Pénélope Bagieu

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.

A Memoir

Layers

Sarah Sammis

There's an offputting detachment to the tone of the different scenarios from her life. I never connected enough with the author (or maybe the translation) to feel compelled to finish it.

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Ryan 

Even if readers, like myself, are unfamiliar with Bagieu's work, I believe that the vignettes she openly shares in Layers can both be relatable to the teenage soul and thought-provoking to learn about certain aspects of French culture that's unfamiliar for Americans. Despite that, it may rather be the blank pages in-between each story or the black-and-white artwork that makes this story feel disjointed nor outstanding. The one lesson I've extracted from reading this graphic memoir is that throughout our lives whether it's regarding relationships or everyday routines, we all fall into repetitive practices that can sometimes be unhealthy out of the protection of one's friends and family and Layers reminds us to promote compassion to our younger and present selves.

Layers A Memoir

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