One! Hundred! Demons!

Barry writes this graphic memoir from her own perspective, with a stylized cartoon version of herself narrating the book. She bounces back and forth between an assumed present, when she’s creating the book, and the past, through memories depicted as scenes featuring younger versions of herself. As a narrator, adult Barry is introspective, astute, thoughtful, and inquisitive. She looks deeply at her memories and tracks the way these experiences have shaped her current identity. She is open-minded about the 100 Demons exercise and follows it through to personal revelations.

Barry’s younger iterations show her personality at different points in her life. As a kid she is a tomboy, playing in the street with her neighbors and relishing the free-spirited games of kickball that bring them together. During this period, she strongly longs for her mother’s love and approval, and constantly feels hurt when she is met instead with violence. She has difficulty at school and seeks refuge in drawing, supported by one kind teacher. Adult Barry looks back on that teacher’s kindness and sees how it opened the door for young Barry’s art and creativity.

Barry alludes to some serious, traumatic experiences—including an indirect

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