Checkout 19 is set in a blue-collar town situated in a county just west of the bustling metropolis of London. The novel follows a young school-aged girl who discovers that she is creative by scribbling stories in pages at the end of her exercise book. Her imagination is ignited by her experiences in the world; as she gets older, she starts to encounter many interesting things and people. She uses them as a sort of muse and a way to fuel her talent. Those multi-talented people surely inspired some complex stories.
One of the girl’s biggest muses is the imposing but intelligent Russian man who goes to the grocery store she works at as a checkout clerk frequently. There, the man gives the girl copies of a number of books which he thinks will be informative for such a young writer. One of those books is Beyond Good and Evil, which inspires her to read more and creates in the young girl a newfound love of literature. She begins to collect more books, buying some and being gifted others, and starts to immerse herself in the stories each book tells. In each page of the book she is reading, she finds information about herself.
After her boundaries are tested and a friend violates her, one of the young girl’s friendships is derailed. Still, through it all, she continues to harness the thrill of creating characters and different scenarios those characters find themselves in her head. Using her interest in writing and her ingenuity, the girl forges her own unique path in the world. And because of her positive attributes, the girl finds great inspiration and tremendous success.
Over time, the young girl’s passion for writing grows stronger. And as she writes more, she discovers that she has a knack for creating narratives which allow her readers to be transported into other worlds. And as time passes, the young girl hones her writing skills, which quickly become a source of catharsis, creative expression, and success for the growing girl.
Her journey towards becoming a successful writer doesn’t come without its challenges, however. Still, because of her spirit, she continues through those challenges and never loses sight of her passion for reading and for the written word itself. Even through the ups and downs of her life, the young girl continues to find inspiration in the world around her and uses it to for material in her work. Ultimately, her writing becomes a source of entertainment and fascination for those around the world who reader her book.
