Friends with Boys

February 13, 2012
After being homeschooled her whole life, Maggie is starting high school at a public school and she’s understandably terrified. Anxiously she goes to school and eventually makes a few friends that others might consider weird because of how they look, but they turn out to be good comrades. In the midst of this easy-to-read slice-of-life action, Maggie is also being haunted by a female ghost who died about 200 years ago. Despite the addition of the ghost to the story, the graphic novel continues in realism mode, instead of shifting to a horror tale. And while the book starts out strongly, it leaves many things unanswered, like why Maggie’s mother left or what the ghost wants, leading to a somewhat abrupt ending. Maggie is a likable main character, however, and her anxiety about school is well portrayed, while Hicks’s black and white art is sharp and comically expressive. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from January 15, 2012
Nervous, homeschooled by her absent and much-missed mom and saddled with three adored older brothers--and a ghost--Maggie starts high school. Largely but not entirely left by her doting upper-grade sibs (who had "first days" of their own) to sink or swim, Maggie starts off in lonely isolation but quickly finds two great friends in Mohawk-wearing, multi-pierced, exuberantly logorrheic classmate Lucy and her quieter (but also Mohawk-topped) brother Alistair. Simmering complications soon reach a boil as Maggie discovers that Alistair and her own oldest brother Daniel have some sort of bad history and, on a more eldritch note, a woman's ghost that Maggie had always been able to see occasionally in the nearby graveyard takes to floating into her house and right up to her face. Filling monochrome ink-and-wash panels with wonderfully mobile faces, expressively posed bodies, wordless conversations in meaningful glances, funny banter and easy-to-read visual sequences ranging from hilarious to violent, Hicks crafts an upbeat, uncommonly engaging tale rich in humor, suspense and smart, complex characters. Readers will definitely want to have, know or be Maggie's brothers--but she herself proves to be no slouch when it comes to coping with change and taking on challenges. (Graphic fantasy. 11-13)

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Starred review from March 1, 2012

Gr 6 Up-Maggie's secure homeschooled life with three older brothers, Daniel, Lloyd, and Zander, is ruptured when she must negotiate the rough waters of public school and a new family dynamic. She also happens to be haunted by a ghost, the widow of a sea captain, who is less terrifying to Maggie than the prospect of high school. She eventually becomes friends with siblings Alistair and Lucy. This friendship is complicated by Alistair's uneasy relationship with Daniel. The threesome visits the local museum and locates the sea captain's prosthetic hand. Maggie determines that returning it to his widow's ghost will put the apparition to rest. When her theft is discovered, Maggie's brothers come to her rescue, returning the missing artifact and exonerating the trio. Various panel sizes are used to full advantage, creating a cinematic effect that moves from long shots to tight close-ups. Night scenes provide good contrast and heighten the dramatic tension. Excellent pacing gives pause for reflective moments and sets up the action scenes. Hicks is a master of wordless panels, using facial expressions, gestures, and character placement to effectively convey emotions that transcend words. Her artistic brilliance is especially evidenced in the character's expressive faces, particularly the eyes. Note Lucy's face during the horror movie and the faces of the siblings when confronted by their father. Originally published as a web comic, this excellent high school drama has already developed an online following. Friends with Boys will win new fans for this talented cartoonist.-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2012
Grades 8-12 Maggie, the youngest girl in an otherwise all-male household, is attending public high school for the first time after being homeschooled. In addition to facing changes at home (her mother abandoned the family), she has to deal with the same hurdles as any freshmanfinding her classes, navigating the make-out hallway, and figuring out the school's social hierarchy. Oh, and she is haunted by a nineteenth-century ghost. Hicks (The War at Ellsmere, 2008) uses simple black-and-white drawings to show her characters' varied emotional landscapes. Her expertly crafted facial expressions and dynamic paneling broadcast everything from giddy joy to Alien-induced horror. The playfulness of her artwork is effectively undercut by the eerie, silent presence of the ghost. As Maggie grows more comfortable with school and making friends, the ghost appears more frequently, standing in as a literal, haunting reminder of what she is leaving behind and the memory of her absent mother. A charming story of growing up and letting go of the past while still acknowledging the inevitable pain that comes with it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2012
Starting at a new school is tough for any recently transplanted teen, but for Maggie it's not moving that triggers the change, instead, she's starting her first day of high school after having been homeschooled her entire life. Her three older brothers have all made the transition with varying success, but Maggie faces a further stumbling block: her mother -- her only teacher and the only other female in a house full of men -- left the family suddenly the year before. In this graphic novel, Maggie has to tackle making friends, figuring out cliques, and finding her place among long-established groups on her own. Hicks excels at showing everyday adventures and contemplative moments in expressive, sharp black-and-white ink work and careful pacing. Maggie's conversations with her brothers, especially the sympathetic Daniel, who has found his niche among the school's theater crowd, ring particularly true. The mixing in of mysteries involving a broken friendship and a restless ghost add layers to Maggie's world. The additions are evocative, especially in conveying the connections between the unknown reason for her mother's departure and the ghost's inability to find peace, but the finish feels unresolved instead of purposefully open. Despite the too-swift resolution, the strong characters and excellent art give teens a (still rare in comics) girl's slice of life. robin brenner

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
Maggie starts high school after having been homeschooled her entire life. Her mother--her only teacher and the only other female in a house full of men (Maggie has three brothers)--left the family the year before. The mystery of a restless ghost is unresolved but evocative in this graphic novel. However, the strong characters and excellent art give teens a (still rare in comics) girl's slice of life.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)