Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor

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I'm in shock," Warner said in a TikTok response to Red's video, "I don't even know what to say about it at the moment. There is some mild language, in case that bothers anyone with young listening ears (I substituted some words). 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. I had many other books to get through before this one, yet I started the book right away and on my, this book is brilliant.

It was a break in typical content from the creator, whose viewers averaged in the low thousands for videos that primarily featured his home renovation projects. If you're like me, you were expecting a story that would keep you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously tickling your funny bone. Warner was there to promote his debut novel, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, but, as Swearenjin describes, he seemed “super defeated” from the lack of interest in his display. Told from the third-person perspective of its titular heroine, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor is a young adult fiction novel telling the story of Leigh Howard, a recent orphan investigating the mysterious circumstances of her parents death while navigating her new life in the Simmons-Pierce manor and her new family, along with the manor's multifaceted ghost, Ichabod Pierce. Instead I got creepy vibes from an older male author writing about a teen girl getting undressed, trying to distinguish sexual vs mentor energy from older men, and let a ghost “penetrate” her body.

Following his viral popularity, Warner is scheduling additional book signings in the Dallas area to meet the popular demand for his book. I don’t keep that large an inventory at my house because I just don’t have the space for it,” he said. It’s been so many years since I’ve read a YA mystery book and this was nothing short of that but more. 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.

With new family and friends, which includes a ghost with multiple personality issues, Leigh risks everything to find her answers. 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+. 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? The reason for my two stars is quite simple: 1) the dialogue is “cheesy” to the point of being unrealistic.

I have to mention that video on TikTok where the author receives recognition for their descriptive prowess. In the ninety-second video posted to his TikTok a few hours later, Swearenjin conducts a makeshift interview, asking Warner about his inspirations and discussing the premise of Leigh Howard, a young adult supernatural murder mystery.

By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Warner was further influenced by Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea as well as DC and Marvel comic books. There are scenes where the characters are in one location, then at the end they’re in a different location with no transition or acknowledgement there was a shift.Explaining, “I do a little bit of TikTok,” Swearenjin decides to purchase an extra signed copy to give away to anyone with over a thousand followers willing to post their own review. The inclusion of the ghosts was not overdone in the plot and the relationships between the characters were believable.

I believe a lot of the reviews are biased based on the traction of tiktok, news and Shawn’s own personal story. I want to start by saying, I am so happy for this author’s success and hope that this book finds its way to people who love it. In a video that he posted on his own TikTok account, Warner said he’s looking forward to more book signings, but he isn’t sure where. It's as if they've taken a brush and created a world that exists solely between the pages of this book. I normally don’t enjoy YA novels written by male authors, so I was slow about getting into the book.

Ill always support an upcoming author, I think as his first book, that is a huge accomplishment and I love seeing how much joy, popularity, happiness this has brought him! 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. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. 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.