Well hello there my lovely nerds!

As some of you many know, and the rest of you are about to find out, I adore collecting things. Some of the collections I’ve already referred to are Peter Pan and all things Atlantis, not to mention the Wizarding World of JK Rowling. Another of my collections is all things Sherlock Holmes, including that which is what I refer to as Sherlock Adjacent. So, whenever I find a new book that has something to do with the great detective, I pretty much buy it. It’s a problem, but not one I’m overly upset about.

This little gem I found at a bookstore in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. If I could remember the bookstore, I’d link it: my bad. I found this in the middle-grade section, and buggered if I know how it caught my eye, because it wasn’t facing out. Probably the colour scheme. Anyway, imagine my delight when I picked it off the shelf and found a Sherlock-adjacent middle grade! Well, almost young adult but whatever. Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock, and her mother has disappeared!

Now, one of the reasons I quite like this book is that Mycroft and Sherlock aren’t softened or made more modern in their ideas. This book is set in the original Victorian era of Conan Doyle’s Holmes, so Enola is considered quite improper both for her somewhat wild upbringing (wearing knickerbockers! climbing trees!). So Mycroft is, to be honest, an absolute dickhead and Sherlock isn’t all that much better though he does at least show some level of concerned affection for his little sister.

And man, is he right to be concerned! How on earth a fourteen year old chick can get into this much trouble is absolutely hilarious, more so for the fact that in no way does the author make any ridiculous leaps of logic or any hard-to-believe connections of plot lines. I spent parts of this shaking my head at the characters and other parts absolutely cackling at the relatability of young Enola. Chick has mad skill, and mad cojones, honestly. Props.

I don’t want to give too much away, because I really want you to read this, but let it be known that I will be picking up the next book in the series as soon as I have the means and opportunity and also that I will probably need a designated Sherlock Shelf whenever I move into a bigger apartment because this Collection ain’t gonna get any smaller….and quite frankly, this series lined up next to each other looks friggin’ wicked.

Give Enola Holmes a crack, she’s well worth the time!

Image credits: my photos, of my copy of the book.

Categories: 2019 Reading Challenges, Children's Literature

Tags: Australian Book Reviewer, book review, book reviewer, Childrens Fiction, detective fiction, Enola Holmes, Nancy Springer, Sherlock Adjacent, Sherlock Holmes