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Shelf Life
On aisle 1, Louisa's crying.
On aisle 2, Adam's trying to get fired.
On aisle 4, a renegade shopper is releasing the fizz from soda bottles.
At the service counter, an irate customer can't understand why his Long Life Milk went bad after a few years.
Working at the supermarket isn't exactly glamorous, but the teens on the staff have a lot of tasty like the fact that Adam decides to stick it out a while once he sees the very pretty Employee of the Month. Under the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights, the staff, as different as the products they unpack and arrange, unite against demanding customers and try to amuse each other until punch-out time.
In between the shelves, you'll discover romance, humor, and other realities of life in the fast aisle. Shelf- Life is a red-hot special that belongs in your shopping cart.
On aisle 2, Adam's trying to get fired.
On aisle 4, a renegade shopper is releasing the fizz from soda bottles.
At the service counter, an irate customer can't understand why his Long Life Milk went bad after a few years.
Working at the supermarket isn't exactly glamorous, but the teens on the staff have a lot of tasty like the fact that Adam decides to stick it out a while once he sees the very pretty Employee of the Month. Under the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights, the staff, as different as the products they unpack and arrange, unite against demanding customers and try to amuse each other until punch-out time.
In between the shelves, you'll discover romance, humor, and other realities of life in the fast aisle. Shelf- Life is a red-hot special that belongs in your shopping cart.
190 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
8 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Robert Corbet
10 booksRobert Corbet writes books for teenagers. His work has been published in Australia, Europe and the US. He lives between factories in Melbourne's inner-city with three teenage children who continue to crack him up. He teaches writing and poetry in the outer-west. He plays a noisy guitar, paddles a leaky canoe and wishes Kurt Cobain was still alive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 5, 2017
Read: December 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars
I'm not sure why this book has such an overall low rating on GR. I found Shelf Life to be an interesting little book, set around the lives of the employees of an unnamed English supermarket. It was a quick and easy read, and I really enjoyed it.
Rating: 4/5 stars
I'm not sure why this book has such an overall low rating on GR. I found Shelf Life to be an interesting little book, set around the lives of the employees of an unnamed English supermarket. It was a quick and easy read, and I really enjoyed it.
August 28, 2013
It was an interesting read, as i love books where there are multiple stories that connect, but i felt like the stories didn'really connect, and that the story was too brief for readers to develop an attachement to any of the characters. I also felt like there were too many characters. There are more than what are named on the blurb.
For example, Chloe has a whole chapter on her, but after that, there isn't much about her, and some characters who didn't even get paragraphs make numerous appearences throught the book, and we have no knowledge of who they are besides a name. The concept was good, but i felt like the story was poorly conducted.
185 pages (my edition)
For example, Chloe has a whole chapter on her, but after that, there isn't much about her, and some characters who didn't even get paragraphs make numerous appearences throught the book, and we have no knowledge of who they are besides a name. The concept was good, but i felt like the story was poorly conducted.
185 pages (my edition)
January 22, 2013
I recently just finished reading the novel, Shelf Life by Robert Corbet. This novel is about everyone who works at the local supermarket. Personally, I found this novel to be very confusing and kind of meaningless. It’s really hard to distinguish one theme, because it was about SO many different characters that were having different struggles in their lives. Plus, the author skips from one character to the next, so it’s very hard to keep track of each one.
I disliked this novel for multiple reasons, but the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are way too many characters, and unimportant ones at that. There are about 27 characters in this novel and 14 of them, you only hear about once. From what I understood, they don’t add anything to this novel. These characters just add to the confusion of the novel and I feel like I wasted my time reading about them. That’s not how I like to feel about a character. I disliked the fact that I would read about a character once and never hear about them again! Because of this, it makes it almost impossible to connect with any of the characters! Plus, the things that were shared about these characters didn’t add anything to the plot of the story. For example, Marco is the security guy at the supermarket. He is introduced towards the end of the novel. There is one chapter about him, and that’s the last you hear of him. Plus, Corbet tells you odd things about him. Personally, I think the information shared about Marco is unnecessary and irrelevant.
“Not that Marco had anything bad against Elvis. Far from it. With his sulky good looks, his jet-black hair, and long sideburns, Marco even looked like the King, some said.” (133)
One thing I did like about this book is the character Louisa. She reminded me of myself in the sense that she’s always busy and gives whatever she’s doing, 100 percent! She has a tough home life because she ends up taking care of her mother, Jackie, and paying the bills. Her mother is a prostitute, so she can try pay the bills, but she ends up gambling all her money away and even most of Louisa’s money. My home life isn’t nearly that bad, but it’s not exactly the easiest life either, so I could still connect with Louisa because she’s forced to be more mature than her age. In this example, Louisa is being a mother to her mom.
“I don’t want to die,” Jackie whimpered. “I was just trying to cheer myself up.” “It’s okay, Mom. We’ll be out of here soon.” “You should have told me they we dangerous.” “I know, Mom. I’m sorry.” (106)
Overall, I found this novel confusing, meaningless, and a total waste of time. I didn’t enjoy reading it at all, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you like feeling disconnected from the characters you’re reading about.
I disliked this novel for multiple reasons, but the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are way too many characters, and unimportant ones at that. There are about 27 characters in this novel and 14 of them, you only hear about once. From what I understood, they don’t add anything to this novel. These characters just add to the confusion of the novel and I feel like I wasted my time reading about them. That’s not how I like to feel about a character. I disliked the fact that I would read about a character once and never hear about them again! Because of this, it makes it almost impossible to connect with any of the characters! Plus, the things that were shared about these characters didn’t add anything to the plot of the story. For example, Marco is the security guy at the supermarket. He is introduced towards the end of the novel. There is one chapter about him, and that’s the last you hear of him. Plus, Corbet tells you odd things about him. Personally, I think the information shared about Marco is unnecessary and irrelevant.
“Not that Marco had anything bad against Elvis. Far from it. With his sulky good looks, his jet-black hair, and long sideburns, Marco even looked like the King, some said.” (133)
One thing I did like about this book is the character Louisa. She reminded me of myself in the sense that she’s always busy and gives whatever she’s doing, 100 percent! She has a tough home life because she ends up taking care of her mother, Jackie, and paying the bills. Her mother is a prostitute, so she can try pay the bills, but she ends up gambling all her money away and even most of Louisa’s money. My home life isn’t nearly that bad, but it’s not exactly the easiest life either, so I could still connect with Louisa because she’s forced to be more mature than her age. In this example, Louisa is being a mother to her mom.
“I don’t want to die,” Jackie whimpered. “I was just trying to cheer myself up.” “It’s okay, Mom. We’ll be out of here soon.” “You should have told me they we dangerous.” “I know, Mom. I’m sorry.” (106)
Overall, I found this novel confusing, meaningless, and a total waste of time. I didn’t enjoy reading it at all, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you like feeling disconnected from the characters you’re reading about.
September 22, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I found it very relatable and I liked the layout of each chapter representing a different aisle in the store. I found the switch from present story telling, to a flashback for each main character.
February 26, 2019
2 February 2005 SHELF LIFE by Robert Corbet, Walker & Co., March 2005, ISBN: 0-8027-8959-5
" 'Price check on register three. Price check on register three.' "
Okay, who remembers Plaid Stamps?
My earliest, late-Fifties memories of "the supermarket" involve the A&P in Plainview. I recall my fascination over the live lobsters in the fish tank, the strong smell around the coffee bean grinder, and the top end of that mysterious conveyer belt between two aisles that led up from the basement but which I never saw in use.
These days, "the supermarket" for me is the rapidly expanding chain Trader Joe's which is a virtual twenty-first century hippie heaven with their everyday great deals on the private label California brown basmati rice, canola oil, clover honey, sprouted barley bread, frozen strawberries (for smoothies), and cashew pieces they offer, along with the TJ's spaghetti sauces, preserves, peanut butter, juices, and other processed products that are made without sugar or preservatives.
On top of that, they're a pretty jovial crew who work there.
But who ARE the people who work in a supermarket? What are their stories and their secrets?
Let's start with Adam.
Adam's entire life outside of school is the television in his bedroom. But now Adam's dad has forced him to abandon his afterschool shows to go interview for a part-time supermarket position. And Adam--through no fault of his own--has actually been hired.
"The store manager was seated at his desk, as he had been the day before.
" 'Graham Powell,' he said, shaking Adam's hand as if they had never met.
" 'I'm Adam,' said Adam, just to be on the safe side. "Graham spun around in his chair, leaned down, and opened his bottom drawer.
" 'Adam, Adam,' he repeated. 'I've got you in here somewhere.' "There were dozens of name tags in the drawer, but none of them had his name on it. Graham sorted through them all. Then he picked one out and showed it to Adam. It said ANDY.
" 'How about you wear this one until we get yours made up?' " 'But that's not my name,' said Adam.
" 'Not a problem.' Graham sounded slightly annoyed. 'It's mainly for the customers, you realize.'
"Adam took the tag and pinned it to his shirt pocket. It was on an angle, but he didn't care.
" 'Any questions?' asked Graham. 'Any concerns?'
"It was a good opportunity to be rude, crude, stupid, or all three. But before Adam could say anything, Graham stood up and began shaking his hand again.
" 'Welcome aboard,' he said. 'Come and I'll introduce you to the sharks!'
"He led Adam to a smaller room with four desks. There were two men and two women seated at the desks, and Graham introduced Adam to them, one by one: Nicola, the dairy manager; Cameron, the fruit manager; Amanda, the grocery manager; and Scott, the trainee manage, who said, 'How are ya, bud?' as if he actually remembered him. Adam viewed each in turn, like changing channels on TV. Who would he have to offend, he wondered, and how, in order to be dismissed?"
Shortly after beginning his first day on the job Adam hears someone softly crying in the next aisle over. It turns out to be the newly crowned Employee of the Month, a pretty teen checker named Louisa. The reoccurring episodes in the resulting tale of Adam (who forgets all about trying to get himself fired) and Louisa form the nucleus of SHELF LIFE, a brilliant series of interlocking stories about the idiosyncratic collection of characters (And I MEAN characters.) who work in this twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week supermarket.
Those employees include Jared, the wild and crazy young man with the chemical imbalance, Rahel, the girl in the meat department who's from a traditional Islamic family, Chloe, the cashier who seems incapable of saying "No" to any man, Stephen, the kid whose reality is inside his Gameboy, Marco, the night watchman, and Gina, who is employed by an agency to go to different supermarkets and serve up free samples.
" 'Weevils?'
"Abdi had never heard the word before.
" 'Big fat ones, in the flour,' said Jared. 'Check it out, homey.'
"Abdi watched doubtfully as Dylan looked into the paper bag that Jared was holding. The label said Self-Rising Flour, 2 lb.
" 'It's a weevil-fest. They're pigging out!'
" 'It's weevil-ution, homey. The survival of the fattest.'
" 'It's the eternal struggle.'
" 'It's Good versus Weevil!'
"Abdi had no idea what the storeroom boys were talking about.
Cautiously, he approached Jared and looked down into the bag."
There is more to each of the characters than meets the eye, and Robert Corbet's funny and revealing SHELF LIFE makes for a thoroughly enjoyable shopping experience.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
" 'Price check on register three. Price check on register three.' "
Okay, who remembers Plaid Stamps?
My earliest, late-Fifties memories of "the supermarket" involve the A&P in Plainview. I recall my fascination over the live lobsters in the fish tank, the strong smell around the coffee bean grinder, and the top end of that mysterious conveyer belt between two aisles that led up from the basement but which I never saw in use.
These days, "the supermarket" for me is the rapidly expanding chain Trader Joe's which is a virtual twenty-first century hippie heaven with their everyday great deals on the private label California brown basmati rice, canola oil, clover honey, sprouted barley bread, frozen strawberries (for smoothies), and cashew pieces they offer, along with the TJ's spaghetti sauces, preserves, peanut butter, juices, and other processed products that are made without sugar or preservatives.
On top of that, they're a pretty jovial crew who work there.
But who ARE the people who work in a supermarket? What are their stories and their secrets?
Let's start with Adam.
Adam's entire life outside of school is the television in his bedroom. But now Adam's dad has forced him to abandon his afterschool shows to go interview for a part-time supermarket position. And Adam--through no fault of his own--has actually been hired.
"The store manager was seated at his desk, as he had been the day before.
" 'Graham Powell,' he said, shaking Adam's hand as if they had never met.
" 'I'm Adam,' said Adam, just to be on the safe side. "Graham spun around in his chair, leaned down, and opened his bottom drawer.
" 'Adam, Adam,' he repeated. 'I've got you in here somewhere.' "There were dozens of name tags in the drawer, but none of them had his name on it. Graham sorted through them all. Then he picked one out and showed it to Adam. It said ANDY.
" 'How about you wear this one until we get yours made up?' " 'But that's not my name,' said Adam.
" 'Not a problem.' Graham sounded slightly annoyed. 'It's mainly for the customers, you realize.'
"Adam took the tag and pinned it to his shirt pocket. It was on an angle, but he didn't care.
" 'Any questions?' asked Graham. 'Any concerns?'
"It was a good opportunity to be rude, crude, stupid, or all three. But before Adam could say anything, Graham stood up and began shaking his hand again.
" 'Welcome aboard,' he said. 'Come and I'll introduce you to the sharks!'
"He led Adam to a smaller room with four desks. There were two men and two women seated at the desks, and Graham introduced Adam to them, one by one: Nicola, the dairy manager; Cameron, the fruit manager; Amanda, the grocery manager; and Scott, the trainee manage, who said, 'How are ya, bud?' as if he actually remembered him. Adam viewed each in turn, like changing channels on TV. Who would he have to offend, he wondered, and how, in order to be dismissed?"
Shortly after beginning his first day on the job Adam hears someone softly crying in the next aisle over. It turns out to be the newly crowned Employee of the Month, a pretty teen checker named Louisa. The reoccurring episodes in the resulting tale of Adam (who forgets all about trying to get himself fired) and Louisa form the nucleus of SHELF LIFE, a brilliant series of interlocking stories about the idiosyncratic collection of characters (And I MEAN characters.) who work in this twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week supermarket.
Those employees include Jared, the wild and crazy young man with the chemical imbalance, Rahel, the girl in the meat department who's from a traditional Islamic family, Chloe, the cashier who seems incapable of saying "No" to any man, Stephen, the kid whose reality is inside his Gameboy, Marco, the night watchman, and Gina, who is employed by an agency to go to different supermarkets and serve up free samples.
" 'Weevils?'
"Abdi had never heard the word before.
" 'Big fat ones, in the flour,' said Jared. 'Check it out, homey.'
"Abdi watched doubtfully as Dylan looked into the paper bag that Jared was holding. The label said Self-Rising Flour, 2 lb.
" 'It's a weevil-fest. They're pigging out!'
" 'It's weevil-ution, homey. The survival of the fattest.'
" 'It's the eternal struggle.'
" 'It's Good versus Weevil!'
"Abdi had no idea what the storeroom boys were talking about.
Cautiously, he approached Jared and looked down into the bag."
There is more to each of the characters than meets the eye, and Robert Corbet's funny and revealing SHELF LIFE makes for a thoroughly enjoyable shopping experience.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
July 19, 2021
This was a fairly quick book to read. Kind of silly. Kind of funny. Kind of ridiculous. Entertaining, for sure. I picked this up as a "Book Under 200 Pages" for my library reading category. It served its purpose, but I'll probably pass the book along.
**Includes: Some mature content & Cussing. Not, personally, a book I would recommend for younger than adult.
**Includes: Some mature content & Cussing. Not, personally, a book I would recommend for younger than adult.
August 27, 2018
A strange book. There was a new character introduced in just about every chapter, but no actual plot for them ever really developed. I had hoped for more of a story than I got.
June 9, 2019
A look into all the different lives of a grocery store's workers. Kind of reminds me of the TV show Superstore, or one of those movies about a restaurant's wait staff.
August 19, 2023
It was a great book but there was definitely some "interesting" parts but it told a great story. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone!!! Is there a sequel?
January 9, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
February 11, 2025
decent. just sad about tessa :(. wish there was more about tessa and ruby
May 21, 2019
Shelf Life has a very unique style to it. It was definitely different, and I’m not sure if I like it or not. The title fits really well, as this book is focused on the interesting lives of grocery store workers. Like I said, the style was somewhat strange, how each chapter was a different persons perspective. I think it was really different, but kind of cool! I think the purpose of this book was to show that there is always another side to the story, and how you might see something might not be how others see it. Something that strikes me as noteworthy was that the author could make a book about grocery store workday somewhat interesting, and I think he captured each side to the story very well. This book raises some topics of discussion of how there’s always another view of a story that you might have! This book is really good for any audience, although it is sometimes hard to switch characters all the time. I enjoyed how the author got creative with all of those characters, but it was also kind of confusing to follow. Overall, it wasn’t all that bad of a book!
April 3, 2011
1. ‘Shelf Life’ is a story that revolves around the aisles of a supermarket and the widely varying people who work there. Each chapter is a short story in itself with all of the chapters weaving together to form the larger story.
Each chapter shows that behind the pasted on smiles of the supermarket staff are real people with real problems and differing ambitions. Louisa is one of the central characters and she works part-time whilst studying to become a midwife. If this is not enough she also has to cope with her messed up mother and her stream of male friends. Seeing the customers through Louisa’s eyes has given me new appreciation of the patience required to deal with customers all day long!
2. During the book Adam is also working part-time while he is at school. He is a couch potato and his homework is piled up so high, he doesn’t know where to start so he just doesn’t! His father lines up the job with a friend from the golf club who is the store manager. He doesn’t want the job and plans to get sacked as soon as he can until he meets Louisa.
Chloe is a stereotyped checkout chick. She is quite pretty and works hard at the gym to keep it that way. She has had relationships with quite a few of the male staff members and is quite catty towards other women. In the past, she had a job as a nanny and enjoyed the job until the father tried to join her in the shower.
3. During the start of the book Jared and Dylan are brainless pair of jokers. They like to play tricks on people and treat life as a joke. Tessa is a loner who just can’t seem to fit in. Rahel is a Muslim girl, seventeen years old when her parents tell her they have arranged a marriage for her. Stephen lives more in computer games than he does in real life. Tessa is offered a promotion and has to decide whether to take the job or pursue her dream of studying to be a librarian. Abdi is waiting for Australian citizenship and working two jobs.
Each chapter shows that behind the pasted on smiles of the supermarket staff are real people with real problems and differing ambitions. Louisa is one of the central characters and she works part-time whilst studying to become a midwife. If this is not enough she also has to cope with her messed up mother and her stream of male friends. Seeing the customers through Louisa’s eyes has given me new appreciation of the patience required to deal with customers all day long!
2. During the book Adam is also working part-time while he is at school. He is a couch potato and his homework is piled up so high, he doesn’t know where to start so he just doesn’t! His father lines up the job with a friend from the golf club who is the store manager. He doesn’t want the job and plans to get sacked as soon as he can until he meets Louisa.
Chloe is a stereotyped checkout chick. She is quite pretty and works hard at the gym to keep it that way. She has had relationships with quite a few of the male staff members and is quite catty towards other women. In the past, she had a job as a nanny and enjoyed the job until the father tried to join her in the shower.
3. During the start of the book Jared and Dylan are brainless pair of jokers. They like to play tricks on people and treat life as a joke. Tessa is a loner who just can’t seem to fit in. Rahel is a Muslim girl, seventeen years old when her parents tell her they have arranged a marriage for her. Stephen lives more in computer games than he does in real life. Tessa is offered a promotion and has to decide whether to take the job or pursue her dream of studying to be a librarian. Abdi is waiting for Australian citizenship and working two jobs.
December 28, 2014
Robert Corbet's "Shelf Life" tells the disconnected stories of various characters who work for - or in - a grocery store. The story gravitates towards two in particular, Louisa and Adam, but others are given short vignettes that are little more than looks into their minds as everyday life happens around them.
It reminded me more of a movie, actually, particularly the type that were so popular during the 90s - the inane conversation in a boring, dead-end job was reminiscent of "Clerks". A common complaint I read in the reviews is that none of the characters are given closure, which in a way, I enjoyed. It gave it a sense of realism. Especially at a dead-end job one takes as a teenager, you get to know very little of your coworkers other than a few quirks. You might know that they live with their uncle, or that they deal drugs out the back (more common than you might think) during business hours, but know little else. And chances are, you never will. It's a slice of life piece, where each character is given a story for that day, not an arc.
As someone who worked her own dead-end job at a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere, I could relate to the customers who came in with outrageous demands, the managers who clearly did not care about anything beyond their next vacation, the weird coworkers and the ones you avoided and the ones you tolerated and the ones who were best friends in high school, and the casual insults people throw at you for working at a dead-end job. All of it rang true, to the point that I was laughing both at the stories, and my own experiences.
It wasn't especially moving, but as a slice of life, it was very well done, and I enjoyed its mundanity; this is not a novel that seeks to say something profound, or tell an epic story. It's the story of a bunch of people who work in a grocery store, with their own lives, their own problems, and their own dreams. And that is more than okay.
It reminded me more of a movie, actually, particularly the type that were so popular during the 90s - the inane conversation in a boring, dead-end job was reminiscent of "Clerks". A common complaint I read in the reviews is that none of the characters are given closure, which in a way, I enjoyed. It gave it a sense of realism. Especially at a dead-end job one takes as a teenager, you get to know very little of your coworkers other than a few quirks. You might know that they live with their uncle, or that they deal drugs out the back (more common than you might think) during business hours, but know little else. And chances are, you never will. It's a slice of life piece, where each character is given a story for that day, not an arc.
As someone who worked her own dead-end job at a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere, I could relate to the customers who came in with outrageous demands, the managers who clearly did not care about anything beyond their next vacation, the weird coworkers and the ones you avoided and the ones you tolerated and the ones who were best friends in high school, and the casual insults people throw at you for working at a dead-end job. All of it rang true, to the point that I was laughing both at the stories, and my own experiences.
It wasn't especially moving, but as a slice of life, it was very well done, and I enjoyed its mundanity; this is not a novel that seeks to say something profound, or tell an epic story. It's the story of a bunch of people who work in a grocery store, with their own lives, their own problems, and their own dreams. And that is more than okay.
December 3, 2015
Hmmm....
Well to start off, I thought that all the characters were very unique and understandable. However, we only get to really look into their lives in small doses. There are detailed scenes about each character, and they somehow tie together and understand why they act like they do.
Because these doses are VERY small, once you get really into liking a certain character, the narrator switches to someone else. If this was the first book of a series, it would be understandable to write in this fashion. I could be wrong, but I don't think this is the case.
It seems to me that this author had many good starts for stories featuring these characters, but couldn't pull it together into separate novels so instead threw them all into one.
I didn't completely dislike this book (obviously, since I read it in one sitting), because I was interested in certain characters and their lives. Too bad I'll never know the true ending to their stories. I guess I'll just make something up
Well to start off, I thought that all the characters were very unique and understandable. However, we only get to really look into their lives in small doses. There are detailed scenes about each character, and they somehow tie together and understand why they act like they do.
Because these doses are VERY small, once you get really into liking a certain character, the narrator switches to someone else. If this was the first book of a series, it would be understandable to write in this fashion. I could be wrong, but I don't think this is the case.
It seems to me that this author had many good starts for stories featuring these characters, but couldn't pull it together into separate novels so instead threw them all into one.
I didn't completely dislike this book (obviously, since I read it in one sitting), because I was interested in certain characters and their lives. Too bad I'll never know the true ending to their stories. I guess I'll just make something up
July 12, 2014
Shelf Life is a character driven novel that doesn't have much in the way of plot but is interesting in spite of that. This is a book that I read pre-goodreads and it was the first time I had ever read anything with multiple perspectives. Each character has there own happens and everyone gets a chance to show a small glimpse into their daily lives as they work to get by. It's a very average story, but I managed to stumble upon it at the right time for me to enjoy it.
March 5, 2013
I really just couldn't continue reading this one. I found the book very disappointing. The characters were bland and not relatable (for me anyhow). Most of the characters were on drugs, liars, and the type of people I would not enjoy hanging out with- much less read about. Some characters were introduced once then forgotten, the plot was pretty much non-existent, and the writing wasn't outstanding by any means. If you want a good read- skip this one.
August 26, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I like stories with multiple characters who have their own plots, but are somehow also interconnected. I liked the setting of the grocery store as well. I do feel that there were some characters who were mentioned but never really developed at all, so at times it did get a little confusing. I would have also like a little more character development - I wanted to know more about what happened to them. Overall, I did find it to be a fun, quick read.
October 26, 2007
I love this book!!! It is about the staff of a grocery store, the name kind of gives that away. It is told from the different perspectives of the staff but it is put together in a good way. I wanted to keep reading it, I couldn't put it down! It is a funny story that can be a little bit hard to follow because of the narrator switch. It is still an amazing book though.
August 17, 2011
In Aisle 1, Louisa is crying. On Aisle 2, Adam is trying to get fired. On Aisle 4, a renegade shopper is releasing the fizz from pop bottles. At the service counter, an irate customer can't understand why his Long Life Milk went bad after a few years. Welcome to the world of the supermarked, where these stories and more await.
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May 19, 2008I did not like this book that much. It tells you about 9 people that all work at a supermarket. They all have different secrets. For instance Adam decides to stick it out and hit on the Employee of the Month, Laura. In this book you will discover romance, humor, and other realities of life.
June 23, 2008
Life in a supermarket. This book introduces the reader to new characters in each aisle of a grocery store. Teens from all different backgrounds have stories unfolding and colliding within their workplace.
March 5, 2015
Confusing.[return][return]An assortment of teens working in a supermarket cope with health and family problems, future hopes and dreams, the complications of on-the-job romances, and the challenges of customer service.
September 20, 2014
I didn't read ths book! I didn't pay attention when I clicked on it and it wasn't until I was writing the review that I realized I'd selected the wrong book but don't know how to delete it or edit it. If you can help, please let me know otherwise, ignore this entry on my reading log!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2008
UGH. This book was awful. Unfulfilling in every aspect, with few characters that even remotely drew the reader in emotionally. Augh, just...GAG. That's all I can say.
February 5, 2009
Days in the lives of people who work in the supermarket. The book briefly touches on the lives of the people and you don't get any closure on anyone. I wouldn't read it again.
March 4, 2011
It's about many different teenagers, all tackling different problems. I suggest it to anyone who likes books narrated in different perspectives.
March 26, 2011
It was ok, but I don't remember much, I read it a long time ago.
November 14, 2011
It's all about the variety of lives of the supermarket workers. One worker has their own chapter(s). Read it. It's not bad at all.
July 15, 2014
I really liked this book and how all the characters tied together it was a funny yet engaging read
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