Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box (#12)

Title: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box (#12)
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Retold by M. J. Cosson & Murray Shaw)

Illustrator: JT Morrow & Sophie Rohrbach
Publisher: Lerner Publishing

Copyright: 2012

Price: $27.93

ISBN: 978-0761370901
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called to help Lestrade investigate a mysterious package with disturbing contents sent to Miss Susan Cushing. Told in a bland tale about a bland adventure

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Recommended Audience: Upper Elementary

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Things to be aware of: Gross box contents
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Further Thoughts: When poking around Netgalley for interesting graphic novels to read I saw this title and thought “OH MY GOSH, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box sounds great. What could be so mysterious about a cardboard box?” Sadly, it did not live up to the greatness that the title implies. If anything, I figured it’d be some hilarious zombie story that had me in stitches. Instead, it is the mystery of Miss Susan Cushing receiving a mysterious box with severed [spoiler] in it. BORING.

If this is a Sherlock Holmes story, I have yet to read this one or even hear about it or see it adapted with Jeremy Brett. Unless it was ages ago and I forgot, which tells you what I think the fate of this book will be: forgotten.

The text is unappealing. The art is unappealing (to me). The text is badly done: told not shown, not spiced up a bit. The words probably borrowed from Doyle or they were adapted to make it a more interesting and easier read for kids. Alas, it comes off stiff and dull. The art is not my thing at all. The characters are all bizarre shapes and Sherlock is a different skin tone than everyone else. Not to mention his chin: it grows, it shrinks. The only character who seems consistent and true to the tale is Dr. Watson.

Despite the word “adventure” in the title, this Sherlock Holmes lacks it. Pass for better adaptations, which I know are out there.

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Bonus:

Source: Netgalley.