I picked up a copy of Eight Cousins for free somewhere along the line in the past year, and since it’s been ages since I read any Alcott, I thought I’d give it a whirl. I remember now why I both like and am annoyed by Alcott. Her stories are cute and whimsical and her characters get into fun adventures, which is all very enjoyable and reminds me somewhat of L.M. Montgomery. But her girls are entirely too sweet and timid to be believable. The heroine of this one is rotting my teeth, and I can almost guarantee no thirteen-year-old was ever this much of a shrinking violet, regardless of time period. As long as I don’t think about the character stereotypes too hard, though, the novel is a pleasant experience.