Shawn M. Warner

This was an easy and overall fun read. The overall ghost dynamic was pretty cool and definitely worked as a red thread. The prose is on the simpler side and a little varied in terms of quality and tone, but overall wasn't a detractor for me. The ending is a very obvious Deus Ex Machina and felt more mature than the rest of the book, not sure it really fit.

Some of the language around SH and SI was a little odd, sort of in a weird spot between going into too much detail and not truly delving into the theme enough. I personally interpret this as unfamiliarity with the theme, but I don't know about the author's background. It wasn't really triggering for me, but it did stand out when reading.

The FMC's age kept eluding me because sometimes she's described as rather mature, and other times caregivers or other characters address her as "good girl" and she feels infantilised. It didn't exactly feel icky, but it did feel odd.

Writing characters that don't align with one's own demographic/situation can be challenging when it comes to certain themes and topics, and I don't feel it was done well here. Not a total miss for me, but definitely a skill to be practised.… (more)

Unlike most people, I did NOT see the video on TikTok until AFTER I had already bought and started reading the book. :)

After the murder of her parents, 16-year-old Leigh is sent to live with rich relatives she had never met. While searching for clues into her parents’ death, she encounters the ghosts that live in the mansion and begins a string of dangerous adventures trying to get to the truth of what really happened, and who was responsible.

What I liked: interesting storyline and plot! The ghosts were great characters, and I loved the dynamic they brought to the story.

What I did not like: several things bothered me a little. One issue was the dialogue. Leigh is 16 but speaks like an adult, not a teenager. The Guatemalan immigrant handyman, Nacho, speaks perfect English, like college-educated level (with a better vocabulary than me!), but then uses random Spanish words here and there, like he forgets the English word. The Spanish interjections felt very forced, not natural, and just took me out of the story. There were also some discrepancies in the narration (she started in one place then suddenly she was somewhere else, or she got into bed and then later got into bed again). There were a couple of scenes that came across rather creepy. (Her dad’s friend describes being disappointed in her and having the urge to “put her over his knee and spank her,” and she responds with, “Oh I'd deserve it.” Creepy.

It was an interesting read, and I loved the mystery and the ghosts, I just wish it had better editing.

3 out of 5 stars… (more)

This entry in the teen fiction mystery genre was exceptionally well done. The characters were not only realistic but rang true in all aspects. The parents of the teenaged protagonist, Leigh, are murdered and our heroine wants answers. After a suicide attempt, she goes to live with a family of her distant cousins, becomes very close to her teen-aged cousin and 1 of the resident ghosts, and begins to delve into what really happened to her parents that awful night. Leigh searches for clues wherever and whenever she can leading to some hair raising adventures. As she pieces together clues with the help of her cousin, a staff member of the estate, and a couple of resident ghosts, the disturbing truth emerges. A satisfactory ending ensues. If you do not like ghosts as major characters, you might want to pass on this one. Recommended to those who enjoy ghost stories, thrillers, and mysteries.… (more)