BOOK REVIEW: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
The teenage descendants of the famous duo have some work to do to live up to their families' legacies.
Holmes and Watson are just two teenagers sent for reasons they would rather not talk about to the United States to attend a private boarding school. Coincidence? Of course not!
These great, great, great grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson would probably make the famous pair shake their heads wondering where things went downhill over the generations.
The book itself was a really easy read, but it was just that - easy. As a murder mystery trying to sort through and put clues together while identifying and narrowing down suspects, it was just too easy. There really weren’t any twists or turns that sucked you in and made you eager for more.
The character development was mediocre. As teenagers, they need to have certain attributes that are unique to the modern times, but Jamie Watson was boring, naïve, immature and annoyed me. I really wish the book had come from Charlotte Holmes’ point of view, not that she was much better of a character, but she was a little more dynamic with some major issues.
Even the minor characters felt like a means to an end and were one dimensional for the most part. The roommates, Tom and Lena, were interesting enough and served their purpose but there wasn’t much in the realm of what motivated their choices. I do think, however, that Lena could have played a bigger role. And Milo, Charlotte’s brother who is built up the entire book, is a little underwhelming when we finally get to meet him. Holmes’ arch nemesis, Moriarty, was an opportunity that wasn’t fully capitalized on. I’m assuming the conflict between the families will be a bigger part of the next book.
There were a few elements of the story development that were interesting and engaging, but not enough to make me walk away with “Wow, I never saw that coming.” Instead, there were more times where I was just like, “what’s this got to do with anything.” For example, the side situation with Jamie’s roommate and teacher seemed a little irrelevant. There could have been other reasons that would have resulted in Jamie’s reaction or make it more connected to the mystery at hand. However, a creative aspect to the plot I liked was the incorporation of some of Sherlock Holmes famous stories like The Speckled Band and The Blue Carbuncle.
The syntax and and wording felt forced at times and at some points the word choice was more confusing than enlightening or engaging. “I stood with one foot in a novel and one foot in a shopping mall” (106). I reread this quote a few times and just said, what does this even mean? I struggled to find the meaning and how it connected to Jamie’s feeling at the moment. That is also influenced by Jamie’s character in general.
If you want an easy read that doesn’t require too much thought, this isn’t a horrible choice by any means. It interested me enough to stick with it and finish the book. There is a certain amount of suspension of disbelief that needs to be had. These are only teenagers after all, and the idea that they can assess so much from a look is what fiction is all about, right? There is just a level of seriousness and maturity that isn’t quite there.
I’m not likely to read book 2 any time soon. I read this one as a buddy read (otherwise, I may never have even picked it up), but I’m looking forward to discussing it more.
Where is this book on my bookshelf? It’s pretty low, but I’m debating. I feel that it deserves to be on the lower end of my middle shelf. It’s not a book I would read again, but I didn’t hate it. There was a quality idea in the plot, and if it had included more of the unpredictable, the result may have been different. I also think if it had been from Charlotte’s point of view, I would have been more intrigued as she definitely has some demons to battle. (2.5 / 5 stars)