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.

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. 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. 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. I had to show support as a fellow book lover and avid reader, I loved the traction and the love the book community, as well as the world was showing Shawn.

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. The name and way the character "Nacho" is written is strange and feels like an insensitive and unnecessary depiction. Come on, Nacho?? Seriously??

Most issues could be solved with better editing, the rest could be solved by aging the MC up a mere few years. There are a lot of great plot points in this book. There are also several problems that could be solved with more in-depth editing. 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.

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. I really wanted to love this book, I really did love little Bodie and even eventually big Bodie, It had a really good plot line. A little exaggerated but hey it is a story. 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.

So first of all, congrats to Mr. Warner on his debut novel and getting published. That is no easy task, and only a few ever complete it. That being said, here’s my honest opinion. 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.

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. From first glance the cover was a little misleading, I see a woman with curves leaning over a bike - that was one of the biggest issues for me while reading this book. the main MC was 16 years old - but her age got lost in the writing, a lot of times I kept thinking she was older than she was, I think the author did not hit the thinking/characteristics of a 16 year old girl. More research on that would’ve been appreciated since that was his leading character. There are lines that would not be included in a middle grade book, like the one I have highlighted. And quotes like the one I have highlighted below. There’s more than one like it throughout the book. It really doesn’t feel like modern literature in any sense. star - Very rare rating. Absolutely hated the book. Will never read again and I'll probably burn any copies I come across.