Great or Nothing
by Joy McCullough; Caroline Tung Richmond; Tess Sharpe; Jessica Spotswood
A reimagining of Little Women set in 1942, when the United States is suddenly embroiled in the second World War, this story, told from each March sister's point of view, is one of grief, love, and self-discovery.
In the fall of 1942, the United States is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth.
Under the strain of their grief, Beth's remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Connecticut, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London--the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot.
Each March sister's point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth's in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one's way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.
Historical Fiction | Teens & YA
Publication Date: 08 Mar 2022
-
Advance Praise for Great or Nothing:
“The WWII Little Women retelling that made me cry the whole way through . . . I will be shoving Great or Nothing in everyone’s face when it comes out . . . I am obsessed.”–Books Before Boys
-
“Refreshingly acerbic.”–Kirkus Reviews
-
"Great or Nothing is the kind of book that makes you want to light the fire and fill the teapot, because you won't be going anywhere for a while. A reimagined Little Women set in the turmoil of World War II, each March sister copes with the death of their beloved Beth in their own way. Poignant, clever, and heartfelt, this story pulls at the complicated tapestry that is family, and finds certain bonds are unbreakable." - Stacey Lee
My Review:
5 Stars: Rewriting a class is a difficult task and these four amazing authors knocked it out of the park. I am the type of reader that if I loved the original story, I would read its retelling no matter what, so when I read the description for Great or nothing, I just knew I had to read it. Little Woman is such a classic that it doesn't matter when it's read; the values and morals of the stories can still align with everyone. The characters are lovable and super retable.
I love historical fiction, and one of my favorite periods is in the 1920s, so take my review with a grain of salt if you would. – I like this over the original. There I said. It could be because it's set in New Englandish - or the 1920s - or the poetry in it, but this should be read in school alongside the original and compared in lessons.
Great or Nothing is set during WW2; the march sisters' stories are told separate (as well as written by different authors, not that you could tell because it all flowed together so nicely.) with the chapters alternating between Jo, Meg, Amy, and takes place after the death of Beth (but she is there spoken through poems from beyond the grave).
Reading this felt nostalgic and repurchased me to the first time I read Little Woman. The character felt the same but wherein different timelines – Jo working at an airplane factory, Amy' studying' art in Montreal while volunteering, Meg is teacher, and father is off in the battleships in the pacific. Like the original, each girl needs to learn how to be understanding of themselves, be honest with each other, and figure out how not to let their pride get in the way. Although the morals and values from the original are present, how each sister brings to the destination is different. Jo must figure out how to get over her pride, Amy must have more self-reflection, and Meg needs to stop caring about others' thoughts.
I felt the book was a little short (even 400 pages) and am longing for more. Seeing the march sisters in this new timeline was great, and I can't wait to add this edition to my collection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for an advance copy of Great or Nothing in exchange for my honest review. .
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PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
PAPERBACK COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Tess Sharpe was born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of many books for children, teens and adults, including the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You and the Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire. She is also the co-editor of Toil & Trouble, a feminist anthology about witches
AUTHOR
Jessica Spotswood is the author of the fantasy trilogy The Cahill Witch Chronicles and the contemporary novels Wild Swans and The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. She is the editor of A Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element and co-editor of Toil & Trouble. Jess lives in Washington, DC, where she works for the DC Public Library.
AUTHOR
Caroline Tung Richmond is an award-winning young adult author whose novels include The Great Destroyers, The Only Thing to Fear, Live In Infamy, and The Darkest Hour.
She's also the co-editor of the anthology Hungry Hearts and the co-author of Great or Nothing, a retelling of Little Women set during WWII.
Caroline lives in Maryland with her family.
AUTHOR
Joy McCullough’s debut young adult novel Blood Water Paint (Penguin) won
the Washington State and Pacific Northwest books awards, as well as honors
such as the National Book Award longlist, finalist for the ALA Morris Award,
a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and four starred reviews. Her debut middle
grade novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (Simon & Schuster) releases on
April 14, 2020, and is a Junior Library Guild Selection.
She writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she
lives with her husband and two children. She studied theater at
Northwestern University, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan
volcano, and now spends her days surrounded by books and kids and chocolate
PUBLISHER
Delacorte Press was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr., and first published pulp magazines, detective stories and articles about the movies before it too became a full-service house, publishing original works of fiction in all formats. It is an imprint of Penguin Random House
WHAT OTHERS SAY?
KIND WORDS FROM OTHERS
“In Great or Nothing, a sisterhood of gifted authors lets us see WWII through the eyes of the magnificent March sisters, lovingly reimagined in the time, filled with hopes, hurts, and, ultimately, forgiveness and unforeseen futures. Fans of Little Women–and of WWII narratives–will devour this inventive and touching exploration of possibilities for the world’s most beloved siblings.”–L.M. Elliott, author of Under a War-torn Sky and Hamilton and Peggy! A Revolutionary Friendship
“Great or Nothing is the kind of book that makes you want to light the fire and fill the teapot, because you won’t be going anywhere for a while. A reimagined Little Women set in the turmoil of World War II, each March sister copes with the death of their beloved Beth in their own way. Poignant, clever, and heartfelt, this story pulls at the complicated tapestry that is family, and finds certain bonds are unbreakable.”– Stacey Lee, NYT bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick, The Downstairs Girl
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
Great or Nothing
by Joy McCullough; Caroline Tung Richmond; Tess Sharpe; Jessica Spotswood
A reimagining of Little Women set in 1942, when the United States is suddenly embroiled in the second World War, this story, told from each March sister's point of view, is one of grief, love, and self-discovery.
In the fall of 1942, the United States is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth.
Under the strain of their grief, Beth's remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Connecticut, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London--the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot.
Each March sister's point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth's in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one's way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.
Historical Fiction | Teens & YA
Publication Date: 08 Mar 2022
-
Advance Praise for Great or Nothing:
“The WWII Little Women retelling that made me cry the whole way through . . . I will be shoving Great or Nothing in everyone’s face when it comes out . . . I am obsessed.”–Books Before Boys
-
“Refreshingly acerbic.”–Kirkus Reviews
-
"Great or Nothing is the kind of book that makes you want to light the fire and fill the teapot, because you won't be going anywhere for a while. A reimagined Little Women set in the turmoil of World War II, each March sister copes with the death of their beloved Beth in their own way. Poignant, clever, and heartfelt, this story pulls at the complicated tapestry that is family, and finds certain bonds are unbreakable." - Stacey Lee
My Review:
5 Stars: Rewriting a class is a difficult task and these four amazing authors knocked it out of the park. I am the type of reader that if I loved the original story, I would read its retelling no matter what, so when I read the description for Great or nothing, I just knew I had to read it. Little Woman is such a classic that it doesn't matter when it's read; the values and morals of the stories can still align with everyone. The characters are lovable and super retable.
I love historical fiction, and one of my favorite periods is in the 1920s, so take my review with a grain of salt if you would. – I like this over the original. There I said. It could be because it's set in New Englandish - or the 1920s - or the poetry in it, but this should be read in school alongside the original and compared in lessons.
Great or Nothing is set during WW2; the march sisters' stories are told separate (as well as written by different authors, not that you could tell because it all flowed together so nicely.) with the chapters alternating between Jo, Meg, Amy, and takes place after the death of Beth (but she is there spoken through poems from beyond the grave).
Reading this felt nostalgic and repurchased me to the first time I read Little Woman. The character felt the same but wherein different timelines – Jo working at an airplane factory, Amy' studying' art in Montreal while volunteering, Meg is teacher, and father is off in the battleships in the pacific. Like the original, each girl needs to learn how to be understanding of themselves, be honest with each other, and figure out how not to let their pride get in the way. Although the morals and values from the original are present, how each sister brings to the destination is different. Jo must figure out how to get over her pride, Amy must have more self-reflection, and Meg needs to stop caring about others' thoughts.
I felt the book was a little short (even 400 pages) and am longing for more. Seeing the march sisters in this new timeline was great, and I can't wait to add this edition to my collection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for an advance copy of Great or Nothing in exchange for my honest review. .
sakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahfsakjdfhk;asjdhfjkdsahfkjdshafkjhdsakjfhsadkjfhdskjafhkjdshfkjdshflkjsdahf
PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
PAPERBACK COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Tess Sharpe was born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of many books for children, teens and adults, including the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You and the Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire. She is also the co-editor of Toil & Trouble, a feminist anthology about witches
AUTHOR
Jessica Spotswood is the author of the fantasy trilogy The Cahill Witch Chronicles and the contemporary novels Wild Swans and The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. She is the editor of A Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element and co-editor of Toil & Trouble. Jess lives in Washington, DC, where she works for the DC Public Library.
AUTHOR
Caroline Tung Richmond is an award-winning young adult author whose novels include The Great Destroyers, The Only Thing to Fear, Live In Infamy, and The Darkest Hour.
She's also the co-editor of the anthology Hungry Hearts and the co-author of Great or Nothing, a retelling of Little Women set during WWII.
Caroline lives in Maryland with her family.
AUTHOR
Joy McCullough’s debut young adult novel Blood Water Paint (Penguin) won the Washington State and Pacific Northwest books awards, as well as honors such as the National Book Award longlist, finalist for the ALA Morris Award, a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and four starred reviews. Her debut middle grade novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (Simon & Schuster) releases on April 14, 2020, and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. She writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She studied theater at Northwestern University, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan volcano, and now spends her days surrounded by books and kids and chocolate
PUBLISHER
Delacorte Press was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr., and first published pulp magazines, detective stories and articles about the movies before it too became a full-service house, publishing original works of fiction in all formats. It is an imprint of Penguin Random House
WHAT OTHERS SAY?
KIND WORDS FROM OTHERS
“In Great or Nothing, a sisterhood of gifted authors lets us see WWII through the eyes of the magnificent March sisters, lovingly reimagined in the time, filled with hopes, hurts, and, ultimately, forgiveness and unforeseen futures. Fans of Little Women–and of WWII narratives–will devour this inventive and touching exploration of possibilities for the world’s most beloved siblings.”–L.M. Elliott, author of Under a War-torn Sky and Hamilton and Peggy! A Revolutionary Friendship
“Great or Nothing is the kind of book that makes you want to light the fire and fill the teapot, because you won’t be going anywhere for a while. A reimagined Little Women set in the turmoil of World War II, each March sister copes with the death of their beloved Beth in their own way. Poignant, clever, and heartfelt, this story pulls at the complicated tapestry that is family, and finds certain bonds are unbreakable.”– Stacey Lee, NYT bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick, The Downstairs Girl
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
