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Published last week, this debut graphic novel is about a group of Cree teens who gather together to share some scary stories.

If you’ve ever been curious about Native folklore and, specifically, some of the horror stories told by the Cree people, you’re in for a treat here. Not only will you hear these stories told around a campfire, but because this is a graphic novel, the illustrations only enhance their power.

I have read so many books about Lizzie Borden, and this one remains one of my favorites. It was also one of the first I read, so it framed my thinking about one of the most infamous American murder stories.

Miller’s book begins by exploring how little is actually known about Lizzie Borden nor the murders of her family members, and it continues through its pages by setting up the scene, discussing what is known, and talking about how a number of missteps and missing pieces of the puzzle have created a flurry of conspiracy theories and questions surrounding Borden’s involvement in (or non-involvement in) the crime.

The book attempts to be even-handed, though savvy readers will understand that Miller’s portrait of Borden is quite sympathetic. Since little information exists about Borden’s demeanor—and little consistency exists even about her appearance—Miller wants readers to feel as though Borden’s entire experience was one that would make today’s general public rightfully angry. This angle was one that helped the book be more than a courtroom drama. We get to “know” Borden through Miller’s depiction.

Readers who love true crime and who are fascinated with the legends of history, like Lizzie Borden, will absolutely devour Miller’s book. It’s well-written, compelling, and leaves a nice open door at the end for consideration of what it is that makes a person guilty—or innocent.

A small nugget that stayed with me and I think was a great takeaway from this read: Borden was NOT a girl when this all happened. She was in her 30s. Many readers may know this, but knowing how she’s rendered in pop culture, it may also come as a surprise she was a fully mature adult woman.

This graphic novel published at the end of August, so it’s also *very* new.

Kat Fields is a college freshman with a podcast that explores paranormal happenings in Texas. When she gets an email urging her to go investigate mystery lights in Estrella Roja, that’s what she decides she’ll do on her spring break.

Marisol “Mari” Castillo is heading to Estrella Roja, too, but she’s going for her abuela’s funeral. Mari doesn’t know anyone in town, and her family has no other ties to it. So, a chance meeting with Kat at a local diner convinces her to help Kat with her show.

Together, they find each other unraveling secrets not only about the town’s mysteries but about one another.

This is going to lean more middle grade, but the packaging and story have appeal for YA readers, no doubt.

It was the night before Halloween when America was rattled by an invasion. Or at least, they thought that was happening. In actuality, they heard a radio drama based on H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players. The show thrilled some listeners, and it angered others. But ultimately, this is a story of information, misinformation, and how a single radio program had a tremendous impact on the cultural understanding and trust in the media 80+ years later.

Jarrow is such a compelling writer, and…what could be scarier than thinking about how bad information is now and how it has a long legacy of being bad?

(I live in a town with a connection to Welles, so I am especially partial to stories about him and his work).