I received a digital advance reader’s copy (ARC) of A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In A Game Most Foul, we follow Jules as she travels to London for a summer writing program at a university. She’s excited, but also nervous, as she’s coping not only with her recent hearing loss and new hearing aids, but additionally with a case of writer’s block. Her professor, Watson, seems like a good teacher at the beginning, but a wrench is thrown in everyone’s plans when one of the writing students goes missing. Jules is worried about her new acquaintance, and together, she and two other kids decide to investigate the girl’s disappearance. This leads them to find an unexpected ally: Watson’s friend who’s been lurking around campus and near Jules’s aunt’s shop, who happens to be named… Sherlock Holmes? But it can’t really be Sherlock Holmes, can it? And who really is the girl who went missing, and is she somehow connected to these two impossible men?

Apparently, it’s easy to get my attention: just mention either dragons, pirates, or Sherlock Holmes in a book description, and I’m already asking for a copy. That said, Elementary is still the best modern day Holmes adaptation, even after reading this. Because I have thoughts about this one.

Firstly, though, I did like Jules, the protagonist. I related to her trepidation and excitement about living in London for a time for school (I went through the same thing, as London is where I did my semester abroad). This book does a good job capturing her wonder in the face of this vibrant, complex city. And I also enjoyed the representation of someone with hearing loss, which you don’t often see in books. It’s not a major focus of the story, but does still demonstrate how it affects her life and confidence in pursuing new relationships with her peers. Further, it’s sweet to see how her new friends are understanding and helpful once they learn about her hearing aids.

As for her new friends, Percy and Suruthi, they’re good characters too. They’re funny and have great banter with each other, and also are kind and clever. I wish there had been a little more development with them, but the plot kind of got in the way. Still, they and Jules make a good central trio.

However, I wish I could say the same thing about Holmes and Watson in this. For one thing, they also didn’t have quite enough character development, and their frostiness towards each other didn’t work for me. I mean, I understand that sometimes, when you know someone for a long time, resentment can build up about the other person’s flaws, but this seemed excessive. Furthermore, I really wanted Holmes to be more of a lovable bastard, as he is in the original stories. He has some of that energy, but something about it here didn’t land right for me. And what happened with Watson was (to avoid spoilers) not at all to my taste. There was a lot of potential here with both characters, but didn’t pan out in a satisfactory way for me. And the explanation for how they were alive (which somewhat ended up tying in with the main missing persons case) didn’t really make me feel better. I think flashbacks or something might have helped. I don’t really know.

In the end, I have pretty mixed feelings about A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais. The teenage main characters are fine, and the mystery is decent, but the Sherlockian aspects were really disappointing to me. And that was the main reason I wanted to read the book! So if you’re reading this for a fun modernized Sherlock Holmes adventure, there are better options. But if you want a young adult mystery that can be recommended to a slightly younger audience too, this would possibly fit the bill.

A Game Most Foul is available now!