Book Review of A Study in Charlotte

“I began wondering if there was some kind of Watsonian guide for the care and keeping of Holmeses.”

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson seem destined to be best friends. So, when the great-great-great-grandchildren of the iconic Holmes-Watson duo end up in the same school, people expect them to get along on the first go. Instead, things go a little haywire, and Jamie and Charlotte don’t exactly start off on the right foot. But they’re almost forced to come together when a student, someone they were both not particularly fond of, is found dead. They’re being framed in a crime where the killer is aping mysteries from the Sherlock Holmes series, and they only have each other to rely on.

Brittany Cavallaro chooses one of the most beloved set of stories to take her readers to a crazy ride down the memory lane. She shifts the crime scene from Victorian England to modern-day Connecticut, and builds a thriller that’s very rare in the genre of young adult contemporary fiction. We’re immediately plunged into a world of nostalgia, and Cavallaro blends it with the freshness of the 21^st century to create an ambience that’ll enchant ardent fans and newbies alike. The writing is crisp and smooth, and the plot hooks you instantly. The narrative is fast-paced, and the dialogues keep you gripped. While the ending might leave you with the feeling of a slightly haphazard and almost too convenient solution, you’ll have to settle owing to the willing suspension of disbelief attached with crime thrillers.

Out of the many things to appreciate about this novel, the initial striking factors are the skillfully delineated characters. You’re bound to get attached to Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson, and the minor sidekicks, too, are well-written and interesting. The camaraderie between the lead pair is sparkling as well as endearing. If you’ve grown up reading Sherlock Holmes, then you’ll most definitely find yourself drawn to Charlotte, whose lineage is reflected in her razor-sharp wit. Jamie serves as her comparatively level-headed counterpart, and together they make a pair that you can’t help but root for.

Rating: 4/5.

Movie Review of Veere Di Wedding

Friendship, fashion, frolic: Welcome to the Indian version of Sex and the City. The movie revolves around four friends who’re at different points of the marriage spectrum. Kalindi (Kareena Kapoor Khan) has always been wary of marriage, but begrudgingly says yes to the proposal of her long-term boyfriend, Rishab (Sumeet Vyas); Avni (Sonam Kapoor) is a divorce lawyer whose mom is hell-bent on finding her the perfect groom; Sakshi (Swara Bhaskar) is on the verge of an ugly divorce; and Meera (Shikha Talsania), whose life with her American husband and a two-year-old son might seem picture-perfect, but is not quite so. The four childhood buddies reunite from their different walks of life for Kalindi’s wedding, and what ensues is a mad journey.

Veere Di Wedding truly is the first of its kind: A Bollywood movie about female bonding, which is probably something we’ve been craving for ever since the days of Dil Chahta Hai. The movie tries to stay as relevant to the modern times as possible. The four leading ladies talk about sex, swear like sailors, drink like a fish, and they do it all with complete abandon. And why shouldn’t they? Because this is indeed how girls belonging to the current century would behave (well, almost). Director Shashanka Ghosh does deserve an applause for finally breaking away from age-old norms. The film, however, shows you all of this from a rich society’s point of view, and so you might have to suspend your disbelief when you witness the swanky mansions, the foreign trips, and the designer labels. While the movie in totality is a fun ride, the script, written by Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri, falters towards the end when it all seems too smooth and a tad bit overstretched.

Kareena being back on the big screen after her pregnancy is an absolute joy to watch. She plays the cynical girl to perfection. Sonam, too, is convincing as the daughter who’s so plagued by her nagging mother that she gives in to traditions she herself doesn’t believe in. But at the end of the day, the two actresses who steal the show are Swara and Shikha. They’re so effortless in their portrayal of emotions that you can’t help but root for them. In fact, you’ll find yourself cheering for all the four veeres. The side characters, be it the overbearing parents or the gay couple, are played supremely well, and I sincerely wish Sumeet Vyas had more frames to himself. It’s true that this movie comes with its own bag of flaws, but it makes up for it just because of sheer girl power. This isn’t a depiction of feminism, which is something the makers and actors, too, have been saying since day one, but let’s just hope that it’s a gateway to more kickass, all-girl movies.

Rating: 3/5.