Review By: Tami Rigling
Published: 2023
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Audience: Grades 10–12, Adult
Number of Stars: ★★★ (3/5)
Goodreads Link: A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Content Warnings: Violence, sexual content and abuse, substance abuse, natural disasters (including a disturbing scene involving an animal shelter).
Publisher’s Summary
Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé. She’ll investigate the “Long Stretch of Bad Days”: a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash flood, and its first—and only—murder, which remains unsolved.
But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family—a pillar of the community—and the rough-and-tumble Jamisons. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, unearthing buried secrets: a hidden town brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl who disappeared. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.
Full Review
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis is a decent enough mystery, but it didn’t quite blow me away like some of her other books, such as The Female of the Species. It’s got that vibe she’s known for, but the back-and-forth between the two main characters, Lydia and Bristal, felt a little clunky at times. The pacing is a bit slow. The plot dives into some heavy themes like classism, intergenerational trauma, and how small towns hold onto old secrets. There is some good diversity in the perspectives offered, especially with Bristal representing the kids who grew up in the foster system or on the “wrong side of the tra1cks,” which really highlights how the town treats people differently based on their income or last name.
There aren’t any pictures inside, but the cover is honestly great. It’s got a bold, neon look that would definitely make a teenager grab it off the shelf thinking they’re in for a wild ride. I’d recommend it to older teens who are obsessed with true crime podcasts, but I’d probably tell younger readers to skip it because of the rough language and a rea2lly upsetting scene involving a flooded animal shelter. For a school project, you could actually use this t3o talk about how history gets twisted over time or how natural disasters change a community. A fun activity would be to have students record their own “investigative podcast” about a local legend or make a digital map of the town’s secrets. Overall, it’s a solid, okay read—good if you need something to pass the time on a weekend, but the ending feels a little too lucky to be truly memorable.
📖 Curricular & Educational Connections
This novel is a great fit for Grade 10-12 ELA or Journalism classes, particularly for units on:
- The Reliability of History: Discuss how a town’s “official” history can differ from the lived experiences of marginalized groups.
- Podcast as Medium: Use the framing device of Lydia’s podcast to teach narrative structure and digital storytelling.
- Social Stratification: Analyze how “classism” impacts the way characters are treated by law enforcement and the local community.
