Unfortunately, I found this so disappointing I couldn't finish it. As a great lover of Little Women, I was hopeful for this new take on the story, but unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

My favorite part of Little Women is the love between the sisters and how they are so devoted to each other throughout the whole story. This story has them drifted apart and no longer speaking. Except through Beth, their sister who speaks as a ghost from the dead through poems. It was too hard for me to grasp these sisters now loving each other that it was hard for me to go on. I also wasn't a fan of Jo's character in the story being a lesbian.

The book is also 400+ pages, which for a middle-grade novel seems a bit long.

The positives? This story is written by 4 authors, I believe each one taking a sister, and I did feel the story was pretty seamless. If I didn't know it was written by 4 different authors, I wouldn't have guessed it. They did a great job...as far as I got in the story, of using the voice of the sisters and moving from one chapter to the next pretty cleanly.


I honestly did not finish the novel and will not be posting this review elsewhere. I had such high hopes for this story and it just didn't work for me.

I am one-hundred percent for the reimaginings that have been popular in the last couple of years. Great or Nothing co-written by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richardson, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood is a great addition to the collection. Updating the March sisters from the American Civil War to World War Ii with the complications of the time period is genius. It’s not a straight retelling as it’s more like a Chapter 2, post Beth’s untimely death. Each March sister keeps the essence that made them them in Louisa May Alcott’s classic, but shows a more mature, well-rounded older version of their original selves in a different time period. A great read for fans of young women who have strength, fearlessness, and plenty of moxie to pave a better future for themselves.

This was a wonderful reimagining of Little women set during WWII. One of my all time favorite classics with several new character twists. I found it to be a brilliant reimagining and it was difficult to put down!
I received an ARC from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this one as Little Women is one of my all time favorite classics. And setting that beloved story during WWII makes perfect sense as the book itself starts at war time. The Meg in this retelling wasn't the Meg we loved from Little Women. Jo wasn't the same she didn't have her drive to be a writer and while I never wanted Jo with Laurie I always loved their friendship that you really don't see in this book. The most changed character to me was Jo and didn't like as she was always my favorite in the original However I did love the changes that Amy got. She become more likable and it was easy to understand why she made the choices she made.

Excellent idea having a different author to write each sisters chapter, I like the change of "voice" while reading. It's nice to hear the sisters voices and their stories, a bit odd not to have interaction between them. Thank you @NetGalley@Delacorte@GreatorNothing

A wonderful reworking of Little Women set in the US in 1942, and told from each March sister's POV. Creative and absorbing, and a must-read for anyone who loves the original. Highly recommended!

#bookreview Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

☺️ the good ☺️
- The setting. World War II and the March sisters are scattered from Concord to London.
- Amy’s determination to join the Red Cross and her whole story was more enjoyable than the other two, to be honest. Especially once Laurie comes into her story.
- I liked the IDEA of Jo living at the boardinghouse and working at the factory with the other girls. I liked the IDEA of Jo being queer.
- Doughnut Dollys. I enjoyed this aspect of the story and wish we could’ve gotten more from Amy’s time in the Clubmobile serving donuts and coffee to soldiers.


🤨 the bad 😒
- Meg’s story was boring 90% of the time.
- Jo’s story. I wanted so much to like it but it was just boring. And the queer aspect is barely presented at all, which was disappointing.
- The ending. Felt abrupt with little closure.


😍 the beautiful 😍
- Beth’s views from “beyond” told through poems between the chapters. I adored this aspect of the book. One of them made me tear up. This part of the book was excellent.


rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
my face while reading: 🙂🙄🙂🙄🙂🥱🥱😴😴🥱🥱🙂🙂😒😮🥰🥱🙂🙂☺️🥺🙂🙂😮

#bookstagram

Great or Nothing
Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood
Historical Fiction
400 pages

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“I’m waiting too, but take your time.” 😭

I absolutely adored this story. A Little Women retelling, set during WWII, follows the March sisters as they set out to do their part in the war. If you’re expecting the same storyline as the source material, you’ll be disappointed, but if you go into this book ready for a brand new story, I think you will find it lovely! I honestly can’t believe that four different authors wrote this book…the writing fits together seamlessly. I loved the different POVs that gave us an inside look into the role of women in WWII. This was such a heartwarming read. If you like historical fiction, I highly, highly recommend!

📖 Little Women retelling
📖 Multiple POVs
📖 World War II setting
📖 Explores bonds of sisterhood, being a woman in WWII and grief
📖 Beth’s chapters in prose
📖 Great on audio

#caitsquietplacereviews #caitsquietplace #cqpfiction #delacorte #greatornothing

Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, and Tess Sharpe is a new take on Little Women, if the March sisters lived during WWII. Beth, Amy, Meg, Marmie, Laurie, and of course Jo are all here. Each chapter is told from a different sisters’ point-of-view, and written by a different author; Beth’s contributions are told in verse as the story starts after her death. The loss of Beth drives the sisters apart, and each grieve in their own way: Marmie throws herself into charity work; Meg is an English teacher in the local high school and worries about her John, who is serving overseas; Amy (in true Amy fashion) ends up in London as a donut dolly, where she runs into a wounded Laurie (and, of course, they fall in love and it still makes me angry with Amy); and Jo has moved away to work in a factory building planes for the war effort. Jo is still a writer and she finds kindred spirits in the boarding house she is living in. A introduction to one of her friend’s sisters, who happens to be a reporter, is shakes Jo’s reality and pushes her in ways she never would have expected. The authors stay, mostly, true to the characters and their personalities, though there is one major change that I’m not surprised at, but that I have mixed feelings about. Each sister longs to be back in the family fold, but each must find forgiveness in their own hearts before they can find their way back home. I really loved this retelling; I thought it was interesting and unique, and I LOVED Beth’s contributions. Anytime I can spend time with the March sisters is a dream, and the author’s did right by them. Each sister demonstrates the strength, kindness, growth, and love that embodies why Little Women is such an enduring classic. Random rating 4.5/5. Thanks to @NetGalley for the eARC.

4 solid stars

This was a World War II-era retelling of Little Women and while it obviously takes place after the events of Little Women, the timeline is not followed. Little Women took place in the 1860s in Concord, MA and while parts of this take place in Concord with Meg and Marmee, the story also takes place in London with Amy, and with Jo at a factory that manufactures airplanes. What I don't think I fully realized until the end is that each of the women's stories is written by a different author, with Beth's (now deceased) part written in verse. Despite the fact that each of the parts was written by a different author, it didn't feel that way at all--the story felt very cohesive and connected, even as the girls were not connected, neither by space nor by heart. There were moments when I felt like the story was moving too slowly and I was saddened by the gulf that existed between the sisters, including Beth, who continued to observe, even in death. But when I got to the ending, it felt like I had to follow their story at that pace so I could feel and understand them better. There were still moments when I wanted to tell Amy to speak up, but the ending really showed me that she had truly grown up. Jo was always my favorite character for multiple reasons, and Tess Sharpe's portrayal of her felt right to me. I loved the ending and definitely shed tears, although I kind of wish there had been an epilogue where we know all of the loved ones return home safely.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My 13-year-old daughter loves Louisa May Alcott Little Women. She is a true fan and has even done a Little Women baking class with @outschool So when I saw this Little Women retelling set in World War II/Pearl Harbor I knew that it would be right up her alley - the best part was she did enjoy this book.
So here’s the guest review:
“The book Great Or Nothing is a Little Women retelling, the reader meets Meg Jo and Amy at the point where Beth has recently died. Beth actually gets to tell part of the story as well, her part is set in verse and she is a spirit or angel.
The three remaining sisters have to come to terms with the war and their personal grief, they do so in different ways.
Jo runs off to build airplanes for the war effort and starts investigating a suspicious death with a female reporter; Meg works as a schoolteacher waiting for John to return from the war and Amy acts rashly, lies about her age and goes to Britain as a Red Cross nurse. In Britain she meets Laurie their former neighbor …
As each of them try to navigate life and especially life after their sister Beth‘s death they encounter new problems. The character I found most relatable was Amy, she thinks something must be done and she gets up and does it. I liked that about her ! I thought it was intriguing that this book was written by four authors fitting with the four sisters and the alternating chapters, it worked very well for this book. I liked the writing a lot ! I give this book 5 out of five ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it is a great read”
This was great book to spark an interest in historical fiction and to start great conversations about the historical context that this book is set into !
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This book was out this Tuesday March 8th, International Women‘s Day - a very fitting pub day !
Thank you to Random House Children’s Delacorte Press, the authors, and Netgalley for an advance eARC for Great or Nothing.

If you're looking for a retelling of Little Women that is unique and heartwarming, I think this will do the trick!

I've read many, many retellings of Little Women in the last two years (you can thank Greta Gerwig for that, I know I am). This one was different in that it placed the March sisters in a different era but stuck to the historical element by placing them in a WWII setting. I loved that the authors in collaboration were able to stick to the personalities of the March sisters by allowing them to come into their own in different services during the war; while the sisters aren't together for the vast majority of the novel, I didn't actually mind that. I really appreciated that this retelling focused on their individual stories; it made it unlike other adaptations I've read! I think readers of the classic will appreciate this version.

I love retellings and I adore Little Women. The bonus is it is set in the WWII era, which is one of my most favorite eras. The March family is affected by WWII just like the rest of the world. They have lost Beth to death and the rest of the other girls try to find their way in a world full of war, hurt, and excitement. The girls all go their own way and I love seeing them find their ways, find they way to make a difference, but it hurt to see them all divided from their family. They were so close as a family.

Usually, Jo is my favorite character but in this retelling, I found myself anxiously awaiting Amy’s story. The way she grew up, the places she went, the things she did was amazing. Her grit, her strength, and her power to want to make a difference made her my favorite in this book. I was excited to see how her story would turn out and hoped for the best. As she made new friends, ran into old friends, and lived in a world that she had only dreamed about I saw her grow and find a way to become her own person.

I highly recommend adding Great or Nothing to your TBR list. This retelling is wonderful.

Little Women is one of my favorite books, so I went into this retelling hesitantly. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Great or Nothing! Despite there being 4 authors and a mix of prose and verse, the book was cohesive and the authors handled this beloved story with care while also bringing something new. Beth's sections, written in verse, were beautiful and I loved having more of her voice. Meg has always been the sister that I related to least, and this retelling didn't give a new perspective on her character in my opinion. I didn't feel her chapters added much to the overall story, but again, I admit I'm biased. I enjoyed Amy's chapters and the Amy/Laurie relationship. I would read an entire book about this version of Jo (& Charlie). When I wasn't reading a Jo chapter, I found myself longing to get back to her story and at the end I was left wanting more of Charlie. Overall, I think this was a solid retelling that I'd recommend to anyone, whether you've read the original or not (though if you haven't read Little Women, you really should!). Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the authors for early access!

Set during WW2, Great or Nothing picks up after Beth’s passing. The remaining sisters- Meg, Jo and Amy are each reeling in grief while still wanting to do their part to help the war effort. Meg is still in Concord, working as a teacher. Jo works in an aircraft factory in Boston and Amy is in London with the Red Cross.
I loved the approach of having 4 different authors, each writing for a different March sister. Their perspectives carry each voice so well, change effortlessly, all the while having a cohesive tone. Jo’s story of laboring in a factory while hiding her true self was a continual gut punch. Amy finding herself and love with Laurie in London was pure escapism. But Meg’s story moved me the most. Helping grief stricken Marmie, trying to do right by her students while being the sister left behind, deeply resonated with me. The narration of Meg’s section truly shined.
The story is classified as YA which made it a quicker read but Great or Nothing still had stunning depth. I switched between the ebook and audiobook of Great or Nothing. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Joy McCullough, Tess Sharpe and Erin Spencer. The four narrators brought warmth and heart to each March sister.

Great or Nothing tells the stories of World War II Meg, Jo, and Amy March as they find themselves divided in the wake of their grief for their sister Beth. Beth’s story is told from the beyond in the form of poetry or, perhaps song. While set in different historical and familial time periods than Alcott’s Little Women (on which this is based), the key foundations of the original characters and relationships ring true. Each sister has her own account of her encounter with wartime challenges and opportunities, her role as a woman, and her feelings about her family members and the loss of Beth.

A different author crafts the narrative for each of the four sisters. The stories generally weave together to create a unified timeline and build the reader’s understanding of the individual ways each sister was striving to grow in accepting her shifting sense of self without Beth as a sisterly anchor. However, the multi-author approach led to so much repetition of their exploration of grief that I found myself feeling weary of the wallowing (which changed the overall tone to me).

I liked how the authors pushed the boundaries of each character into new arenas and explored more deeply some questions Alcott began to ask in the original. In the end, I’m glad I read the novel and will recommend it to people who want to explore the March family and what Alcott started more.

Thank you to Random House Children’s Delacorte Press, the authors, and Netgalley for early access to Great or Nothing.

Great or Nothing is a retelling that requires much more knowledge of Little Women than I had. I don’t mean this in terms of plot, but instead characterisation and relationships. The characters feel light-touch and the relationships underdeveloped, because they both rely on you having knowledge of the original. For me, a good retelling or adaptation doesn’t rest so much on the source material. I guess this is the difference I’d draw between Wild and Wicked Things (great retelling) and The Chosen and the Beautiful (not so great), to illustrate. And that’s the issue here—this book does not stand on its own without knowledge of Little Women.

It doesn’t help that it’s a short book with a lot of POVs. So each story (Beth’s excluded because she had a handful of pages, on account of being made up of somewhat poor poetry) is covered by barely over 100 pages. That’s not enough time or space to write these stories well, and it shows. It also, I think, compounds the issue—the authors start to cut corners and depend more on the source material.

All of which leads to this. I liked Jo’s parts, mostly because those were by Tess Sharpe and I knew I would enjoy her writing. Meg’s were okay, and probably come in second best. Amy’s were where the most was happening, with, conversely, the least depth to character and relationship development (for example, why am I supposed to root for Amy/Laurie, except that that’s how the original goes). Beth’s I straight up started skipping because of how boring the poems were.

But I suppose I’ve at least now sated any slight desire to read Little Women. Silver linings.

This book is really cute! Each character's POV was distinct and compelling, and I thought that the new setting of another wartime America (now 1940s) was so smart. I loved that Beth's sections were written in verse and that each of the sisters' stories were told with dignity and complexity. As with every Little Women retelling I've ever encountered, I wish the book had been a little bit more critical of Beth form a disability studies perspective, but what can you do. I thought it ended a bit abruptly and would have loved even more resolution, but overall this is a smart, thoughtful (queer!!) retelling of such a beloved classic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte for the ARC.

CW: death of a sibling, war, anti-Asian racism

Great or Nothing is a fantastic retelling of the story of the four March girls, set after the events of the original book, but as though that book was set during World War II. With each author taking a different sister, and Joy McCullough providing Beth's voice in verse between her sisters' chapters, each girl stands out starkly from the others. Each sister is grieving the loss of Beth and the loss of normalcy as they adjust to their new lives. It feels starkly relevant in our own non-normal times. This book is definitely recommended for middle and high school collections, especially where historical fiction is popular.

Though you do not need to have read Little Women, it is certainly a boon.

Great or Nothing
by Joy McCullough
Caroline Tung Richmond
Tess Sharpe
Jessica Spotwood
5 stars

Going from four march sisters to Three is hard to handle Meg, Jo, and Amy all handle the loss of their sister Beth differently. Also, the United States is reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. Meg stays home with her mom; Jo takes off to a factory job, Amy joined the Red Cross in London, and Beth from beyond the grave watches her sisters.
I have never read Little Women, so I wasn't too sure what to compare it to, but I loved it. Beth, I love her little bites in there it is touching and made me cry the most. Jo is stubborn and strong-headed and I love how she knew she was off and wanted to explore and see who she was. Meg is a sweetheart she buries everything and just tries to be the strong one while breaking inside. Amy is a rebellious kid that pretty much frauded her way into the Red Cross. I love how it shows how they all deal with the grief of their sister and the War. They all have so much grief to get through and in the end, they slowly find their way back to each other.
Thank you, Net Galley, and Random House for the ARC for an honest review.