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fin881's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book! I am not the biggest fan of little women itself but this retelling is one of my favourite reads of the year thus far. Always knew Jo was a queer, it’s as if I can sniff them out
aielinnae's review against another edition
4.0
I am one-hundred percent for the reimaginings that have been popular in the last couple of years. Great or Nothing co-written by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richardson, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood is a great addition to the collection. Updating the March sisters from the American Civil War to World War Ii with the complications of the time period is genius. It’s not a straight retelling as it’s more like a Chapter 2, post Beth’s untimely death. Each March sister keeps the essence that made them them in Louisa May Alcott’s classic, but shows a more mature, well-rounded older version of their original selves in a different time period. A great read for fans of young women who have strength, fearlessness, and plenty of moxie to pave a better future for themselves.
beverytender's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
frizabell's review against another edition
Just not feeling it, will come back to it at some point hopefully.
kiragrieco's review against another edition
4.0
Really struggled with what to rate this one… Amy and Laurie’s storyline was absolutely perfect and by far the highlight of this book. Meg and Beth’s chapters were interesting and I really enjoyed them, especially Beth’s being told in verse, but I have to say, the Jo chapters left a lot to be desired. While I felt like the rest of the sisters (and Laurie) were true to the original, Jo just didn’t feel like the Jo March we all know and love. She just seemed to do a lot of moping around. That being said, I did love the premise of this book and seeing how the March sisters in a more updated setting and how they would deal with WWII. I did enjoy this one and especially recommend it if you’re as much of a fan of Amy and Laurie as I am!
sheridan_powell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A queer Jo March! The story Laurie and Amy deserve! My Little Women loving heart is so happy with this retelling <3
morpmeep's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Honestly was really looking forward to this book - i deeply love little women, i enjoy the 1940s as a setting, was intrigued by the poetry of Beth and i was delighted at the possibility of a book that really delved into the queerness of Jo.
however, this book didn't really do it for me. one of the biggest parts of little women is the relationships the girls have with each other, but the girls spend the entire book apart, driven away from each other by grief. they don't interact with each other, just spend pages pining for one another while existing in their biege plotlines.
each chapter is from a different girls perspective, and each is written by a different author. Which could be a big appeal if the girls stories ever crossed over - it would be fascinating to see different perspectives and internal dialogues on the same moments. but instead each girls story stands on its own, linked only by unimpressive poetry from Beth's perspective in the afterlife. I found myself skimming over the poems because they lacked any real poetic form. I described them to a friend as 'what a fiction writer thinks poems are' which is accurate. The words aren't *bad*, they're just not poetry. they're flowery prose broken up into stanzas. there's no lyricism or imagery, no rhyming or any sort of play with beats. Theres no pleasure in reading them.
The queer story line of Jo's is hollow and really only appears in the last ten pages of her story.
I'm sorry, y'all, i wanted to like this book but this was not it.
however, this book didn't really do it for me. one of the biggest parts of little women is the relationships the girls have with each other, but the girls spend the entire book apart, driven away from each other by grief. they don't interact with each other, just spend pages pining for one another while existing in their biege plotlines.
each chapter is from a different girls perspective, and each is written by a different author. Which could be a big appeal if the girls stories ever crossed over - it would be fascinating to see different perspectives and internal dialogues on the same moments. but instead each girls story stands on its own, linked only by unimpressive poetry from Beth's perspective in the afterlife. I found myself skimming over the poems because they lacked any real poetic form. I described them to a friend as 'what a fiction writer thinks poems are' which is accurate. The words aren't *bad*, they're just not poetry. they're flowery prose broken up into stanzas. there's no lyricism or imagery, no rhyming or any sort of play with beats. Theres no pleasure in reading them.
The queer story line of Jo's is hollow and really only appears in the last ten pages of her story.
I'm sorry, y'all, i wanted to like this book but this was not it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
novabear_25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
ashleylchen's review against another edition
3.0
A well written retelling of Little Women set in a different time period. The concept was good but a bit poorly executed in my opinion. There was too much going on yet nothing happened aside from Amy & Laurie’s “timeline”.