins using the site for hook-ups only, completely forgoing any potential long-term dating, and getting almost savage with his escapades.
Quite essentially becoming- a "love addict".
It was well-done, but being on the opposite side of K's online dating (being a female) it is kind of disturbing (though not really surprising, honestly) how the male mind works while using a website to meet dates. I was put off with K completely by the end of the novel, but I guess that's what you get from the raw honestly displayed in this story. I give him props for that.
Also enjoyed his artwork- it was a different style from what I'm used to seeing.
The story starts off with K getting broken up with by his long-term gf, and plans to "just stay single" until the next long-term gf comes along. Clearly he has always been a one-woman type of dude, and is clearly uncomfortable when his friends push him into getting an online dating profile.
After a few super-awkward dates (I totally related to these- pretty much exact replicas of dates I had been on myself), he is about ready to quit. Then the impossible happens, and he starts to get more and more attention from the female community- and begins using the site for hook-ups only, completely forgoing any potential long-term dating, and getting almost savage with his escapades.
Quite essentially becoming- a "love addict".
It was well-done, but being on the opposite side of K's online dating (being a female) it is kind of disturbing (though not really surprising, honestly) how the male mind works while using a website to meet dates. I was put off with K completely by the end of the novel, but I guess that's what you get from the raw honestly displayed in this story. I give him props for that.
Also enjoyed his artwork- it was a different style from what I'm used to seeing.
February 22, 2023
Not a love addict. A sex addict encouraged by meat market “dating apps” and his alcoholic, sex addict roommate. The year is packed with a buffet of women with all the exaggerated juicy parts - big tits and big asses - and all, miraculously, who are into the skinny nerd who takes them to Crumb shows and foreign films. He gets disgustingly aggressive about it as time goes on. For the objectified gender, this book feels so gross to read. K has his minor self-reflection and then a rom com ending to a T&A comedy year when he decides to reconnect with the one girl he briefly exclusively dated before getting mad that he wasn’t getting laid enough.
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