Grab your chef apron and remember don't eat the mushrooms because its time for this months Do You Even Comic with the graphic novel Seconds.
The History
Some people I am sure have already heard of this book or heard of Bryan Lee O'Malley or you know of his work. Bryan is the man behind the cult hit comic, Scott Pilgrim vs the World. His first work was back in 2003 a graphic novel titled Lost at Sea. He has gone on to win Eisner's and man Harvey Awards. Seconds was released in 2014 and received well by readers and critics.
The Story
Seconds follows Katie a talented young chef and proud owner of her restaurant "Seconds." Things are going well for Katie at first, her restaurant is successful but small and she wants to open a second bigger and better restaurant. She is excited and full of ego about her plans for a big bright future. But like in all stories something changes her plans. The new building hits problems with construction and she sees her ex-boyfirend and the, the fling she has with the new chef goes sour and the new waitress Hazel at work seems off putting.
Now it seems things go from good to bad at at the same time, then one night while Katie is at home in bed a ghstly white girl name Lis appears and offers her a note pad with instructions and a small mushroom. The instructions allow for a do-over, some she feels she needs at the moment. She would get a chance to change things. She wants to fix things with her Ex but see isn't happy with just that ans she soon finds more mushrooms hidden under a floorboard, these magic mushrooms don't work in an exact science and Katie gets in over her head with lots of changes and weird reactions happening.
Katie has to now fix a lot more than she started with and the story continues.
Why this book?
So why this weird book about magic mushrooms and a chef full of problems? That is because Bryan Lee O'Malley makes a pretty book. This book is wonderful and fun. It feels like he was able to learn from the six volumes of Scott Pilgrim and distill his work into a tight graphic novel. This book offers heart and full characters that you like and attach yourself too, it also looks cute and fun, the colors pops with his unique art style it is a ageless book about learning to live and learn from mistakes and keep the things you love not just try to be bigger and better.
