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Cover of Seconds

Seconds

Bryan Lee O'Malley (2001)

SubgenreFantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG-13
Pages332 (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age16
Goodreads4.07/5 (49116)

Content levels

ViolenceMild
Sexual contentMild
LanguageModerate

Hero archetypes

Chef / Baker

Protagonist archetypes

Reluctant Hero

Synopsis

"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" --

Is Seconds appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 16 and up.

A young chef discovers magical mushrooms that let her undo mistakes, but becomes obsessed with making her life perfect. Contains moderate language, brief romantic situations, and themes about addiction to control and unintended consequences.

What to know going in

This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include addiction, manipulation, and deception.

Who'll love this

Older teens will relate to Katie's perfectionist spiral and the fantasy of getting do-overs when life goes wrong.

Tags

Contemporary FantasyMagical RealismGraphic NovelCharacter-Driven