Layers

July 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.

August 1, 2023
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 P�n�lope 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)

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September 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Eisner-winning French creator Bagieu (Brazen, 2018) mines her own youthful journals for a delectable 16-story memoir with plenty of bite. Translated into English by novelist Kane, Bagieu's collection begins and ends with death--her ailing, elderly feline companion, in "Why Don't You Have a Cat? You Love Cats!" and her fatally ill grandmother, who insists she's "had enough . . . [and] just want[s] to be left alone," in "The Comfort Blanket." In between, Bagieu skips back and forth between the layers of her childhood into young adulthood, exploring various drawing styles and presenting a range of details. The standout perhaps is "Three Days," about how Bagieu poignantly, temporarily, imagined having a brother after the death of her estranged father. Two stories, "D�j� Vu" and "D�j� Vu 2," are notable both for their content and clever two-column layout. The former reveals two disturbingly similar instances of sexual abuse, in 1991 and 1998, about which Bagieu refused to ever tell. In 2, Bagieu reprises the same side-by-side two-column format to examine two different friendships that shattered over boys whose names weren't even worth remembering; the right column continues while the left stays blank, however, as that friendship is eventually repaired. 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."

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October 1, 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

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