A book in which the setting is a character itself, full of interesting ideas and strong women. My expectations may have been too high, as I hold a deep love for both Little Women and the 1940s. Due to this, I felt that I didn't get quite what I anticipated from this book. It was an enjoyable, engaging read overall, just lacking in the kind of magic I was hoping for. Still a solid novel, and one which I would recommend that most libraries purchase.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the review copy of Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood. I love Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott and WWII fiction, so a reimagining of Little Women during WWII felt like something I needed in my life.

The format of this book was really amazing. Four different authors each took on the persona of a March sister to tell the story - including beyond the grave poems from Beth - of how they deal with the loss of a sister. Meg remains at home with Marmie, Jo flees an embarrassing conversation with Laurie to build planes in Boston, and Amy sneaks her way into a Red Cross position in London. I loved how the poems added to story of Meg, Jo, and Amy. They were beautifully written and gave insight into the "What Would Beth Do?" question each remaining sister held onto. I really enjoyed the different aspects of ways women were involved in the war and the different challenges each sister encountered to find their true selves. There was an eclectic cast of supporting characters that added depth and suspense to the story.

As much as I enjoyed the rising action of this book, the ending fell a little flat for me. I didn't find the ending to any of the stories entirely satisfying. 3.5/5 stars rounded up.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this title about 60% through. I love classic retellings, but this one missed the mark. Many of the chapters felt repetitive and unnecessary. I felt that the characters could have had a lot more potential to grow, but the writing was a bit too slow paced to allow that. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I found the story fairly good and well written, although I have personal reasons for not liking the direction of where the plot goes. The idea of retelling Little Women during World War II was brilliant. Beth's lines of verse were beautiful. Amy and Laurie's love story is sublime.

But Jo. Jo makes an "alternate" romantic decision, and the story ends in a far different direction than I anticipated or desired.

Other content includes: Mild language. Hints of mature topics.
Suitable for: Ages 14 & up

This was an interesting reimagining of Little Women set during World War II. It was a pleasant read to me. The one issue I had was the fact that pretty much EVERY character from the original book was in this story with the exception of Friedrich Bhaer, Jo's husband. I understand that the author was going a different direction with Jo's love life, but I don't know why the basic character couldn't have remained (at least give her love interest a similar name and tie in some trait or something). I couldn't get past that omission.

3.5/5 stars

As a female reader, Little Women has always been one of my most beloved stories. This retelling was an exciting find and overall I enjoyed it. This retelling takes place in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, as America begins to fight in World War Two. The March sisters find themselves in three separate places after the death of their beloved Beth. Amy is across the ocean in London, working for the Red Cross under a false name. Jo now works in a steel plant, making airplanes in CT. Meg finds herself alone at home with Marmee, teaching at the local high school. I appreciated the authors' attempts to fit the Marches into roles that make complete sense in 1940s America. These are absolutely roles that the ladies would take up. I appreciated the character development and the individual attention that each of the three remaining sisters received. By separating them, each woman had to figure out who they are without one another--all while battling their grief over the loss of Beth, their fears due to the War, and how their choices would impact the rest of their lives. I also really enjoyed the development of Amy and Laurie's relationship, and how we see them fall for each other (and how the bonds of love can change over time). Although Beth is already deceased when the story begins, between each chapter is a poetic interlude by Beth's spirit as she watches her sisters live their lives apart from one another. Some of the poetry is so beautiful and painfully honest that I was brought to tears.

This novel is told in alternative chapters and features one sister at a time. It feels almost like three separate novels--but I believe that is the downfall of having multiple authors. Part of the magic of the original is the interactions between the Marches; they are kept apart through the entire novel, and it feels disjointed. I did not like the lack of interaction between Marmee and Meg. Although they live in the same house, they NEVER speak? This does not sound like it would be true to Marmee's character and felt like a misstep. I really appreciated the decision to allow Jo to be gay. I think it is very true and makes sense---however, it felt like an afterthought. And the whole storyline was rushed to completion. There were way too many supporting characters that floated around in Jo's chapters that it was difficult to navigate who was who, and who belonged to who. I wished there were fewer characters in her chapters, but more development for the few that were important. I also felt like every storyline was rushed to be finished and sort of just ended wrapped up nicely and quickly. It made the endings feel rather forced and unnatural.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it.

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. These opinions are my own in exchange for an honest review**

This Noel has the same premise to Fatal Throne. This story focuses on each of the March’s sisters from different writers. I found Beth’s to be very weird. I did not like her storyline as a ghost watching over her sisters. I think it would have been better if Beth’s part was left out. I found Jo’s story to be very different from the books. I did like Meg’s story. She was the best character of them all. While I never did like Amy in the original, she was tolerable. I still do not like her with Laurie. Still, this was a very well-written work that gives us a deeper look into the March characters! I recommend this fans of Little Women and Fatal Throne!

I'm totally having a year of Little Women, between my daughter playing Young Amy in the musical and rereading the original book. I'm also planning a reread of March by Geraldine Brooks.

This YA-ish retelling takes place during World War II. Mr. March is away as a chaplain, and John and Laurie are both off fighting. Beth has just passed away, and the March women are all dealing with it in their own way. Amy, Meg, and Jo had a huge fight after Laurie's proposal, and they find themselves in three different places.

As Jo works in a factory and makes new friends, she comes to face the reason she has never loved Laurie "that way."

Amy finds herself serving coffee and doughnuts in London and has to face the racial lines prevalent in the world. She must decide what's important to her - and that includes Laurie, whom she finds in London.

Meg is teaching school and learning from her students. Does she want the frivolous life her friend Sallie leads? Or will she wait for John and be content at home, despite feeling so alone without her sisters?

It took me about half the book to really feel connected to the characters, but I really enjoyed where the stories took them. I love that it had four different authors, and that Beth's writing from the afterlife was in verse. A great addition to the retelling canon.

am such a sucker for any kind of retelling or reimagining of Little Women. So of course Great Or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe peaked my interest. Also? I just love Spotswood’s work. Great Or Nothing is set during 1942 as the United States enters into World War II. Beth is already dead. Meg is a school teacher in Concord. Jo builds planes in Boston and is too deep in grief to write. Meanwhile, Amy has snuck away to be a volunteer in the Red Cross… in London. Meanwhile, Theodore Laurence just so happens to be in London as an army pilot. Beth also has chapters — in verse from beyond the grave.

So of course Great Or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe peaked my interest

Honestly, I really liked the concept behind Great Or Nothing. It gets right to the meat of it and really delves into the emotions and grief the loss of Beth causes. But also — I found myself so interested in the perspective of each of the March sisters. I loved that Meg learned to stand up for herself. Amy’s boldness in sneaking to London to serve the war effort was so engaging. Jo’s story was probably not my favorite. As I listened to this book, I could not tell you which author had which sister. I also could not tell you which narrator had which part. The audiobook has multiple narrators. It is 9 hours and 47 minutes long — but I definitely listened to it sped up. The narrators are Saskia Maarleveld, Joy McCullough, Tess Sharpe and Erin Spencer. I think if you do read this book — it could go either way and you’d probably retain more by reading the audiobook copy — but it is an easy listen and does keep your attention.

This is a big case of "it's not you it's me". I was really looking forward to this book, especially since I liked the concept and one of my favourite author worked on it, but unfortunately the story didn't end up gripping me personally. There were lots of elements I liked, but it just missed something for me.

I will admit to never reading Little Women. Without the back knowledge of the original, I still really enjoyed this adaptation that places the March sisters in the time of World War II.

Little Women is one of my favorite books ever. I was super excited to read this retelling set in 1942 during WW2. I was not disappointed at all. Jo has always been my favorite character but in this one I was just in love with Amy. I loved seeing a more mature version of her. Her storyline was also very interesting. I also loved seeing more of Meg and her life as a schoolteacher. We got to see more layers in her character her insecurities and strengths. The little words of wisdom from Beth just had my heart. I loved this book so much. I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I so wanted to fall in love with this retelling of the Little Women, which is one of my favorite all time books. But I had issues. Now if this was not marketed as a retelling, I think I would have loved it more because it honestly was a good book. BUT if compared to the original book, it just didn’t have that feeling of a close net family, that feeling that made me love the original story. You could see this after what happened to Beth, instead of it bringing the sisters closer as it should it drove them apart and made me sigh. But like I said it was still a good read, I just wish it had more.

Great or Nothing is a historical fiction novel set during World War II, and highlights life on multiple fronts during the way. The book is told from four perspectives.
Meg is a school teacher who is the oldest sister and decided to do her part for the war effort by staying home with their mother while her sweetheart and her father are fighting overseas. Through Meg’s perspective, we see what life is like for the women who chose to stay behind, to try to keep life moving forward with their victory gardens, blood drives, and neighborhood metal collection for the war effort. Meg has never left home, and is very comfortable there, but as the war continues on, she must decide if she is happy with her life the way it is, or if she wants something more for herself.
Jo is working in an American factory making military planes. She loves to write, and misses her family, but needs to find her place in the world. As the men are fighting in the war, it’s up to strong able-bodied women to take their places in the factories.
Amy lied about her identity so that she could get a place as a nurse with the Red Cross and is helping soldiers in Britain. While overseas, she meets an old friend and they begin a relationship that she has dreamed about all of her life.
All three sisters are apart, but are held together by the memory of their sister, Beth, who died before the story starts. Her chapters are told in verse, and from her, we learn more about each sister and even from the grave, holds the family together.
I think there’s something for everyone in this book, and was a wonderful exploration of women’s places in the world and what we all do to survive life’s most challenging moments.

I really loved this book so much. Little Women is a book that has stuck with me since I first read in high school and I've loved it with my whole heart ever since. The four authors lending their voices to a different character worked beautifully, and Beth's chapters broke my heart. And though the March sisters were far apart for most of the book, I felt like I got to know each one a little better. And I loved how they expanded on Amy and Laurie's relationship in this book because it feels so abrupt so often. This is a great addition to any middle/high school library and I love how it offers the various perspectives on life during WWII.

I am a huge Little Women fan and was excited to read a reimagined version of the story set in WWII. There are some tweaks to move the story along: the girls are all young women, off on the adventures from the second half of the original book (Beth has died, Amy is a young woman). This was a smart move on the author's part, as it allows familiar readers to quickly identify the personality traits of each sister and see how they work in this new world and allows readers to jump in and not get bogged down by details.

Beth, though not physically with the sisters, has a voice in the form of poetic verse. She is the all-seeing spirit who chides, encourages, and philosophizes on her sisters' choices. It is a unique way to give Beth an 'adult' voice since she never got to grow up or be seen as anything but the sickly little sister in the original text.

I really enjoyed this book and think it's a solid choice for Little Women fans and those who have never read the original.

4.5 rounded up!

I never ever ever thought I would read or watch a Little Women adaptation and end up having Beth become my favorite sister, but friends, IT HAPPENED!

This is a Little Women retelling that takes place during WWII and each sister has found a war effort to lose herself in…all except Beth…because this is after she passes. Jo is working in a factory making parts for the planes that are used in the war, Meg is at home teaching and trying to keep home normal for Marmee and her students, and Amy has run away to England to join the Res Cross without her family knowing.

Each sister’s pov is told by a different author and it helped move the story so quickly. Beth’s pov is almost as if she is watching over the sisters and bridges their chapters via poetry and these parts often stole my breath and pulled my heartstrings. I adored them.

This retelling absolutely stands on its own, while leaning into the original versions bones. The things that make the second half of the original Little Women (aka Good Wives) so rich and exciting are all still there, while being uniquely their own! Without spoiling, we even have a queer rep and I ADORED IT!

Anyhoo, I highly recommend this story, especially on audio and thoroughly enjoyed it for both the nostalgia of Little Women and the creative GENUIS that makes it it’s own!

This was a really wonderful read! I love a little women retelling, it's my literature kryptonite. And a queer Jo! Absolutely fabulous.

I am a big fan of Little Women and I loved this story. I felt my heart breaking and understanding how each of the characters was feeling after losing Beth. And I loved that we got to see the other March girls come into their own.

My first memory of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is my older sister sitting in an easy chair in the living room and crying her eyes out while reading the book. When I asked why she was crying, she just said "You'll see." And I did indeed discover why a few years later when I read Little Women in fourth grade. And I've never re-read it. But I have been enjoying some of the new retellings like So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Murrow, More to the Story by Hena Khan, and Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy by Rey Terciero, among others. The latest retelling, Great or Nothing, takes place during a war like the original, but this time it is World War II.
The story begins in the spring of 1942. The United States has entered the war and people are still adjusting to the change. And that includes the March sisters, who are also still reeling from the recent death of their sister Beth. Now, their father is has enlisted as a Navy chaplain, Marmee is overly involved in charity work, and Laurie is a pilot stationed overseas. Laurie had asked Jo to marry him before he left, but she said no. Jo loved Laurie just not romantically. Then, she and Meg had harsh words. Jo couldn't understand why Meg would give up everything for math teacher John Brooke, and Meg couldn't understand why Jo had refused to marry Laurie.

Unable to write after Beth's death and needing to get out of the house after her fight with Meg, Jo is living in a boarding house, while working in a factory producing airplanes. But when she meets Life reporter Charlotte "Charlie" Yates, and helps her write a story about the airplane factory, she realizes that she also needs to sort out her feelings for Charlie.

Meanwhile, Meg is still at home with Marmee, continuing to teach, content to wait for John, whom Amy called "that boring old fuddy-duddy," to come home and to get married. But when an old "friend" decides Meg needs to party, to have some fun, and to meet other more exciting men, she begins to question whether she would really be happy in a quiet marriage with John.

Amy, who has been crushing in Laurie since she was a child, is supposed to be studying art in Montreal. Instead, unknown to her family, she has decided to join the Red Cross. At first turned down for being too young, Amy fortuitously finds another girl's application and uses that at another recruiting station, where she is accepted. After training, Amy is sent overseas with other recruits to work in a mobile canteen, where they serve coffee and donuts to American servicemen in London. And she runs smack into Laurie.

And Beth? She's there, a spectral poetic voice following her sisters adventures, providing insight, and giving unheard, unheeded advice about life in between the chapters.

Needless to say, as the story unfolds, it is clear that each sister has some big problems to deal with and some big challenges they need to overcome while navigating the war and their profound grief.

I really enjoyed reading Great or Nothing, finding it a thoughtful, appealing story that could be seen as simply a YA wartime romantic novel, but it is actually more elevated than that. Racial and sexist issues are introduced in both Meg and Amy's stories. Meg has a student who is Japanese American and Amy encounters an African American soldier who is not totally accepted by everyone, including Amy's friend Edie. And then there is Jo, who finally figures out who she is and why she didn't have romantic feelings for Laurie.

I also enjoyed some of the details included, like Victory Gardens, Victory Red lipstick, and of course, how women arranged their hair in Victory rolls, as well as the impact that shortages and rationing had on everyone. There isn't a lot of action to this story, but plenty of coming-of-age drama. And if I remember right, there wasn't much action in the original Little Women. I also felt that the original message about the importance of family bonds wasn't lost in this novel, even though the March sisters were scattered for much of the story. Sometime, you just need to get away from the security of home family to find yourself and appreciate what you have.

The story is told in alternating chapters, each character written by a different author who a different voice and point of view to each of the March sisters. In case you are wondering who wrote who - Beth is written by poet Joy McCullough, Amy by Caroline Tung Richmond, Jo by Tess Sharpe and Meg by Jessica Spotswood.

Lastly, there are some delightfully wonderful Easter eggs to be found throughout Great or Northing. Happy hunting!

LW will always be one of my favorite stories. It is the classic read that has everything I want and I never tire of stepping into the March world. This retelling of LW was well done! It does shift from the traditional read, but that’s what a retelling should be - otherwise it would just be the next edition of LW. I’m a huge fan of WWll historical fiction as well, so I loved that the authors chose that time period. And speaking of authors - yes, multiple. Each other wrote for one of the March sisters and each was incredibly well done. This version of LW explores grief and identity in depth - as each sister yearns for Beth to be back with them and they learn who they are without her. Beth’s part is written in poetry and I kid you not, I cried at reading every single one of them. With each LW retelling, I feel I always have a favorite sister, but the more I read (or watch the incredible movies), I realize that maybe I have a little bit of each March sister in me: Jo’s independence, Meg’s want to belong, Amy’s creativity, and Beth’s observance. They are incredible characters and remain so in this retelling.