Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Graphic Novel Mini Review)

Katie started the best restaurant in town. She created the menu. All the employees are her employees. But she doesn’t own it. For years she has saved her pennies, and now Katie has the opportunity to open her own place at a 50% stake. But little roadblocks start getting in her way, and she thinks her dream is about to implode.

That is, until she sees a ‘house spirit” who is able to give her another chance, a chance to fix any mistake. Katie takes advantage of this act of kismet, and eats the magical mushroom provided. She is now able to go back and see what might have been. But that timeline is not perfect either, and Katie wants another chance, and another and another. The house spirit Liz is not happy with her recklessness. What lessons will Katie learn? Is a perfect life possible?

I liked this one, but didn’t love it. I loved Katie’s character, her obsession, her desire, and her realistic manipulations. Two other things: color and food. The palette worked very well with the city scenes and the mood of the story. And I loved the food aspect of the story, and sometimes wanted more of it. But the story progressed a little predictably, and played off some of the Groundhog Day-type cliches. A good character and an interesting premise, but maybe not executed to the end.