It's a tough year to publish a retelling of Little Women.

I started out being irritated with Meg's spinelessness and Jo's stubborn nature--and the split nature of the narrative--but these traits grew on me over time. The touches Kantra made to bring the story into the twenty-first century were actually enjoyable.

I still hated the way the March patriarch was portrayed, though. I don't think I found a single redeeming quality about him throughout the whole book.