This was a fantastic young adult book. Little Women retellings are among my favorites. I loved this modern twist on it, and I found the characters, especially Jo, to be wonderfully well-rounded. ]

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly I don’t think I can give a genuine review of this book. The synthetic narration was so awful that I could barely keep track through it. I even slowed the speed down to try and process it but it was alas too much. If I could give a zero I would.

I enjoyed reading this YA book, however it is not my favorite and that’s okay. Many parts of this book were frustrating but I suppose that I because I somewhat empathize with the main character.

I didnt like this one or care for it at all. I was confused with what was happening, and it lost my attention fairly early. I hope other readers have more luck!!

This was a great book! I listened to the audio book and it kept me interested. Loved the colorful cover too!

DNF. Not because of the content, but because of the robotic narrator, so, probably not a fair review of the actual book.

I read Little Women many years ago and loved it…except for the ending. I hated that! So, I was excited to see what Amanda Sellet would do with this book that I loved and hated so much. Thank you, Sellet, for giving me the ending I wished for in the original story.

Belittled Women is not necessarily a retelling of Little Women, and yet, one can’t help draw comparisons between the modern Jo, Amy and Meg and the original Little Women. Modern Meg is just as enticed by the popular crowd as Book Meg. Modern Amy is just as self loving as Book Amy. And Modern Jo is just as focused as Book Jo at trying to obtain her independence while feeling trapped by family expectations. (Sadly, there is no real Beth in this story, which I feel is a tragedy. I always loved Beth best and wept over her story.)

I had a hard time with the sisters’ relationship in Belittled Women. It seemed much less loving and much more bitter and unkind than the original Little Women. I also had a hard time with the perceived lack of parenting, especially in the case of Meg. Since we were seeing the story from Jo’s perspective, it’s quite possible Meg was getting the parenting and intervention that she needed, but it was so hard on me not to see it.

I think those who have read Little Women will get much more out of this story then those who haven’t. However, I think it will still be entertaining enough for those unfamiliar with the original story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#BelittledWomen #NetGalley

Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet
Genre: YA Fiction
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: 2⭐️ /5
Goodreads: 3.32
Pub Date: 11/29/22

When I saw this audiobook come up on NetGalley, I HAD to request it. This is a YA modern day adaptation to my favorite classic, Little Women. The adorable cover drew me in immediately and I could not wait to start it.

Although this book made me giggle at some parts from it’s witty comedy, overall it missed the mark for me. I found myself zoning out in the middle of the plot often and just wanted the book to be finished. I don’t think I would’ve had the attention span and motivation to finish this as a YA. I feel that the only reason why I enjoyed some of the parts was due to knowing the classic well enough to understand the comical jabs and references. Readers who are not fans of Little Women will most likely not Like this one. Fans of Little Women will feel more of an appreciation toward the references made.

One thing this book definitely did for me was validate my hatred towards Amy. Just when I thought I couldn’t hate the egotistical brat more, this book proved me wrong. 😂😂😂

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A modern day take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel ‘Little Women’ will leave you appreciating the work that went into the classic version, while wishing you could witness this book come to life. A mother creates a “Little Women Live” show which stars her daughters (who also share the same first names as the main characters of the classic) who are forced into acting to keep this family business alive.
Here's what you can expect from Belittled Women:
• Family drama
• Self-discovery/coming of age
• Teenage mistakes
• Lowkey YA romance (not smutty at all)
• Retellings
• Comedy
Overall, I enjoyed this book far more than I originally anticipated. It was funny and is a great twist on a classic. I even laughed during the acknowledgement portion at the end. I highly recommend!
**a huge thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Amanda Sellet for the opportunity to listen to this book in return for my honest review**

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Belittled Women! As a fan of history and literature, I enjoyed the nods towards Little Women and the life of Louisa May Alcott. Even with the close ties to Alcott's story, it was easy to distinguish the two - even while Jo was experiencing blurred lines between herself and her character. The characters that felt the most removed from Alcott's stories were Meg and Beth, while I was able to notice similarities between Jo and Amy and their namesakes. As an Amy March fan (likely swayed by Florence Pugh's presentation of Amy) I absolutely loved Amy Porter. I laughed out loud multiple times due to Amy's mischief and banter (and honestly was she wrong?).

Early on in my reading I was not sure if I would like the story or not, but as I continued I grew to love it! The ending worked so well for the story (though I would have liked to see more of Meg throughout). Belittled Women would be the perfect read for those who enjoy contemporary rom-coms, retellings and of course Little Women fans!

This audiobook was not the finalized audiobook so I cannot pass much judgement on the narration (though I was surprised at how well the technology picked up on the text, it was often just missing the tone and characterization that a voice narrator would include!).

I will only recommend this book to my students who have previously read Little Women. It's a silly spoof, but the all the references go over your head if you're unfamiliar with LM Alcott.

BELITTLED WOMEN by Amanda Sellet

▶️Swipe for Synopsis

Read if you like:
🌱Tough family dynamics
🌱Coming of Age
🌱Self discovery
🌱Lasting relationships
🌱Making Mistakes
🌱Learning from mistakes
🌱New world views
🌱 & of course, Little Women

🌱Daughters are forced be a part of a family business known as Little Women Live!

🌱I enjoyed the parallels drawn and discussion had about how the family compared to the March’s of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. But I also appreciated that the children rebelled against the world being forced upon them.

🌱I also appreciated the mother’s reading behind wanting to run this business. She need to find a way to be a single mom and care for her girls.

🌱The author went into the life of LMA and her intentions behind her story. There were things I didn’t know that I found interesting.

🌱QOTD: Have you read Little Women?


🌱Thank you @NetGalley for this audio ARC of Belittled Women.


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I really enjoyed this one! The characters were so likable and the story line was good too. I have trouble sometimes with audio books, but this one was really good. It kept be interested and was also such a quick read.

As a fan of Lousia May Alcott and a frequent reader of Little Women, I decided to try this take on a family that reenacts Little Women as a career. The mother is a bit intense but perhaps that just comes from her teenage daughter's perspective. Jo is not like our Jo, but she is someone who rushes headlong into things from time to time. She also struggles with her family's lack of understanding of her life goals and plans. It was entertaining. Not unworthy of a read. 3.5 stars.

Despite having only read Alcott's Little Women once or twice, I enjoyed this book. The confusion between the characters themselves and the characters they pirtray in performance was off-putting at first, but soon became very interesting-- especially a Jo and her sisters 'tried on' the characters as archetypes, trying to figure out their own identities. It was fun to think about the ways in which growing up so heavily under the influence of one text in a smallish town would impact the ways in which chatacters think abd behave. I enjoyed the book and would happily recommend it-- especially to fans of Alcott's work.

There are so many modernized adaptations of classics within the YA Romance genre that I am always a little wary when another one pops up. However, this was a delightful twist that was witty and felt very fresh. I would definitely place this on a recommended list for a future summer reading program or on a list of book talk books for high school students. There is definitely enough here beyond the romance to talk about for a teen book club, so it would definitely be a book we would purchase, and likely make available as an audiobook. There were plenty of parts that were just laugh out loud funny, and the pacing was ideal. You feel that the story is fleshed out and full, but it moves along at a clip that will keep even a reluctant teen interested and entertained.

As one of three sisters whose favorite book growing up was Little Women, when I saw this offering on NetGalley, it was a “no-brainer.” The story is a cute mix of nuggets of the Alcott classic and contemporary YA topics.
I will certainly add Belittled Women to my middle school classroom library because I think it would appeal to a wide range of students. There’s the literary allusions to which some will enjoy making the connections. There’s familial relationships - annoying mom, more annoying siblings. There’s typical teen angst - does he/doesn’t he pseudo-romance, - potential love triangle, friends and athletics. There’s the tease of an adventure and a bildungsroman of sorts.
This definitely isn’t high brow literature. It’s not destined to be a classic like it’s inspiration. It’s not a challenging or meaningful read meant to teach a lesson. It’s a fun, casual YA novel that will entertain students. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

Belittled Women is a hilarious book about a quirky family of three teen daughters and their mother who have a longstanding Little Women Live! production they perform yearly for local school children (including their peers) and tourists. It is as campy as it sounds.

The three daughters are named Amy, Jo, and Meg, naturally, but the book focuses on Jo, naturally. Jo, a high school junior, is an unwilling participant in the family business at this stage and desperately wants to have an identity she has chosen for herself, rather than the one foisted on her by her family. Throw in the boy-next-door who dated her sister, a notorious author and her son looking for a feature story, sibling rivalries, financial insecurity, and you've got a Alcott-worthy setting for a teen girl to make mistakes and find opportunities.

This book had me laughing out loud many times, so now I've got to dig up all of Amanda Sellet's other works. It's billed as a romance, and there was some romance, but it was more about Jo's relationship with her family and her explorations into how to find her own identity and maintain closeness to them.