McClintock, Norah. I, Witness.

McClintock, Norah.  I, Witness.     Orca  unp   $12.95  978-1-55469-789-2  2012     hs    VG          Graphic novel    

In this well-written and effectively illustrated graphic novel, Boone and Robbie witness a murder.  As the boys try to determine what to do with this information, Robbie is suddenly killed.  Boone then witnesses other murders and attempts to figure out why people are being killed and why he continually finds himself in the middle of these events and a witness to them.

Norah McClintock and Mike Deas have created an exciting graphic novel that involves the reader as (s)he roots for Boone to discover the truth and make the right decision.  Many young adults will be able to relate to the circumstances that Boone finds himself in, often needing to choose between morality and survival.  The authors have written this story responsibly as an exciting adventure in which good prevails over evil in the end.

Illustrations add impact as they are sketched in black and white, with the only color addition of red, which represents the blood in the murders. While the illustrations are very graphic, they enhance the story and the journey that Boone must make in his moral decision-making, rather than glamorizing the violence.  The authors have created a graphic novel that will engage many young-adult and reluctant high-school readers.

Murder–Fiction                                        --Virginia McGarvey