Genre: Young Adult, Classic, Retelling, Fantasy
Publication Date: August 24, 2022
Rating: 4 little stars!
Quote that sums up the book: “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
BookSirens Blurb:
A timeless classic heads under the sea…
A retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Little Women: Mermaid Edition takes the story of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy, and spins it into a fantastical story of merfolk under the sea. Follow the young mergirls as they grow up in a world of talking walruses, seahorse rides, and the mysterious merboy next door.
Will the four mermaid sisters find everything they aspire to in the Deep Ocean? Or will poverty and shabby shell corsets keep them from their dreams?
True to the beloved classic, the Mermaid Edition tackles complex themes of growing up, social pressure, falling in love for the first time, and embracing sisterly love.
Complete with original illustrations, this retelling is perfect for longtime lovers of Little Women and new readers alike. It’s a thoughtful gift idea for mermaid enthusiasts and Louisa May Alcott fans ages 11 and up.
Review:
Until now, I have never read any version of Little Women. It was never assigned reading in school for me, nor was it pushed on me by family (probably because I was a total Jo growing up and wouldn’t have listened anyways). As a child I saw the thick book with very small text and pictures of girls all buttoned up in Victorian dresses and I had no desire to crack it open.
Therefore, I was probably the only little girl ever to not read this book.
Of course, I knew the basics: Jo is the cool one, Beth dies, there’s a dude named Laurie, and then there are two other sisters I couldn’t remember the names of because they, likely, were boring.
Like most people probably, once Greta Gerwig’s Little Women came out in 2019 and featured a star-studded cast (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and so many more talented actors), I had a renewed curiosity towards the book and at least added it to my TBR pile. (Please note, I also did this with a number of Jane Austen novels and I can’t get past 18% of Pride and Prejudice no matter how many times I try, so don’t take this to really mean anything…)
But, alas, it was this fantasy/mermaid version that snapped my resolve and made me pick up the book finally and see what all the fuss was about.
From what I can gather, this book is very true to the original version, just with changes to make it more mermaid-y. Because of this, I feel this reimagining was just the ticket to get someone like myself into the classic book, bringing a fantasy element to it to make it a little less stiff than the original.
If you are new to the world of Little Women like I was, or if you enjoy new twists on old classics, this is a definite read!
What I liked about the book:
1. I love the many lessons we learn throughout this book. We learn how to be a good family member, a good friend, a good partner, and a good person. I felt that by having the four daughters go through very different experiences, we were able to learn many lessons at once and see that one size truly doesn’t fit all when it comes to life.
2. I love the way this family and their friends come together when life gets tough. They show that even in the darkest times and in the middle of the biggest fights, if you can come together as one, you can get through anything.
I also loved how Laurie and his grandfather, as well as Nesmeralda Nanagoona Nettles (“Nanna-pus”), really were like members of the family from the very beginning. This was just so wholesome in that regard, and I loved it.
3. I loved the ocean/underwater backdrop of the story. It was well written and it was very creative, definitely lending well to a mermaid fantasy book. While reading, I couldn’t help but wonder about the counterparts in the original. Not enough to actually read the original, heaven’s no, but enough to passively think about it.
4. I absolutely adored the drawings layered throughout the story. They were simple, cute, and fun, only adding to the appeal of the story for me. I just wish there were more of them!
5. Damn these women really love cake…I can get down with that.
6. Everyone talks about how Jo and Laurie would have been the best couple (which, we will DEFINITELY get back to later), but why is no one talking about the romantic perfection that is Meg and John???
Check it:
– They are in it for love, not social status or money
– He has no problem being there for Mr. March during his trying times (traveling to go help this family!)
– He is open with his intensions, not playing any games or causing any drama about liking and wanting Meg
– They write letters basically EVERY DAY!
– When Meg turns him down, John is gentle and kind, telling her he’ll wait as long as there is a chance
– They will care for one another until their dying days, I have no doubt of that
Meg + John = 4EVR!!!!
7. People complain about who ends up with who, but I found it rather fitting.
I’m going to get shit for this, but Laurie and Amy are perfect for one another. She is spirited and hard-headed like Jo but reserved and pragmatic like Meg. He has always been a source of comfort and strength for her, so is a natural fit for a life partner.
Furthermore, Laurie and Jo were the same person! It would have never worked. Amy and Laurie balance each other out very well. I also love that Amy called him on his boyish shit and put him in his damn place!
What could have been better:
1. I found these women whiney and exhausting for a great percentage of the book. In the last half once they started going through character development, it got much more enjoyable for me, but until then I was not a huge fan.
2. Why does everyone want to be a Jo???? Jo is terrible! While she may be the most independent and least into social norms (which, yay for feminism!), she is also the most selfish and rude! Her character development away from these tendencies happened too late in the storyline for me to care much when it did. Sorry, not sorry.
Also, I’m pissed that she had to end up with someone! She should have been independent and alone as the author originally intended, in my opinion. It’s like we got this beautiful little story about different women, including the rebellious independent one, and then all that was chucked away in the end when each of them ended up with a man and kids…like, what?
Parting thoughts:
So, who was my favorite March sister? Going into this, I thought it would be Jo for sure. She is snarky and doesn’t care what others think about her. However, the more I read, the more I liked Amy. I felt Amy was the most well-rounded sister and she ultimately had the greatest character development in the group.
Meg was matronly and fair. Jo was rebellious and cool. Beth was sweet and innocent. Amy started out as a spoiled brat who would go to any means to win. As she grew though, we learned she was creative, smart, and went after what she wanted, regardless of others’ opinions.
Even if I couldn’t always see eye-to-eye with her on what she wanted from life, at least she knew what she wanted and she let nothing stop her from getting it, and that I can appreciate. We also come to see her turning down money for love ultimately (I mean, dude’s still loaded, but not as loaded as the other dude?), stowing her selfish/materialistic ways, and showing the most growth of the sisters.
Some may argue she had more character development because she was the youngest and needed the most development, but I would argue this is not the case at all. All March sisters had their flaws and their desires for their lives. I would argue that Meg didn’t develop at all from the person she was in the beginning of the book, fully giving her life over to her husband and children the way she did to her parents and sisters; truly representative of a lady of the times. Beth also did not develop much from the introverted, innocent little girl, given her life was cut short. And Jo, well, I’ve already told you my thoughts on Jo’s third-act redemption and being too-little-too-late for me personally; she also didn’t ultimately end up where she had wanted, as she got married and had children, despite openly stating she never wanted to marry throughout at least 80% of the book.
Bottom-line, Amy is the best! But, of course, I got Jo on every damn quiz I took (which probably explains why I harp on her character so much, seeing my own flaws on the page…)
Special thank you to BookSirens and Megan Lois Whitehill for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!
Brittanica Bold's Book Babblings 