A Study in Charlotte

I debated hard about 3, 3.5 or 4 stars. I really did. IT MATTERS...at least to this book worm it does.
3.5 Stars.

As much as I love retelling, reimaginings, do overs, loosely based on, etc etc whatever whatever..I realized I had never read anything based on Sherlock save the originals. I don't know how this happened. So I was perhaps somewhat guarded as I read this. I don't know why.

With that being said I didn't hate it at all. I wasn't sure how Sherlock and Watson-y the author was going to get with great great great grandchildren of the OG sleuthing duo....so maybe that's why I didn't want to get attached. You know..in case i hated the shit out of this book. I appreciated the crimes in this first book. A nice nod to the originals.

An updated Holmes/Watson mystery that's fun but would work better if the characters were older and with some edits. Can't recommend without reservations because it's pretty problematic: Has date rape as a plot device, there's oxy use without any real consequences, and uses “spirit animal” unchecked.

4.5 StarsThis was a great retelling of some of my favorite characters, Sherlock and Watson. I really enjoyed Brittany Cavallaro's take on these characters using their descendants as the main characters. This was a really well done debut novel that I basically read in one sitting. I've lately really gotten into Sherlock retellings reading [b:Jackaby 20312462 Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) William Ritter https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410170969s/20312462.jpg 28147221] and [b:Lock & Mori 24885790 Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori, #1) Heather W. Petty https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435188368s/24885790.jpg 26757948]. This book definitely kept me enthralled and invested in these characters and their quest. The writing in this book was really well done and there were a lot of great witty phrases. For me the best part of the writing was the dialogue. It was so well done and made the story. The only real issue I had with this book was the pop culture references. I only mind them because it dates the book and makes it relevant now, but potentially not in the future. However, I cannot wait to read more from these characters and see what Jamie and Charlotte get up to next, I believe this is a trilogy and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next installment.Completely, unrelated but the epilogue to this book is spot on. It really tied the entire story together and made it that much better. It also helped to really sum up Charlotte and Jamie's relationship. Also can we please get more Charlotte POV in the next book, I would love to see things from both of their perspectives rather than just Jamie's.

I am so obsessed with this book! I finished it and immediately preordered book 2. It is incredibly smart, with well rounded characters. They aren't just takes on the original Holmes and Watson but fascinating nods to them while being there own thing. I am so here for a girl genius as clever as Holmes, and I like the dynamic with Watson here better even than the original Holmes Watson duo!

It was okay, but I didn't like it nearly as much as I thought I would. The new Holmes-Watson generation thing was interesting, but I feel like it will get old quickly. The case/mystery was just so wild and over the top that it made the book feel hokey? The copious amount of injectable drug references had me cringing the entire book

This reimagining* of Sherlock Holmes as a modern YA novel with kids at a boarding school was a fun enough read. If you're someone who's not well-versed in the Sherlock canon you might not get as much enjoyment out of it, as there are plenty of allusions and references to Doyle's original work. If you are a Holmes fan it does a great job of scratching that Holmes itch.


*Less a reboot and more a “descendants of the original characters” thing.

A creative and clever book which has a simple premise: What if Sherlock Holmes' and Dr. Watson's descendants became friends as they both attended a Connecticut boarding school? In between trying to solve the murder of a student (done in an homage to a famous Holmes case), a surprising complex relationship emerges between two complex characters. Darker than many YA books (Charlotte Holmes' drug use is a central theme), it is a good read for both casual and serious Holmes fans alike.

Before I start let me state the trigger warnings on this book: mentions of rape, murder, blood and substance abuse. So if you're triggered by any of these please go into this book with caution.

I gave this book 4/5 detectives I really enjoyed this book guys! I was lowkey surprised because I am picky with my mysteries. But I was really shooked at how dark it got at tiimes. It was really well done.
I loved the characters so much I just wanted to protect them. Charlotte and her sarcastic smartass sense of humour and her can fight for herself badass attitude. I loved her character, she was smart and kick butt at the same time. She don't need anyone to fight for her. And then Jamie, my cinnamon roll of a son. He is caring, sometimes a bit clueless, but will fight if you get on his bad side. I loved that their relationship in this book for the majority is their friendship and how disfuncional it could be. It had a but of lovey feels at the end but it was mainly how their friendship developed.

I liked how the author implemented the actual tales of Sherlock in the book. I personally never read or watched anything of Sherlock. But it was cool to see the stories being sprinkled in here and there in the book.

I will say I wish there was a bit more diversity. And also the ending was a bit predictable. I guessed who did it a chapter or two before. But the events that happens in the end were interesting enough that still had me surprised

I love the Sherlock Holmes stories, and this is a fun modern take on the Holmes and Watson duo. In this universe, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were real people, and Arthur Conan Doyle was the literary agent who helped Watson publish his stories. Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are their descendants, and they both end up at a small boarding school in Connecticut, where Sherlockian mystery ensues. The story focuses a bit more on teen angst and drama than the actual solving of the mystery, but other than that it is an enjoyable read.

honestly, at first i wasn't very impressed with this book. i found myself forcing myself to read it when i wasn't actually too keen. the beginning of the book was quite slow and none of the characters were interesting. charlotte seemed to parallel the tv version of sherlock holmes and it made her character seem like an unoriginal take on a holmes character. i did like the attempts at making her seem more human than tv sherlock through her sexual assault and substance abuse, but for most of the book she was very unlikeable and had little character development. BUT as i got to the last 10% of the book i found myself unable to stop reading - charlotte had gone soft for jamie AND was finally solving the mystery. this last 10% of the book redeemed the plot for sure, i think the looooong intro of the characters put me off in the beginning. in the end, i thought it was a fun read and i'll likely read the next book in the series.

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson: four generations later, but the same crazy shenanigans. The two teen aged descendants of Sherlock and James Watson may attend the same Northeastern prep school, but they are by no means as close as their great-great-great grandparents. If it wasn't for the mysterious death of one of their classmates, the two probably wouldn't have had anything to do with each other.

I really appreciated this re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes. The story is original and I love that Charlotte is a strong, independent lead female. I can also appreciate the fact that she is not perfect; yes, she is extremely smart, much like her great-great-great grandfather, Sherlock Holmes, but she is not infallible. She has her emotional moments, has her addictions. She's a fully realized character who isn't wholly good or wholly bad. I also love the fact that romance is a thing that exists in this book but it is not the focus at all.

CAVEATS: I'm not usually a big fan of mysteries and/or Sherlock Holmes! But I wanted to read this because I've been internet friends with the author for years! But I was afraid I wouldn't like it because of that first thing!

BUT I loved it, I think I like the bitter too-smart drug addict Holmes-deal way more if she's a somewhat traumatized teenage girl than a middle aged dude. To me it makes more sense! Also it gives this kind of a Veronica Mars vibe, which is one of few mystery-type things I do love. It feels like a great response to rape culture, etc.

And I loved the in-world lore of the repercussions of these famous ancestors of theirs, and the way it made this kind of bonkers mystery premise actually make perfect sense.

HOORAY

3 1/2 stars.
I liked this book! The complexity and realism of characters drew me in, and the mystery elements also really worked–I kept thinking, they must be getting close to a solultion...then plot twist! Nice one.
Generally, teens solving crimes at boarding school is as two-dimensional as could be, but this book managed to let me suspend my disbelief on that one.
This book is too gritty for me to recommend to the school library where I work, but violent, sexual, mental illness, family dysfunction, and drug-related content wasn't gratuitous. The things that should have messed people up and resulted in them being a bit broken did, in fact, result in brokenness, and no one, kids or adults, were 100% black or white (except our villain, who was pretty straight forwardly evil).
Spoiler: An image that will linger is Jamie crawling under the porch and choosing to hold Charlotte while she's mean and high, saying yes to their weird friendship, choosing loyalty and to be present.

Before I start let me state the trigger warnings on this book: mentions of rape, murder, blood and substance abuse. So if you're triggered by any of these please go into this book with caution.

I gave this book 4/5 detectives I really enjoyed this book guys! I was lowkey surprised because I am picky with my mysteries. But I was really shooked at how dark it got at tiimes. It was really well done.
I loved the characters so much I just wanted to protect them. Charlotte and her sarcastic smartass sense of humour and her can fight for herself badass attitude. I loved her character, she was smart and kick butt at the same time. She don't need anyone to fight for her. And then Jamie, my cinnamon roll of a son. He is caring, sometimes a bit clueless, but will fight if you get on his bad side. I loved that their relationship in this book for the majority is their friendship and how disfuncional it could be. It had a but of lovey feels at the end but it was mainly how their friendship developed.

I liked how the author implemented the actual tales of Sherlock in the book. I personally never read or watched anything of Sherlock. But it was cool to see the stories being sprinkled in here and there in the book.

I will say I wish there was a bit more diversity. And also the ending was a bit predictable. I guessed who did it a chapter or two before. But the events that happens in the end were interesting enough that still had me surprised