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jokiwi's review
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was written by two authors. One of them is very very good, and the other one is not, and so the book comes out uneven, which is a shame because the good parts are very very good and the overall approach to Jo herself had real promise. On the other hand, it did make me cry, and it is about Jo and Laurie, and overall I did enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
camiclarkbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely heartwarming story of what *could* have happened to the timeless Jo March and Teddy Lawrence if Alcott hadn’t been so insistent the two best friends never end up together.
Stohl and de la Cruz wrote “Jo & Laurie” as a charming fan fiction of what happened after Jo March published her first book. It’s a tale of the reluctance to grow up and the acceptance that changes aren’t always terrible.
The two authors wrote the classic characters in a nearly seamless imitation of how Alcott wrote them. They also clearly did a lot of research on the time period and integrated the knowledge nicely into the story.
Stohl and de la Cruz wrote “Jo & Laurie” as a charming fan fiction of what happened after Jo March published her first book. It’s a tale of the reluctance to grow up and the acceptance that changes aren’t always terrible.
The two authors wrote the classic characters in a nearly seamless imitation of how Alcott wrote them. They also clearly did a lot of research on the time period and integrated the knowledge nicely into the story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Classism, Child death, and Death of parent
micaelamariem's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
While I liked the premise initially, I found this wasn’t the feisty Jo March I had fallen in love with in the original Little Women and who I wanted to be. I realize the authors made this Jo the author writing about her character so it was distanced and different, but I was also…bored. It’s so hard to keep the characters their own when writing a retelling and this time it just fell flat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism and Chronic illness
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Child death, and Sexism
angelicaw7852's review
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ugh just so good.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Terminal illness
linesiunderline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I so enjoyed this romantic, big hearted novel where the authors imagine Jo’s struggles to write a sequel to her wildly successful first book. We return to Orchard House and spend more time with beloved characters, and if fans of the original tale feel trepidation that this might not be respectful and true enough to the classic, do not worry. I was most impressed by how well the authors captured the voice of these familiar characters - especially Jo’s - and the dynamic between the sisters. It felt delightfully familiar. There was a slight lagging of pace in the middle, and I would have loved greater focus on the other March sisters and their mother, but I would happily read more books by this duo inspired by classics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Grief
goldengirlbookclub's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really liked this book within a book meta envisioning of Jo March as “writer” rather than Jo as LMA’s character, as Jo attempts to pen her sequel to Little Women. It pulled on LMA real life experiences and imagines a world where Jo deals with the grief of losing a sister and her own complicated feelings about finding happiness after a huge loss. It was really well done and not only explores a different ending for our authoress, but does a great job of exploring the way grief and loss effect families after a loved one has passed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
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