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ashwaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Suicide
elsebeok's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Murder, and Suicide
social_eyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Pedophilia and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia
hannahschaef's review
3.0
Moderate: Pedophilia and Fatphobia
reading_historical_romance's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Murder and Suicide
Minor: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Incest
kieranlit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Minor: Pedophilia
rissahoo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Trafficking, Antisemitism, Toxic relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Suicide
susannah_knox's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
antimonium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Minor: Pedophilia