A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

Title: A Study in Charlotte
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Page Count: 321
Rating: B
Keywords: Boarding School, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mystery, Drama
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This is a book about teenagers at a boarding school so there is a degree of sex, drugs, and language. One character is also raped before the beginning of the novel but this is addressed throughout. Young children may not be ready for this or require guidance.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy

My Review:

I love the original Sherlock stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC Sherlock, and various other adaptations. So when I heard about this new adaptation I had to pick it up.

When my best friend asked me to describe this book only one thing came to mind: this is Gossip Girl meets Sherlock Holmes.

I did like this book. Seeing the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson reimagined as a teenage boy and girl was a fun spin. Usually I see the same characters modernized or as descendants but both female, best friends. Jamie and Charlotte retain the characteristics of their namesakes but also possess unique attributes of both the era in which they exist and their unique circumstances. I also loved their relationship. Obviously, Jaime has a crush on Charlotte instantly. This does not mean that they are just together though. They are friends first and things slowly begin to progress.

Do not expect characters that are bright and cheery just because this takes place in a boarding school. They are dark and twisty in the best way possible. They draw you into their world without any effort and you quickly devour their backstories. References to the original stories are present and the new mystery is not entirely obvious. Colorful characters are sprinkled throughout, supporting the story. I did not feel like anyone was overly annoying in the traditional bubbly high school sense.

There is one point that I felt like it's important to mention. Charlotte Holmes was raped shortly before the events that occur in the first chapter. Usually YA shies away from this topic unless it is a major factor in the plot. However, this is not the case for Charlotte. It is mentioned but not a main character trait. Jaime's reaction to it, the feelings of rage and helplessness, were something that I thought was important. He cares about Charlotte but does not get angry with her for what happened. There is no victim blaming. He understands that there is nothing he can do but that does not extinguish the desire to fix it. Charlotte's own reactions to what happened to her were interesting. She is angry but hides it. The most obvious reaction is how difficult of a time she has towards the end of the book with letting Jaime touch her. When he understood that it was going to be a very long time, if ever, that they were going to be able to be physical with her feeling comfortable I definitely felt a little emotional. Charlotte is more than an object to him. She is a person that he cares about exactly as she is. I wish this was more common in literature. I wish real people learned this more often than they do.

My biggest hang up was that I wanted more. I felt like the mystery and story were just barely scratching the surface of Sherringford. If the story had been a couple hundred pages longer I would not have been upset at all. There could have been more to the mystery, more world building, and more character development. Luckily for readers this will be a trilogy. I look forward to continuing on with Jaime and Charlotte.

On the upside, the mystery was not entirely predictable and the characters were enjoyable.

This book was good, verging on great. A promising start to a trilogy. If you love mystery, Sherlock, and a touch of drama then I would absolutely recommend this one.

Clarification for other Readers:

I have read several reviews where people were confused about how Dr. Watson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were both "real" people in this story. From what I understood, it was Dr. Watson that wrote the Sherlock stories (just as he does in every other adaptation) but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is basically his literary agent in this adaptation. Therefore, they both exist and are both involved in the creation of the Sherlock stories.