Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo

 

While searching for middle grades books to read this year, I came across a few graphic novel retellings of classic literature. I love the classics, I love retellings, and I'm increasingly loving middle grades fiction, so these books caught my attention right away. I picked up Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street. I decided to start off with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, which is a modern retelling of Little Women. I read Little Women a few years ago and enjoyed it, so I was interested to see how this book would bring the story of the March family into modern times.

This novel follows the lives of the March sisters, four siblings in a blended family living in NYC. As the story starts, they are living with their mom while their father is serving in the military in the Middle East. Their family doesn't have a lot of extra money, and it's tough without their dad around, but everyone loves each other and they find a way to make it all work. Meg is the oldest sister. She has her sights set on eventually becoming wealthy, and would love nothing more than a rich husband to make that happen for her. Jo is next oldest. She's an aspiring writer and politically engaged with the issues of the day. She's very outspoken and not afraid to say what's on her mind, except when it comes to issues of her own identity. Beth is next, and she's a shy kid interested in music, especially the guitar. She is a quiet, sweet presence in the family. Amy is the youngest sister, and the one with the biggest personality. She's interested in art and video games, and loves being the center of attention.

Throughout the novel, each sister encounters their own unique struggles and triumphs. They deal with bullying, illness, and racism in their lower moments, and overcome fears, learn about themselves, and form healthy relationships in their happier moments. They do not always make the best decisions or get along perfectly, but they are always there for each other when it counts. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy is a sweet story about family, love, and the bonds of sisterhood.

This was an adorable graphic novel, and a very loving tribute to the original book. I thought that Terciero and Indigo did a fabulous job bringing each sister to life in a way that young readers can understand and relate to. The modern issues they inserted into the text fit the plot well, and brought the classic story up to date. Rather then Jo struggling with the restrictions of being a woman, for example, they have her struggle with her sexuality. Instead of Beth getting scarlet fever, she gets leukemia here (those sections were emotional). They managed to find a great update for each character while still keeping their general personalities and roles in the story similar to the classic. It was fun comparing the old plot points to the new ones throughout my reading.

Graphically speaking, the artwork was bright and attractive, with each sister drawn with her own individual sense of style. The layout of the speech bubbles and panels was easy to read and flowed across the pages nicely. Occasional, e-mails and journal entries from the girls would be inserted into the story, and these passages did a nice job adding more characterization and authenticity. It was a great presentation overall.

Ultimately, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a very enjoyable middle grades read and a wonderful update of an old story. While the specific issues and topics the girls grapple with were changed, the base ideas of family, friendship, and love remained the same. Those themes are timeless, and that explains why people are still interested in Little Women 150 years after it was published. I'm really looking forward to checking out the other reimagined classics in this line, especially Anne of West Philly, which is coming out in March of this year. 

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 4/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 8