Life in a supermarket is not all it seems. The suburban supermarket setting is a device for Corbert to tell us about the life, loves and aspirations of those who work there. At first glance, you may think it’s a bit of a soap opera, but it isn’t. There’s a ring of truth, which will have you looking differently at the people who stack your supermarket shelves. I really liked the vignette style of storytelling. Corbett deftly uses this style to take you quickly from the milieu of supermarket working life to inside the heads of his characters. Each chapter is a familiar supermarket aisle (e.g. ‘Aisle One: Stationery/Electrical/Toilet Rolls/Tissues’) and each aisle reveals something special and interesting about a character. Of course, the book isn’t long enough to explore each character fully and, just as you’re getting to know and care about one, you’re moved on to the next. Only two characters, Adam and Louise, get to round off their stories within the confines of the book. Perhaps there’s a sequel out there? Because I definitely want to know what happened next to most of the characters. This is one of those books that will appeal across genres and ages.

Jane Watson-Brown is a writer and reviewer

Tags: robert corbet