This is one of the most creative classic-book retellings I’ve read in a long time! It proves that these characters stand the test of time, because Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy adapt perfectly to a contemporary setting that highlights the ups and downs of social media and sibling rivalries. A story within the story of Little Women, Beth’s death leads her sisters and the local police on a hunt for the person responsible. The case’s twists and turns kept me turning the pages and prevented me from predicting the end. But the real interest of this novel, and the topic I’m still thinking about, is the idea of storytelling, and who gets to tell a family’s story. How do the sisters maintain their agency, their identities, and their love for each other when their dad turns their private family story into a bestselling novel, one that kills off his daughter?
Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet, (List Price: $19.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665988698, January 2026)
Reviewed by Lady, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama