A Study in Charlotte Review
A Study in Charlotte is by Brittany Cavallaro. It is the first book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, which is mystery.
"The last thing Jamie 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 great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.
From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other."~Goodreads
I waited forever to buy this book, and I'm so glad I did. The wait and anticipation were well worth it. (I also liked the cover when I first saw it.)
Jamie and Charlotte were hard for me to relate to at first. Jamie plays rugby and has been transferred to a boarding school; Charlotte wasn't the greatest with people and had all her other quirks (though, of course, I still found her deductions amazing). However, this got easier as the story went along because we get to find out more about them. For example, I can relate to Watson's frustration on not being told what is going on. Charlotte struggles with family problems and that elicits sympathy from me. On the other hand, her drug problem I cannot connect with, but why she takes it I understood somewhat. They grew so much personally and in their friendship throughout the book. It was intriguing to see their development.
So they're descended from John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. One of the greatest things was that you can see the resemblance they have to their ancestors, but they are their own person at the same time. I love that. In addition, I feel as if A Study in Charlotte has done the original Sherlock stories justice, for this reason and for others such as the mystery solving and the crimes themselves.
My only real problem with the story was the how the cuss words were used. I know I'll find it in teen novels. I hate it though, when it's put in place of a word where a normal one could go.
I honestly thought I knew who the murderer was because it made so much sense in my head. I was so convinced for lots of my time reading. And then the evidence pointed elsewhere and I had to say "well, done. You had me fooled so you wrote a mystery the proper way" because I really like it when I can't figure it out and keeps me thinking (as goes for any book).
The plot twisted and turned and evidence piled up. And then it turned out the whole deal might be more complex than they thought. Some people were involved in ways I didn't think possible. And in preparation for book two in the trilogy, the ending was set up so the reader knows that Jamie and Charlotte's crime fighting days are not over. Speaking of endings, I really liked how the epilogue was in her point of view. The entire book was from Jamie's, so I knew how he thought well enough. But what I knew of Charlotte was from him, so when given the chance to get in her head,that thrilled me. I liked reading her opinions.
Overall, A Study in Charlotte is a suspenseful book that is a must read for Sherlock or mystery fans. From the characters to the plot, I was not disappointed.
Rating:
"The last thing Jamie 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 great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other."~Goodreads
I waited forever to buy this book, and I'm so glad I did. The wait and anticipation were well worth it. (I also liked the cover when I first saw it.)
Jamie and Charlotte were hard for me to relate to at first. Jamie plays rugby and has been transferred to a boarding school; Charlotte wasn't the greatest with people and had all her other quirks (though, of course, I still found her deductions amazing). However, this got easier as the story went along because we get to find out more about them. For example, I can relate to Watson's frustration on not being told what is going on. Charlotte struggles with family problems and that elicits sympathy from me. On the other hand, her drug problem I cannot connect with, but why she takes it I understood somewhat. They grew so much personally and in their friendship throughout the book. It was intriguing to see their development.
So they're descended from John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. One of the greatest things was that you can see the resemblance they have to their ancestors, but they are their own person at the same time. I love that. In addition, I feel as if A Study in Charlotte has done the original Sherlock stories justice, for this reason and for others such as the mystery solving and the crimes themselves.
My only real problem with the story was the how the cuss words were used. I know I'll find it in teen novels. I hate it though, when it's put in place of a word where a normal one could go.
I honestly thought I knew who the murderer was because it made so much sense in my head. I was so convinced for lots of my time reading. And then the evidence pointed elsewhere and I had to say "well, done. You had me fooled so you wrote a mystery the proper way" because I really like it when I can't figure it out and keeps me thinking (as goes for any book).
The plot twisted and turned and evidence piled up. And then it turned out the whole deal might be more complex than they thought. Some people were involved in ways I didn't think possible. And in preparation for book two in the trilogy, the ending was set up so the reader knows that Jamie and Charlotte's crime fighting days are not over. Speaking of endings, I really liked how the epilogue was in her point of view. The entire book was from Jamie's, so I knew how he thought well enough. But what I knew of Charlotte was from him, so when given the chance to get in her head,that thrilled me. I liked reading her opinions.
Overall, A Study in Charlotte is a suspenseful book that is a must read for Sherlock or mystery fans. From the characters to the plot, I was not disappointed.
Rating:
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