We all know I'm a sucker for fantasy and sci-fi by now.
But this was beyond even my expectations.

The beautifully done metaphors that spanned the entire books, the depth of foreshadowing, the connections of the characters - flawlessly done.
I will be making this book a core piece of my repertoire as a teacher. It has so much potential for learning: space, constellations, light, music, creative writing... my ideas as I read were practically never ending.
But arguably more important is its capacity for emotional discussion. The empathy this book teases out of the reader, the curiosity, the questions... even a reluctant reader would be hard pressed not to be clinging onto every word.

I'm giving a short review to help anyone who is thinking of buying this book with their interaction with it.
I have mixed feelings of this book;
It was helpful in ways:
> identifying and considering behaviors
> validating experiences
> giving ideas for selfcare and positive habits.
> It was written by an adult survivor who speaks from her own experiences and research, which is always validating to read.
> It was written in a simple way that young people, or those who know very little about psychology could easily access.
However, I imagine there will be better books out there to get the same things from.
It was disjointed and poorly edited (it is self published, and the author mentions in the foreword that they do not consider themselves 'a writer'), which at times was a little off-putting. The author is not a specialist in mental health of any kind, and provides no references (a point they also do acknowledge from the beginning). It borders on ableism in the way that the author talks about narcissism itself, and there are a few lines around how 'frustrating' it can be if the mother has any kind of disability...
Finally, it is very heavily based on the idea of a typical, heteronormative mother and father family unit with extended family interactions, which just didn't connect to my life very well; it was a little disappointing.

Overall it was helpful to read, but I would say about the same level as reading a blog or forum post from people who have lived experience. It was the validation, simplicity, and 'community' feel of it that I found beneficial.

So it's finally finished.
It wasn't a bad book all in all, but as I expected, it was absolute agony to read. It took me so long to get through and it felt like a chore to pick it up every time.

The only thing that kept me going was my mission to collect as many quotes as I could to support my little headcanon that Jo is 100% a trans man (the final count being 16 in case you wanted to know).

Since a lot of people asked me why I was bothering to read it if I hate classics so much:
I love reading. There are certain genres that I love: what I instantly go to talk about or pick off from the shelf. There are genres I can enjoy but might not usually pick: recommendations from friends, books I see advertised outside of my regular, or books I've studied. And then there are genres that I really struggle with...
I think it's important as a teacher to be able to understand the feelings of those who find all reading to be a struggle. If I can relate to them, and understand the effort that goes into reading books they don't enjoy or find difficult, I can better communicate with them. I can share my experiences of books I've struggle with or disliked, and I can help them to see that not all reading is like that. Everyone has genres that they will prefer, and genres they will struggle with. The more variety I have, the more experiences I can share, and the better I can help these children to find the books they'll love.

Now, onto the much anticipated graphic novel rendition as my reward!

As you can tell from the speed read comparison, I much preferred this adaptation of the novel to the original I just finished yesterday.
Graphic Novels hold a special place in my heart, so I tend to have a hint of bias towards them anyway, but this modern twist on the story felt so right.

I still hold my ground that Jo will always be a trans man in my mind, but I also respect and enjoyed the narrative she was given in this novel, and the way it was tied together at the end.

I loved the way that characters who saw little development in the original were used, the use of current affairs and societal issues, the changes to the original plot and the clear meanings of those changes, and the designs of all the characters in general!
It found a perfect foothold between important societal discussions of our world now, and reflecting and connecting with the world of Alcott's original writing.

This is definitely a version of the classic that I will be keeping in my class, along with a copy of the original, and likely a lighter/shorter version for an easier read option.