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Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women
Little Women with a twist: four sisters from a blended family experience the challenges and triumphs of life in NYC in this beautiful full-color graphic novel perfect for fans of Roller Girl and Smile.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are having a really tough year: with their father serving in the military overseas, they must work overtime to make ends meet...and each girl is struggling in her own way. Whether it's school woes, health issues, boy troubles, or simply feeling lost, the March sisters all need the same thing: support from each other. Only by coming together--and sharing lots of laughs and tears--will these four young women find the courage to discover who they truly are as individuals...and as a family.
Meg is the eldest March, and she has a taste for the finer things in life. She dreams of marrying rich, enjoying fabulous clothes and parties, and leaving her five-floor walk-up apartment behind.
Jo pushes her siblings to be true to themselves, yet feels like no one will accept her for who she truly is. Her passion for writing gives her an outlet to feel worthy in the eyes of her friends and family.
Beth is the shy sister with a voice begging to be heard. But with a guitar in hand, she finds a courage that inspires her siblings to seize the day and not take life for granted.
Amy may be the baby of the family, but she has the biggest personality. Though she loves to fight with her sisters, her tough exterior protects a vulnerable heart that worries about her family's future.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are having a really tough year: with their father serving in the military overseas, they must work overtime to make ends meet...and each girl is struggling in her own way. Whether it's school woes, health issues, boy troubles, or simply feeling lost, the March sisters all need the same thing: support from each other. Only by coming together--and sharing lots of laughs and tears--will these four young women find the courage to discover who they truly are as individuals...and as a family.
Meg is the eldest March, and she has a taste for the finer things in life. She dreams of marrying rich, enjoying fabulous clothes and parties, and leaving her five-floor walk-up apartment behind.
Jo pushes her siblings to be true to themselves, yet feels like no one will accept her for who she truly is. Her passion for writing gives her an outlet to feel worthy in the eyes of her friends and family.
Beth is the shy sister with a voice begging to be heard. But with a guitar in hand, she finds a courage that inspires her siblings to seize the day and not take life for granted.
Amy may be the baby of the family, but she has the biggest personality. Though she loves to fight with her sisters, her tough exterior protects a vulnerable heart that worries about her family's future.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2019
About the author
Rey Terciero
6 books103 followersRey Terciero is a penname of Rex Ogle.
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
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April 3, 2020Review on sale: It's been 150 years, you better get your act together and make Beth pull through this, guys.
Review after reading: Mostly this just made me want to re-read the original, though I definitely appreciated the steps it took to update the material (Meg is going to college! Beth pulls through!). It just feels very slight to pack all of the stuff that happens into a not-that-long graphic novel.
Review after reading: Mostly this just made me want to re-read the original, though I definitely appreciated the steps it took to update the material (Meg is going to college! Beth pulls through!). It just feels very slight to pack all of the stuff that happens into a not-that-long graphic novel.
December 10, 2021
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a perfect graphic novel. I'm familiar with Bre Indigo's art from her webcomic Jamie, and it perfectly fit the warmth and emotion of this book. I'm familiar with the story of Little Women from a coloring book I obsessively colored as a child, so to see it translated so colorfully once again was really serendipitous for me.
Overall, this was an incredibly sweet and timely homage to the original novel. While the writing and dialogue weren't outstanding, the heart and soul of the story shone through, the reimagined characters bold and unique in their own right.
Overall, this was an incredibly sweet and timely homage to the original novel. While the writing and dialogue weren't outstanding, the heart and soul of the story shone through, the reimagined characters bold and unique in their own right.
August 10, 2019
This is a comics adaptation of the nineteenth century classic written by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Bre Indigo, modernized to include email exchanges and making the family blended and Jo lesbian. I just read Spider-Gwen, and there will now be a black woman Bond, so it's all good. Some of the basic themes and emotional highs and lows of the original are touched on here, and I did like Jo here just fine, but I thought the writing was not up to par, pretty sappy, and the correspondingly LW-lite art was more juvenile than I had hoped.
So, yeah, I was disappointed, and yes, I grew up in a house with sisters so the book was in the house and we read it and loved it, and I have seen different film adaptations and loved them, and I am a big fan of comics adaptations of classics in general, but this version was just not for me. However, my daughter L, 12, LOVED this book, has read it now three times, and insisted I 1) read it asap and 2) buy it for her for some appropriate gifting occasion, which I will do, so I will bump this up from my own 2 stars to 3 stars, (and no, won't lie to her about my feelings about it, if she asks, but will willingly offer to read the original with her and see movie versions of it with her, yay). I'm not in the target audience for this adaptation, that's part of it, so the authors will care not a whit what I think of it, probably. She loves it, and IS in their target audience, middle grades, I think, so okay! The system works!
So, yeah, I was disappointed, and yes, I grew up in a house with sisters so the book was in the house and we read it and loved it, and I have seen different film adaptations and loved them, and I am a big fan of comics adaptations of classics in general, but this version was just not for me. However, my daughter L, 12, LOVED this book, has read it now three times, and insisted I 1) read it asap and 2) buy it for her for some appropriate gifting occasion, which I will do, so I will bump this up from my own 2 stars to 3 stars, (and no, won't lie to her about my feelings about it, if she asks, but will willingly offer to read the original with her and see movie versions of it with her, yay). I'm not in the target audience for this adaptation, that's part of it, so the authors will care not a whit what I think of it, probably. She loves it, and IS in their target audience, middle grades, I think, so okay! The system works!
May 31, 2023
I love Little Women, but I do think only really clicks with me when set during the Civil War. Modern adaptations have failed to grab me, and this one is no exception. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy...means well. The illustrations are pretty and bright, and changing the Marches to a biracial family was a concept that worked in some places, if not all. The problem is that the story doesn't seem to be written from a point of view that can love the characters, while also allowing them to struggle - they need to get everything that they want or need immediately, out of nowhere, and with very little effort, simply because They Are The March Girls! (Another aspect that became grating was that constant refrain of, "Don't mess with the March girls!" or "We're the March sisters!" In the original, the sisters managed to have a close bond without having to constantly state it.)
I appreciated the addition of Jo's coming out storyline, since it seemed well-intentioned and parts of it worked just fine, not to mention the fact that Jo's been interpreted as a lesbian since Forever; however, Jo's voice was incredibly irritating to me the entire book. The author seemed afraid of giving her ANY flaws, instead making her as selfless, caring, and holistically knowledgeable as possible. Her journal entries were flat and poorly written (rarely do people begin to write out a sentence, then trail off like they would in spoken conversations), and the majority of her dialogue featured randomly-inserted 21st-century buzzwords, never introduced in ways that would have been organic for a teenager, instead sound more like pull-quotes from sociology essays.
Speaking of the dialogue, it ranged from either slightly adorable to eye-roll inducing. Why was Meg, a caring older sister who often felt insecure about her family's financial status, reduced to someone who used the deeply inorganic and unsubtle phrase, "I'm going to/want to marry rich!" in nearly EVERY. SINGLE. CHAPTER. Also, her sudden decision to become a lawyer...came out of nowhere. I didn't understand it even after it was explained. A relevant element of Meg's character is that she found joy in her life as a wife and mother rather than a career, like Jo or Amy; this book seemed to be so intent on being perfectly #unproblematic that Meg simply had to become a girlboss or else her character had no purpose. Beth seemed like a whole new character as well - apart from one chapter, she was fairly outgoing and strangely sassy. Her storyline, featuring a leukemia diagnosis instead of scarlet fever, was one of the few actually effective changes, because it still made for an emotional, unifying event. The head shaving scene was heartwarming and worth a star on its own. Amy's portrayal here was great, though! Still her vain, sweet, charming self. Laurie was basically nonexistent, Aunt March had her moments but her importance to the plot seemed to be misunderstood, and there was a strange lack of Marmee in the girls' lives.
While there are other parts of the book I just didn't enjoy - random introduction of never-before-mentioned characters, name changes that didn't make any sense, and AWFUL characterization of Mr. Brooke who was changed to be rich and scornful of Meg's career?? Caring husband and father John Brooke would NEVER - I'm going to end by saying I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. A lot of potential that ended up letting me down as an adaptation and cohesive story itself.
I appreciated the addition of Jo's coming out storyline, since it seemed well-intentioned and parts of it worked just fine, not to mention the fact that Jo's been interpreted as a lesbian since Forever; however, Jo's voice was incredibly irritating to me the entire book. The author seemed afraid of giving her ANY flaws, instead making her as selfless, caring, and holistically knowledgeable as possible. Her journal entries were flat and poorly written (rarely do people begin to write out a sentence, then trail off like they would in spoken conversations), and the majority of her dialogue featured randomly-inserted 21st-century buzzwords, never introduced in ways that would have been organic for a teenager, instead sound more like pull-quotes from sociology essays.
Speaking of the dialogue, it ranged from either slightly adorable to eye-roll inducing. Why was Meg, a caring older sister who often felt insecure about her family's financial status, reduced to someone who used the deeply inorganic and unsubtle phrase, "I'm going to/want to marry rich!" in nearly EVERY. SINGLE. CHAPTER. Also, her sudden decision to become a lawyer...came out of nowhere. I didn't understand it even after it was explained. A relevant element of Meg's character is that she found joy in her life as a wife and mother rather than a career, like Jo or Amy; this book seemed to be so intent on being perfectly #unproblematic that Meg simply had to become a girlboss or else her character had no purpose. Beth seemed like a whole new character as well - apart from one chapter, she was fairly outgoing and strangely sassy. Her storyline, featuring a leukemia diagnosis instead of scarlet fever, was one of the few actually effective changes, because it still made for an emotional, unifying event. The head shaving scene was heartwarming and worth a star on its own. Amy's portrayal here was great, though! Still her vain, sweet, charming self. Laurie was basically nonexistent, Aunt March had her moments but her importance to the plot seemed to be misunderstood, and there was a strange lack of Marmee in the girls' lives.
While there are other parts of the book I just didn't enjoy - random introduction of never-before-mentioned characters, name changes that didn't make any sense, and AWFUL characterization of Mr. Brooke who was changed to be rich and scornful of Meg's career?? Caring husband and father John Brooke would NEVER - I'm going to end by saying I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. A lot of potential that ended up letting me down as an adaptation and cohesive story itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2019
I liked how they made everything so modern, I'm just not sure the story worked as a graphic.
Everything felt glossed over and less dramatic.
Maybe I've just romanticized my memories of Little Women?
I think a re-read has just been added to my 2019 to confirm.
Everything felt glossed over and less dramatic.
Maybe I've just romanticized my memories of Little Women?
I think a re-read has just been added to my 2019 to confirm.
December 24, 2023
There are few literary families more beloved than the March family from L.M. Alcott’s classic Little Women and much of their lasting legacy is due to how relatable the characters are even centuries removed from their setting. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy takes the familiar characters and reimagines them in the 2010s in this modern adaptation from Rey Terciero and adorably illustrated by Bre Indigo. For the most part this is quite a success, feeling both fresh and familiar, finally leaning into the long-held fan theory that Jo is indeed queer, casting the March family as a multiracial family. Aimed for older middle-grade or the younger end of the YA spectrum, this is a fun story that doesn’t quite carry the same depth of character, complexities of plot or emotion but does hit the key notes and has some emotional exploration unique to itself and was quite an enjoyable read.
Meet the March sisters
This was quite fun and the modern setting allows for a lot of creativity to play with familiar elements (Beth is an acoustic guitarist instead of a pianist, for example). I liked having a diverse cast of characters, though with the way the entire story seems simplified down to focus on Jo and her being the only white character did feel a bit like presenting the entire story from a white gaze. That said, I really enjoyed the character dynamics and while its more a caricature of their personalities and stories from the original, it really works in this format. It’s all just pretty lovely and I enjoyed how it touched on a lot of modern social issues (the sister’s are at the Womens March for instance) in keeping with the way the March family was very social justice oriented. Having the father be fighting in the Middle East instead of the Civil War makes sense for a time period transfer though doesn’t really work to transfer the context of the father from the original. Though, as with adaptations, you can always nitpick it to death and ruin the fun, or just embrace it and there is a lot to enjoy here.
What I really did love about this, however, was the aspect of Jo’s coming out working quite well with the story and feeling like a natural update to the original. I also quite liked the big reveal of another character coming out, which worked as a discussion on the progress of queer visibility and inclusion while also looking at how having to suppress one’s identity is very harmful and tragic.
Overall Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a lot of fun and a fun twist on a classic. It’s perhaps a bit younger than I expected but I suspect the target age group would really love this.
3.5/5
Meet the March sisters
This was quite fun and the modern setting allows for a lot of creativity to play with familiar elements (Beth is an acoustic guitarist instead of a pianist, for example). I liked having a diverse cast of characters, though with the way the entire story seems simplified down to focus on Jo and her being the only white character did feel a bit like presenting the entire story from a white gaze. That said, I really enjoyed the character dynamics and while its more a caricature of their personalities and stories from the original, it really works in this format. It’s all just pretty lovely and I enjoyed how it touched on a lot of modern social issues (the sister’s are at the Womens March for instance) in keeping with the way the March family was very social justice oriented. Having the father be fighting in the Middle East instead of the Civil War makes sense for a time period transfer though doesn’t really work to transfer the context of the father from the original. Though, as with adaptations, you can always nitpick it to death and ruin the fun, or just embrace it and there is a lot to enjoy here.
What I really did love about this, however, was the aspect of Jo’s coming out working quite well with the story and feeling like a natural update to the original. I also quite liked the big reveal of another character coming out, which worked as a discussion on the progress of queer visibility and inclusion while also looking at how having to suppress one’s identity is very harmful and tragic.
Overall Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a lot of fun and a fun twist on a classic. It’s perhaps a bit younger than I expected but I suspect the target age group would really love this.
3.5/5
May 26, 2019
4 stars
I really enjoyed this retelling of Little Women! I thought the author did a wonderful job making this story modern and diverse, nothing felt forced. Everything naturally fell into place. It was nice to sit back and spend time with my little women again.
I wish there was a teen version of them when they are older, I wanted to see Amy grow up!
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I really enjoyed this retelling of Little Women! I thought the author did a wonderful job making this story modern and diverse, nothing felt forced. Everything naturally fell into place. It was nice to sit back and spend time with my little women again.
I wish there was a teen version of them when they are older, I wanted to see Amy grow up!
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November 3, 2021
Yes, Rey Terciero's 2019 graphic novel Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women does definitely and indeed contain some if not even many of the general thematics of Louisa May Alcott's classic 1868 Little Women (that the March family's father is away serving in the United States army but this time and unlike in Little Women of course not with the Union Army during the US Civil War but somewhere in the Middle East, that the modern incarnation of Meg March still desires first and foremost to be married, that Jo March again presents herself as both a reader and an emerging writer, that Beth is shy, reserved, devoted to her music and finally that the youngest March sister Amy and like in Little Women also considers herself in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women in an often overly inflatedly positive and "I am the greatest thing since sliced bread" type of manner). And indeed, just like with Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, when in Rey Terciero's Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, two real and horrible family crises appear proverbially out of the blue (with the father being severely injured in action and Beth being diagnosed with leukaemia), the often squabbling amongst themselves March sisters realise what is important to and for them to come collectively together to fight for both ailing Beth and for the injured father, thereby cementing and strengthening their family ties and their love, their understanding of one another.
Now since Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is and remains one of my absolutely favourite both childhood and adulthood reads, I did pretty well realise from even the title Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women that Rey Terciero's graphic novel would as a totally contemporary, decidedly 21st century adaptation of Little Women not likely be in any manner even remotely as magical, as emotionally charged and indeed as meaningful as Louisa May Alcott's original narrative has always been to and for me. For quite frankly, I really do tend to usually not enjoy modern remakes of classic novels and especially so if said novels have always been personal favourites. However, even with my trepidations regarding Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, and even though I was pretty sure that I would in no way be able to truly love Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, I was still interested enough to sign the novel out of the library and to give it a try (and of course, I was also hoping that a goodly amount of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women textual and descriptive magic would still be at least partially present in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women and enough so for perhaps even a high three star personal reading experience).
But no indeed, this has certainly been rather majorly wishful thinking on my part. For after having now completed Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women (and I actually even read this two times just to be sure of my reaction), I have to sadly and with frustration admit that I have not been able to either enjoy or even all that much appreciate what Rey Terciero has penned and rendered with Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, finding most of his presented text annoying and uncomfortable (especially that aside from Beth being similarly sweet and delightful as she appears in Little Women, the other March sisters all rather act and behave as pretty shallow and often as much too mean spirited and constantly bickering and fighting amongst themselves, with particularly Amy generally feeling to and for me like a caricature of extreme brattiness and full-of-herself overconfidence, not to mention often unacceptable rudeness and a total lack of even basic manners, something that is definitely NOT the case in Little Women, as while Amy might indeed be a bit of a spoiled brat at times in Little Women, she is also not the cardboard thin mannerless little monster girl she seems to much too regularly present herself as being in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women).
And while, yes, I do well know that especially Jo and Amy have their differences and sibling rivalry squabbles in Little Women, even with differences of opinion and occasional brouhahas, Louisa May Alcott's narrative ALWAYS shows that first and foremost, the March sisters love and cherish one another. But sorry and in my humble opinion, in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women (and indeed even though the March sisters do finally come through and work together to help Beth beat leukaemia and the father recover from being severely injured in action), too much of the day-to-day existences of especially Jo and Amy (and even to a certain extent Meg) seem to rather consist of snarkiness, of being nasty and opinionated towards each other, of bickering over everything and anything and to the extent that Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women gets pretty tedious and boring and rather like reading a typical "mean girls" narrative, something that does not interest me and something that certainly is equally NOT how I would ever consider Louisa May Alcott's Little Women).
Combined with the fact that I have also not really enjoyed Bre Indigo's accompanying artwork, and in particular both find Meg rendered as much too adult and mature looking for her age and the way in which Amy has been drawn downright horrible and aesthetically ugly (as to my eyes, Bre Indigo makes Amy appear like a strange looking chubby toddler with always and constantly evilly staring eyes), I really cannot say that Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women has in any manner been an enjoyable reading experience for me (and indeed, I also and sadly do thus very much consider Ray Terciero's text and Bre Indigo's illustrations as rather substandard adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and also not in any manner truly positive tributes to both the author and her novel). And the only reason that I am still rating Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women with two stars and not one star is that for one, I do appreciate that with Beth March, Rey Terciero has thankfully kept her as sweet and as lovable as the Beth March of Little Women (and yes, I also enjoy that Beth recovers from her leukaemia in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, although of course, her cancer is not cured but is just in remission) and that for two, I do think that it makes sense for Rey Terciero's Jo March to out herself as being Lesbian (for while in my opinion, Louisa May Alcott's Jo March would not make sense as a Lesbian, the Jo March of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, indeed, her being gay does feel natural and I am also glad that this is textually shown and not just vaguely hinted at or alluded to).
Now since Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is and remains one of my absolutely favourite both childhood and adulthood reads, I did pretty well realise from even the title Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women that Rey Terciero's graphic novel would as a totally contemporary, decidedly 21st century adaptation of Little Women not likely be in any manner even remotely as magical, as emotionally charged and indeed as meaningful as Louisa May Alcott's original narrative has always been to and for me. For quite frankly, I really do tend to usually not enjoy modern remakes of classic novels and especially so if said novels have always been personal favourites. However, even with my trepidations regarding Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, and even though I was pretty sure that I would in no way be able to truly love Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, I was still interested enough to sign the novel out of the library and to give it a try (and of course, I was also hoping that a goodly amount of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women textual and descriptive magic would still be at least partially present in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women and enough so for perhaps even a high three star personal reading experience).
But no indeed, this has certainly been rather majorly wishful thinking on my part. For after having now completed Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women (and I actually even read this two times just to be sure of my reaction), I have to sadly and with frustration admit that I have not been able to either enjoy or even all that much appreciate what Rey Terciero has penned and rendered with Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, finding most of his presented text annoying and uncomfortable (especially that aside from Beth being similarly sweet and delightful as she appears in Little Women, the other March sisters all rather act and behave as pretty shallow and often as much too mean spirited and constantly bickering and fighting amongst themselves, with particularly Amy generally feeling to and for me like a caricature of extreme brattiness and full-of-herself overconfidence, not to mention often unacceptable rudeness and a total lack of even basic manners, something that is definitely NOT the case in Little Women, as while Amy might indeed be a bit of a spoiled brat at times in Little Women, she is also not the cardboard thin mannerless little monster girl she seems to much too regularly present herself as being in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women).
And while, yes, I do well know that especially Jo and Amy have their differences and sibling rivalry squabbles in Little Women, even with differences of opinion and occasional brouhahas, Louisa May Alcott's narrative ALWAYS shows that first and foremost, the March sisters love and cherish one another. But sorry and in my humble opinion, in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women (and indeed even though the March sisters do finally come through and work together to help Beth beat leukaemia and the father recover from being severely injured in action), too much of the day-to-day existences of especially Jo and Amy (and even to a certain extent Meg) seem to rather consist of snarkiness, of being nasty and opinionated towards each other, of bickering over everything and anything and to the extent that Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women gets pretty tedious and boring and rather like reading a typical "mean girls" narrative, something that does not interest me and something that certainly is equally NOT how I would ever consider Louisa May Alcott's Little Women).
Combined with the fact that I have also not really enjoyed Bre Indigo's accompanying artwork, and in particular both find Meg rendered as much too adult and mature looking for her age and the way in which Amy has been drawn downright horrible and aesthetically ugly (as to my eyes, Bre Indigo makes Amy appear like a strange looking chubby toddler with always and constantly evilly staring eyes), I really cannot say that Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women has in any manner been an enjoyable reading experience for me (and indeed, I also and sadly do thus very much consider Ray Terciero's text and Bre Indigo's illustrations as rather substandard adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and also not in any manner truly positive tributes to both the author and her novel). And the only reason that I am still rating Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women with two stars and not one star is that for one, I do appreciate that with Beth March, Rey Terciero has thankfully kept her as sweet and as lovable as the Beth March of Little Women (and yes, I also enjoy that Beth recovers from her leukaemia in Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, although of course, her cancer is not cured but is just in remission) and that for two, I do think that it makes sense for Rey Terciero's Jo March to out herself as being Lesbian (for while in my opinion, Louisa May Alcott's Jo March would not make sense as a Lesbian, the Jo March of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women, indeed, her being gay does feel natural and I am also glad that this is textually shown and not just vaguely hinted at or alluded to).
July 3, 2021
Rtc
Okay. Here we go. Lets do this. (beware it's a little rambly and ranty)
There's spoilers in here somewhere, have fun.
Let me preface this by saying I don't think I'm very good at reading comic books and graphic novels. I'm not good at savoring the art and taking it slow. I feel like everything moves too fast and there's never time to dwell on anything, leaving me feeling unsatisfied.
However, I have only read very few comics (some ATLA and Marvel) and this singular graphic novel (and the Action Bible) so just know that I have no experience in this type of thing....
BUT
I will say it did contributed to my dislike of this book sorry not sorry.
But I have more reasons than that don't worry.
1) It felt cheap
That's the best way I can describe this book. Cheap. The first moment I really felt this was when they got an email from there dad in the army. They are all upset and cry but it doesn't feel genuine. I mean, it's an email. There's something about the impact of a letter that solidifies the reality of the situation. I can't describe how off it felt. Almost every other moment in the book feel like that too. The whole soup kitchen scene makes it look like a chore instead that they don't really learn from. Oh it's Christmas tradition to help out at the soup kitchen boo hoo. Versus giving their dinner to a family with less than them. Even though they are annoyed at first, they see the value in helping others and it makes their Christmas even better. But you don't feel moments like that in this book. It feels like Disney came in and sapped the life from the original.
2) It's woke, oh no
Here is a list of all the problems they try to address in this book.
-Rascim
-interracial marriage
-adoption (kinda)
-Lgbtq
- world peace/global warming/ you know what else goes in that box
- Bullying
-cancer
-being poor versus rich (but like in today's society)
- I think they mentioned politics
-I already returned it so I can't go look for more
-and more I'm forgetting
Most of which are fine topics really. But it is too much for this story to handle, considering most of these problems weren't really there in the original. None of it was really handled well.
3) The characters were annoying as hell
Every single character was a stereotype, and that bugged me A LOT. They were so copy pasted and they didn't feel real and nobody talked like a normal human being. uugh.
a) Meg
Wants to be rich/fashion snob.
She just didn't sit right with me. Idk. She was mean and not really the caring eldest sibling she is really meant to be. She just wants to be rich, but not in a realistic way. If you're goal in life is:✨be rich✨, then I don't have much respect for you sorry.
b) Jo
woohoo she woke
Your run of the mill protests everything everywhere like whyyyyyy. She's the one who makes a snarky woke comment in every situation and yeah. I get it fits her character but also no. I wish I could say I like her being gay, but I don't. I don't like the way it was executed (and don't get me started on grandma) and it cheapened her arc with Laurie a ton. The whole point of them is that they are a right people wrong time situation, not an, oh she actually not like other girls uwu (okay she's always been like that but yknow what I mean). I did however like why she cut her hair, and then everyone else did too.it gave me feelz
c) Beth
Why did her family have to berate her music?
Beth was okay. I actually liked the cancer as her getting sick (and I forgot to mention, but this book was only the first half of Little Women, so you don't see them as adults). I think that was the only part of the book I genuinely enjoyed. I guess her music was okay too, but it felt weird not having her play piano for the family and very privately. No she sees a guitar and goes "uwu chiiiild things r gonna get easierrrr" and that's it. That was the moment I knew I was not gonna like this book (I mean I knew but now I REALLY knew). Not a bad song but, eh.
d) Amy
She was obnoxious, glad they didn't include the second half of the book wow (you don't deserve Laurie)
I get it little sister whiny blah blah blah but OH MY GOD. Why is she like five????? She doesn't shut up and always thinks she's the greatest (she wasn't that bad originally, right?). Her story arc revolves around her being bullied and then almost hit by a bus (in which Meg is the one who saves her, I'm confused). Also she's an artist obvz. I don't really know she got on my nerves and then I stopped caring, so that's great. (Amy has never been my favorite anyway so what can I say)
4) I'm on my period and it made me cry
dam cancer
5) Felt unreal and jumpy
As I said, nobody talked normal and it moved to quickly. Maybe I just love soaking up desciptions and inner dialogue bc just spoken word doesn't give me enough time to just bathe in the book (does that make sense?). I don't actually know what i was gonna say at this part when I worte down the outline for this days ago, but it's just repeating the same thing over again.
The art also wasn't really my style and it pulled me out of the book. But the art is still good.
This book doesn't really deserve a 1 star but honestly, I don't care and I'm going with my gut on rating it.
1.5 then. How does that sound?
(I think I said something offensive in here but I don't really care, I'm tired and not good at writing reviews.)
Okay. Here we go. Lets do this. (beware it's a little rambly and ranty)
There's spoilers in here somewhere, have fun.
Let me preface this by saying I don't think I'm very good at reading comic books and graphic novels. I'm not good at savoring the art and taking it slow. I feel like everything moves too fast and there's never time to dwell on anything, leaving me feeling unsatisfied.
However, I have only read very few comics (some ATLA and Marvel) and this singular graphic novel (and the Action Bible) so just know that I have no experience in this type of thing....
BUT
I will say it did contributed to my dislike of this book sorry not sorry.
But I have more reasons than that don't worry.
1) It felt cheap
That's the best way I can describe this book. Cheap. The first moment I really felt this was when they got an email from there dad in the army. They are all upset and cry but it doesn't feel genuine. I mean, it's an email. There's something about the impact of a letter that solidifies the reality of the situation. I can't describe how off it felt. Almost every other moment in the book feel like that too. The whole soup kitchen scene makes it look like a chore instead that they don't really learn from. Oh it's Christmas tradition to help out at the soup kitchen boo hoo. Versus giving their dinner to a family with less than them. Even though they are annoyed at first, they see the value in helping others and it makes their Christmas even better. But you don't feel moments like that in this book. It feels like Disney came in and sapped the life from the original.
2) It's woke, oh no
Here is a list of all the problems they try to address in this book.
-Rascim
-interracial marriage
-adoption (kinda)
-Lgbtq
- world peace/global warming/ you know what else goes in that box
- Bullying
-cancer
-being poor versus rich (but like in today's society)
- I think they mentioned politics
-I already returned it so I can't go look for more
-and more I'm forgetting
Most of which are fine topics really. But it is too much for this story to handle, considering most of these problems weren't really there in the original. None of it was really handled well.
3) The characters were annoying as hell
Every single character was a stereotype, and that bugged me A LOT. They were so copy pasted and they didn't feel real and nobody talked like a normal human being. uugh.
a) Meg
Wants to be rich/fashion snob.
She just didn't sit right with me. Idk. She was mean and not really the caring eldest sibling she is really meant to be. She just wants to be rich, but not in a realistic way. If you're goal in life is:✨be rich✨, then I don't have much respect for you sorry.
b) Jo
woohoo she woke
Your run of the mill protests everything everywhere like whyyyyyy. She's the one who makes a snarky woke comment in every situation and yeah. I get it fits her character but also no. I wish I could say I like her being gay, but I don't. I don't like the way it was executed (and don't get me started on grandma) and it cheapened her arc with Laurie a ton. The whole point of them is that they are a right people wrong time situation, not an, oh she actually not like other girls uwu (okay she's always been like that but yknow what I mean). I did however like why she cut her hair, and then everyone else did too.
c) Beth
Why did her family have to berate her music?
Beth was okay. I actually liked the cancer as her getting sick (and I forgot to mention, but this book was only the first half of Little Women, so you don't see them as adults). I think that was the only part of the book I genuinely enjoyed. I guess her music was okay too, but it felt weird not having her play piano for the family and very privately. No she sees a guitar and goes "uwu chiiiild things r gonna get easierrrr" and that's it. That was the moment I knew I was not gonna like this book (I mean I knew but now I REALLY knew). Not a bad song but, eh.
d) Amy
She was obnoxious, glad they didn't include the second half of the book wow (you don't deserve Laurie)
I get it little sister whiny blah blah blah but OH MY GOD. Why is she like five????? She doesn't shut up and always thinks she's the greatest (she wasn't that bad originally, right?). Her story arc revolves around her being bullied and then almost hit by a bus (in which Meg is the one who saves her, I'm confused). Also she's an artist obvz. I don't really know she got on my nerves and then I stopped caring, so that's great. (Amy has never been my favorite anyway so what can I say)
5) Felt unreal and jumpy
As I said, nobody talked normal and it moved to quickly. Maybe I just love soaking up desciptions and inner dialogue bc just spoken word doesn't give me enough time to just bathe in the book (does that make sense?). I don't actually know what i was gonna say at this part when I worte down the outline for this days ago, but it's just repeating the same thing over again.
The art also wasn't really my style and it pulled me out of the book. But the art is still good.
This book doesn't really deserve a 1 star but honestly, I don't care and I'm going with my gut on rating it.
1.5 then. How does that sound?
(I think I said something offensive in here but I don't really care, I'm tired and not good at writing reviews.)
June 25, 2024
I would take my review with a grain of salt because I actually haven't read Little Women; therefore, my analysis of this is somewhat self contained.
Me, Jo, Beth, and Amy is the first in the Classic Graphic Remix series and is clearly a re-telling of Little Women. The story focuses on a series of different topics including race, blending families, dating, grief/illness, coming out, deployment, and more.
The formatting of this one was interesting. It was a mix of emails, journal entries, and the traditional graphic novel format. This, in my opinion, made the reading experience more immersive and gave readers the opportunity to get to know each one of the girls on a more personal level. I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between the sisters. They fought, loved, and supported each other in realistic ways that made them feel like well-developed/well-rounded characters. One of the down sides to this particular story is the lack of complexity. It focuses on tough topics, but provides extremely simplistic resolutions to each one of those issues. This didn't necessarily take away from my reading experience; however, I was hoping that Terciero would give us a little more discussion/navigation when those topics came up.
Overall, I thought that this was a fun graphic novel with amazing artwork. While I can't speak to how well the story captured the original work, I appreciated the story as a whole and I'm looking forward to picking up the next in this series.
Me, Jo, Beth, and Amy is the first in the Classic Graphic Remix series and is clearly a re-telling of Little Women. The story focuses on a series of different topics including race, blending families, dating, grief/illness, coming out, deployment, and more.
The formatting of this one was interesting. It was a mix of emails, journal entries, and the traditional graphic novel format. This, in my opinion, made the reading experience more immersive and gave readers the opportunity to get to know each one of the girls on a more personal level. I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between the sisters. They fought, loved, and supported each other in realistic ways that made them feel like well-developed/well-rounded characters. One of the down sides to this particular story is the lack of complexity. It focuses on tough topics, but provides extremely simplistic resolutions to each one of those issues. This didn't necessarily take away from my reading experience; however, I was hoping that Terciero would give us a little more discussion/navigation when those topics came up.
Overall, I thought that this was a fun graphic novel with amazing artwork. While I can't speak to how well the story captured the original work, I appreciated the story as a whole and I'm looking forward to picking up the next in this series.
October 30, 2019
To much political correctness marred the story plus the ruining of one of the sisters by a gay agenda.
Louisa May Alcott would be horrified by what was done with her beloved characters and story.
Louisa May Alcott would be horrified by what was done with her beloved characters and story.
March 5, 2019
"Bring it on, life. March girls can take anything you throw at us."Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel is a retelling of the classic Little Women. The familiar plot line is captured with a fun present-day twist as it incorporates parental overseas deployment, a multiracial blended family, chemotherapy, coming out as gay, cell phones, email, snapchat photos, and more. Creative liberties were taken when connecting the dots as to how the March sisters came to be a family which I thought was a nice touch, and there was a bit of real-life history included as the 1970's alliance between the LGBTQ community and the Black Panther Party was discussed. In my opinion, this retelling is both similar enough and different enough to keep a variety of readers' interest.
Although written for young readers, I enjoyed this graphic novel very much as an adult. Vibrant illustrations tell the narrative just as well as the written word, and messages about the strength of family run strong. My favorite element of this book was showing how people can change. Whether it's projecting intolerance and judgment on others or targeting others to take the attention off of yourself, with a gentle touch the creators of this graphic novel show that change is possible. Although I strongly support drawing impenetrable boundaries with harmful people, it's OK to have hope that one day things will be different. Hope keeps us going, and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy do a great job of gifting the healing power of hope to young readers.
My favorite quote:
"At some point, you're going to encounter intolerance. When that happens, I want you to hold your head high and be proud of who you are. The world's gotten a lot better, but it still has a ways to go. Until then, know that you are never alone."
March 13, 2019
Oh, I had such high expectations! But ultimately, it was hard to look past that this Little Women adaptation had a very thin coat of diversity painted on top of it. Like, if 99% of LW readers identify with Jo, then why is she the one white sister? Let's make Teddy Latino and the landlord Orthodox Jewish (btw THAT felt weirdly reliant on old stereotypes.) And the picking-and-choosing of which original LW plots to follow as opposed to 're-telling' was hard for this fan to get past. I admire the attempt and will be curious to how readers who have never read the original work find the story --- but for me, I was sorely disappointed. Oh well.
February 7, 2019
This was SO SO SO good! Awesome female characters, a diverse family. Somehow covered so many topics including poverty, bullying, lgbtq+, cancer, disability, love all in just this one book without feeling like it was trying too hard.
I have to confess--I haven't actually read Little Women, so I can't compare it to the original. But just as a stand-alone graphic novel, this was so good!
I have to confess--I haven't actually read Little Women, so I can't compare it to the original. But just as a stand-alone graphic novel, this was so good!
December 23, 2020
*4.5
This was really, really good. A very solid and emotional retelling of Little Women, and an extra half star for not killing off Beth. Also it’s gay so that deserves another half star.
This was really, really good. A very solid and emotional retelling of Little Women, and an extra half star for not killing off Beth. Also it’s gay so that deserves another half star.
November 15, 2019
I don’t even know how to write this review. I loved the idea of the modern day retelling of Little Women, and the March family being a blended family that is also biracial. And originally it seemed like this version was sticking to the characterizations pretty well. But my goodness, why can’t people leave classics alone. Just because out times have changed, doesn’t mean these classic character need to change everything about themselves too. I hate the idea that just because we are in a more modern world where women have more rights, that suddenly Meg wanting to marry a guy who could take care of her is suddenly wrong. Why couldn’t she be a strong woman in and of her delve who also falls for a guy that just so happens to have money and the ability to take care of her. Then she could still become a lawyer who helps underprivileged families. The beauty of the original character of Jo was that she realized her worth and value in and of herself and that she didn’t need a man, and once she realized that, she found love. So now, just because she isn’t into girly things and is her own non-stereotypical girl, she is gay. I know, I know, the writers can do whatever they want. But isn’t that just another stereotype? The girl who doesn’t want to dress like a girl and doesn’t like fashion...is gay. The girl who speaks her mind and doesn’t care what anyone else things...is gay. And then the book went one step further and made it about religion with Aunt Cath. Because she grew up in a devout religion that was against Jews and Muslims and blacks. Ugh. I’m sorry I just couldn’t take it by the end. To make this beautiful Little Women story for children....seriously, geared toward children, and then to make it a religious and a political guide. The story of Little Women was a beautiful story of the diversity of women already. That’s what makes it so beautiful, that women who grow up in a family together an still be strong and find and know themselves while all loving different things. Ugh. Then the March girls march in DC.....not because young girls shouldn’t know about the marches—they should—or shouldn’t stand up for being a woman and having equality—they should—but my goodness, I thought I was picking up a fun, graphic novel to show my daughter a story that I love that she just isn’t quite old enough for the reading style of..... Then she got this. I’m just disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2019
I'm not quite sure what the authors/illustrators were trying to accomplish with this. At times, it adhered strictly to the original story...and at others, it threw everything of the original out the window in favor of unfamiliar characterization and modern-day moralizing. It seemed what this book really wanted to be was somewhere in between...and it just didn't quite get there.
February 18, 2021
This is the cutest graphic novel I have ever read!!!😍😍😍 im obsessed. I want to rewatch the 2019 Little Women movie and reread the book now.
January 31, 2021
Reading this and seeing the new Little Women directed by Greta Gerwig, I just kept thinking, “What is the goal of adaptations?” Books into movies, I get. They bring the book to life and reach a wider audience who will either seek out the book, or never read anyways but now have this way to hear the story. I LOVED the most recent movie. But I am really struggling with how some books are being rewrritten or turned into graphic novels. A small part of me likes the idea of the author paying homage to their favorite work and changing plot points as they see fit. What reader hasn’t questioned an author’s choices or wished a book went differently? And everyone has that book they just want MORE of. More of the characters, more of the world. But more often with adaptations, I feel irritated and like they just would have left well enough alone. When do the author's rights come into play, whether dead or alive? Do they?
This is one of those cases. I get graphic novels that are adaptations (such as To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel) are often seen as a gateway drug so to speak to the "real thing." Graphic novels are also needed and important in their own right. As a teacher and a reader myself, I never frown down upon them and enjoy reading them myself. Case in point, the new Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel. While to me personally the original novel will always be better, it does a wonderful job of capturing SO much of the essence of the book. The illustrations are beautiful and reflect Anne’s love of nature. The most important plot points are not changed, but simply edited for a younger reader. I have one student who read that book and is now thrilled to hear there are seven more books about Anne. Mission accomplished.
This just didn’t work for me though. They bastardized and cheapened the story. I think it’s more than one thing. The illustrations just felt too juvenile. The emails to their dad felt like an info dump. The authors tried to rush everything they needed to move the story along in these unnatural emails. Then the modernization. I’m also not totally opposed to modernization in adaptations but I do think it is hard to pull off and not often necessary. Little Women, as with many classics, has themes that are universally relatable across generations. Women trying to find their place in the world, the effects of war, the importance of friendship, and the struggles of poverty. These are timeless themes but with them being timeless, I have to question why then do you have to update the time period? What is it adding the story? Can’t you trust readers---even young readers---to connect to and analyze the time period? I kinda hated how for every plot point in Little Women they had to find a similar parallel in 2019. Instead of the Civil War, the dad is stationed in Iraq. Instead of playing the piano, Beth plays the guitar. Some small and some big changes. But wouldn’t it be more meaningful to keep it set in the 1800s and have the reader learn something about the time period as well as find a way to understand that human struggles may change on the surface but are generally the same.
Then the biggest change.
This is one of those cases. I get graphic novels that are adaptations (such as To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel) are often seen as a gateway drug so to speak to the "real thing." Graphic novels are also needed and important in their own right. As a teacher and a reader myself, I never frown down upon them and enjoy reading them myself. Case in point, the new Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel. While to me personally the original novel will always be better, it does a wonderful job of capturing SO much of the essence of the book. The illustrations are beautiful and reflect Anne’s love of nature. The most important plot points are not changed, but simply edited for a younger reader. I have one student who read that book and is now thrilled to hear there are seven more books about Anne. Mission accomplished.
This just didn’t work for me though. They bastardized and cheapened the story. I think it’s more than one thing. The illustrations just felt too juvenile. The emails to their dad felt like an info dump. The authors tried to rush everything they needed to move the story along in these unnatural emails. Then the modernization. I’m also not totally opposed to modernization in adaptations but I do think it is hard to pull off and not often necessary. Little Women, as with many classics, has themes that are universally relatable across generations. Women trying to find their place in the world, the effects of war, the importance of friendship, and the struggles of poverty. These are timeless themes but with them being timeless, I have to question why then do you have to update the time period? What is it adding the story? Can’t you trust readers---even young readers---to connect to and analyze the time period? I kinda hated how for every plot point in Little Women they had to find a similar parallel in 2019. Instead of the Civil War, the dad is stationed in Iraq. Instead of playing the piano, Beth plays the guitar. Some small and some big changes. But wouldn’t it be more meaningful to keep it set in the 1800s and have the reader learn something about the time period as well as find a way to understand that human struggles may change on the surface but are generally the same.
Then the biggest change.
Read
April 16, 2020"We are the March sisters, we can do anything."
This year hasn't been the easiest for the Marchs. With their father overseas, they all work overtime to make ends meet and that's not even considering their own personal struggles. But school woes, health scares, boy troubles, and simply feeling lost can't keep them down, so long as that they've got each other. So they can take anything the next year throws at them, right?
A story of sisters and sisters and sisters and sisters. Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic like you've never seen it before.
Trigger warnings for bullying, racism, racial slurs, injury, cancer, and homophobia.
Loving, caring Meg knew how to take charge. A very responsible young woman, she often became like a second mother to her sisters. She had a good head her shoulders, but that didn't mean she didn't give into dreams of fashion, Prince charming, and high society. It was nice to see the hard-working girl see where her dreams would take her.
Bold, forthright Jo struggled with the secret she kept. The young writer could often be found with her head in a book. Honesty was one of her core values, and she worried about being accepted for being herself. Wether exuberantly happy or stupendously frustrated, she felt things very deeply. Jo will always be dear to my heart.
Sweet, quiet Beth had songs bursting from her heart. Easily frightened, she possessed more confidence than she, and especially others knew. Kind-hearted and talented, she inspired everyone she met.
Loud, opinionated Amy was a girl you heard before you saw her. Her big personality hid her vulnerable, always worrying heart. The baby of the family, she could be a bit immature, but extremely lovable. The little artist was not afraid to be herself.
Who can you count on in this world if not your sister? Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy did their fair share of bickering, but it was never long before they were back to comforting each other. Loyal to it's roots, this retelling honed in on the girls' strong, ever-deepening bonds. Through trial after trial, this blended family always had each other's backs.
From their compassionate mother to their wise, strong father, to friendly Laurie and his grandfather, to pragmatic Aunt Cath, the side characters, like the girls, were themselves, yet different. I was so happy to see so many POC's within the cast. However, with the exception of Laurie, I found myself wanting so much more character development from them. A true friend to the girls, Laurie won my heart.
Numerous movie adaptations, retellings, fictionalized biographies, I never miss an opportunity to spend more time with the March sisters, so when I saw this graphic novel, I had to read it. Immediately upon opening this book, the girl's individual personalities began shining through the page. Bright, colorful illustrations helped bring the story of family, love, sisterhood, friendship, and loyalty to life. Fast paced, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy touched on appreciating the life you have, helping others, and discovering your individuality and core values. Emails and the girls' diaries were nice modern touches, but they became a bit info dumpy at times. Full of pop culture references and real world issues, Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo's retelling still held on to the very heart of the original.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a sweet retelling of the fictionalized sisters that have forever remained in my heart.
This year hasn't been the easiest for the Marchs. With their father overseas, they all work overtime to make ends meet and that's not even considering their own personal struggles. But school woes, health scares, boy troubles, and simply feeling lost can't keep them down, so long as that they've got each other. So they can take anything the next year throws at them, right?
A story of sisters and sisters and sisters and sisters. Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic like you've never seen it before.
Trigger warnings for bullying, racism, racial slurs, injury, cancer, and homophobia.
Loving, caring Meg knew how to take charge. A very responsible young woman, she often became like a second mother to her sisters. She had a good head her shoulders, but that didn't mean she didn't give into dreams of fashion, Prince charming, and high society. It was nice to see the hard-working girl see where her dreams would take her.
Bold, forthright Jo struggled with the secret she kept. The young writer could often be found with her head in a book. Honesty was one of her core values, and she worried about being accepted for being herself. Wether exuberantly happy or stupendously frustrated, she felt things very deeply. Jo will always be dear to my heart.
Sweet, quiet Beth had songs bursting from her heart. Easily frightened, she possessed more confidence than she, and especially others knew. Kind-hearted and talented, she inspired everyone she met.
Loud, opinionated Amy was a girl you heard before you saw her. Her big personality hid her vulnerable, always worrying heart. The baby of the family, she could be a bit immature, but extremely lovable. The little artist was not afraid to be herself.
Who can you count on in this world if not your sister? Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy did their fair share of bickering, but it was never long before they were back to comforting each other. Loyal to it's roots, this retelling honed in on the girls' strong, ever-deepening bonds. Through trial after trial, this blended family always had each other's backs.
From their compassionate mother to their wise, strong father, to friendly Laurie and his grandfather, to pragmatic Aunt Cath, the side characters, like the girls, were themselves, yet different. I was so happy to see so many POC's within the cast. However, with the exception of Laurie, I found myself wanting so much more character development from them. A true friend to the girls, Laurie won my heart.
Numerous movie adaptations, retellings, fictionalized biographies, I never miss an opportunity to spend more time with the March sisters, so when I saw this graphic novel, I had to read it. Immediately upon opening this book, the girl's individual personalities began shining through the page. Bright, colorful illustrations helped bring the story of family, love, sisterhood, friendship, and loyalty to life. Fast paced, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy touched on appreciating the life you have, helping others, and discovering your individuality and core values. Emails and the girls' diaries were nice modern touches, but they became a bit info dumpy at times. Full of pop culture references and real world issues, Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo's retelling still held on to the very heart of the original.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a sweet retelling of the fictionalized sisters that have forever remained in my heart.
January 30, 2020
Little Women, fixed! So much better than the original novel!
Rey Terciero pulls the cast into the modern day, adds diversity, and jettisons all the awful, sexist social morals of the 19th century. And good riddance to them.
Other stuff had to go too, for space. I missed the focus on Jo's writing and the sister's plays. I was happy to see that Laurie, the little punk, was mostly sidelined.
Wisely, this graphic novel adapts only the first part of the novel, meaning the new story doesn't have to rush too much as it just covers a year in the life of the Marches. (Even so, some scenes are a little abrupt and awkward.) Most importantly, there is the potential for a sequel. Yes, please!
(p.s., I also recommend the new movie by Greta Gerwig. It managed to fix the flow and the ending of the novel.)
Rey Terciero pulls the cast into the modern day, adds diversity, and jettisons all the awful, sexist social morals of the 19th century. And good riddance to them.
Other stuff had to go too, for space. I missed the focus on Jo's writing and the sister's plays. I was happy to see that Laurie, the little punk, was mostly sidelined.
Wisely, this graphic novel adapts only the first part of the novel, meaning the new story doesn't have to rush too much as it just covers a year in the life of the Marches. (Even so, some scenes are a little abrupt and awkward.) Most importantly, there is the potential for a sequel. Yes, please!
(p.s., I also recommend the new movie by Greta Gerwig. It managed to fix the flow and the ending of the novel.)
August 22, 2019
I haven't read little women yet, but it doesn't mean I was able to really enjoy this graphic novel! I loved reading about these sisters who are all so different but love each other so much! I loved that it dealt with racism and homophobia, something I hadn't expected! now I'm even more excited to pick up the book it was inspired by!
March 23, 2019
I, WOW. Just wow.
As someone who was first introduced to the 1994 classic movie, dodged endless terrible adaptations, looked forward to new ones, AND read the book that started it all (as a precocious 13 year old who lugged it around to the playground hang out spot), this book is DEAD-ON. WOW.
I don't know what to say, but every little detail is included, even Amy's limes!
It's a new twist, the March sisters live in Brooklyn in a small apartment and their dad is fighting in the Iraq.
Jo is submitting short stories to publications, Beth plays guitar and writes her own songs, Amy draws cartoons and plays video games, Meg is into fashion and is concerned about their money.
Jo is from her Mom's first marriage, Meg is from her Dad's, and they form a new, larger family together. It was fun, it was light-hearted, it was current, it was accessible.
One of the main characters is gay. Beth has leukemia instead of small pox. All around, wow.
As someone who was first introduced to the 1994 classic movie, dodged endless terrible adaptations, looked forward to new ones, AND read the book that started it all (as a precocious 13 year old who lugged it around to the playground hang out spot), this book is DEAD-ON. WOW.
I don't know what to say, but every little detail is included, even Amy's limes!
It's a new twist, the March sisters live in Brooklyn in a small apartment and their dad is fighting in the Iraq.
Jo is submitting short stories to publications, Beth plays guitar and writes her own songs, Amy draws cartoons and plays video games, Meg is into fashion and is concerned about their money.
Jo is from her Mom's first marriage, Meg is from her Dad's, and they form a new, larger family together. It was fun, it was light-hearted, it was current, it was accessible.
One of the main characters is gay. Beth has leukemia instead of small pox. All around, wow.
November 17, 2020
Little Women is a seminal book for me, and I've found myself to be completely incapable of objectivity when it comes to adaptations or retellings. Thankfully I've really liked most of the film adaptations, but since I'm not a fan of retellings, I picked up this copy from my library with a fair amount of trepidation.
This graphic novel is targeted at middle grade readers, and as an adult reader it was a tad too twee in places, but oh so fun. The story is updated and set in modern times with a blended family, and while some of the dialogue was a tad on the nose, I think it's spot on for its target audience. Ditto in regards to the illustration style - cute, colorful, and fun.
I really liked this one, and am delighted that I took the risk and read a modern retelling, a comic no less!, of a much beloved book. This would be a lovely gift for the tweens in your life.
This graphic novel is targeted at middle grade readers, and as an adult reader it was a tad too twee in places, but oh so fun. The story is updated and set in modern times with a blended family, and while some of the dialogue was a tad on the nose, I think it's spot on for its target audience. Ditto in regards to the illustration style - cute, colorful, and fun.
I really liked this one, and am delighted that I took the risk and read a modern retelling, a comic no less!, of a much beloved book. This would be a lovely gift for the tweens in your life.
March 10, 2021
now THIS is how you write a retelling.
going into this graphic novel, i honestly didn’t know what to expect. i had just finished reading another modernization of little women, and it’s definitely safe to say that one was loosely based on the tale.
however, this one was absolutely perfect. this is exactly how i would imagine a modern little women retelling. it deals with the same themes as little women, but it cleverly brings these topics to the present day. it’s genius.
i loved every single March sister. they all stayed true to the original characters, and i really appreciated it. the story itself stayed true to the original story and i absolutely adored it.
if you love little women and/or graphic novels, do yourself a favor and pick this up.
going into this graphic novel, i honestly didn’t know what to expect. i had just finished reading another modernization of little women, and it’s definitely safe to say that one was loosely based on the tale.
however, this one was absolutely perfect. this is exactly how i would imagine a modern little women retelling. it deals with the same themes as little women, but it cleverly brings these topics to the present day. it’s genius.
i loved every single March sister. they all stayed true to the original characters, and i really appreciated it. the story itself stayed true to the original story and i absolutely adored it.
if you love little women and/or graphic novels, do yourself a favor and pick this up.
July 26, 2020
I loved it so much!! I haven't read Little Women but I did see the movie and this did have the same vibe, just a modern update
June 10, 2019
The March sisters live in contemporary Brooklyn with their mother, a nurse, in a five-floor walk-up apartment. Their dad is away from home with the army in the Middle East and all the girls miss him terribly. Money is tight and eldest girl Meg dreams of marrying a rich man so she can quit her job; Jo wants to read every Pulitzer Prize winning novel and write one herself; sweet, shy Beth has a passion for music but can't bring herself to perform in public, while youngest sister Amy is fabulous the way she is but would love to be an artist or play video games for a living. The girls navigate friendships and the opposite sex. face challenges in school, at work, fight with each other at home as all girls do. When a real crisis arises, the sisters have to look at what is important in their lives and come together as a family to survive the challenges life throws at them.
I am not the target audience for this book and I know and love the original too much to have enjoyed this adaptation of Little Women.
ps. Those of you missing Beth's death scene are remembering the novel wrong. Beth survives scarlet fever in Part I but dies LATER of secondary causes in Part 2 (Good Wives). Modern Beth could die an untimely death too but this adaptation only includes Part 1. (ends at Chapter 23 and Meg's engagement to John).
What I did not like
First, the girls were SO mean to each other! Jo is incredibly snarky and while I WOULD speak to my sisters they way she does, I would never ever dream of speaking to my aunt to her face the things Jo says to her. In the original novel, Jo knows she has to put up with Aunt March if they want any of Aunt March's money. She needs the job and if she sasses Aunt March, Jo won't have a job. I also found Meg to be super whiny and a bit too obsessed with the "someday my prince will come" attitude for a modern young woman. Amy is absolutely horrid! She acts really immature for her age. Her overconfidence is astounding and her sassiness is downright rude. The original Amy may have be bratty at times but she wants to be a fine lady and has manners. This modern Amy has absolutely zero manners. Her mother and sisters let her get away with the most appalling behavior.
The graphic novel format just doesn't do justice to the story. Mom has to force the girls to go to a soup kitchen on Christmas instead of asking them to give up their breakfast. There are no lovely speeches from Marmee, no advice on controlling one's temper and hardly any loving Marmee at all. She works a lot. I also didn't get much of the development of Laurie's storyline. Why does he want to kiss Jo all of a sudden when it seems more like he's friends with all the girls? He isn't a poor little rich boy. His grandfather loves him a lot and they live in the same building as the Marches. Jo's reason for not wanting to kiss Laurie does not correspond to the original. Louisa's Jo's feelings of not wanting to grow up and change are part of what makes her an enduring heroine. The relationship doesn't develop well. Neither does Meg and Brookes. The original is so lovely with John helping to care for Father and bringing Father home, then going off to prove himself fighting in the Civil War. (I did like parts of the relationship stories which I shall get to in a moment).
Amy is being bullied in school. I did not like the mean girl plot and found the mean girl SHOCKING and APPALLING! You mean to tell me all through elementary school Amy has been bullied like this and not ONE adult has stepped in? This does not correspond to the pickled limes chapter.
Aunt Cath. What bug crawled up her butt? She acts completely awful in the first half of the book. Then she does a 180 and becomes a nicer person.
I missed the cozy charm of the little old farmhouse in Concord and the simplicity of life in the 19th century, even though women lacked choices and opportunities, as Jo nicely points out.
I'm not a crazy fan of the art work either. The people don't look realistic at all. Amy looks like a toddler and I kept confusing Meg with an adult. Mom looks like a mom though.
What I did like
The modern setting of Brooklyn allows the illustrators to make the Marches and their neighbors a diverse cast of characters. Meg and Jo are not biological siblings but they act like sisters anyway. Jo and her mom are white and Meg and her dad are black while Beth and Amy are biracial and brown skinned. Laurie and his grandfather are brown Latinos and other characters reflect the diversity of modern life.
Meg's choice. It's not 1868 anymore, as Jo points out. In 1868 a girl was limited to her home, her family and maybe 2-3 eligible men in the area. She made the best of whatever man she chose to marry and that was it. Today girls of 17 are not expected to marry and don't have to marry for money.
Jo's secret isn't much of a surprise but it also doesn't correspond to Jo or Louisa herself. I was expecting something a little different but similar. I did appreciate her coming to terms with it and preaching about tolerance. Her speeches got rather corny at the end but obviously this is geared for 12-year-olds and not adults.
Beth!!!!!!!!!!!!! A million stars for Beth! I just adore her so much and want to hug her sweet little nerdy self. Adorable Beth is not as shy as her original counterpart. In fact she's not that shy expect for her music. She has a passion for music and thinks it sounds better on vinyl. She loves Disney movies and not scary horror movies and is generally the sweetest and best of her sisters, without being a do-gooder or nauseating Victorian angel. She is content to be a nerd. Beth does dream of growing up and her illness corresponds very well to the original scarlet fever. What the sisters do for her during her illness is wonderful and more true to the spirit of the original novel.
The e-mails to Dad. Dad sounds like an amazing man! I can see why Mom fell in love with him. I don't feel the same way about her but maybe that was deliberate on behalf of the writers. Here it is Dad who is the big influence on the girls and teaches them important lessons. The e-mails are very sweet and really develop the charaLittler Women: A Modern Retellingcters' personalities.
Kennedy. Kennedy is supposed to correspond to Sallie Moffatt. She does not thankfully. I was pleasantly surprised by her.
The blink and you miss it Jane Austen Easter Egg. Look at Aunt Cath's ring.
Final verdict
Read the original.
If you have young girls in your life unable to get through the original just yet, give them
The Penderwicks
The Sisters Club
If you're an adult looking for a good modern retelling try The Little Women Letters
I am not the target audience for this book and I know and love the original too much to have enjoyed this adaptation of Little Women.
ps. Those of you missing Beth's death scene are remembering the novel wrong. Beth survives scarlet fever in Part I but dies LATER of secondary causes in Part 2 (Good Wives). Modern Beth could die an untimely death too but this adaptation only includes Part 1. (ends at Chapter 23 and Meg's engagement to John).
What I did not like
First, the girls were SO mean to each other! Jo is incredibly snarky and while I WOULD speak to my sisters they way she does, I would never ever dream of speaking to my aunt to her face the things Jo says to her. In the original novel, Jo knows she has to put up with Aunt March if they want any of Aunt March's money. She needs the job and if she sasses Aunt March, Jo won't have a job. I also found Meg to be super whiny and a bit too obsessed with the "someday my prince will come" attitude for a modern young woman. Amy is absolutely horrid! She acts really immature for her age. Her overconfidence is astounding and her sassiness is downright rude. The original Amy may have be bratty at times but she wants to be a fine lady and has manners. This modern Amy has absolutely zero manners. Her mother and sisters let her get away with the most appalling behavior.
The graphic novel format just doesn't do justice to the story. Mom has to force the girls to go to a soup kitchen on Christmas instead of asking them to give up their breakfast. There are no lovely speeches from Marmee, no advice on controlling one's temper and hardly any loving Marmee at all. She works a lot. I also didn't get much of the development of Laurie's storyline. Why does he want to kiss Jo all of a sudden when it seems more like he's friends with all the girls? He isn't a poor little rich boy. His grandfather loves him a lot and they live in the same building as the Marches. Jo's reason for not wanting to kiss Laurie does not correspond to the original. Louisa's Jo's feelings of not wanting to grow up and change are part of what makes her an enduring heroine. The relationship doesn't develop well. Neither does Meg and Brookes. The original is so lovely with John helping to care for Father and bringing Father home, then going off to prove himself fighting in the Civil War. (I did like parts of the relationship stories which I shall get to in a moment).
Amy is being bullied in school. I did not like the mean girl plot and found the mean girl SHOCKING and APPALLING! You mean to tell me all through elementary school Amy has been bullied like this and not ONE adult has stepped in? This does not correspond to the pickled limes chapter.
Aunt Cath. What bug crawled up her butt? She acts completely awful in the first half of the book. Then she does a 180 and becomes a nicer person.
I missed the cozy charm of the little old farmhouse in Concord and the simplicity of life in the 19th century, even though women lacked choices and opportunities, as Jo nicely points out.
I'm not a crazy fan of the art work either. The people don't look realistic at all. Amy looks like a toddler and I kept confusing Meg with an adult. Mom looks like a mom though.
What I did like
The modern setting of Brooklyn allows the illustrators to make the Marches and their neighbors a diverse cast of characters. Meg and Jo are not biological siblings but they act like sisters anyway. Jo and her mom are white and Meg and her dad are black while Beth and Amy are biracial and brown skinned. Laurie and his grandfather are brown Latinos and other characters reflect the diversity of modern life.
Meg's choice. It's not 1868 anymore, as Jo points out. In 1868 a girl was limited to her home, her family and maybe 2-3 eligible men in the area. She made the best of whatever man she chose to marry and that was it. Today girls of 17 are not expected to marry and don't have to marry for money.
Jo's secret isn't much of a surprise but it also doesn't correspond to Jo or Louisa herself. I was expecting something a little different but similar. I did appreciate her coming to terms with it and preaching about tolerance. Her speeches got rather corny at the end but obviously this is geared for 12-year-olds and not adults.
Beth!!!!!!!!!!!!! A million stars for Beth! I just adore her so much and want to hug her sweet little nerdy self. Adorable Beth is not as shy as her original counterpart. In fact she's not that shy expect for her music. She has a passion for music and thinks it sounds better on vinyl. She loves Disney movies and not scary horror movies and is generally the sweetest and best of her sisters, without being a do-gooder or nauseating Victorian angel. She is content to be a nerd. Beth does dream of growing up and her illness corresponds very well to the original scarlet fever. What the sisters do for her during her illness is wonderful and more true to the spirit of the original novel.
The e-mails to Dad. Dad sounds like an amazing man! I can see why Mom fell in love with him. I don't feel the same way about her but maybe that was deliberate on behalf of the writers. Here it is Dad who is the big influence on the girls and teaches them important lessons. The e-mails are very sweet and really develop the charaLittler Women: A Modern Retellingcters' personalities.
Kennedy. Kennedy is supposed to correspond to Sallie Moffatt. She does not thankfully. I was pleasantly surprised by her.
The blink and you miss it Jane Austen Easter Egg. Look at Aunt Cath's ring.
Final verdict
Read the original.
If you have young girls in your life unable to get through the original just yet, give them
The Penderwicks
The Sisters Club
If you're an adult looking for a good modern retelling try The Little Women Letters
March 25, 2023
A little preachy / heavy-handed with the messages, but otherwise a great retelling. The changes to the story made it much more appealing to me than the original. And I found all of the characters to be more likeable in this format / retelling.
September 22, 2021
I cried. Just like the original
February 11, 2019
"Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy" a Graphic Novel by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo — I am so overwhelmed, and in such a positive and empowering way. "Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy" is absolutely magical, and, in my opinion, a nearly PERFECT modern retelling of "Little Women" which is steeped in research of the original book itself, but also the Author, Louisa May Alcott, and her family. As a historian of Alcott myself, I could see and pick up on all the beautiful references of the original text that the authors left for new readers –even down to the year of publication, 1868!
More over, this book is filled with beautiful and living tolerance. The March family is an interracial, blended family who struggle and succeed with love, loss, friendship, relationships, social justice, sickness, and even a parent in the armed forces! This novel packs a punch to the emotions and ties it all together with so much humor, Grace, and amazing pop-culture and history references that I finished it in mere hours. This is a book I will reread over and over again and I would recommend it to any person, especially a young person, trying to figure out who they are. Also, the intersectional female empowerment in this book is EARTH SHATTERING. Do not walk, run to your nearest independent bookstore and pick up a copy. Read it with your mom, sister, partner, best friend, ANYONE. And then talk about it!
More over, this book is filled with beautiful and living tolerance. The March family is an interracial, blended family who struggle and succeed with love, loss, friendship, relationships, social justice, sickness, and even a parent in the armed forces! This novel packs a punch to the emotions and ties it all together with so much humor, Grace, and amazing pop-culture and history references that I finished it in mere hours. This is a book I will reread over and over again and I would recommend it to any person, especially a young person, trying to figure out who they are. Also, the intersectional female empowerment in this book is EARTH SHATTERING. Do not walk, run to your nearest independent bookstore and pick up a copy. Read it with your mom, sister, partner, best friend, ANYONE. And then talk about it!
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