JusticeReads & Writes: Giveaway and Review: Jo & Laurie

Jo & Laurie

by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 2nd 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings,

Synopsis:

Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence.

1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!

But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?

My Review:

I had only recently read Little Women this past January right before I went to see the new movie in theatres. I read the physical book and listened to the audio read by Christina Ricci on Audible. I thoroughly enjoyed Little Women and don’t want to take away anything from the original. However, I’m sure I’m like most of Alcott’s fans and was greatly let down with that ending and the final resolution of Jo March, our star authoress. Well, Jo & Laurie completely healed my broken heart.

Overall, I appreciated De La Cruz and Stohl’s retelling of this fine classic tale. In particular, I liked Laurie’s character more now than from the classic and felt that he was portrayed as a more mature character than in the original and especially compared to the movie. I felt like he was bolder and more confident when it came to Jo. He became a total swoon-worthy character for me. On the other hand, Amy’s character felt like she was written younger and she annoyed me more than the snobbish portrayal of her original character. I suppose I must take the bad with the good.

Likewise, to my feelings from the original, Jo and Meg were still my favorite characters. I felt their characters were the most developed. I think Meg’s character stayed truer to herself, while Jo struggled more with her feelings. Her character growth was interesting to watch unfold, and although I finally got the outcome that I wanted, the sudden change in heart was a little too sudden.

I would definitely recommend this book to those fans who have an open mind and want to have the ideal ending that they felt would’ve completed the story. If I had to choose to reread Little Women again or reread Jo & Laurie, I would most certainly choose the latter.

Favorite Quotes:

"No, that's not true. I don't hate writing; I absolutely, positively loathe it."

"She was left, as a result, with no alternative but to resort to the most trusted and time-honored, if most time-consuming, occupation of all writers--belly-aching about needing to work instead of working."

"Is my current poverty of i9matination not a real problem?"

"This literary husbandry is the very foundation of our glorious profession."

"He looked down at Jo. "So, then. Romance? That what we need, Mr. Snodgrass, old chap?""

"So it seems, Mr. Weller. I believe little whalebone-corseted hearts are to be set afire, as it were."

"And they're not even talking about anything. They never are. Just loads and loads of nonsense."

"Love yourself like I love you, old friend."

"She meant it, which Meg knew-as sisters do-and so peace was struck just as war had been declared."

"Remember who you are and where you come from. Remember everything and be cheerful, because this chance will never come again."

"No one with such an ancient lineage ever lets any else forget it."

"I will ram that peacock feather down your pretty throat, Meg thought."

"His music is the mother he misses. The life he will never know. The book I cannot remember how to write."

"My messes and scrapes and moods and shadows. My queer temperament and career. My inability to live on the same plane of existence as every other person on earth..."

"You're a fool who doesn't know her own heart."

"For life and love are very precious, she wrote, when both are in full bloom."

"I'll always think of you. I'll always treasure our friendship, no matter how far away I go."

"I thought I was the improper one in the family. We can't all be scandalous, now, can we?"

"Keep writing your way back to the light."

"It's all right, Jo. This is life. I will lose you, and you will lose me. Losing is part of having, my love."

"Because of all the other little sisters-the ones you'll never know or meet-who you've made believe they could tell a story of their own."

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48895207-jo-laurie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eKjILC

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jo-laurie-margaret-stohl/1136270761?ean=9780593112861

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/jo-laurie/id1489092197

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Jo-Laurie-Melissa-de-La-Cruz/9781984812018?ref=grid-view&qid=1587559819389&sr=1-1

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/jo-laurie-1

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=8Pe_DwAAQBAJ&rdid=book-8Pe_DwAAQBAJ&rdot=1&source=gbs_atb&pcampaignid=books_booksearch_atb

AUTHOR INFORMATION

MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

She is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

AUTHOR LINKS

MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

Website: https://melissa-delacruz.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21911.Melissa_de_la_Cruz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissadelaCruz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissadelacruz/

Tumblr: https://authormelissadelacruz.tumblr.com/

MARGARET STOHL

Margaret Stohl is a #1 New York Times bestselling nerd, world-builder, video game creator, comic book writer and festival founder.

As an award-winning young adult author, she has been published in fifty countries and thirty-two languages and has sold more than ten million books worldwide. Beautiful Creatures debuted as the Amazon #1 Teen book of the year; seven of Margaret’s books have reached bestseller lists around the world.

She has published fifteen novels and graphic novels, as well as contributed to several games and countless comics since her debut. Her last book, Cats Vs Robots: This is War, was a family affair, illustrated by her child, the artist Kay Peterson, and co-written with her husband, Lewis Peterson. It also starred three of her family’s five cats.

After Beautiful Creatures was released as a feature film from Warner Brothers and Alcon Entertainment, Margaret began working with Marvel on her bestselling Black Widow: Forever Red duology; in 2017 she began writing the ongoing Mighty Captain Marvel comic, followed by the acclaimed Life of Captain Marvel miniseries, where she established a new origin story for Carol Danvers in preparation for the theatrical debut of Brie Larson as “Captain Marvel” for the MCU.

When not roaming the halls of Seattle game developer Bungie - where she oversees the creation of new global IPs - Margaret can often be seen at a Comicon or at one of the teen and youth book festivals she co-founded, YALLFEST (Charleston, SC) and YALLWEST (Santa Monica, CA), the largest in the country. Wherever she goes, you can find out more about her (and invariably her cats) at @mstohl on twitter or margaret_stohl on Instagram or margaret_stohl on Snapchat or at mstohl.com.

AUTHOR LINKS

MARGARET STOHL

Website: https://mstohl.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2895707.Margaret_Stohl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mstohl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaret_stohl/

PROMO MATERIALS

Audiobook sample: https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/jo-laurie-by-margaret-stohl