Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: fiction
Review: In the world of Little Women adaptations, many authors/screenwriters get caught in what I'm going to start calling the "Beth trap". In the original, Beth is the "good" sister, which often means she's seen as the "boring" sister, so adapters try to make her more "interesting" (usually while still having her die). Kantra does not avoid the Beth trap, but in her sure hands, Beth is able to be a full character, and a full member of the sisterly quartet (and she doesn't die, either). I shouldn't have doubted Kantra, whose first book, Meg & Jo, was was far and away the best written adaptation I've come across.
Once again, Kantra has embodied the spirit of the original, while bringing the March sisters into the modern era. In this book, Beth and Amy share the spotlight, and we even get some insight into the question of how Jo, Amy, and Laurie (in this book, Trey) all manage to reconcile their erstwhile love triangle. Once again, Kantra handles this deftly and elegantly; everyone's feelings are respected and the reader gets a satisfying resolution too.
Once again, Kantra has given us a good book and a good adaptation, although this one perhaps stands less on its own without Little Women than did Meg & Jo. Certainly, one should read Meg & Jo first. But Little Women fans will enjoy this book alongside readers who have no familiarity with the original. It's sweet, and light without being too light, and generally wonderful.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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