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vgdesigns's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Christopher Columbus!
Margaret Stohl and Melissa De La Cruz team up to write a charming retelling of Little Women. Set in between Louisa May Alcott’s volume one Little Women and volume two Good Wives, Stohl and Cruz create an alternate ending for Jo and Laurie. Jo March has just finished her first book loosely based on the lives of her family, but now her publisher wants more. Specifically, an ending where all the March sisters are happily married. Except Jo’s life has not progressed that far yet, and now she stuck with writers block, filled with turmoil. She cannot imagine a story without Beth, her sisters married, or Laurie gone. Jo must come to terms with her quickly changing future before she can finish her book.
Stohl and Cruz create an interesting angle on the classic Little Women’s story by making it Jo’s own book. One that quickly became very popular. The reader then finds that Little Women was not actually accurate to Jo’s real life. As Meg has not met John yet, they do not call their mom “Marmee”, and other such changes. Which for fans of Little Women might not enjoy, especially since Good Wives is made fun of by its own characters. Her family faces the challenge that readers see Jo’s book as their real lives, and not a work of fiction. While Jo struggles not being able to write adventure novels, but forced to write a fiction of her life that has yet to happen. Laurie is also struggling with a future of a collage he does not want to attend, and his unnoticed affections for Jo. Together they go on a bit of an adventure to find what they really want in their lives.
All of Jo’s quirks and strong personality are well written in this book. Though, her writing process is interesting, her writer’s block is not. Jo has several valid personal reasons to not be able finish her book. As all books in a personal nature are extremely hard to write. It just takes her a long time to face those reasons, and come to terms with how they affect her own life story. Including Laurie’s confession of love. Whether Jo and Laurie are meant to be is up to the reader. As this book has an alternate ending to the original. This is a great book for those who love Jo and Laurie, and the wonderful nostalgia of classic American literature.
Margaret Stohl and Melissa De La Cruz team up to write a charming retelling of Little Women. Set in between Louisa May Alcott’s volume one Little Women and volume two Good Wives, Stohl and Cruz create an alternate ending for Jo and Laurie. Jo March has just finished her first book loosely based on the lives of her family, but now her publisher wants more. Specifically, an ending where all the March sisters are happily married. Except Jo’s life has not progressed that far yet, and now she stuck with writers block, filled with turmoil. She cannot imagine a story without Beth, her sisters married, or Laurie gone. Jo must come to terms with her quickly changing future before she can finish her book.
Stohl and Cruz create an interesting angle on the classic Little Women’s story by making it Jo’s own book. One that quickly became very popular. The reader then finds that Little Women was not actually accurate to Jo’s real life. As Meg has not met John yet, they do not call their mom “Marmee”, and other such changes. Which for fans of Little Women might not enjoy, especially since Good Wives is made fun of by its own characters. Her family faces the challenge that readers see Jo’s book as their real lives, and not a work of fiction. While Jo struggles not being able to write adventure novels, but forced to write a fiction of her life that has yet to happen. Laurie is also struggling with a future of a collage he does not want to attend, and his unnoticed affections for Jo. Together they go on a bit of an adventure to find what they really want in their lives.
All of Jo’s quirks and strong personality are well written in this book. Though, her writing process is interesting, her writer’s block is not. Jo has several valid personal reasons to not be able finish her book. As all books in a personal nature are extremely hard to write. It just takes her a long time to face those reasons, and come to terms with how they affect her own life story. Including Laurie’s confession of love. Whether Jo and Laurie are meant to be is up to the reader. As this book has an alternate ending to the original. This is a great book for those who love Jo and Laurie, and the wonderful nostalgia of classic American literature.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
dorothysbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
As someone who sided with Alcott herself in believing that Jo and Laurie were not meant for each other, I believed that I may have had a hard time with this book. However, I’m happy to say that I have never happier to be so wrong.
‘Jo & Laurie’ is a meta piece of fiction, both existing as a retelling of the second part of ‘Little Women’ (‘Good Wives’), and as a wider commentary on life at the time the book was written, drawing heavily from Louisa May Alcott’s own life to build this tale.
In this story, the ‘Little Women’ story is a canonically published book written by Jo March, and is loosely based off her own life, with many added differences and changes - very meta. This is the Jo March who features as the main character in this book - a struggling young novelist, refusing to follow what is expected of her when it comes to moulding her creation to include a sequel - similarly to Alcott’s own relationship with the sequel and refusal to marry off her characters. The Jo of this book is similar to Alcott in a lot of ways, just as the Jo of ‘Little Women’ was the equivalent of Alcott’s self-insert OC. The characters of the original novel were inspired by her own family, and Jo the front and centre - her.
And yes, for all you out there wondering by the title alone, this version of Jo and Laurie do end up together, but by the title, that is not meant as a surprise haha!
‘Jo & Laurie’ is a meta piece of fiction, both existing as a retelling of the second part of ‘Little Women’ (‘Good Wives’), and as a wider commentary on life at the time the book was written, drawing heavily from Louisa May Alcott’s own life to build this tale.
In this story, the ‘Little Women’ story is a canonically published book written by Jo March, and is loosely based off her own life, with many added differences and changes - very meta. This is the Jo March who features as the main character in this book - a struggling young novelist, refusing to follow what is expected of her when it comes to moulding her creation to include a sequel - similarly to Alcott’s own relationship with the sequel and refusal to marry off her characters. The Jo of this book is similar to Alcott in a lot of ways, just as the Jo of ‘Little Women’ was the equivalent of Alcott’s self-insert OC. The characters of the original novel were inspired by her own family, and Jo the front and centre - her.
And yes, for all you out there wondering by the title alone, this version of Jo and Laurie do end up together, but by the title, that is not meant as a surprise haha!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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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