The War at Ellsmere [Paperback]

Faith Erin Hicks (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2008

Zombies Calling creator Faith Erin Hicks brings her manga-fueled art style and pop-culture sensibilities to girl's boarding schools in her latest book The War at Ellsmere. Jun is the newest scholarship student at the prestigious Ellsmere girls' boarding school - but to a lot of the privileged rich girls, scholarship student is just a code for charity case. Fortunately, Jun has an ally in the quirky Cassie, who tells her legends of a beautiful creature that lives in the forest outside of the school. Between queen bees and mythical beasts, Jun has quite the school year ahead of her.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Longtime Web cartoonist Hicks has written a spot-on graphic novel for girls who are too young or not yet jaded enough for Gossip Girl and its clones. Ellsmere is a posh boarding school where the titular war is one of class: the snooty rich bullies versus new girl Juniper (the year’s “scholarship project”) and her roommate, who is nicknamed the Orphan because her family provides her with no emotional support. By introducing an element of fantasy to support the message that being true to yourself is the right way to live your life, Hicks gives readers enough tension and quirky turns to satisfy and pleasantly surprise. Her loopy black-and-white art does a fine job of distinguishing the girls from each other, and Ellsmere is depicted as both traditional (plaid uniforms) as well as contemporary (laptops in the dorm rooms). Not just for kids with boarding-school fantasies, this comic should also be handed to budding writers and storytellers. Juniper is a fully developed, eminently realistic character whose self-confidence and emotional intelligence make her a role model not only for her classmates but also for readers who are less sure of themselves or haven’t yet discovered how to channel their own creativity. Grades 5-8. --Francisca Goldsmith

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: SLG Publishing (December 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159362140X
• ISBN-13: 978-1593621407
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, January 25, 2011

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The War at Ellsmere (Paperback)

I need to preface this review by stating that I always wanted to go to a prep or military school. The whole concept of it appeals to my personality and temperament. This book shines a somewhat different light than my previous expectations. The War at Ellsmere is a book primarily about a young scholarship student at a very pretentious school. Juniper is 13 years old and has won a scholarship to the Ellsmere Academy. She wants to use her time there to give her a better chance at post secondary education. She has more street smarts than most of the students at the school, and for the most part cares less what others think, as long as she does well in school to better her future. But soon she has a sworn enemy in Emily, a girl with a silver spoon, and a major attitude. The artwork is amazing and the story intense. It was a great story that I have already read three times and know I will read again in the future.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read, August 2, 2010

By 

A. Norman-Beltran "bookworm" (California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The War at Ellsmere (Paperback)

I had to read this for a comic book English class I took last year. I really enjoyed it- for me it was like Gossip Girl with a swirl of Gossip Girl.
I know that if I had read it when in middle school I would probably have wanted to read more comics like this one. It had a punch- literally- when the antagonist got a little too in your face with Juniper.

Juniper's attitude was great, exactly what I'd want to see in a young teen trying to just get what she needs done, done. The only thing that was a little hard to take was the unicorn. Other than that, GREAT. :-D

5.0 out of 5 stars What lies behind this state, May 16, 2010

By 

Matias Duarte "matiasduarte" (Mountain View, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The War at Ellsmere (Paperback)

A romantic mansion turned into a boarding school. A mysterious forest. A bookish outsider and a nasty clique. Either this setting will make you perk up with interest or leave you cold, but don't be fooled by Ellsmere's respectable and traditional facade. Like the titular boarding school itself, there are depths, horrors and rewards awaiting those who venture past the stately facade. The War at Ellsmere is indeed a charming boarding school tale spiced with just a dash of magical realism. Yet Faith Erin Hick's work rises above the field crowded with aimless Harry Potter wannabees and tomes of inflated autobiographical anguish.

The witty self awareness of the dialog is sharp enough to amuse, yet never falls into the trap of it's own cleverness. Through out it all our heroines Juniper and Cassie remain authentic to subtle insecurities and character triumphs of teenagers. Equally notable is the absolutely engrossing artwork. With bold black ink strokes and an occasional gray wash Hick manages to draw an amazing range of scenes both intimate and expansive. Yet it the girls roaming the halls of Ellsmere that are the most remarkable. The combination of subject and medium is a recipe for simplified caricatures differentiated only by stereotypical attributes, but Hick's young protagonists are anything but. Juniper's tomboyish dress and sullen defensiveness change in a flash to a mischievous determination all while remaining unmistakably her. Cassie's art work is even more remarkable, capturing both her ethereal elfin features and unspoken emotions in a handful of heavy dark lines. Even our antagonists individual fashion sense deserves note.

Are there negatives? Of course, but I'm not writing a school essay or proving my critical chops by nitpicking a creation I would be proud of myself. Hick's work was a delightful surprise and personally I can't wait for her next creation. In fact I think I'll go order more of her books now...