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.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.


I loved this comic, I wish it was full color but it was very well done and fast paced.

This was a really interesting graphic novel that told the story of the Borden murders from the point of view of a young boy that lived next door. I think the art very much matched the tone of of the subject matter, but personally would have like more color. Overall, the story was really well done. True crime for the kiddos seems odd to me, but also.. I would have been invested when I was younger. I think they did a good job explaining the fervor that can happen around events like these.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jeramey Kraatz, and HarperCollins for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own!

I’ve always been fascinated by the Lizzie Borden case so when I saw this graphic novel on Netgalley I knew I had to read it. I thought this graphic novel was super interesting and it made me want to do more research on the case again. The artwork was really good and I thought it matched the story well. I liked reading this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Growing up in New England, I already knew a lot about the story of Lizzie Borden going in. It’s been a mystery that fascinated me for a long time and I loved the angle and perspective this story approached it with. The illustrations were nice and the story read very quickly and fast paced. I think readers of many ages will really enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the e-arc of this book in excange of a review.

Well, I didn't know this was a real case, which was cool I guess, but I spent the entire time speculating who it actually could've been, only to find out that's the end. I was disappointed...