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I don’t remember where I heard about Bryan O’Malley’s newest graphic novel Seconds, but I immediately put myself on the library hold queue for it. You may recognize O’Malley as the creator of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series or maybe you might just know that the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based on one of those novels (I learned from the movie that I should have vegan superpowers but I must be doing something wrong because I’m still waiting for them). I’ve not read the graphic novel series, have you? And if so, should I?
But back to Seconds. It is about Katie, a successful chef who runs a hip restaurant called Seconds. She is in the midst of trying to strike out on her own with a brand new restaurant but the building is in such bad shape renovations are taking forever and costing a lot of money. Katie lives in a tiny room above Seconds in order to save money. One evening, there is an accident in the kitchen and a young waitress whom Katie has been trying to make friends with is badly burned. In her room, Katie is presented with a chance to change things. A notebook appears in which she it to write what she wants to change and then eat the little mushroom that was left beside it.
Now I know what you are probably thinking about that mushroom! I thought it too. But it isn’t that sort of mushroom. What it does is erase the accident. It never happened. Katie is happy and relieved and wishes she had more mushrooms because there is so much she would change if she could. And then she discovers the mushrooms are growing beneath the floorboard of a not frequently used storage closet behind the kitchen. She helps herself to quite a few of them, a dozen. And every time something happens that she doesn’t like, she can change it. Her new restaurant, her old boyfriend, friends, she changes them all sometimes more than once. She begins to get confused about what has and hasn’t happened.
She learns from Hazel, the waitress and now her friend who burned her arms that began this whole thing, that Seconds has a house spirit. The house spirit’s name is Lis and she makes an appearance in Katie’s room demanding she give back all those mushrooms, Lis’s mushrooms. But Katie refuses. Things get bad. Really bad.
The story is good, well told. The art is good too. They combine to make an enjoyable reading experience. I liked that Katie is a successful woman and this is her story. She is not drawn as tall and gorgeous, impossibly skinny and extremely well endowed. Nope, Katie is normal. Kind of short even with sort of crazy hair. I also enjoyed mulling over all the ways “seconds” can be applied in the story. From food so good you want seconds to second chances to how a life can change in seconds.
I don’t read graphic novels very often, not because I don’t enjoy them. I think I am just very picky about them. They have to meet some kind of worthiness test that I can’t even begin to articulate. But Seconds passed the test. I’m glad it did because it’s a good read.
I think if you enjoyed Seconds then you would like the other graphic novels 🙂 they were just as good if you ask me. Good review! I enjoyed Seconds a lot
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otakutwins1, thanks! And thanks for the recommendation on the Scott Pilgrim books. Will give them a go!
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I can’t imagine reading a graphic novel. Novels are written words, stories, long and short. But you are younger, have a broader reading appreciation level than I do. I am old school and you are young school. Lucky you.
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A bit like yourself I don’t read many (enough?) graphic novels. When they work they are terrific – Maus, V Vendetta, Fun Home. I know there are many more out there to enjoy. I had not heard of Scott Pilgrim series – are they any good?
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Ian, Oh, V for Vendetta, I’ve not read that one. I’ve heard about it and of course it got made into a movie. A good one to read? I’ve not read the Scott Pilgrim series, only seen the movie based on one of them. But I think I might give the first book in the series a try sometime.
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The book is much better than the film and is particularly gripping as an Orwellian England as a Fascist state (motto: England Prevails!) haunted by its shadow of Anarchy.
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Oh, I’m going to have it read it!
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Richard, didn’t you read comics as a boy? Graphic novels are like comics for grown ups. Give one a try sometime. I bet you will like it more than you think you will.
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I’ve only read one graphic novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and I enjoyed it enormously. In fact, it was one of my top 5 books of that year. I believe I read it for my first Dewey’s Read-a-Thon. I agree with you, Stef, a graphic novel has to stand up to certain criteria for it to be worthwhile (in my opinion anyway). I would not know how to put that criteria into words, I only know it when I read it.
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Grad, well if you only ever read one, that’s a good one to have read! His second one is good too. His drawings of the NY Natural History Museum are amazing. It definitely meets that elusive criteria 🙂
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That’s superpowers other than being able to read 20 books at a time?
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Lokesh, ha! You gave me a good laugh, thank you 🙂
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Graphic Novels to me begins with Asterix and ends with Tintin…I know…I know they are more old world “comic books” but each book is so complete with a beginning, middle and end that I kind of think of them as novels. Having said that, I have not ventured further nor have I been really tempted…However the plot of “Seconds” is extremely unusual…I will have to explore this one a little more!!
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cirtnecce, oh, you’re old school 😉 I can’t claim to be a graphic novel smartypants, but you’d be surprised how many really good ones with complete stories there are out there. If you give Seconds a try, I hope you like it!
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Sounds great! I love comics and just wish there were a vaster supply of people like Bryan O’Malley out there. I have heard good things about him forever and I keep holding off on reading more of his stuff because then I’ll run out of it and be sad. With the result that I’ve only ever read one volume of Scott Pilgrim and that’s it. :p
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Jenny, it’s a fun one. There is nothing quite like a good graphic novel. I requested the first Scott Pilgrim from the library yesterday. I should have it by the weekend. I am looking forward to it. I totally understand why you haven’t read more of them, I do that with authors I like too 🙂
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That sounds like a lot of fun–must check it out. I always think of reading graphic novels, but I never seem to actually pick them up. I did however start reading Maus as my local museum is reading both volumes of the memoir for a book club that would be fun to go to.
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Danielle, it is a fun one. I enjoy graphic novels too but rarely pick them up. I’ve not read Maus yet, it’s on my list.
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