Shoplifter: 05/10/16

Shoplifter by Michael Cho is the a graphic novel about a woman going through the routines as a copywriter for an advertising firm. She had wanted to be a novelist but now she's stuck advertising things she's not even sure are ethical. She comes to a breaking point when asked to sell racy clothing to preschoolers.

To put more of a thrill into her life, she has taken up the habit of shoplifting. She uses the hide something inside a newspaper and then pay for the paper technique. Of course it isn't fooling anyone but the clerk who runs the newsstand has quietly taken pity on her.

Ultimately it's about her needing to realize she's stuck in a job she hates and in a life she hates. She needs to see that she has to change and risk failure if she wants any chance of having the life she original envisioned for herself.

The artwork is black and white with pink highlights. It's sort of a new adult version of Babymouse. Emotionally it fits well with The People Inside by Ray Fawkes. Plot- and character-wise it's very similar to PopCo by Scarlett Thomas.

Five stars

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