Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Random House Canada (2014), 336 pages
Description
"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" --… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member shabacus
Full disclosure - I was promised this book in the Early Reviewer giveaway over a year ago, but it never arrived. Eventually, I bought it myself. This review is the result of that purchase.
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Like many, I came to Seconds as a result of the author's previous work on Scott Pilgrim. What I found was a
The strength of Seconds is its single driving narrative, which creates a nice arc for our protagonist, Katie. She is not entirely likeable, but only because it's so easy to see our own flaws reflected in her. She changes, she learns, and manages to come to terms with her mistakes even as she attempts to escape from them.
Seconds was a quick read but an engaging one, and a story that I will be certain to return to in the future.
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Like many, I came to Seconds as a result of the author's previous work on Scott Pilgrim. What I found was a
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tight, engaging, self-contained story with all of the wit and humor of Scott Pilgrim, with the same active and attractive art style. And lo and behold, it may just be better.The strength of Seconds is its single driving narrative, which creates a nice arc for our protagonist, Katie. She is not entirely likeable, but only because it's so easy to see our own flaws reflected in her. She changes, she learns, and manages to come to terms with her mistakes even as she attempts to escape from them.
Seconds was a quick read but an engaging one, and a story that I will be certain to return to in the future.
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LibraryThing member thelittlestacks
A spastic yet lovable chef, Wendy, discovers a magical sprite that is the source of a powerful substance growing beneath the floorboards of her home which doubles as her beloved restaurant. The mushrooms offer a chance to relive a day and right wrongs. As her stockpile dwindles, Wendy’s
O’Malley weaves a fun, funny, and absorbing tale that shows how choices that may seem desirable may eventually lead to undesirable ends. Readers enjoy adorable illustrations while gaining a new perspective about regret.
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professional goals and romantic life take dark twists and turns for the worst.O’Malley weaves a fun, funny, and absorbing tale that shows how choices that may seem desirable may eventually lead to undesirable ends. Readers enjoy adorable illustrations while gaining a new perspective about regret.
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LibraryThing member EuronerdLibrarian
Like Scott Pilgrim, this was great.Fun, entertaining, engaging. Bright, colorful illustrations. Lots of humor (love that the Scott Pilgrim line, "bread makes you fat?!!!" is in here). Pretty realistic portrayal of that time of life and the self-centeredness single twenty-somethings are sometimes
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prone to. If you liked Scott Pilgrim, you'll probably like this, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lindsay_W
Katie, in her early twenties, is a successful chef at “Seconds” restaurant who is looking to move forward with her life. When that process doesn’t go as smoothly as she would like, she uses a little magic to give herself a “second” chance to get it right. What she discovers in the end
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though, is that there is no escaping ourselves. All our choices, good and bad, make us who we are and have brought us to where we are. The characters are appealing, as are the graphics. Show Less
LibraryThing member rodhilton
Seconds is exactly what you're looking for in a self-contained graphic novel. Got some sci-fi/fantasy elements, but isn't page after page of greek gods punching each other and dialoguing about 70 years of obscure canon.
Seconds is about a restaurant owner named Katie who is trying to open a second
Very character-driven, very well-told, and not full of stupid pandering nerd bullshit like Bryan Lee O'Malley's previous book Scott Pilgrim. Highly recommended.
Seconds is about a restaurant owner named Katie who is trying to open a second
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restaurant, and coping with various decisions she's made in her life. But the wrinkle is that she discovers magic mushrooms (just go with it) that allow her to change any decision she's made inside her home. She eats some and changes various parts of her life, but, as with most time-travel stories, there are unintended consequences that she has to deal with.Very character-driven, very well-told, and not full of stupid pandering nerd bullshit like Bryan Lee O'Malley's previous book Scott Pilgrim. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member capewood
Being a 62-year-old retired engineer, I'm probably not your typical graphic novel reader. But my librarian 29-year-old daughter is always pushing this stuff at me anyway. I first became aware of Bryan Lee O'Malley from the Scott Pilgrim movie. I was intrigued by the trailers and loved the movie. My
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daughter had the books so I read them. I really loved the books. I like O'Malley's quirky drawing style and his handling of relationship issue seems real to me (even from as far away as I am from having young adult relationships). I feel the same way about "Seconds". When my daughter asked me if I wanted to read it, I said of course. I started it at about 10 PM, figuring I'd read a bit before bed. I read it straight through which took almost 2 hours. I really got into the futility of Katie trying to change her mistakes into not-mistakes and just making things worse. Not perhaps the most of original of stories (I'm thinking of "The Lathe of Heaven) by Ursula K. Le Giun) but still done well. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryGirl11
When Katie is given a chance to change the decisions she made in the past, she discovers that rewriting history is more complicated than she thought.
LibraryThing member kivarson
Eating a magic mushroom and meditating on a mistake provides restaurateur Katie with the ability to erase this mistake and start anew the next day. Not content to limit herself to erasing one mistake, Katie begins to seriously warp the time/space continuum as she keeps trying to reach her ideal
For example, Katie meditates on the mistake of breaking up with her boyfriend, only to wake to a world where they never broke up and he is a complete tool. This brings me to my beef with this book--Katie keeps envisioning a different realities, but all of them include this boyfriend. If he was a tool in one reality, wouldn't he continue to be a tool in the other realities? Why would she still want him after his true self was revealed?
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reality.For example, Katie meditates on the mistake of breaking up with her boyfriend, only to wake to a world where they never broke up and he is a complete tool. This brings me to my beef with this book--Katie keeps envisioning a different realities, but all of them include this boyfriend. If he was a tool in one reality, wouldn't he continue to be a tool in the other realities? Why would she still want him after his true self was revealed?
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LibraryThing member AliceaP
I picked this book up because I kept hearing how great it was especially in regards to the artwork. I have to say that I've read better graphic novels. The art alternated between beautiful and just okay. (I'm certainly not an art critic but this is how I felt about it so...) The main protagonist is
PS I didn't like Katie.
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a chef named Katie who was the co-creator of a restaurant named Seconds. However, at the start of the narrative we learn that Katie has stepped down as Head Chef because she's in the process of opening a new restaurant across town in a decrepit building that she's always 'had a feeling about'. (Spoiler: The new restaurant is very unimaginatively named.) She has a dream one night that there's this girl in her room who shows her a magic mushroom that if eaten in conjunction with writing down a mistake she can then go back in time and 'correct' things. (Was this the 60's?) Through a series of missteps which were pretty predictable Katie discovers that while she can go back again and again to 'fix' things she's in actuality just making things worse. (I had kinda hoped that this would be more about food to be honest (darn you, Lucy Knisley!)). To sum up, this one was right on the line for me. I'd say it was a solid 'meh'. It was a basic morality tale about wish fulfillment and the consequences of not learning from your mistakes. 5/10PS I didn't like Katie.
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LibraryThing member SylviaC
This is a graphic novel about Katie, a successful chef, with a strong streak of perfectionism and limited social skills. For the last few years, she has been dedicated to her job at Seconds, the restaurant that she made hugely popular. Now she is planning to open her own restaurant, but is unable
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to separate herself from Seconds. After a day in which a serious lapse of judgement leads to a nasty accident, she is given the chance to change the past. Of course, we all know that that can never turn out well. As expected, things spiral out of control and Katie learns some valuable lessons. Katie is a complex character, and I sympathized with her and wanted to tell her to "Smarten up!" at the same time. O'Malley's illustrations of house spirits and creeping horror perfectly fit the story. I liked the developing friendship between Katie and one of the waitresses—that worked better for me than the romance did. I enjoyed this book. It had a nice balance of humour, magic, and spookiness. Show Less
LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
We all have wondered if we could call a mulligan and go back and change something in our lives. Of course it is not that easy and there are consequences. Yes, the basic story has been done before many times, but it is still a fun read. Don't try to compare it to the Scott Pilgrim books and just
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enjoy it for what it is. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Things are a bit up in the air for Katie -- her first restaurant has done so well that she's basically no longer needed, especially as she looks to get a second restaurant up and running; her ex-boyfriend is suddenly and inexplicably popping up at her old restaurant repeatedly after extended time
Wow, was this book good! I was skeptical at first because the premise seemed more than a little odd and the main character isn't exactly super likable. But O'Malley creates a tightly wound story that explores many types of relationships from coworkers to lovers to friends and delves into deep topics, like the elusiveness of perfection, without getting too bogged down in darkness. The main characters are all fairly interesting, each with his or her own problem to tackle. The narration is funny at times, especially when the "fourth wall" is broken down a bit and Katie responds to something stated by the narrator. And, the book manages to end on a happy note without being overly cheesy.
The illustrations are more cartoon-ish than I usually like, but it works quite well with this story containing so many magical and fantastical elements. The book seems a little thicker than your standard graphic novel, but it was so compelling that I devoured it all in an afternoon. I recommend it for when you're looking for something a little bit on the lighter side but that still has some food for thought.
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apart; and she and her replacement chef sometimes hate each other and sometimes love each other. Their sexy affair inadvertently leads to a kitchen accident that severely hurts a young server. This last event prompts Katie to remember a weird dream she had in which a house spirit pointed out an empty dresser drawer to Katie. She is drawn to it now, finding a magic mushroom, which once she ingests re-writes the previous day so that the accident never occurs. Katie becomes obsessed with hoarding and eating more magic mushrooms to fix many mistakes in her past, despite the warnings from the house spirit not to do so. With each new change, something else goes wrong and Katie gets a growing sense that something terrible is on the horizon...Wow, was this book good! I was skeptical at first because the premise seemed more than a little odd and the main character isn't exactly super likable. But O'Malley creates a tightly wound story that explores many types of relationships from coworkers to lovers to friends and delves into deep topics, like the elusiveness of perfection, without getting too bogged down in darkness. The main characters are all fairly interesting, each with his or her own problem to tackle. The narration is funny at times, especially when the "fourth wall" is broken down a bit and Katie responds to something stated by the narrator. And, the book manages to end on a happy note without being overly cheesy.
The illustrations are more cartoon-ish than I usually like, but it works quite well with this story containing so many magical and fantastical elements. The book seems a little thicker than your standard graphic novel, but it was so compelling that I devoured it all in an afternoon. I recommend it for when you're looking for something a little bit on the lighter side but that still has some food for thought.
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LibraryThing member brakketh
Great graphic novel about how we try and fix our lives but we cannot change what has already happened.
LibraryThing member Katya0133
When Katie finds a magical way of undoing past mistakes, her carelessness threatens to throw her entire reality out of balance. A thoughtful comics fantasy on the dangers of getting what you wish for.
LibraryThing member JillKenna
This is one of the best graphic novels that I have read recently. I really loved the storyline and the artwork was really clean and visually pleasing. I would highly, highly recommend this graphic novel. I will definitely be adding this one to my collection.
LibraryThing member Jonez
4.75
An awesome new twist on an old story with an even older lesson. Loved! Bryan Lee O'Malley still continues to be one of my favs.
An awesome new twist on an old story with an even older lesson. Loved! Bryan Lee O'Malley still continues to be one of my favs.
LibraryThing member b.masonjudy
Seconds blends realism and folk tale in a curious combo that ends up feeling like a "big kid" (probably should be considered an adult but so sweet on the inside). I was impressed with O'Malley's ability to dig into the travails of Katie, the protagonist, without being condescending, and the
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denouement that truly felt earned, even if it could be considered a little corny. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookishtexpat
I absolutely loved "Seconds." If you haven't read it, do so now. The art is phenomenal, I adored Katie and Hazel, and the story reaches into those pockets of ourselves we don't always want to acknowledge. Brilliantly written, brilliantly illustrated. Definitely one of the best books I've read in
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2015. Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbybslax
O'Malley utilizes a fun narrative voice, stylistic artwork, and a convincing central character to build a story about the fine line between internal and external change, and courage and cowardice. The ending is a bit rushed, though.
LibraryThing member rottweilersmile
not nearly as compelling or fun as scott pilgrim but its cute and has its own story and lessons. still a recommend
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Seconds focuses on Katie, the executive chef and creator of the eponymous restaurant who’s planning to open a new space, named Lucknow, in a different part of her city. While balancing her responsibilities to renovate the new space, saving money by living above her
O’Malley’s story has the tone of a fable transplanted to the modern day. Despite the presence of cars and cell phones, there’s something about it that feels entirely gothic. His depiction of the new restaurant tucked away under a bridge or Katie’s original restaurant as akin to an inn or public house evokes an earlier time when magic could inhabit an urban space. The story further has a moral about accepting life’s changes rather than brooding on what could have been. O’Malley brings his sense of humor with Katie breaking the fourth wall to react to and engage with the narration, adding a metatextuality to this modern fable. Great for fans of fantasy and an excellent work demonstrating O’Malley’s storytelling talent!
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current restaurant, and slowly transitioning out of her role as the head of Seconds, she begins to see a strange elf-like creature. After a terrible accident she blames on her lost focus from balancing too many responsibilities, Katie discovers that the creature is the house spirit, Lis, who grows mushrooms that allow a person to undo a mistake. Despite the house spirit’s warnings, Katie begins to use the mushrooms to undo any mistake, big or small. Soon, she learns that meddling with reality has its price and she cannot keep up with all the changes to reality she causes. Worse, her actions put Lis and reality in danger.O’Malley’s story has the tone of a fable transplanted to the modern day. Despite the presence of cars and cell phones, there’s something about it that feels entirely gothic. His depiction of the new restaurant tucked away under a bridge or Katie’s original restaurant as akin to an inn or public house evokes an earlier time when magic could inhabit an urban space. The story further has a moral about accepting life’s changes rather than brooding on what could have been. O’Malley brings his sense of humor with Katie breaking the fourth wall to react to and engage with the narration, adding a metatextuality to this modern fable. Great for fans of fantasy and an excellent work demonstrating O’Malley’s storytelling talent!
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LibraryThing member BefuddledPanda
I love the art style. it is very cute.
The story is interesting and enjoyable.
The ending wrapped up too quickly though. I would have liked to see more development in how the ending happened the way it did.
The story is interesting and enjoyable.
The ending wrapped up too quickly though. I would have liked to see more development in how the ending happened the way it did.
LibraryThing member williecostello
What a disappointment. After the wonderfully quirky and original Scott Pilgrim series, Bryan Lee O'Malley returns with an uninspired and unremarkable graphic novel in Seconds. The plot is hackneyed, following an all-too-familiar "let's see what happens when someone is given the power to change
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their past" storyline. The art is frequently sloppy and the visual style is inconsistent. The characters are okay, but the dialogue is limp. In the end, Seconds just felt like a waste of time for me to read, lacking in originality and entertainment, much less any magic or charm. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daumari
A quick read, but no less thoughtful (graphic novels are like that sometimes). Chef Katie, age 29 feels stuck with past mistakes while trying to step forward, and suddenly finds a means to go back and correct one mistake at a time... then perfectionism goes awry. A thoughtful consideration of all
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of the "what ifs" that stem from choices made, and the harm from dwelling too much in the homes of the past instead of the future. Show Less
Awards
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — 2015)
Evergreen Award (Nominee — 2016)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2015)
Language
Original publication date
2014 - 07-15
Physical description
336 p.; 6.25 inches
ISBN
0307363066 / 9780307363060