Friday, March 4, 2016

A Study in Charlotte: The Holmes Sort-of-Retelling That We've All Been Waiting For

Title: A Study in Charlotte
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Source: Katherine Tegen via Edelweiss
Goodreads




The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.
Review by Nara

OH MAN THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.
SERIOUSLY EVERYONE GET THEIR HANDS ON A COPY IT'S SO FREAKING GOOD.

Honestly, I'm kind of a sucker for anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, but I couldn't even help but love this absolutely fabulous sort-of-SH-retelling. Why sort-of retelling? Because it's set in an alternate world where Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were real people; and our two main characters are descendants of that famous duo.

The straight main act of Watson is the perfect temper to Holmes' sharp wit; which is something you can often see in other similar retellings. Seriously though, Cavallaro is fantastic at the humour- there were so many times where I smiled or literally laughed out loud (which surprisingly doesn't actually happen to me that often considering how many books I read).

The mystery aspect of it is awesome as well, with the story having the cleverness to it that all successful Holmes retellings need. I definitely didn't expect the culprit to be who it was, and certainly not the motives behind the murders.

I seriously cannot wait to see what else Cavallaro has in store for this duo- this series is 100% going on my auto-buy list.

Incredible
Ratings
Overall: 9/10
Plot: 5/5
Romance: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 4/5