Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Little Witches: Magic in Concord” by Leigh Dragoon, retells a beloved classic with fantasy elements – Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
As someone who read and loved the original work as a youngster, I obviously had my apprehensions about reading this graphic novel. However, Leigh Dragoon spins a charming ode to Alcott’s work by re-imagining the March sisters as young witches in Concord. So, the story follows the trials of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The author also introduces a mystery sub-plot involving the disappearance of precious objects and animals in Concord, so the sisters try to unravel the cause of the new disturbances in their region.
Each sister embodies traits reminiscent of the characters they are inspired by: Meg, the eldest, takes on the nurturing role akin to their mother when Mrs. March is away; Jo is the feisty and rebellious one, venturing into forbidden magic; Beth is the quiet peacemaker, often settling disputes among her siblings; and Amy, the youngest, oscillates between causing and getting into trouble with her childish antics. And in an interesting twist, Laurie is African-American, and his grandfather Augustus is a former slave who escaped bondage to become a ‘federal witch-finder,’ dedicated to apprehending those who misuse their powers.
The digital artwork in “Little Witches” wasn’t as enchanting as its magic-themed story. However, it’s cute enough to keep viewers engaged, especially younger readers who have yet to be saturated with the snazzy styles of big action comics. It was a little confusing to differentiate between Beth and Jo in the first few pages of the novel, however, once Jo gets a hair-cut, it became a lot more easier to tell the sisters apart.
About 160 pages long, “Little Witches: Magic in Concord” is an engaging read, however, the last few pages were a real muddle. Leigh Dragoon wraps up the novel with a side-story called “The Problem of Too Many Pests”, which was random, and makes the reader feel like the story ends abruptly. Instead of feeling like dessert, the aftermath chapter was an annoyance. Regardless, the graphic novel is a fun fan-fiction like tale.
Rating: 3.5 on 5. “Little Witches” is also available on Kindle Unlimited.
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