Member Reviews
This was the first book I have read from Anna Todd and it was a nice sweet read, it was well written with characters you will love. I loved the original Little Women and I enjoyed this retelling loosely based on the story with a modern twist. The pace is a bit slow but the storyline was gripping and kept me hooked.
One bit did annoy me and that was the girls calling their mum, Meredith, instead of mum.
Maybe it was the rewriting of a classic book that turned me off but I just couldn’t get into this book. I have serious issues with how the story is being reinvented. This was just a no for me
If you don't try to compare SPRING GIRLS to the original LITTLE WOMEN, I think you will really enjoy the book. It is well written with captivating characters - they just aren't the same characters from LITTLE WOMEN at all. But SPING GIRLS is a thoroughly delightful story in its own right, so forget Louisa May Alcott and just enjoy.!
Reading The Spring Girls now has me wanting to re-read Little Women!
Anna Todd takes a beloved classic story of 4 sisters and puts a completely modern twist on it. The Spring Girls is set in Louisiana, near New Orleans. For much of the story, the sisters and their mother are struggling as the father is deployed in the middle East. Beyond the struggle within their family, they are all trying to find their place in the world.
Many of the same struggles are there. The girls want to rise above their current 'station' in life. However, the modern setting means the inclusion of sex and alcohol.
Overall, it was an interesting read. If you are a purist, the conversion of the story into modern day society may seem like sacrilege. As mentioned, the girls are fully immersed into aspects of our modern culture. Meg has a reputation for being a slut, something she can not seem to fully escape. And, let's just say that Amy soaks up all the WRONG things while their mother drowns herself in alcohol.
First and foremost, please don't let my rating fool you. Sometimes people see three stars and they immediately think that it is a negative review. That is definitely not the case. I enjoyed The Spring Girls and really thought it was written well. There was just something missing for me so in a sense, the rating is a bit false. I felt I needed to say that because I think a lot of people will like this book as long as you go into it with an open mind.
The Spring Girls is a modern day re-telling of The Little Women. I will admit that at first I struggled with the idea of using the original character names but in the end, I'm glad that Todd decided to do that. There are so many ways to re-tell a classic and a lot of times, the names are changed. So I think at first I was expecting that, but in the end, I think it worked better keeping the original names.
The girls are growing up in New Orleans. Their father is away on tour in Afghanistan and we get to see this modern day military family and how they cope and grow when one of their loved ones is away fighting for freedom. This story is told in multiple POVs, including all the sisters, the mother and a few others. It gives you a really good idea of how different each girl is and the struggles they go through. Since they are different ages, different things are important to them at this point in their life.
While I enjoyed each of their POVs, I just had a hard time connecting with most of them. As usual, Jo stands out and she was the easiest to connect with but the other's kind of fell off the radar for me for some reason. I think that's the downside to modernizing it. When you start throwing in cell phones and other materialistic things that are important to a 15 year old, it's easier to disconnect. I know that sounds unfair to Todd because the original had the same but it was just a different era. I don't know if I can really explain it well enough.
The only other thing that bothered me a bit was that I felt like some of the things I wanted to know towards the end were skimmed over or briefly touched and I felt like there needed to be a bit more. I know that I'm the minority here and again, I want to state that I really did enjoy this book and I think a lot of people will like it.
If you are looking for modern day re-telling of a classic that shows us about love, strength and loyalty, then you need to pick up The Spring Girls and read it. It won't be just like Little Woman so through that notion out the window and go in with an open mind and just enjoy the story.
Growing up being one of 3 sisters, and having 5 of my own children, the craziness and diversity of personalities of each one of the sisters made me feel like I was reading snippets of my own life, and those of my own children. The wannabe, the rebel, the homemaker, the baby....sounds a bit like the Breakfast Club doesn't it?
The story is set in present day on an army base. Anna Todd gives us a real life look at what life on a bast looks like. Deployments, navigating the social circles, raising four daughters....not an easy life. But it's one that the Spring Girls seem to handle in their own unique ways.
The sister I was drawn to was Jo. Her free spirit entranced me. She doesn't care about the opinions of others and marches to the beat of her own drum. She has lofty dreams and is determined to do whatever it takes to obtain her goal.
Amy, for me was the most frustrating. She is a typical 12 year old. Nosy, always trying to act older than she really is, sneaky...which I can relate having 2 younger sisters. At times, I didn't quite get where she was coming from, but then again, she's 12. They are impetuous, and quite selfish at that age.
Meg, I pitied her at times. Always wanting more than she had, when I just wanted her to embrace what she DID have and be happy. Happiness was always fleeting with her as she is always trying to reach for another goal.
Beth was the quiet one. The one most content to be at home, being domesticated, and not really interested in having much of a social life outside the home. I don't think their mother could have made it without her.
My only wish is that we could have seen just a bit in to the future to see how the Spring Girls fared a little later in life.
Having never read Anna Todd before, I know, I've been living under a rock, I can honestly say that this book and her writing style has me curious for her other works as well.
Anna Todd takes on Little Women. That may not be quite right but with her Spring Girls, she does give readers a modern retelling of a classic. Little Women remains one of my favorite reads from childhood and I couldn't wait to read this new offering.
The Spring Girls are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. With their story set in New Orleans, I was looking forward to learning more about them and seeing where Todd was taking this retelling. I did like that we get to know each of the Spring girls as this is told in first person in alternating chapters, although not evenly told by each sister. Todd delivers on the feeling of family and all that can encompass with teen-aged girls - friendships, drama, insecurities, love, heartache, and growth.
While not taking the place of the classic, I appreciate what Todd does with this modern retelling. The Spring Girls kept the pages turning as I wanted to see just how close and different this read would be to Alcott's original.
This was sadly a DNF of me. I found it hard to connect with the characters and the story. It felt flat and didn't interest me at all. There was no depth to the characters and I couldn't bring myself to root for any of them.
Sigh. I had high hopes but this read as little women fan fiction to me. The story was stagnant and the characters were all horribly petty, hormonal people. There were bright spots throughout the storyline the storyline and relationship with the dad and the girls. It seemed like everyone hated the other except for poor Beth. I only ask one thing, WHY COULD NO ONE PUT A DISH AWAY FOR BETH.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott has always been on of my favorite books and movies, so I was so excited to read this one by Anna Todd. She exceeded all my expectations.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are the Spring girls. They live with their mother in New Orleans while their father is on tour in Iraq. Anna Todd does a wonderful job of bringing their voices to life as the chapters are in told in several different characters’ POVs. That gave me such an insight into the characters and their story. I loved the way the book began with Meredith’s POV. She is their mother, and her chapter gave a background to the book and her relationships with her daughters and husband. I especially loved her memories of the birth of each child. I could certainly relate to that being a mother myself.
Some characters, at their core, remain similar to Alcott’s characters, and some she takes in another direction. While some readers might not like that, I loved it. In my opinion, that was necessary to make the characters realistic in this day and age. Anna Todd definitely made the story and the characters her own. Anna Todd is a new author to me, and I can’t believe I waited this long to read something by her. I’m excited to read more from her.
****Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
I'm always a little nervous when an author takes a beloved classic (LITTLE WOMEN in this case) and writes a new novel using the original characters. Sometimes it's a spin-off, which I give a lot more room for interpretation. But in this case, it is a re-telling of the original novel by Louisa May Alcott.
The reason I get nervous is because I already have an emotional connection to the characters. I already have an idea of how I feel the story should go. However, I was excited to see how Anna Todd would modernize LITTLE WOMEN to help make it relevant to today's current issues.
I can't express how disappointed I was. It started okay, but with each passing page (over the course of over 400 pages) it flung itself into a downward spiral which left me more than a little angry.
This is a character-driven novel, but lacks all that I loved about the original characters. First off, all of the characters act older than they really are. Though they are all teenagers, they are crude, vulgar, constantly talking about sex, and are disrespectful. They call their mother by her first name, Meredith. Even Beth doesn't call their mother 'Mom', which seemed very out-of-character.
Though Amy is only twelve-years-old, she also uses the F-word, talks about sex, and watches disturbing videos on the internet.
The girls do nothing but fight, their mother does nothing but drink, and there doesn't seem to be anyone, or anything, keeping the family together.
Since when does making something modern mean creating the most dysfunctional family you can? The original novel was full of heart-break, yet also hope, courage, love, and forgiveness. I saw very little of that here.
I also felt the girls weren't given the opportunity to change. Many of the heartbreaking incidents were removed, which didn't offer the growth opportunities that the girls had previously had. Those incidents had brought the family closer together, and made the girls stronger. Also, in the original novel we were able to grow up with the girls and see how their relationships resolved, as well as more of the people they became. There is no fast-forwarding in this novel, and I felt the pieces were left still scattered and broken.
This is a very rare moment for me, but I am giving THE SPRING GIRLS 1 out of 5 Stars.
The Spring Girls is a modern day retelling of Little Women. I went into this novel open minded because I read a few reviews beforehand that said it strayed pretty far from the original story. I honestly really liked this version, and I think that was because I was okay with the fact that it was a bit different from the original. I really loved the setting as well as the characters, and I think Anna Todd did a magnificent job creating a modern version of a beloved classic.
I had a little trouble keeping all the characters straight at first, but after I figured out the personality of each girl I was able to really connect with them. I loved that they were all so different and they were facing everyday struggles that young girls face in the world today. It felt extremely raw and relatable, and I really enjoyed those aspects. There were a few times I felt that the novel was a little slow, but it would quickly pick up pace and leave my heart racing.
All in all, The Spring Girls was a charming and fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy women's fiction. It is definitely different from the classic Little Women tale, but absolutely still worth the read. Thank you so much to Gallery and NetGalley for sending a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott has been always one of my favorite reads. This classic gem was one unforgettable read that showcased strength, resiliency, family, love, and all the feels. It will always be remembered as the book that made me fall in love with Meg, Beth, Amy and Jo March. And so when I heard Anna Todd was doing a modern retelling of the book, titled The Spring Girls, I knew I had to get my hands on this book.
Though Alcott’s version will always be a literary classic gem, Anna Todd did a marvelous job in putting in her own spin to the story. Todd’s style of writing brings forth a new flare to the characters as she brought life to one of my all time favorite characters, Jo. And for Todd to give Jo and her sisters a voice, this book took on a life of its own as it showcased and emphasized the bond of sisterhood, independence and acceptance. So if you are a Little Women fan, this book might resonate to you on a different level as it is given a new modern fresh perspective.
Storyline: 5
Angst: 3
Tissue: 1
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 1
Over All Rating: 4.5 Stars
Kindle eArc provided by Netgalley
The Spring Girls is a lovely coming of age story. Fall in love with Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy all over again. With father over in Afghanistan in the military, Jo’s mother is raising her four daughters basically as a single parent struggling financially. These little women are confronted with 2017 teenage dilemmas that differ quite a bit from the original little women in a refreshing new way.
“I tried to explain the dangers and blisses of being a woman, but as they grew older, it got harder and harder. I had to explain to them that sometimes things would come easier to the boys and men around them, often for no good reason. I had to teach them to defend themselves if one of those boys or men tried to harm them. Having four daughters aged twelve to nineteen was not only the hardest job I’d ever worked, but it would be the most important thing I would ever do. My legacy wasn’t going to be that I was an Army wife, it was that I’d raised four reliable, responsible, and capable little women to unleash out into the world.
I felt a heavy sense of duty; if nothing else in my life, I wanted them to carry their strength proudly and their kindness openly.”
I found this novel loosely based up The Little Women to be refreshing, clever and such a relatable coming of age story. Raising four daughters on an Army base while their father in stationed in Iraq and all of the current issues of teens these days seem to play on the sisters day by day. Bullying, slut shaming, jealousy, dating and social anxiety…I just loved how everything wove effortlessly through this book and made the story come to life. The twists seemed to make Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy more real to me and as often as they bickered, you could still feel the closeness of the Spring sisters resonate when they united as a family unit to protect each other. I felt included as an inside member of their family and I truly wonder what is coming next for the girls as they mature and have families of their own.
If you are looking for a nice beach read, look no further. This story of family and siblings really was uplifting with the unity of the sisters and pulling together to help their mother. I really found myself thinking on military families and the sacrifices they go through while their spouse serves our Country.
Every little girl knows the story of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I read it when I was a girl as did many of my friends. It is one of the classics and the story is well loved by many young girls and even adults. When I first heard that Little Women was going to be modernized, I was a little skeptical at first. I was afraid that the sisters we all grew up to love were not going to get the justice they so rightly deserved in a modern retelling. I could not have been more wrong. SPRING GIRLS by Anna Todd is simply amazing.
Anna Todd takes one of our most beloved stories and turns it into a charming modern day version of four sisters we have all come to love. While, the heart of the story is still the same, there are some differences from the original version. The characterization of the sisters takes on a modern day feel with issues that young girls coming of age go through today. This is the one part of the story that I really loved and really what made this book stand out for me. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are renamed the Spring Girls and they go through what almost every military family goes through when a parent is overseas fighting in a war. Not only do they worry about their father overseas, they also worry about how their lives are going to turn out. They each have goals , ambitions, and fears about their future. Their story is just so easy to relate to today and I think most young girls will be able to sympathize with each of the characters as the story progresses.
All in all, I think that Anna Todd really captured the essence of the story and really did it justice with her modern day spin on such a classic story. I would suggest while reading THE SPRING GIRLS to go in with an open mind like I did. Anna Todd’s writing style is flawless and she will quickly draw you in to the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and make you fall in love with them all over again.
A retelling of Little women . A story of a woman and her 4 daughters and how they come about in age when their mom is struggling at home as dad is away serving the country.
The story is interesting in the sense the daily struggles of teenage girls, their budding awareness of their sexuality, their surroundings and entailing realizations
I found the characters not clearly etched, but thats just me.
Meg is the eldest , she's supposedly the leader and her mom's shoulder to prop on. But her physical attributes fascinated the writer more than her moral attitudes.
She's a bit promiscuous and is very aware of her effects on boys
Amy , though plainer in comparison, is by no means less attractive . She generally follows Meg
Jo is really wild in her imagination and attitude. Materialistic to a fault, she comes across a tad too insensitive at times. And she's a potty mouth !!! Very outspoken and opinionated, she can argue !!
Beth is the Baby and adorable
I'm going to be honest and say , calling their mom Meredith or marmee, irritated me a bit
All in all interesting story
Just my opinion -Classics shouldn't be messed with. End of !
Please go ahead and enjoy the book
3.5 stars
What a fabulous read from Anna Todd!
I will admit, that when I first heard about this novel, I was very skeptical. I was not the biggest fan of the classic Little Women, so I was unsure if this book would be for me. I decided, that since it was Anna Todd, and I have read and loved all of her other novels, that I would take a chance with this one. I am so glad that I decided to take the leap and read the book anyway. You know why? I ended up falling in love with it.
Each and every female character within this novel had their own story to tell, and their own voice to be heard. They were dynamic, captivating and riveting to hear about. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are iconic book characters, that Anna Todd was able to put her own twists and turns into, in order to make them her own and unique.
I certainly recommend this novel to everyone. Just like Little Women, this imaginative retelling entitled The Spring Girls will become a classic.
4/5 Stars!
Amazing Read! I love the Original Little Women book as I teenager and reading this modern day version.
Sisters, family, lovers, drama all rolled into this story that kept me entertained from the first to last page.
I liked how Author Anna Todd gives us a good amount of story of each sister and their lives.
Go grab this book and enjoy the bond of sisterhood, family & love.