I’d never read this author before embarking on her modern-day retelling of the Little Women story. I felt two things as I dived straight in; excitement and trepidation.

Excitement over the author’s reimagining of a literary classic, and how the characters and themes would translate in today’s world. The trepidation came from wondering if she could pull it off, as I had high such expectations #sorrynotsorry It takes a brave author to take on such well known characters, and then to do them justice.

Well, in my humble opinion, she not only pulled it off, but set the benchmark for any future retellings of classic tales. I know not every reader will agree with me, but you can’t please everyone *shrugs*

I loved the modern-day version of the girls. Jo was just as feisty and headstrong as I expected her to be, but with an added vulnerable side. And, oh my days, I adored Laurie. Le sigh... to feel so much at such a young age *swoon*

Sorry *shakes head* where was I?

Oh yes... the struggles each of the girls, and the family as a whole, faced really resonated with me. Those families with loved ones fighting overseas to keep us, and all we value, safe. The perils of social media, and bullying in its many forms. Modern day financial worries. The want to fit in, and be accepted. Each girl striving to forge their own path - if they even know what that is.

I loved (sorry, the l word again!) Beth. She really is the glue that holds the Spring Girls together. Her capacity for love and patience is boundless. It was very clever what the author did with her character.

Amy is every bit, if not more, annoying in her noughties version. I honestly didn’t think that was even possible, lol.

And lastly Meg, I think she struggles the most this time around. It’s so very hard to trust in anyone once you have been betrayed. Mean girls are the worst.

Above all, for me, this is a story of love. No matter the trials and tribulations the Spring Girls may face, or where life leads them - they will always have each other. For theirs is a bond like no other!

Before I bore you all to tears with my ramblings, I want to leave you with this line from the book:

“To feel anything you have to know the highs and the lows...”

I think the Spring Girls can attest to that.

Omg I feel a little bit ashamed to say this, but I have never read Little Women!I enjoyed The Spring Girls a lot, the characters were enjoyable and the writing flawless!The concept is interesting , the daily struggles of teenage girls and the romances.

The twists through the story made Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy more realistic to me! I started reading and was sucked into the story. I read the book in one sitting because I had to know what happens to the sisters.I believe that this one has to do with the fact that I haven't read Little Women!It was a nice surprise to me!

Little Girls is a refreshing and fast paced story that I would recommend to everyone!

You guys don't understand how excited I was and still am for this book! It's a modern retelling of Little Women! How much more awesome can that get! I don't really talk about classics a lot because I haven't read a lot and I don't want to sound uneducated. But I adore Little Women, even if I haven't completed the entire series yet. It was one of the very first classics that I ever read and truly understand. I bonded with the March girls, especially my dear sweet Beth in a way that I haven't since Harry Potter.

This book was essentially spot on with original with a few extra things, like characters, added in there to keep it fresh. The March girls are renamed the Spring girls but they still have the same first names. Anna Todd captured Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in a way that was true to the classic but still kept it modern. Everything was basically modernized and I loved it! There were even side characters such as Laurie and John Brooke. There stories were a little bit different than what happened in the classic but I still liked them. They added to the story in positive ways.

This is more a character driven book then a plot driven book. We follow the Spring girls as they live their life in a military base in New Orleans while their dad serves. I found that having it more character driven really made this story extra special. Although for a while there, I wasn't sure how it was going to end. But I was satisfied with how it turned out.

If I could have one teeny tiny complaint that isn't really a complaint, it would be that I wish all four of the Springs girls got a POV. We had one chapter from the mom, mostly Jo and Meg with some of Beth and one from Amy. I would have loved to see all the girls get equal time on the page. But that is more a personal preference than an actual complaint.

If you guys loved the original Little Women then I highly suggest you guys pick this book up right now! I think you all will love this modern retelling. I know I did! You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy are military brats on a base outside of New Orleans. Meg is in a relationship with John but still caught in in feelings for Shia. But she really wants to be an officer's wife doesn't she? Jo wants to see the world, but when she meets Laurie suddenly she wonders if she can have it all.


Beth just wants to play music, and Amy wants to be Meg more than anything. While Meg hopes to leave her past and trouble from Fort Hood way behind her. Meanwhile, their mom is quietly worried about their father. She hasn't heard from him in awhile.


This is a retelling of Little Women, and in a lot of aspects it gets it right. The Spring Girls does have the same feeling as Little Women. The military aspect sort of adds and detracts from it. I am always a tad worried when I read a book that tells the story from a military aspect because more often than not the author doesn't get it right. Why would that bother me? Because I was a Army brat and in the military and a military wife. Lol yes I did all three.


For me though the crux of the story was so good that what bothered me about the military setting was set aside. I wanted to know what was going to happen and I was rooting for all of them. Although Amy was a bit left out, I really loved Meg and Jo. Even though Meg drove me crazy a bit, more than once. But since, Jo was my favorite in Little Women, it would only seem right if she was my favorite here as well.

DNF @ 23%

I was so hoping to enjoy The Spring Girls, not just because it was based around the classic Little Women, but because it sounded fresh and reinvigorated. I think the issue lay in how Todd decided to delineate from the original in regards to character personalities and purpose. There was little depth to each character which made their modern-day traits vapid and shallow, in turn making each of their journeys in the story less than inviting. Maybe these characters and their stories weren't meant for modern times, either, because it just fell flat in a variety of ways and it went from something fresh to something that shouldn't have been tampered with. A 're-telling' would be the proper word to listen to as it is a completely different take on this family. I know some will very much enjoy it and Todd's unique take on how they would appear in this time, but, unfortunately, I was not one of them. Certainly doesn't put me off from this author; I just take it that not every book by every author is for every person.

The Spring Girls by Anna Todd wowed me. This book is a full-length, standalone romance novel, a modern day retelling of Little Woman by Louisa Mae Alcott.
Meet The Spring sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. And this is their story. Their mother Meredith is absent most of the time, the father, a Lieutenant is on deployment. They live on a military base and the father's absence takes a toll on the family.
Meg the oldest will marry soon; Jo wants to leave at any price, nothing can stop her so it seems; Beth is afraid to leave the house, she's the peacemaker; and the youngest, Amy, is watching her sisters and learning.
I started reading and was sucked into the story. I read the book in one sitting because I had to know what happens to the sisters. Nothing is as it seems anymore, nothing. There are twists and unexpected turns, the sisters fall out of and in new love. They have dreams and goals. They explore the pains and joys of growing up, they fight with each other and they make up.
This story has it all—tension, angst, suspense and heartbreak. I've smiled, laughed, cried and was angry at some point. It is not often I feel so connected to the characters, but Anna Todd has accomplished just that. I love the story, the characters and the words.
I recommend The Spring Girls and give 5 stars. Thank you, Anna Todd !

Ugh. I don't know why I even bothered. I adore "Little Women" (and "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys". My girls' middle names are Margaret and Josephine (okay, both family names, but with the added bonus of "Little Women" character names!). These are some of my most treasured books.

Modern retellings rarely go well for me, but I figured why not try this one out.

What a waste of time. I almost never put books down, but ended up abandoning this one 40% in.

The Spring girls live on a military base, while their father is stationed somewhere in the Middle East. The family is under financial stress, which we learn from the mother's (Meredith) perspective.

In this version, Meg is kind of slutty, Jo wants to be a writer and doesn't care about her looks, Beth is home schooled and loves to cook and Amy is still very young and self-absorbed. So not that different from the originals, except Meg, which I wasn't a fan of.

And then Laurie showed up. With his man bun. Yup, a man bun. Probably (in my opinion) the grossest male hairstyle. The book lost me there.

I tried to keep going, but the writing itself was terrible, the characters obnoxious and annoying and at almost halfway in, nothing was happening. I might flip through just to see what ends up happening at some point, but this was a huge disappointment. Avoid it!

Little Women fans, here is the modern-day retelling that you didn't know you needed.

Anna Todd, whose After series fulfilled every Harry Styles' fan's fantasies, takes on the March sisters, here with the surname Spring. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are living in New Orleans with their mother Meredith while their father is stationed in the Middle East. Todd nails the sense of fear, uncertainty, and loneliness that the girls feel in the absence of their father. She also does a solid job of representing the personalities of the sisters.

Meg remains the confident oldest sister. In Anna Todd's world, this translates into all manner of outward confidence, including a certain sexual freedom. Of course, this masks Meg's insecurities, caused largely by her uncertainty as to her future. Does she get married young and become the perfect military wife? Or does she figure out what goals and dreams she has of her own?

The headstrong, defiant Jo March is the headstrong, defiant Jo Spring. She is every bit as un-self-conscious as her predecessor. Her friendship with Laurie is a bit different here. Let's just say that there is a romance with Laurie, but Todd takes it in a different direction. I appreciated that, by the way, although I'm sure Little Women purists will find a reason to complain. Instead of doing that, how about we commend Anna Todd for staying true to the natures of her characters?

We all know what happens to Beth in Louisa May Alcott's story. As with Laurie, Todd takes the character in a different direction. I liked this, too. Hints are dropped, such that the revelation may not stun, but it's a worthy way to cast this character in modern times.

Unfortunately, Amy remains every bit as annoying as she did in Alcott's original. Again, however, this seems fitting. The youngest of four sisters, Amy watches Meg, Jo, and Beth, decides which one she wants to emulate, and does so, not bothering to think about whether that sister deserves such honors.

I really enjoyed this book. I like the spins Anna Todd took on Alcott's beloved family, and I liked some of the unexpected directions she took.

The Spring Girls is a moderazied version of the classic, Little Women, by Louise May Alcott. The book is about four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy Spring. They live in New Orleans, on a military base, with their mom who basically has no emotion. . The girls miss their father, who has been fighting in Iraq, This story I though was done very well. I liked how the author modernized it.

Thanks Netgalley!

I loved Little Women and this is my first read by Anna Todd...I’m impressed with the way she brought this tale into modern times. Complete with all the struggles of young women today but keeping the integrity of the the original girls and paying homage to the original tale.

I want more. I need to know the rest of these women’s lives and how they will prevail and conquer the world while finding their dreams.

Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy are sisters, unique in their own way and with daily struggles that all teens. They think they know what they want from life and are striving to fulfill their dreams while keeping their family together.

I was drawn into these pages and filled with drama and angst. A great read for teens and adults alike. A wonderful modernized take on a classic tale.

Rating: 2.5/5

This is based on the classic, Little Women by Louisa M Alcott, and endeavours to rewrite the original with a modern twist. I suspect this will prove to be one of those stories you’ll absolutely love or be somewhat ambivalent about. Unfortunately, I’m in the latter category. Yes, I did read and finish it but I struggled to do so. I found it difficult to relate to the characters, I felt little or no connection to them or their plights - which is very unusual for me! It is contemporary, examining a variety of issues through the experiences of the four young women, definitely striving to bring the classic up to date. Good job we're all different and like different things . . . this one isn’t for me but could well be just the book you’re looking for, if so, I really hope you enjoy it.

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

When I first heard that, The Spring Girls was based on my favorite Little Women. I was excited yet a bit scared. But I wanted to give it a chance.

This story starts off so slow, and I wasn’t able to get into it at first. But I powered through. There are quite a bit of things that are different. I’m not sure it really was a good thing, to put this type of story into a different time period. The sisters just didn’t feel the same and pretty much the whole aspect of the story. I know that this is considered a Modern day retelling.

I wanted this to take hold of me and grab me. But it didn’t. I’m a bit disappointed. I think The Spring Girls is a story that many will love. The writing was good, but I just felt like this could have been better.

Overall, Two Boundless Stars

The modern day retelling of Little Women.....

Whew, this book....this book gave me such a book hangover and it took me a while to really come up with a review worthy of it, but I will try.

When I was younger, I floved (you know what floved means right?!? F...ing love) Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women. I had a ragged, ripped dog-eared paperback that I would have handy all the time. My only problem with it, and it was a minor problem, was the time it was written. The Civil War era, I mean I get it, that was the era that Ms. Alcott lived in and what she knew.

So color me surprised and excited when I was given the opportunity to read the modern retelling of this childhood gem!

Anna Todd retells this story amazingly! As an Army veteran, and married to a combat Army veteran with children. This story grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The trials and tribulations of the Spring family hit home with me. I have experienced, first hand, the heartache when my husband was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the real fear of every time the doorbell rang while he was gone. I have experienced, first hand, the drama of FRG's, the power trips of some Army wives and I have experienced, first hand, the emotional turmoil my children went through when he was deployed and when he returned home. While reading this book, I was having flashbacks to my own past and how I handled the day to day as an Army wife and mother.

I want to personally thank you Anna Todd, for bringing the world of military family life to the forefront. I now know I will have a paperback copy, which with every re-read will come a little ragged, a little dog-eared and little ripped and it will be floved as much, if not more than the original!

I first read Anna Todd books in her "After" series and was very interested in what she would bring us with her newest book coming up. The Spring Girls. WOW! I am amazed how much I loved this book. I have never read Little Woman, but I get the whole picture now. I love the Spring sisters. My heart broke for their mother. Even though she had her own demons, she loved her girls whole heartily. Their dad did what he could do. The heartbreak this family goes through is gut wrenching when he is sent home.

This story is about a family bond. Anna shows us how military life is not all that it is cut out to be. There is so much more that our heroes have to go through besides defending our country. This brings so much more perspective for the military families that live this life.

The bond of sisters made my heart warm and fuzzy. The fighting, the drama, and the growing pains are all there. What a great book to read over a weekend or two! I love Anna's books, but she had brought her writing to a new level that will stay in your hearts way after you finish reading the last page.

I adore Little Women. I have read it multiple times and watched all of the movies. So, when I saw this, I was so excited to read it. Is it an exact retelling of the story, No. However, it is loosely based on it and it is a very entertaining story.

I liked the feel of family and friendship and love you get from this story. It is a clever telling and I really enjoyed reading it.

This modern retelling of Little Women was engaging and a wonderful read!

The Spring Girls is a modern retelling of Little Women - same names and personalities. This reads more like a YA or Chick-lit novel - not to many details about the war or the father. I think teens would appreciate the girls and how the mother treats them. The Springs live on an Army base near New Orleans. The four girls - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are very believable characters as 19 -12 years old sisters. The mother Meredith, who the girls call by name, is kind of in the background as a scared, but empowering/understanding parent. It's kind of lightweight, but interesting about living on a military base and how the social system works.

It makes me sad to see the low ratings and reviews for this novel because I thought the book was very well written and interesting to read. Perhaps those who are not looking for an exact replica of Little Women will enjoy this one? I sure did.

Anna Todd does a wonderful job at bringing these characters to life. Each one of them are different from the other and I could feel the clashes between them. This never took away from the feeling of family and togetherness though which made the book seem very realistic.

I applaud Anna Todd for her spark and the way she wrote The Spring Girls and I think the story will appeal to many readers.

The Spring Girls by Anna Todd is a modern retelling of Little Women, which is, let’s be honest, every little girl’s favorite book. I was so excited to read this! I I love Louisa May Alcott and I love retellings of classics!

In The Spring Girls, Meg is a personal makeup artist to their wealthy neighbor, Mrs. King, Jo is counting the days until she can graduate and move to New York City, shy Beth is homeschooled, and Amy is there, too. The family is having mysterious financial worries, even though their father’s deployed and he’s just had some kind of promotion.

I wondered a little bit how this story would modernize successfully, since a lot of tension in Little Women has to do with the sisters needing to marry money or supplement the family with side income from a non-threatening small project, but it works, because the story is on an army base, with army wives selling candles and Lularoe and making a career out of being an officer’s wife. That part of the modernization is, unfortunately, just about the only thing that works.

Something is off with the pacing. I realize this sounds like useless workshop feedback, since I can articulate what’s not quite right without putting my finger on what, exactly, would fix it. The first third of the book takes place between Christmas Eve and New Years, including sections that are so beat-for-beat that it feels more like a parody than homage. Then, the story progresses in fits and starts, with some really forced events. The main pastime on this base is passing by and overhearing highly relevant conversations.

There’s a lot of cool foreshadowing here with John Brooke’s weird reluctance to introduce Meg to his mother (Is she too poor? Has her reputation, after an old boyfriend leaked an NSFW photo, reached his mom? Is he two-timing Meg?), but that’s never resolved. There’s also a lot of cool foreshadowing with Beth and her role in keeping her parents together, but that’s never resolved. And Jo is writing a Very Serious Piece for Vice (On spec, but with an assigned word count? On assignment, but without mentioning that she’s sixteen?), because she is every teenage girl with Big Dreams of being a writer in the Big City. Amy is there too.

In the last couple pages, there are so many revelations that there’s no time to process them. Amy is revealed as the real sender of tragic breakup emails from John Brooke to Meg, but Meg shrugs it off, since she’s about to leave the country with some other dude (I’m about 90% sure they’re going to Cambodia?), Jo bangs Laurie, Beth gets a girlfriend, and the financial weirdness with the March parents just goes totally unresolved. Amy is there, too.

Overall, I feel like a read a solid draft of what could be a fun retelling. This was an eARC, so maybe the final version will be smoother.

I’m a goner for anything Little Women related - however this adaption wasn’t my favorite. It was just too far from the original, and I totally understand this is an interpretation, it just wasn’t for me. I did appreciate how the author modernized the characters and included an LGBTQ element.

Thanks, Net-Galley for the ARC!