mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Enola Holmes returns! This time her books are converted to comics, and I am there for it!
I really liked the original series so imagine my delight when I browsed one of my libraries and came across the comic versions of it, in Dutch, but I don’t mind given that the original seems to be French, haha. It’s been a while since I read the original series and I was excited to give these a try. Hopefully the next time I visit I can bring the second volume with me.
In this book we meet Enola Holmes. Yep, Holmes. Her brothers are Mycroft (horrible) and Sherlock (not so horrible but still stuck with opinions of that time). When her mother disappears she sends them a telegram to let them know. I wasn’t charmed by either of them, but out of the two Sherlock at least wasn’t that horrible. Yes, he is a man of that time, so he thinks girls should wear dresses and not do dangerous things and blablabla, but he is more caring and open to his sister.
I love Enola and loved the books she read, the things her mom learned her (not your average things, more like all the awesome stuff). She is not a girl like most girls in this world. She wants to just be outside, solve mysteries, read about feminism, learn about code, and more. Corsets, no freaking thank you (and I agree, those things they had in this time are deathtraps). We see that Enola is NOT happy with her brothers, and I loved that she was solving codes right under their noses and then also decide to just say screw this and run away. Yep. Go girl! I would have done the same if I was Enola.
From then an adventure and a mystery starts and Enola was just so awesome. I was just rooting for this girl.
While the pacing was pretty decent, there were one or two moments I was a tad confused, I do have to wonder HOW much was lost in the making of this comic? It has been at least 5 years since I last read the books, so I don’t know a lot of the details any more. I don’t even have the books anymore as I was making room and 4 starred books left the building. But the normal books are around 200-220 pages. These comics are 64 pages. I thought that maybe there would be like 2 or 3 of them for one book, but I just checked Goodreads and the next volume in this series is also for the next book! I am kind of curious what is missing, but I just have no way of getting the books. Haha, I guess I will just be left wondering about it. Maybe someone else who recently read the series knows.
But, while I am confused how they crammed so much in such a little comic, I did think it was a good comic. As I said, tons of adventure, a kick-ass MC who isn’t afraid, who is going to make her own way and no boarding school will come in between. The art was also fantastic, the style was quite pretty! All in all, I am definitely going to continue reading this one. Hoping though that not too much gets lost in the making of the comic.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I really liked the original series so imagine my delight when I browsed one of my libraries and came across the comic versions of it, in Dutch, but I don’t mind given that the original seems to be French, haha. It’s been a while since I read the original series and I was excited to give these a try. Hopefully the next time I visit I can bring the second volume with me.
In this book we meet Enola Holmes. Yep, Holmes. Her brothers are Mycroft (horrible) and Sherlock (not so horrible but still stuck with opinions of that time). When her mother disappears she sends them a telegram to let them know. I wasn’t charmed by either of them, but out of the two Sherlock at least wasn’t that horrible. Yes, he is a man of that time, so he thinks girls should wear dresses and not do dangerous things and blablabla, but he is more caring and open to his sister.
I love Enola and loved the books she read, the things her mom learned her (not your average things, more like all the awesome stuff). She is not a girl like most girls in this world. She wants to just be outside, solve mysteries, read about feminism, learn about code, and more. Corsets, no freaking thank you (and I agree, those things they had in this time are deathtraps). We see that Enola is NOT happy with her brothers, and I loved that she was solving codes right under their noses and then also decide to just say screw this and run away. Yep. Go girl! I would have done the same if I was Enola.
From then an adventure and a mystery starts and Enola was just so awesome. I was just rooting for this girl.
While the pacing was pretty decent, there were one or two moments I was a tad confused, I do have to wonder HOW much was lost in the making of this comic? It has been at least 5 years since I last read the books, so I don’t know a lot of the details any more. I don’t even have the books anymore as I was making room and 4 starred books left the building. But the normal books are around 200-220 pages. These comics are 64 pages. I thought that maybe there would be like 2 or 3 of them for one book, but I just checked Goodreads and the next volume in this series is also for the next book! I am kind of curious what is missing, but I just have no way of getting the books. Haha, I guess I will just be left wondering about it. Maybe someone else who recently read the series knows.
But, while I am confused how they crammed so much in such a little comic, I did think it was a good comic. As I said, tons of adventure, a kick-ass MC who isn’t afraid, who is going to make her own way and no boarding school will come in between. The art was also fantastic, the style was quite pretty! All in all, I am definitely going to continue reading this one. Hoping though that not too much gets lost in the making of the comic.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
tazmeen_kasim's review against another edition
3.0
Last night, I watched the movie. And let's just say that the movie's visuals were better than the book. And also Sherlock felt more like Sherlock in the movie. This is the first book where I like the movie better.
The book was amazing still. Reminds me of the old days.
I loved the way Enola and her mom interacted.
P.S: Even now I can't decipher her mom's journal.
The book was amazing still. Reminds me of the old days.
I loved the way Enola and her mom interacted.
P.S: Even now I can't decipher her mom's journal.
chmccann's review against another edition
2.0
This is ok for a middle grade book - pretty simplistic. I admit I bristled as a Sherlock Holmes fan at the depiction of Sherlock and Mycroft, which bears zero resemblance to the original characters. But that's nit-picking. The art has a certain charm, but at times looks sloppy rather than whimsical, and it could be hard to make out what was happening. Still, this was short, free, and fulfilled a Popsugar prompt as I come down to the wire!
steff_fox's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
luucie's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kendranicole28's review against another edition
4.5
I enjoy dipping into graphic novels every once in a while as a change of pace for my reading life, and this book was a delightful choice. Inspired by the Enola Holmes novels (which I have not read), this collection of three mysteries tells the story of Sherlock Holmes’ 14-year-old sister, Enola. When Enola’s mother disappears from the family’s country manor and Enola’s older brothers determine to ship her off to boarding school, Enola emulates her mother’s disappearance, adopting various disguises and employing masterful skills of subterfuge to avoid capture. While evading her brothers is her primary pursuit, Enola also moonlights as an amateur sleuth specializing in the discovery of missing persons including a kidnapped young boy, a teen thought to have run away with her lover, and even Dr. Watson!
Enola is a remarkable young protagonist: spunky, quick-witted, kind-hearted, clever and quirky—just what we would expect from the sister of one of literature’s most renowned sleuths. The mysteries presented in each installment are complex and a whole heap of fun, and the ongoing arc of Enola’s search for her mother (and her brothers’ search for her) is just as engaging.
I often will find myself enjoying the essence of a graphic novel but not caring for the illustrations; here, the illustrations are beautiful and enhance all aspects of the reading experience. I especially loved the illustrated spy portfolios lifted from Enola’s notebook that include various insights into the characters, historical notes, and secret codes.
This is written for a middle grade audience, and I would recommend it for readers on the older end of that age bracket (maybe 10 and up?) since some of the stories can be difficult to follow and many of the most fun Holmes references and history-based jokes would be lost on younger readers; there is also some questionable feminist ideology and allusions to cross-dressing that may not be suitable for the littles. But I have a feeling Charleston will love this in a couple of years.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 4 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Print
Enola is a remarkable young protagonist: spunky, quick-witted, kind-hearted, clever and quirky—just what we would expect from the sister of one of literature’s most renowned sleuths. The mysteries presented in each installment are complex and a whole heap of fun, and the ongoing arc of Enola’s search for her mother (and her brothers’ search for her) is just as engaging.
I often will find myself enjoying the essence of a graphic novel but not caring for the illustrations; here, the illustrations are beautiful and enhance all aspects of the reading experience. I especially loved the illustrated spy portfolios lifted from Enola’s notebook that include various insights into the characters, historical notes, and secret codes.
This is written for a middle grade audience, and I would recommend it for readers on the older end of that age bracket (maybe 10 and up?) since some of the stories can be difficult to follow and many of the most fun Holmes references and history-based jokes would be lost on younger readers; there is also some questionable feminist ideology and allusions to cross-dressing that may not be suitable for the littles. But I have a feeling Charleston will love this in a couple of years.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 4 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Print
quirkylitlover's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0