A Study in Charlotte: Charlotte Holmes, Book 1

From title (a play on A Study in Scarlet, first Sherlock Holmes novel) onward, it's steeped in references to original Holmes canon, which are often essential to the plot. Readers unfamiliar with those stories will want to catch up; Holmes fans will have fun spotting scenes from the original stories as they occur. Like her famous ancestor, Charlotte is an accomplished violin player, and Jamie and the reader learn a bit about classical music from her repertoire.

Jamie, narrator for much of story, is a good guy who tries to do right even in difficult circumstances (e.g., he's not thrilled about forced reunion with his estranged father but doesn't think it's right to take it out on his small stepbrothers -- they're just little kids). Like generations of his family, he suffers from a rage disorder but tries not to let it run his life. Charlotte, born to a famously brilliant, dysfunctional dynasty, is bitter, fierce, drug-addled as story begins. But, while it's strongly suggested that she leads Jamie around by the nose more than he realizes, his friendship -- the first she's experienced -- shows her that there might be other options. Both teens are clever, creative problem-solvers. Charlotte's roommate, Lena, is part rich dunce, part quick-thinking BFF. Adults are a mixed bag, from Jamie's flawed-but-trying dad to Charlotte's brother, who can apparently disappear people at will, and school personnel who may not be quite what they appear.

Strong boarding-school-full-of-hormonal-teens vibe to the story, including some apparent same-sex romance, but no graphic detail. Charlotte's onetime crush on her tutor has far-reaching effects; so does a past broken engagement of two adult characters. Jamie's parents are divorced; over the course of the story, he develops a new relationship with his estranged father and the dad's new family. He also refers to past girlfriends who dumped him and hoped-for girlfriends who ignored him.