Layers: A Memoir

by Pénélope Bagieu, Montana Kane (Translator)

Overview

Following the Eisner-award winning Brazen, Pénélope Bagieu pens her first autobiographical work in this hilarious and bitter sweet graphic memoir.

Pénélope Bagieu never thought she'd publish a graphic memoir. But when she dusted off her old diaries (no, really—this book is based on her actual diaries), she found cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories begging to be drawn.

In Layers, Bagieu reflects on her childhood and teen years with her characteristic wit and unflinching honesty. The result is fifteen short stories about friendship, love, grief, and those awkward first steps toward adulthood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250351784
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	45 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Pénélope Bagieu was born in Paris in 1982 to Corsican and Basque parents. She is a bestselling graphic novel author, and her editorial illustrations have appeared all over the French media. In America, her graphic novels include Exquisite Corpse, California Dreamin’, The Witches (an adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic), and Brazen (a 2019 Eisner Award winner). She blogs, plays drums in a rock band, and watches lots of nature shows.
Pénélope Bagieu was born in Paris in 1982 to Corsican and Basque parents. She is a bestselling graphic novel author, and her editorial illustrations have appeared all over the French media. In America, her graphic novels include Exquisite Corpse, California Dreamin’, The Witches (an adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic), and Brazen (a 2019 Eisner Award winner). She blogs, plays drums in a rock band, and watches lots of nature shows.

Editorial Reviews

07/31/2023

In a graphic novel collection of often humorous, economical cartoons, Bagieu documents moments throughout her childhood and adolescence, including her beloved cat’s death and her longing to develop curves, as well as instances of harassment and sexual assault. Via loosely connected vignettes rendered in inky b&w, the creator narrates each entry as if looking back on a memory, providing contextual information that offers insight into the story’s happenings. The introductory selection “Why Don’t You Have a Cat? You Love Cats!” in which Bagieu recalls receiving a kitten for Christmas, sets the tone for the rest of the narrative. Endearing antics—as when the cat protests her owner’s new beau by peeing on his backpack—give way to heartbreaking truths in equal measure. A focus on quirkier aspects of the subject’s personality, such as her unfailing confidence that she can acquire new skills, despite occasional evidence to the contrary, presents young Bagieu as an effervescent and persevering protagonist. Through narration, the author refers to her 16-year-old self as “brave,” her insecurities notwithstanding, amplifying this assertion via comics in which she deftly juxtaposes parallel experiences in youth and adulthood. This quick, charming read goes down easy and lingers pleasantly. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Eisner-winning French creator Bagieu (Brazen, 2018) mines her own youthful journals for a delectable 16-story memoir with plenty of bite... Rife with intimate charm, Bagieu nimbly transforms the memories of 'that weird, awkward girl, filled with complexes and insecurities' into proof she’s grown up to be 'so, so brave.'" —Booklist, starred review

"This heartfelt, autobiographical graphic novel is an affirming and witty look into the joys and struggles of growing up, and is a highly recommended purchase but is best suited for adults and older teens." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2023

Gr 9 Up—Bagieu shares 16 nonlinear tales of her childhood and teen years that shaped her into the woman she is today. While some of the stories are amusing, others are bittersweet. One especially poignant tale includes parallel stories set seven years apart about times she has been sexually harassed, including how she justified to others what happened, which sadly, many women will relate to. The whimsical black-and-white art that some readers will recognize from her previous books, Brazen or California Dreamin', is appealing. The slice-of-life vignettes flow across the page and convey great emotion, despite the simple linework. As with any short story collection, some of the stories are more effective than others, but each will resonate with different readers as they bring their own experiences to the narratives. These entries will resonate with most teens. VERDICT This heartfelt, autobiographical graphic novel is an affirming and witty look into the joys and struggles of growing up, and is a highly recommended purchase but is best suited for adults and older teens.—Nancy McKay

School Library Journal

2023-07-13
Award-winning Parisian artist and graphic novelist Bagieu shares vignettes from her life in this title translated from French.

The opening tale, “Why Don’t You Have a Cat? You Love Cats!” is the strongest, telling the story of a very small Pénélope and her sister’s desperation to have cats of their own, the surprise kittens that appear under the Christmas tree, and the subsequent giddy highs and heartbreaking lows of pet ownership. One especially poignant and humorously told story relates the carefree, passion-filled summer of 1999, right before Bagieu entered university, when she and her equally poorly informed boyfriend received a crash course in safe sex from a compassionate gynecologist. More serious topics—death, sexual assault, and public harassment by predatory men—are interspersed with lighter-hearted tales of struggling with the cold as an exchange student in London, trying to connect with a high school crush who plays in a rock band, and musing on the impact of receiving participation awards as consolation prizes. The stories, which vary dramatically in length and tone, are presented with little analysis or commentary, trusting readers to draw their own conclusions. Overall, they feel like reminiscences filtered through an adult perspective rather than stories written to speak directly to young people currently living through similar experiences. Bagieu’s skillful, digitally rendered art mimics the looseness of pencil sketches and has a whimsical, highly emotionally expressive feeling. Kane’s translation is seamless and natural sounding.

Beautifully illustrated glimpses into a coming-of-age journey. (content warning) (Graphic memoir. 15-adult)

Kirkus Reviews