40 Days in Hicksville

40 Days in Hicksville is a mystery-romance novel with alternating viewpoints set in a small town with a dark history. Kate and Zach meet by chance—as much chance as can exist in a small town where everyone knows everyone—after Kate and her mom move to the place Kate not-so-lovingly calls “Hicksville”. Zach is instantly smitten with Kate, but Kate is not interested in making new friends. Her main goal is to get back to a city where she can continue making videos exploring abandoned places for her growing following. Zach’s innocent attempts to get Kate’s attention eventually win her over, and, on a late-night adventure to stave off boredom, the pair uncover more than they could have ever dreamed. Life gets more exciting—and infinitely more complicated—when Zach and Kate discover the remains of two bodies.

The alternating viewpoints in 40 Days in Hicksville help build the mystery and suspense of the cold case being reopened, and Zach’s knowledge of the community, combined with Kate’s complex family history, creates a page-turner of a young adult novel. Readers discover that Kate’s uncle disappeared without a trace decades ago, along with his friend, and the discovery of the bodies whips the town into a frenzy of rumours and guesses about what truly happened. The narrative focuses on Zach and Kate trying to solve the crime on their own, the untwisting of Kate’s mom’s secretive history, and young romance between the protagonists. Both characters are likeable and relatable in their own spheres, and a key strength of the novel is that all the characters remain likeable throughout. The content of the novel is quite accessible, and there is no explicit or gratuitous gore in terms of the murders and their ultimate solving.

40 Days in Hicksville would be a great intro novel for teenage readers wanting to explore the mystery genre without entering territory that is too mature. With that being said, because the pacing of the novel is inconsistent at times, some readers might lose interest in the plot during times when the investigation should be ramping up. There are no major twists or turns, no jaw-dropping moments, and the ending is sweetly predictable, so readers who are keen on mysteries with high intensity and outrageous endings will most likely not be placated by Zach and Kate’s adventure. However, the novel, itself, is worth a read, and is a great example of the power of a well-written dual-perspective narrative.