WHAT HAPPENED ON HICKS ROAD

A teenage girl whose mother struggles with mental illness navigates a new school, new friendships, and a crime she may have committed.

Seventeen-year-old Lennox Oliver, the new girl in her San Jose, California, high school, is finally fitting in and finding friends after having lived in many different places with her traveling ER nurse father. It’s been the two of them since she was 9, ever since her mother was admitted to a mental hospital for treatment for her schizophrenia. One night, while Lennox is driving with friends, she hits someone—she clearly sees the frightened girl in her headlights before feeling a thump. But while there’s a dent in the car, there’s no body. In the days following, Lennox feels like she’s unraveling, and she worries that she’s succumbing to schizophrenia too. Jayne paints a picture of a teen whose life feels almost perfect—with nice friends, a boyfriend, a great school—except for the possibility that she’s a murderer looming over her. This story, told with plenty of flashbacks, visions, red herrings, and snappy dialogue, draws readers into a twisted tale exploring questions of conscience and belonging. Anxiety inducing and full of twists and turns yet realistic and relatable, it will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Characters are cued White.

A fast-paced thriller that will have readers questioning what’s real.