Review: Jo & Laurie by Melissa de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl
Jo and Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz
After not loving Meg & Jo at the beginning of this year, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t love this Little Women retelling/continuation. Yet when I went to the bookstore, I picked it up (#bookwormprobs). I was pleasantly surprised by this one and ultimately, I’d recommend it to any Little Women lover or anyone who loves a good YA story. But if you’re a purist or Team Amy and Laurie, maybe skip it. I will say, I am an Amy and I still had a great time reading it!
Synopsis: “1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration--museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!
But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?” -From the Publisher
What I Liked:
The Concept—If you’ve been around a while, you’ll know I loveee a retelling. I love getting the option to spend more time with characters I know. I think this was fun to see play out and I really enjoyed the creative take and some of the liberties the authors took.
The Romance—Shockingly, I was rooting for Laurie! Normally I hate seeing Laurie pine for Jo, but I loved the conversation surrounding loss and self worth, and how that leads us to think we somehow deserve less. I like exploring Jo’s issues with feeling like she was “bad” and therefore unworthy of love. Also, Meg and John Brooke were too cute!
The Creative Liberties—Without spoiling anything, I was actually quite pleased and interested with the imagined time between Little Women and Good Wives. In this novel, Jo is always our writer rather than Alcott, so you have to suspend your disbelief a bit.
What Didn’t Work:
The Pace—I really flew through the first half of the book but then the ending dragged and felt kind of repetitive and wordy.
TW/CW: Sudden illness, loss of a child/sibling
Character Authenticity: 3.75/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 4/5