I am a huge fan of graphic novels and also true crime. I wasn’t sure if this would hit for me as it’s aimed for a younger audience. However, this book was awesome! I learned a lot from this book and thought it was written well.

On the morning of August 4, 1892, fourteen-year-old Charlie sees a horrifying act unfold at his next-door neighbor Lizzie Borden’s house—something he can’t keep to himself. Yet no one believes what Charlie saw . . . not even when Andrew and Abby Borden are found dead later that morning. 

I have been fascinated by the Lizzie Borden story for as long as I can remember, and read jut about anything I come accross. Nothing like an unsolved murder to grab the imagination.

This graphic novel captures the entire story as realistically as any non-fiction bersion I have read.
The illustrations are very well done as is the telling of Lizzie's and Charlie's story.
The story takes no sides and leaves you to decide if Lizzie was guilty or not. My honest thought is "not guilty" but if nothing else there was reasonable doubt and that is the foundation of the judicial system.
I was surprised to see this was a graphic novel for children, middle age I beleive, and I was wooried it would either be too graphic or sugar coat what is essentially a tragic story. But worries were unfounded as the subject was handled with sensitivity but did not shy away from what actually transpired.

Highly Recommended Published 03/18/2025
Thanks to @Netgalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

This was fantastic. I didn't know what to expect from a Lizzie Borden graphic novel aimed at middle grade, but I am here to say this was a phenomenal success. I'm not sure if "I Witnessed" is going to be a spin off series of the "I Survived" series I remember from my childhood, but this book was exactly what I was hoping for and more. Who doesn't love a creative take on one of America's first murder trials?

I'm vaguely familiar with the details of the Borden story and I read this start to finish in one sitting. The novel is narrated by the actual 11-year-old neighbor of Lizzie Borden (fictionally narrated, of course- I'm not sure 11-year-old boys in Puritan New England would've kept journals) and absolutely masters the suspenseful tone of a psychological thriller while still keeping the book age-appropriate for a middle grade audience. A hard balance, surely, but one the author does effortlessly (or makes to appear effortless). Not only is Kraatz's art exceptional, but his style works well with the setting and pace of the story to create a graphic novel I recommended to all my librarian friends the moment I finished it.

Peppered with helpful facts from the actual case in distinct speech bubble-esque boxes, this graphic novel also does a brilliant job navigating the lines of fact and fiction within the Lizzie Borden case. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a graphic novel, but I think the medium actually makes the story more truthful to it's folklore roots than if this was written as a typical, words-and-no-pictures chapter book. There is a level of ambiguity created by the story being told as a graphic novel that feels appropriate for a murder case that doesn't have a neat and tidy conclusion.

Like any good middle grade novel, the book also had a lovably foolhardy narrator, Charlie. Highly, highly recommend to anyone looking for a spooky read to start out their 2025 reading challenge.

Summary:

Charlie is fourteen years old, and he just saw something truly unspeakable. It’s the morning of August 4, 1982—the morning that tragedy struck Lizzie Borden’s house. Unfortunately, he can’t get anyone to believe what he saw.

Not until the bodies are found, at any rate. Charlie will have to do everything in his power to ensure his voice is heard so that justice can be found for Andrew and Abby Borden. Who would have thought Charlie would end up in such a situation?

Review:

Before I dive into my review, I just want to point out that I Witnessed is historical fiction. It is based on real events (the Lizzie Borden trial and murders), but Charlie’s story is largely imagined and exaggerated. I’m not sure I would have read the graphic novel otherwise, you know?

Honestly, I was curious to see how I Witnessed would handle such heavy content for young readers. As a reminder, this book is a middle-grade book. And I’m pleased to say they did a great job. They don’t hide away from the truth but don’t relish the gory details.

What I enjoyed was this mystery from Charlie’s perspective. Even though he’s a witness, he’s still not certain of Lizzie’s guilt. Did she do it? Was she framed? The book does a great job of leaving it ambiguous, letting readers decide based on how they’re feeling about the mystery.

Highlights:
Middle-Grade Novel
Historical Fiction
Witnesses & Truth

Trigger Warnings:
Graphic Details

This was such a fun journey through the Lizzie Borden Story from the eyes of her young neighbor. I really enjoyed the historical accuracy and the case facts scattered throughout. Definitely will be recommending this one!

My patrons love true crime, have an obsession with the Borden murders, and, of course, love a good graphic novel, so this book checks off each box. I thought the panels were laid out nicely and were easy to follow. The story is told from a fictional neighbor's POV; however, it does provide facts. I would recommend this for students who enjoy the "I survived" graphic novels. I feel this book could fit into middle school libraries and is perfect for high school. I will be added this to my collection.

True crime is not normally my thing, but as a children's librarian, I was curious what this title would be like before purchasing it for the library. The story was good-while the protagonist was based on a real person, the story was completely fictional. That being said, it seemed very well researched, and facts were included when possible. I appreciate that the author emphasized that the fact is, people are going to make up their own minds as to whether or not she did it, but we only have so much information available to us. I wouldn't have thought of writing something like this, but while it is a story that stands alone on its own, I also feel like it is an interesting book on information consumption and telling the truth from fiction (when it is even possible.) Knowing when to step back and say, "I don't know," is an important skill to learn as much as anything else. Overall, I liked it, and will be comfortable adding it to the library collection.

"I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story" is a middle grade historical graphic novel written by Jaramey Kraatz and illustrated by Crystal Jayme. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Lizzie Borden axe murders from the point of view of Charlie, the young next-door neighbor of Lizzie Borden. Charlie is friendly with Lizzie, but sees and hears some questionable things that make him wonder what really happened. In the vein of "I Survived," this historical graphic novel gives a decent amount of real information under the guise of Charlie's fictionalized point-of-view and has additional informational asides and information in the back of the book.
A recommended purchase where historical middle grade graphic novels are popular.

Lizzie Borden was the first true crime story I ever heard about and it started my interest in the topic. Podcasts, documentaries, books - I am hooked. I was so excited to read this graphic novel and am bummed to say it didn't work for me. I actually didn't finish it. It was way too dense and long and told from too outside the story. We spent too much time with the neighbor and not nearly enough with Lizzie. Great concept but the execution didn't work for me.

Have good insight and humor into the borden murders while also helping the readers understand why it was so hard to prove her innocence or guilt due to the infamy of the crime. I ate this book up.

This was an interesting read, but it focused mostly on the young main character and him trying to "solve" the Borden case. Obviously, the majority of his story is made up and used as a way to tell facts from the real Borden case. While the character has the same name and a few key details the same as the real-life person, the rest is fictional. The random facts about the actual Borden case were interesting. I did really enjoy the art, it was the biggest factor for my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was an interesting graphic novel. This book tells the story of Charlie, who witnesses a murder at Lizzie Borden’s house. I loved the illustrations that told this story as well as Charlie’s character. Overall this was a pretty good historical fiction read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great graphic novel. The story was great and will make for a great kids book.

When I saw the title, I knew I had to check this one out! I've always loved true crime, and this is one of those mysteries. We will never know what happened that day; we can only speculate on what we thought happened.
The author did a spectacular job of mixing the story with the historical facts, adding quotes from the testimony at the trial. The neighbor Charlie is involved in the whole deal, especially when he visits her in the beginning, showing Lizzie her birds and tending to them carefully. Then, when her father kills the birds, the household, except for Lizzie, gets sick.
I enjoyed Charlie's sleuth-like activities with his notebook and following the mysterious person into the wooded area. The author and the illustrator did an amazing job with the story and the graphics! Thank you, Netgalley and HarperAlley, for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Graphic novels are all the rage right now, and I think it will remain that way for awhile. This is one of those true crime stories that will live on forever, especially during spooky season! This graphic novel is great for adults or teen readers who are interested in the story. Having it in graphic novel form helped to process the information in a unique and dare I call it fun way. I liked that it was from the viewpoint of the 14 year old neighbor and I was so invested in how it would all turn out! Will definitely be carrying this in my bookstore as something different and unique to recommend to people!

I genuinely liked the art style but I wasn't totally sucked in to the Lizzie Borden story which is surprising because I've always been fascinated at the unsolved mystery of it all.

I am completely intrigued with the Lizzie Borden story, so this title caught my eye immediately. Told from the perspective of the young neighbor boy who sees and hears a lot of goings-on in his neighborhood, this book presents the evidence offered in court and history books, and does not definitively offer any opinions as to what really happened.

I enjoyed this graphic novel and would recommend it for middle school libraries. Some mature upper elementary readers would also enjoy this book.

This is not the first book about Lizzie Borden for younger readers that I have read. In fact, I'm fairly certain I read one back in elementary school, possibly because the old rhyme about axes and whacks was inexplicably THE song to jump rope to for a bit. Despite that, I do think this is one of the best books on the murder for kids, because it knows exactly how many punches to pull and how much to insinuate, leaving the reader to have to decide for themself whether or not Lizzie was guilty - and whether or not she may have had a reason. There are definitely a couple of dropped hints that could be taken to imply that the Borden house was not an easy one to live in - and that Andrew Borden was not an easy man.

What this really has going for it is its protagonist. Charlie Churchill was a fourteen-year-old boy who really did live next door to the Bordens in 1892, and while we don't know much more about him, he's the perfect character to follow. He's proactive and engaged, but he's also increasingly aware of the human toll both the murders and subsequent trial take, and the final scene, of him laying a pear on Lizzie's grave many decades after the murders, beautifully captures how conflicted he remained. There's no denying that something like that haunts a person, and Charlie embodies the concept well.

Obviously this won't be the book for all middle grade readers. It doesn't show anything too gruesome, nor does it go all-in on the horrible details. But it does build a solid sense of uneasiness, peppering its story with a lot of facts and primary source quotations. Almost more than being about Lizzie Borden, this is about the way that tragedies and crimes take their toll on the survivors - even those who just had the misfortune of being in their vicinity.

This historical fiction graphic novel is a remarkable read! It presents the Lizzie Borden story with a thoughtful and respectful approach, making it accessible and engaging. Young readers who enjoy the I Survived series will likely find this captivating as well.

The artwork is outstanding, skillfully transporting you to the past while maintaining a fresh and contemporary feel.

I often have students ask me for true crime books in my elementary school library, and I have very little to offer them (Unsolved Case Files, The Mona Lisa Vanishes are pretty much it). Therefore, I was very excited to see this title. Unfortunately, I just don't know if it is the right fit for the age group. It goes out of its way to not say one way or the other if Lizzie was guilty, which, while accurate, will be frustrating to young readers. Plus, the main character's over-involvement in the story goes too far, even for historical fiction.