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A review by sofia_bookishwanderess
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
5.0
This review was originally posted on Bookish Wanderess
Trigger warnings: substance abuse, sexual assault, murder, anger management issues.
A Study in Charlotte is an enthralling and entertating read, that brings a unique spin to a beloved classic, with characters that are as captivating and complex as the ones in the original version.
The fact that the main characters are related to the original Watson and Holmes gives this book an interesting and unique premise that it’s very well executed. What makes this work is the little details like the fact that Jamie is an unapologetic fan of Doctor Watson’s writing and his stories, while Charlotte criticizes the liberties he takes with the narration of some of the cases, but at the end she loves the stories as well. Another details is the guide to being friends with a Holmes that is passed down in the Watson family, which was a really hilarious touch. There are more little details that tie the premise together and make it feel plausible because of how well integrated they are to the story.
The real strengh of the book lays in the main character, Charlotte and Jamie, and the relationship between them. They have an engrossing and strange dynamic, they feel like they were meant to be friends but still they have to actually get to know each other and learn to trust each other. Their dialogue and banter is incredibly entertaining, and the honest moments when one or both of them are being vulnerable are so precious that I feel like crying just thinking about them.
Jamie is just the sweetest boy, but not in a ‘Mr. Perfect’ kind of way, he is still a flawed and complex character. He’s a great narrator for the story and it’s really interesting to see him be this boy that romanticises people and situations and likes to write in his free time, and at the same time, witness him struggling to keep his anger management issues under control.
Seeing Charlotte through Jamie’s eyes is such a enthralling experience. She is brilliant, sarcastic, blunt, calculating and bossy, but she also has insecurities and she has been hurt before, she is a bit lost and lonely and a fantastic main character. Through Charlotte’s journey, Cavallaro explores heavy subjects like substance abuse and sexualt assault and she does it in a raw and delicate way that it’s captivating and heartbreaking at the same time. This two subjects are present thorughout the book and are never forgotten or dissmissed, we get to see how they affect Charlotte’s live and her reactions and perceptions of things.
My one problem with this book is that the case wasn’t that interesting to me for a big portion of the book, because for a long time there are no new leads or the clues they have lead nowhere, so the case lost importance to me. This book is still a 5 stars read because during that time where not a lot is happening with the case, I was still fascinated by Charlotte, Jamie and their relationship. Also, there’s a point, when the case starts to move along and things get interesting and there’s twists and turns that I didn’t see coming at all, and it makes up for that portion of the book when the case didn’t seem that interesting.
Overall, I found this to book to be highly engaging and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters. I would totally recommend it!
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Trigger warnings: substance abuse, sexual assault, murder, anger management issues.
A Study in Charlotte is an enthralling and entertating read, that brings a unique spin to a beloved classic, with characters that are as captivating and complex as the ones in the original version.
The fact that the main characters are related to the original Watson and Holmes gives this book an interesting and unique premise that it’s very well executed. What makes this work is the little details like the fact that Jamie is an unapologetic fan of Doctor Watson’s writing and his stories, while Charlotte criticizes the liberties he takes with the narration of some of the cases, but at the end she loves the stories as well. Another details is the guide to being friends with a Holmes that is passed down in the Watson family, which was a really hilarious touch. There are more little details that tie the premise together and make it feel plausible because of how well integrated they are to the story.
The real strengh of the book lays in the main character, Charlotte and Jamie, and the relationship between them. They have an engrossing and strange dynamic, they feel like they were meant to be friends but still they have to actually get to know each other and learn to trust each other. Their dialogue and banter is incredibly entertaining, and the honest moments when one or both of them are being vulnerable are so precious that I feel like crying just thinking about them.
Jamie is just the sweetest boy, but not in a ‘Mr. Perfect’ kind of way, he is still a flawed and complex character. He’s a great narrator for the story and it’s really interesting to see him be this boy that romanticises people and situations and likes to write in his free time, and at the same time, witness him struggling to keep his anger management issues under control.
Seeing Charlotte through Jamie’s eyes is such a enthralling experience. She is brilliant, sarcastic, blunt, calculating and bossy, but she also has insecurities and she has been hurt before, she is a bit lost and lonely and a fantastic main character. Through Charlotte’s journey, Cavallaro explores heavy subjects like substance abuse and sexualt assault and she does it in a raw and delicate way that it’s captivating and heartbreaking at the same time. This two subjects are present thorughout the book and are never forgotten or dissmissed, we get to see how they affect Charlotte’s live and her reactions and perceptions of things.
My one problem with this book is that the case wasn’t that interesting to me for a big portion of the book, because for a long time there are no new leads or the clues they have lead nowhere, so the case lost importance to me. This book is still a 5 stars read because during that time where not a lot is happening with the case, I was still fascinated by Charlotte, Jamie and their relationship. Also, there’s a point, when the case starts to move along and things get interesting and there’s twists and turns that I didn’t see coming at all, and it makes up for that portion of the book when the case didn’t seem that interesting.
Overall, I found this to book to be highly engaging and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters. I would totally recommend it!
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