Juniper (aka Jun) is chosen as the first scholarship recipient to attend Ellsmere, a highly prestigious all-girl's academy in a castle. Little does she know that she's about to face one of the cruelest bullies known in all Girldom--Emily. Emily will stop at nothing to ensure that Jun's life is miserable and is intent on getting her kicked out. With help from Cassie, her roommate, Jun faces the full force of Emily's wrath. But will Emily's henchmen and a masterful plot to frame Jun of plagiarism be the end of her time at Ellsmere? And, what of the mysterious white "deer" in the castle forest? Does it really hate it when people are cruel to one another? "One Year at Ellsmere" is a gripping graphic novel that will keep middle and young adults hooked till the last page.

Faith Erin Hicks is an author and artist that I keep coming back to, and her newest is yet another success!

This is actually a reprint of The War At Ellsmere, with a new title and new cover. For some reason, the covers of these always made me think they were ghost stories. Now having read them, they are basically just a sweet little story about friendship, being an outsider and perseverance. Which is still cool. But I would have preferred a ghost.

I really enjoyed this book! While the setting of an all girls boarding school with a scholarship student being taunted by the wealthy straight A kid isn’t new, there were surprises and endearing moments. I hope to see more of Jun and Cassie in further installments because there seems to be more brewing at Ellsmere.

A charming graphic novel with a lovely style and flow. I'd love to see more of this magical setting and future adventures here!

This was a fun and easy read about a girl named Juniper. She just started at Ellsmere and begins having some drama with a group of girls.

I will read anything by Faith Erin Hicks, and I loved this graphic novel! A mysterious forest, a group of mean girls, and a meaningful friendship between misfits. There was so much to love! The story is told throughout the year and is very well structured. Faith has another hit with these characters. I hope this becomes a series!

A revised book from Faith Erin Hicks (originally published in 2008) about a scholarship student at a preppy all-girls school. The artwork is great, but the story is a little simple and the ending is unsatisfactorily abrupt. Interesting as a peek into what Hicks was doing at the start of her career, but fairly average in most other ways.

One Year at Ellsmere is a great boarding school story. It has drama, friendship, legends, and a scary mansion with thunder. Hicks' illustrations help to give an atmosphere to the story. I liked the mixed cast of characters and how their personalities swirled around each other. I do wish there was more diversity in the characters (both ethnically and body). The pacing was ok, but there were times it did feel slow and other times it felt extremely fast. I think this book could easily become a series and that would help even the pacing. There are lots of teens I already know I want to recommend this too!

Faith Erin Hicks' incredible illustration style makes this graphic novel. The images are eerie and mysterious. The story relies on a lot on existing tropes: the scholarship kid going to boarding school, teenage fighting between the popular and unpopular kids. Nothing to write home about.

This is a story of Juniper who was awarded a scholarship to attend Ellsmere Academy. She struggles with being the scholarship kid and has to deal with bullies and just trying to fit in.

I love Juniper's personality. She is a really fun character that sets the mood for a very sweet story. The art is cute and the colors used fit very well. In the back of the book, there are sketches showing the entire process. This added a really interesting piece to the book. I love seeing the process artists use to create things.

I have read and loved the author's Nameless City series. One Year at Ellsmere did not disappoint.

Creative Team:
Story and art by Faith Erin Hicks
Colors by Shelli Paroline

I love Faith Erin Hicks’s style, it’s so lovely. This story follows Jun and Cassie, two outcasts at the prestigious Ellsmere Academy. The school has been around for over a century built next to a rumored magical forest. Jun is a scholarship student who hopes the school will help her achieve her dreams, while Cassie is a legacy student whose family has a wing named after them somewhere. The roommates bond quickly and unfortunately become the target of the school bully, Emily. Some tormenting and fierce competition comes to a head and the magic of the school steps in to save the girls from their own games.

This was a good little story, I only wish there was more to it. It seemed like so much more could have been elaborated on. As I said before, I love the art style, but I think this story might benefit from being novelized. I would love to have more about Cassie and Jun and their whole school year. Maybe even a few more years.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the eARC.

Such a heartwarming story about friendship and kindness. Something that we all need to learn in today's society. Hicks again bring such a lovely story with vibrant and beautiful artwork. This is prefect for students who are embarking on new beginnings and trying to figure out who they are.

This was a really cute story about friendship with a really great art style. I've loved Faith Erin Hick's graphic novels since I read the Nameless City and One Year at Ellsmere was just as good!

I LOVED this graphic novel! Great illustrations and story line, the kids at my library will love this one!

I originally read “The War at Ellsmere” copy and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can definitely see the updates that Faith Erin Hicks made and they are beautiful.

Juniper goes to Ellsmere Academy, where she meets Cassie and they become best friends. Together, they tackle school and the rude school social butterfly, Emily. The school year has its many ups and downs, and what they discover in the forest adds to their interesting year. What they learn makes them better people and will allow them to go to school without too many mishaps. Again, this is a great book and I’m impressed with what changes where made.

I've been a fan of Faith Erin Hicks illustrations for a long time and it was interesting to see this revamped version of this story and to see how her art has changed over the years.. The story was a fun read and the artwork is very appealing (as always!). Great for middle schoolers.

I'm a huge fan of Faith Erin Hicks as a graphic novel illustrator and have read a lot of books that she has illustrated. The artwork was amazing here but I felt the storyline was too simple and predictable.

Originally titled "The War at Ellsmere," "One Year at Ellsmere" is a fun read about a public school student named Juniper who attends the private school Ellsmere Academy on a scholarship. Between making friends and enemies, Jun has to balance school life and her personal one. It was an engaging read from start to finish and I can't wait to see what happens at Ellsmere next!

I liked this but felt like there should have been more. The sort of the Ellsmere brothers and the unicorn seemed weirdly out of place. Why add them to the story if it wasn’t going to be explained? The unicorn didn’t like cruelty, but what about the older brother? I would be interested in reading more about the girls and the things that happened in the forest, but this book just didn’t feel like enough as is.