Book Cover
Justification
I chose A Study in Charlotte for my mystery/suspense selection for this blog. I have always been a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s wildly famous duo. When I saw this title listed among the best young adult mystery/suspense novels, I was intrigued. A modern take starring the ancestors of the legendary Holmes and Watson sounded like a delightful read, and it did not disappoint.
Evaluation
The first thing that stood out to me while reading A Study in Charlotte was the characters. Charlotte Holmes is the descendant of sleuthing great, Sherlock Holmes. She is just as enigmatic as her ancestor. Brilliant, gorgeous, hard to read, caught up in her own head, and several steps ahead of everyone else; Charlotte is a force to be reckoned with. Our narrator in contrast is Jamie Watson, ancestor of Dr. John Watson. Jamie is unsure of himself and always feels behind the curve. When someone sets the pair up for the murder of a rude jock on campus, the duo must work together to prove their innocence. As they work together, something like a friendship, and maybe more?, grows between them. They have dynamic banter and rapport. They ultimately find in one another something that neither one knew they needed, a friend.
Another great element of writing exhibited in this novel is the plot development. Good mysteries throw curve balls your way. They leave you second guessing everything and everyone you thought you knew. A Study in Charlotte delivers exactly this as the story unfolds. Watson and Holmes are being framed for murder, but the plot thickens when they learn that the real murder is using old Sherlock and Watson cases to implicate them. When more people are threatened, and the school is targeted time and again by the real murder, Jamie and Charlotte must try to get ahead of them to stop others from getting hurt. They must also try to prove to the police, the campus, and to each other, that they are not responsible. But who can be trusted? The plot twists and turns leaving us wondering who the real culprit is, and if Jamie and Charlotte can make it out of this debacle alive.
Finally, the pacing of the story keeps the reader engaged throughout the novel. Right from the beginning of the book, we meet Jamie who is begrudgingly attending Sherringford boarding school and he has an altercation with a rude fellow rugby player just after he arrives. Soon after this altercation, he ends up dead. Everyone is eyeing the new kid, Jamie Watson and loner Charlotte Holmes for the murder. Holmes and Watson team up to try to clear their names and get to the bottom of who is trying to frame them. With each plot twist and new development, the pace of the novel takes it up a notch. The whole novel is written at a fast pace that keeps the reader guessing what will happen next and how Holmes and Watson will fair with the obstacles set before them. Even as the novel concludes, it leaves you reaching for the next book in the series to see what will become of Charlotte and Jamie.
Response
(A) I have always loved Sherlock Holmes stories. I have read many of the original stories and love the PBS iteration of the famous duo. The original Watson and Holmes relationship has so much depth and intrigue for me. The mysteries they solve, and the secrets they try to keep from one another add another dimension of their complex relationship. (F) This newest interpretation of Holmes and Watson adds some new dynamics to their relationship that kept me interested. Being away at boarding school, forced together with your infamous relative’s counterpart, plus all the drama and hormones of adolescence made for great reading. (G) Overall, this story had me stuck to my book. It struck a delicate balance of playful sarcasm between the characters, and the dire nature of their situation. I am eager to read the follow two novels in the series to see what ultimately becomes of Jamie and Charlotte.
Conclusion
A Study in Charlotte is a fun mystery read for any high school student. Those who have an affinity for the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson stories, movies, or television series are sure to love this novel. There is something dynamic about the Watson/Holmes pairing, and this newest iteration of the characters did not disappoint. This book would be appropriate for high school students because of some mature themes, sexual content, and profanity.
APA Citation
Cavallaro, B. (2016). A study in Charlotte. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
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