Reseña de ARC: Little Witches: Magic in Concord

 +Digital ARC gently provided by publishers and netgalley for an honest review+

Little Witches: Magic in Concord 

by  

Leigh Dragoon

160 pages

Expected publication: August 27th 2019 by Oni Press (first published August 2019)

ISBN:1620106485 (ISBN13: 9781620106488)
Edition Language: English

 BLURB: A charming and magical graphic novel adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN!
Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg March are four sisters living in Concord with their parents—Father, who's tending to soldiers fighting in the Civil War, and Marmee, who teaches the girls simple but effective witchcraft. The Marches have to keep their craft quiet, as there are many in Concord who see magic in a bad light—especially after things have begun disappearing.

 When Mr. Laurence, a witchfinder, moves in next door to investigate the missing objects, the girls fear for their livelihood. But he turns out to be a kind old man, and his grandson, Laurie, quickly befriends the Marches. As the cold winter blusters on, the girls continue their education, even as missing objects soon turn into missing people.
Things take a turn for the worse when Jo and Laurie try investigating on their own, and a dangerous storm takes hold of Concord. There's powerful magic at play here—stronger than anything the Marches, or even Laurie, has ever seen before. Can they hope to defeat it? Or has the magic already become too strong for them to fight against?

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Age Range: 8 and up

Grade Level: 3 - 4

I was curious to read this book, which is an adaptation of the beloved classic Little Women by L.M. Alcott, with the proviso that the March sisters here are witches. Good witches, mind you, keeping even their ideas of Transcendentalism.

The plot is similar: four sisters living with their mother in Concord during the Civil War; the father is absent in the aforementioned war minding the wounded. The fact that they are witches is a fact known to all, as well as the existence of magues. So this is a historical fantasy / alternative reality. 

New neighbors arrive at the house in front of the March and they are witch-finders. At first, the girls are worried, but soon discover that Mr. Lawrence and his grandson are rather new inhabitants of the city and no some fanatics. 

[

(hide spoiler)]

Actually, grandfather is an ex-slave who desire to fight the evil mages of the south.

However (and here taking a break to note that my copy is an ARC ), one of my major problems with the book is that it has serious problems in its edition in account of the content of the lettering, because many letters are missing throughout this work which does not allow to appreciate it as it should. Besides that the font used is not very good either.

The story continues along the same lines of the original, with the different personalities characteristics of the four sisters, and the charm of Laurie. But then there is a twist of the plot with a mystery that increases an atmosphere of fear and suspicion in the town about the magic.

The obstinate and brusque personality of Jo here is exacerbated and torn almost caricatured and it is not too much to my liking, (as I join the millions of admirers of Miss Jo March).

Oh, this is for youngers readers, middle graders I think, and there is no romance.

Art is simple, but aesthetics is not very to my liking either.

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Esta es una adaptación de "Mujercitas" de Louise May Alcott, que el año pasado cumplio 150 años, versión mágica, donde las cuatro hermanas: Meg, Jo, Beth y Amy son brujas durante la guerra de secesión norteamericana . Eso sigue igual que en la famosa novela, al igual que sus ideas idealistas de la filosofia Transcendatista. Viven con su madre mientras el padre esta ausente debido a la guerra y viven pendientes de las cartas. La tia March es una anciana cascarrabias que no siente demasiado simpatia por la manera en que han sido educadas las chicas y sobre todo por el modo de ser independiente de Jo (su tocaya). Aqui ella es una maga y se siente superior en su poder y estudios a los hechizos domesticos que han enseñado a las muchachas.

Los vecinos nuevos son una buscadores de brujas. Un anciano con su sobrino, que han decidido mudarse  a Concord. Pronto el nieto hace buenas migas con Jo.

Y luego hay problemas en la ciudad y las chicas se debaten si intervenir o no, o si seran capaces de hacerlo.

El tratamiento que se da al personaje de Jo no me gusto. Tampoco mucho el dibujo, pero sobre todo hay muchos problemas con la edicion de las letras, y espero que lo mejoren antes de la publicacion oficiales.

Como siempre, recomiendo que lean el libro original :)

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