A review by ravensandlace
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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3.5 stars

I’m going to be honest. I don’t know much about Sherlock Holmes. And I was completely unaware that he had a sister. And yes, I am well aware he is a fictional character. My first couple of sentences make it seem like Sherlock Holmes is a real person. But I am aware that he is not. Probably a good thing, if I am being honest. Holmes was a bit of a jerk and I’m saying that in the nicest way possible. Anyway. Maybe I should have read a Sherlock Holmes book or at least looked at a Wiki page of Homes before I started this book. But when St. Martin’s Press sends me a book, I will certainly read it, regardless of what it is about. That’s just the way of the world.  

Anyway, onto the actual review. I enjoyed this book but I wasn’t in love with it. The writing style was written in that old style but it was easy to read, which I appreciated. You wouldn’t believe how it is to read a classic book and try to decipher the writing. That is probably why I didn’t much care for Pride and Prejudice; I had no idea what was going on for most of the book. At least I knew what was going on in this book. 

Enola was an interesting character. She was pretty haughty and feisty. But I liked how smart she was! She honestly was such a genius. Other than that, Enola was okay. I am writing this review quite a few weeks after I’ve read this book so my memory of her is kind of fuzzy. But I do remember enjoying her as a main character.

I rated the book 3.5 stars because I really couldn’t stand Sherlock himself. He was such a prick to everyone around him. He was especially awful to Enola. Most of it was just because she was a girl. I can’t stand that. I have no idea if that is how Holmes is in his books. I would imagine so considering he had a bit of a cocaine problem. 

Overall, it was a good book but again, I didn’t really love it. Not one of my favorites but I certainly didn’t hate it. I would be interested in reading more about Enola and more of this series however. I should mention that this book was in the middle of a series but I didn’t get confused about anything that was happening so you can certainly read this as a stand alone novel. But I, personally, would love to read this series starting from the beginning. 
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