Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor

Product Information

It’s been so many years since I’ve read a YA mystery book and this was nothing short of that but more. Myra (19) describes going skinny dipping in a nearby river at age 10, which really didn't add to the plot and felt weird and unnecessary. Leigh's narration and thought process read like an older man guessing how 16 year old girls think and act, and it doesn't feel convincing or natural. A 19 yo girl decides to go skinny dipping in front of 16 yo main character regardless of MC’s comfort level.

I love supporting smaller and indie authors. I promise, I do. Hopefully, I’ll be able to amend this review if the author edits and reworks his book to tighten and clean things up. The "ghost" apparently has DID (formerly referred to as multiple personalities). As a therapist, I think this was an inaccurate and unnecessary description. It's just a ghost with a younger manifestation of itself and an older one. Not at all DID. Leigh is a 16 year old teenage girl who after her parents are murdered, is taken in by a wealthy distant uncle and his family to the Simmons-Pierce Manor. While she does her best to adjust to her new life and deal with her grief — shes unable to let go of not knowing what happened to her parents and embarks on discovering the truth no matter how difficult it is. Overall, this isn’t what I generally reach for but it was pretty enjoyable. It was a compelling (almost short) story that involved mystery, suspense, ghosts, tragedy and trauma as a result of organized crime and betrayal. It did have a slow start but thats the case with the majority of books. The writing was done so well and the author truly possesses such great descriptive prowess — as many have mentioned. I couldn’t believe this was his first novel! He deserves all the attention he’s getting now.

The bad: I was once told by a mentor, writing a story is like flying a plane. You need a great takeoff, a smooth flight to the destination, and a safe and smooth ending that satisfies. This book did the first two, but the plane came out of the sky. The reason for my two stars is quite simple: 1) the dialogue is “cheesy” to the point of being unrealistic. A 16 year old gets chewed out by someone who’s not a parent and she…admits her wrong and accepts her punishment??? Since when!? It also felt like a Scooby Doo episode where the bad guy, having the characters dead to rights, pauses to dialogue about their plan, conveniently giving the characters a chance to regroup and thwart the plan. 2) given the Scooby Doo trope, the characters could have easily avoided the whole ending had the multi-million dollar business tycoon asked himself “does this situation make logical sense?”

Please, let me preface this review. I know this book is receiving tons of hype and love. I, too, was introduced to this book by the viral TikTok video of the author selling his books at a grocery store. I read this in good faith. I feel it’s important to give an honest review and include a few content warnings to help parents decide if their child should read this as the intended age range feels like 13+. Navigating through everything wasn’t so lonely thanks to two or should I say multiple people lol one of them being her cousin Myra who was the sweetest. I loved that Leigh had her to lean on as Myra’s support contributed largely to Leigh feeling safe and comfortable. I commend the author for writing the tone for her character so maturely and empathetically.Ty, Leigh's father's friend, describes being disappointed in Leigh and having the urge to "put her over his knee and spank her" which again I think was weird, unnecessary, and added nothing to the plot. Again, she's 16 and her response to this is a sheepish "Oh I'd deserve it" which is both unrealistic and creepy. Ok this is going to be a very, very unpopular opinion. Like everyone else, I heard about this book via Tik Tok. I was very excited to support a debuting author and so, so badly wanted to like this book.

star - Very rare rating. Absolutely hated the book. Will never read again and I'll probably burn any copies I come across.

Study Pack

I saw this book on Tiktok as many others have, I even sent it to my own book club and friends to read (before reading) because come on the story of Shawn was touching and heart warming. I enjoyed seeing Leigh’s growth throughout the story as well as her internal dialogue shift from the initial thoughts she had upon arriving at the manor.

The suicide trope was thrown around loosely, which I did not appreciate, it was made fun of and often held against the MC to make her feel bad. There are lines that would not be included in a middle grade book, like the one I have highlighted.

Now I can’t forget the ghost with severe split personality issues — Bodie. They equally made me laugh and feel so spooked. Their story was truly intriguing to read about as it felt so real and honest and I can’t say much else without giving it away.