Whim Manor and the Boy Who Wasn't

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

WhenHarper Wattson, a boy who gets bullied at school for looking like a girl, unwittingly ends up at an all-girls cosplay summer camp, he becomes sidekick to Wilhelmina“Whim” Manor, girl detective extraordinaire.

Together, using the power of logic, makeovers, and ignoring adult authority figures, they'll battle evil witches, eviler corporations, and an army of... *spoilers!*

[Sensitivity tag because this deals with mental illness and controversial social issues]

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: blugail

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 526
Views: 50,442

Chapters(25 total)

What readers say about Whim Manor and the Boy Who Wasn't

“It's still early but I've really enjoyed this story since the first chapter! There's a nice depth of different characters and personalities and a lot of the relationships have been quite enjoyable to read. It's rare that I feel such strong emotions so early…”
Anabel SnowRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Cómo decirlo sin dar spoilers, es una historia con una premisa curiosa, un par de protagonistas con mucho carisma, momentos ligeramente tensos y momentos divertidos de leer, realmente no esperaba que con tan pocos capítulos me convirtiera en un fan, pero lo…”
CryshayRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(9)

Anabel SnowRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's still early but I've really enjoyed this story since the first chapter! There's a nice depth of different characters and personalities and a lot of the relationships have been quite enjoyable to read.
It's rare that I feel such strong emotions so early in a story. This is better written than most stories I've read recently.
I hope the main character can come out of their shell!
I'm really looking forward to more chapters! Would totally subscribe to a patreon if there were one.
CryshayRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Cómo decirlo sin dar spoilers, es una historia con una premisa curiosa, un par de protagonistas con mucho carisma, momentos ligeramente tensos y momentos divertidos de leer, realmente no esperaba que con tan pocos capítulos me convirtiera en un fan, pero lo hizo, realmente es una historia que uno debería leer.
FuzzyBeriahRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It’s fun to find stories on RR that aren’t litrpg, progression fantasy, or fantasy at all. The viewpoint character is geeky and not particularly good at performative masculinity, and ends up becoming acquainted with a young woman with a much more forceful personality. The first chapter sets up the premise (he will have to attend with her a camp intended to be for only female students), and I’m hopeful for some fun ideas to come as more is posted.
Lavender_:3Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Whim Manor and the Boy Who Wasn't both broke and mended my heart as Harper discovers him/herself with the help of caring friends, and faces the prejudice of the society we live in. Following a growing mystery in a quaint cosplay town, this novel grabbed my attention and held it. I love this novel's dive into transfem/genderfluid experiences, both internal and external struggles.
To the author, thank you for writing.
rrrwinegardenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
ill update this later as more chapters come out, but this is a surprising find for RR that i just Had to link it around.
i love the siblings dynamic. expressly big sis, that she is a hard-ass possible bully, but actually wants to be with their family and a chance to be a geeky girl herself. sweet. and my fav charter.
Richard BondRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This feels like a place you want to visit staffed with people you want to know. It is charming and sweet and awkward, just like your better childhood memories of the same age-period. You don't need to read the rest of my confessional-style review to know that it is worth reading as long as you like young adults having adventures and figuring out how they want to behave when they are older adults.
-- confessional interlude --
When I was a teenager full of prurient interest and much too much confidence, I told my parents I was going to be "out", then brazenly joined my girlfriend on the bus to her girls-only week-long summer camp. I have *no* idea why the bus driver or the staff at the camp didn't do something to stop me. I had a blast hanging out with the girls at the camp and feeling like I had performed a great caper. It never occurred to me that I would make any of the other girls uncomfortable (I was thoughtless, not ill-intentioned) and many of the young ladies were quite rude to my girlfriend as a result. I didn't let it bother me (it probably should have).
This story feels like a much-more-innocent version of the same, but with added adventure and period clothing and charming young ladies who are helpful and kind, or irritable and frustrating (but not truly malicious). I can't wait to read more and since I have caught up to the story I'll just have to go off and read whatever else the author has on offer.
SabrinaTheBitchRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So to preface, I read the whole book on kindle, but I'm not going to spoil anything.
This is really well written, head and shoulders above the quality of a lot of web novels, both in a moment to moment sense and in the characters and plot. Whim is really weird and interesting and Harper is very well posed as a Watson type character.
That said, the last like 5% of the book is... interesting. And that's all I'll say so I don't spoil anything
Some_Random_CultivatorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hats off for one of the best titles, and covers, seen on Royal Road:)
Also, the story is cracking!
Follow Harper as they come to terms to being the hero, heroine and lacky of Whim Manor, while on summer vacation in a story-book representation of the past. Also stay for an egg maybe being cracked, skulduggery, family and wholesome support in ways human and real.
Style:
Straight forward, punchy and real. The illustrations are great fun.
Grammar:
No problems and if there are they disappear like dew on the morn.
Story:
Slow, winding, involved and paced. This isn't story by numbers, this is unwinding Harper from where they were and letting them find their own way in things, well, it would be if not for the interactions of everyone else lending a hand, a brush, some mary-janes and makeup. There is a lot of real fellowship here, and it is lovely to see.
Also: Mystery! Mayhem! Magic! (Promised) and Manor!
Character:
There's no mary-sue here, there's memories and nuance of people coming to terms with who they are. Faces in the crowd are that, until they become something and someone more. This feels real. As do the pauses and silences everyone has when working out life and what's thrown at them.
This is good stuff, read and enjoy.
NiktukuRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I cannot describe this story without being reminded of young teen books I read in middle school, the kind with quirky, lovable cast I cannot help but like and just enough mystery for it to be fun. It may seems simple, but it relies on you keeping up a literary illusion, which this story does very effectively.
Harper is a bit of an odd duck, but I think that sort of outcast, bullied kid is pretty much also the charm of these young teen books, and under this setting and premise fits very well. He/she is testing their gender fluidity with a healthier support structure than high school. I personally had camping experiences, and I wish it was this fun!