Early Book Review: One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks is being rereleased with reworked art and full color on July 14 2020.  

It is a middle-grade friendship story from one of my favorite graphic novel authors for this age group. When studious thirteen-year-old Juniper wins a scholarship to the prestigious Ellsmere Academy, she expects to find a scholastic utopia. But living at Ellsmere is far from ideal: She is labeled a “special project,” Ellsmere's queen bee is out to destroy her, and it’s rumored that a mythical beast roams the forest next to the school.

One Year at Ellsmere is not completely unexpected by fans of the author or genre. Middle grade and boarding school often go together, but as usual Hicks makes even the 'bad guy' a character that readers know is not wholly bad, despite their actions and the emotions that they often inspire. I love that Jun and Cassie are the main players, but they are not perfect rather they have the same fallibility that some readers might relate to. I really like that they are so different, and while they do make mistakes they are willing to own up to them and do better. They seem to recognize that others are equally fallible and that the things they do might come from a place of insecurity or pain rather than just being evil. The forest addition is lovely, and adds a jumping off point for interesting future stories, but it felt a little unnecessary to me. A fun twist, which adds a little mystical something, but I thought it could have been played in several other ways. Hicks remains one of my must reads authors, and I will continue looking for their work because even when it is not exactly perfect n my eyes, it is still pretty awesome.

One Year at Ellsmere is a perfect example of why I became a fan of Hicks in the first place. The story and art are perfectly matched, and offer a story that is engaging, entertaining, and hits readers in the feels.

Book Review: Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka is a popular shojo manga series that was adapted into the Blue Spring Ride anime. In high school, Futaba gets a second chance with her first love, Kou. Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious until she met Kou Tanaka in junior high. But as soon as she realized she really liked him, he had already moved away because of family issues. Now, in high school, Kou has reappeared, but is he still the same boy she fell in love with?

Ao Haru Ride is a story that felt very classic to me. Girl that wants to fit in, but does not want to quite be the stereotype that she would need to act like to really fit the mold. Figuring out who she really wants to be, and how she wants to interact with other people. Trying to decide is Tanaka is who she thinks he is, and then where she stands with him, is at the heart of the story. However, being herself and figuring out the importance of how she interacts with others and being herself is a close second in importance. The story was classic for young adult literature in general, and this style of manga. I liked the art style, it was consistent and showed the emotion, motion, and mood of each moment very well. 

Ao Haru Ride felt familiar and comfortable. It is classic high school story of finding yourself and figuring out what you want and who you want to be.

Book Review: Ghost Friends Forever #2, Witches Get Things Done by Monica Gallagher, Kata Kane

Witches Get Things Done is the second issue in the Ghost Friends Forever graphic novel series written by Monica Gallagher and illustrated by Kata Kane. I would recommend reading the series in order, but if you are determined to start here I think readers could catch up with the major points quickly.

Magic is the only thing that will help Sophia Greene-Campos reunite with Whitney, her ghost girl crush who died in the 1990s. Frustrated, Sophia is determined to find Witney. Soon Sophia befriends a witch named Charlotte who quickly becomes a trusted friend. While Sophia is busy disobeying her parents, her ex-boyfriend Jake is struggling between expressing his romantic feelings for her and helping her to get Whitney back. And Felix is suffering the nightmarish after effects of creating a Banishment Portal at such a young age. In order to help him, their parents Joanne and Oscar might be forced to reveal more of their knowledge about portals, two-headed poltergeists, and other secrets about The Paranormal Incident that split the family.

Witches Get Things Done is an entertaining read, and I was glad to see what come next for Sophia, Felix, Jake, and Whitney. I really liked getting to see some new characters, and that neither new or old characters seemed to be neglected or left behind in the story telling- which sometimes happens when the field gets crowded. I liked the development of the new and changing relationships, partial because it was as unsure, complicated, and messy as real life. I felt like some of the ghostly and science based paranormal aspects were glossed over or secondary to the angst Sophia has about her relationships. Even the danger is not really focused on as much as I thought it could have been. However, I enjoyed the story and only wish I got a little more from each issue. 

Witches Get Things Done is a nice continuation to the story. I enjoyed the read and the art. It was nice, but did not wow me, although I do plan on continuing the story.