by Brittany Cavallaro

5 Stars

Written by Brittany Cavallaro, A Study in Charlotte is a young adult mystery adventure novel. Jamie Watson had always dreamt of solving mysteries with Charlotte Holmes and following in the footsteps of both of their great-great-great-grandfathers. When he and Charlotte both end up at the same boarding school, she makes it clear she does not have the same dream. Although, when they are both framed for murder, they are forced to work together to prove their innocence and find the real killer. 

This book was super easy to read. I was immediately intrigued by the characters and plot. I also really enjoyed the faster pace, it did not drag on but it also never seemed rushed. I loved the dynamic between Charlotte and Jamie, a know-it-all girl with an awkward, empathetic boy. They complimented each other, made for a perfect pairing and the aspects of a slow burn romance were adorable. Serious topics like mentions of rape, substance abuse, and murder were never romanticized and were handled really well. There was no shortage of references to the original Sherlock Holmes stories; they fit into the novel and were satisfying but not overpowering. Brittany Cavallaro did an excellent job pulling the reader into the book with her writing- filled with plot twists and mystery, it really made you think. This was a perfectly witty and charming re-imagining of Watson and Holmes as a modern-day crime-solving duo. I immediately wanted to pick up the sequel and continue reading about these characters.

Megan S.

View in Library Catalogue: Print