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Seconds

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'Seconds' by Bryan Lee O'Malley follows the story of Katie, a successful chef at Seconds restaurant, who is eager to move forward in her life. When Katie's plans don't go as smoothly as she hoped, she discovers a magical way to undo past mistakes. However, as she continues to change her decisions, she realizes that rewriting history is more complicated than she initially thought. The book explores themes of regret, consequences, and self-discovery through a mix of fantasy elements and realistic character development. O'Malley's storytelling style blends humor, magic, and spookiness, creating an engaging narrative that delves into the complexities of human nature and the impact of our choices.

Characters:

The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, with Katie embodying several relatable flaws and her relationships with others highlighting various personal struggles.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is humorous and whimsical, effectively blending light-heartedness with deeper existential themes, characterized by sharp dialogue and fourth wall breaks.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Katie, a chef trying to open a second restaurant, who discovers magic mushrooms that allow her to revisit and correct her past mistakes. It explores themes of consequence and the humor in life’s complexities.

Setting:

The setting is a modern urban environment, primarily centered around the culinary world and enhanced by supernatural elements from the magic mushrooms.

Pacing:

The pacing is generally engaging but can feel rushed, particularly in character development and resolution of the storyline.

Notes:

The main character, Katie, is a young and talented chef who is trying to open her own restaurant called Seconds.
Katie receives magical mushrooms that allow her to rewrite her past mistakes after writing them down.
The graphic novel blends elements of magical realism with humor and existential themes.
Billy Lee O'Malley, known for Scott Pilgrim, returns as the artist, incorporating a vibrant but simple color scheme.
The narrative explores themes of regret and the unintended consequences of trying to fix mistakes.
The art style includes an Asian influence, particularly in character features like big eyes and hair.
Katie's journey is about self-discovery and learning to accept the past despite her flaws.
The story features various relationships, including Katie's complicated feelings for her ex-boyfriend and coworker.
Despite mixed reviews, many readers appreciate the engaging humor and interesting character dynamics.
The illustrations balance cartoonish elements with deeper and darker themes, fitting the story's tone perfectly.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of accidents, existential angst, and discomfort associated with personal failures.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance in 'Seconds', as Katie navigates a complicated relationship with her ex-boyfriend and a new love interest.

From The Publisher:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY USA TODAY AND THE DAILY PLANET

The highly anticipated new standalone full-color graphic novel from Bryan Lee O'Malley, author and artist of the hugely bestselling Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series

Katie's got it pretty good. She's a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie's life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all-but they don't come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:

1. Write your mistake

2. Ingest one mushroom

3. Go to sleep

4. Wake anew

And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She's also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms-and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it's against the rules. But Katie doesn't care about the rules-and she's about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.

From the mind and pen behind the acclaimed Scott Pilgrim series comes a madcap new tale of existential angst, everyday obstacles, young love, and ancient spirits that's sharp-witted and tenderhearted, whimsical and wise.

Praise for Seconds

"The cartoonist, best known for the Scott Pilgrim series, delivers one of the most enjoyable reads I've had all year with this magical graphic novel. I dare you to not read it all in one sitting."-Whitney Matheson, USA Today

"Seconds arrives with high expectations, and it meets them all, delivering the style and humor of [Bryan Lee] O'Malley's past works with greater emphasis on mood, detail, and complex character relationships."-The A.V. Club

"Richly imagined and vibrantly drawn, Seconds is a funny, surprising, and enchanting read."-Publishers Weekly

"In Seconds, Bryan Lee O'Malley plays the angst of youth against the fabric of a larger epic. In doing so, he enriches both. A great ride!"-Guillermo del Toro

"Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds is adorable, haunting, funny, and beautiful. A perfect recipe for a great graphic novel."-Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics

Ratings (7)

Loved It (6)
Liked It (1)

Reader Stats (11):

Read It (7)
Want To Read (3)
Not Interested (1)

1 comment(s)

Loved It
2 months

Good book, bad ending

 

About the Author:

Bryan Lee O'Malley is the creator of the bestselling Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, which was adapted into a major motion picture, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, in 2010. He lives in Los Angeles, where he continues to make comics.

 
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