Paper or Plastic

by Vivi Barnes

[Leah]

If you don't know this about me, I work in a supermarket. It's not the best job in the world, but it's a job. And as such, because of what I see on a day-to-day basis, it actually surprises me that more authors don't write books about people who work in supermarkets, because there are stories there. But that's too lowly, I think. Not creative. Despite the fact thousands and thousands must work in supermarkets. So I always love it when an author writes a book about the world of the supermarket. Although, it does depress me to know that the two I've read so far - the first being Top Ten Clues You're Clueless and the second this one here, both are written in the Young Adult genre. Which makes it seem as if only teens work in supermarkets. Which they don't. I'm actually the youngest in our store... (And I'm 24)

I was so excited to get stuck in to Paper or Plastic, at least until we meet Lex. I liked Lex, eventually, but at first she comes off as a right snob. I understand she was forced to take the job at SmartMart, but there was no need for her to look down her nose at everyone and treat it as if it was something awful to have to do. But as Lex started to enjoy her job more, and made friends with co-workers, the more I started to enjoy the story. The novel seemed all sweetness and light at first - just your typical love story, but there were serious matters addressed in the novel - Lex's grandma has alzheimers; Lex's mother is obsessed with taking her younger sister to beauty pageants (and winning them!); it even deals with bullying from friends and parents. But the novel never got down on itself, which I appreciated.

I absolutely loved the characters in Paper or Plastic. Noah, for me, was my favourite character. I was swooning all over the place whenever he was in a scene and his name! Noah is suddenly my favourite name. Swoooooooon!! But he was also so sweet to Lex, and to everyone basically, and would happily cover for someone if he thought they needed it. Considering we learn he grassed up Lex's bestie Bryce for graffitti-ing, he hardly seemed the loner type or the grasser type and it sort of annoyed me a bit that that was a main point of contention for Lexi; not wanting to tell Bryce about Noah, because what's done is done; what happened was two years ago and if Bryce wasn't over it then I felt he needed to just get a life and let it go (let it goooooooooooooooo). Probably my only issue with the novel revolved around Lex's secret keeping, because it just didn't seem right to me.

Another favourite of mine was Ruthie. Now, I don't know if she's a bit on the autism spectrum, or just hyper all the time, though I don't really care, because her enthusiasm and her love for greeting people was infectious and it meant a lot to me that Lex bonded with her, because she was super sweet. There was quite an event towards the end of the novel that had me flipping the pages even quicker (and made me change my decison of ever living in Florida), and for a minute there I was worried. Overall, Paper or Plastic is one of the sweetest Young Adult contemporaries I've ever read. I loved Lex and Noah, together and apart, but mostly together. They had some insane chemistry and I adored all the others at the supermarket, except Roxanne ugh. It was such an adorable, quick read. The perfect way to spend my morning.