A review by wjlongiii
Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor by Shawn M. Warner

4.0

First let me say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I bought it on a whim after seeing the TicTok post about it and the author. I found the short clip heartwarming and took a chance.

I would say that the book didn't change my life or anything, but it was a fun read. The characters were mostly believable and Leigh actually felt as conflicted and confused as she should have been given the situation.

Where the novel begins to fall apart is in the mystery. The answers are uncovered for Leigh rather than her actually finding useful clues and making deductions based on them. Its forgivable given the lead is only 16, but still disappointing.

The antagonist left a bit to be desired as well, as did the dynamics between Leigh and the ghosts. I get the feeling that there was initially a much more elaborate journey to the eventual ending than what was published, and I would have loved to read that version.

Still, I don't regret reading any part of this, and I would definitely return to Simmons-Pierce Manor for another visit. 4/5