"A Game Most Foul" by Alison Gervais brings together elements of magical realism and mystery into a very unique and engaging story. The book follows Jules Montgomery, a hard of hearing teen writer attending a prestigious writing seminar at Ashford College in London. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, specifically in different interpretations of Sherlock (like if you ever wondered how Holmes would act in the modern era), you will definitely enjoy this book.

The characters, particularly Jules, are a highlight of the book. Jules' perspective offers a unique insight into the Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture, providing readers with an honest portrayal that is both authentic and refreshing. I really like how the book focuses on Jules coming to terms with her hearing loss and how she begins to accept it, like how she stops hiding her disability and acknowledges that being hard of hearing is who she is now. I thought the side characters acted like authentic teenagers, though I wish they had more development rather than Holmes analyzing them without the readers or the characters themselves acknowledging their faults or learning to grow from them. There was a member of the writing seminar that was technically a part of the seminar until the very end, but he hardly ever showed up and had zero importance to the plot; I feel like he should have either been removed altogether or given more importance. The romance in the book was sweet as it progressed in a natural way; the romance itself felt a little young, which fit with the book and the writing style. I also like how the romance didn’t overwhelm the actual plot, which can sometimes be an issue with YA mystery books.

The most interesting part of the book was the inclusion of Holmes and Watson, which added depth to the story, keeping it from being a standard mystery. There were references to classic Sherlock Holmes stories throughout, so if you are familiar with Holmes, you will definitely enjoy those connections. The plot is so unique with Sherlock and Holmes living in the modern era, but I wish that their backstory had more development. Jules didn’t actually do a lot of discovering on her own; a lot of the information was just handed to you. There was a lot of “tell” instead of “show” with the plot, especially with the overall mystery of the missing girl that is resolved at the end of the book. This kept the mystery from being super engaging to me since it didn’t require much guess-work from the reader as the information is just handed to you.

Still, I think this book holds appeal for fans of mysteries and Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, particularly those interested in exploring a fresh perspective on familiar characters. I did enjoy the characterization of both Sherlock and Holmes in the book; I just wish there were a bit more characterization as well as more development of the mystery. I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5.

As I was reading A Game Most Foul, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was it magical realism or were the characters just crazy? Was this light-hearted mystery or was it headed someplace dark? Honestly, now that I’ve finished, I’m still not sure I know what this book was.

I definitely enjoyed the characters. The main character, Jules, is hard of hearing and I appreciated gaining that perspective. I loved that Holmes and Watson were characters. I loved seeing how their established personalities played out in this new story. Books that reference other books are always a favorite.

Here’s where it lost me. The whole vibe of the book didn’t feel consistent. I think it wanted to be a dark, true crime novel in the vein of Truly Devious, but it just didn’t fully commit. It left me unsure of where the book was going and not in a good way. There was an element of whimsy and fantasy that didn’t seem consistent with the rest of the novel. I didn’t really see the ending coming, but again, not in a good way. I think I wasn’t engaged enough in the plot to be making predictions and, overall, it didn’t feel satisfying.

I really wanted to love this book and I just didn’t. I wouldn’t discourage students from reading it, especially if they’re really into mysteries and Sherlock Holmes, but I wouldn’t necessarily encourage them either.