Belittled Women: A Contemporary YA Romantic Comedy About Rebellion, Family, and Real Romance

by Amanda Sellet

Sharp and subversive, this delightfully messy YA rom-com offers a sly wink to the classic Little Women , as teenage Jo Porter rebels against living in the shadow of her literary namesake. Lit’s about to hit the fan. Jo Porter has had enough Little Women to last a lifetime. As if being named after the sappiest family in literature wasn’t sufficiently humiliating, Jo’s mom, ahem Marmee, leveled up her Alcott obsession by turning their rambling old house into a sad-sack tourist attraction. Now Jo, along with her siblings, Meg and Bethamy (yes, that’s two March sisters in one), spends all summer acting out sentimental moments at Little Women Live!, where she can feel her soul slowly dying. So when a famed photojournalist arrives to document the show, Jo seizes on the glimpse of another artsy, worldly, and fast-paced. It doesn’t hurt that the reporter’s teenage son is also eager to get up close and personal with Jo—to the annoyance of her best friend, aka the boy next door (who is definitely not called Laurie). All Jo wants is for someone to see the person behind the prickliness and pinafores. But when she gets a little too real about her frustration with the family biz, Jo will have to make peace with kitsch and kin before their livelihood suffers a fate worse than Beth.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Retellings, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2022

About the author

Amanda Sellet is a Gen X ex-journalist who loves old movies, baked goods, and banter.
On the comedy/tragedy question, she is team comedy all the way.

Reviews

[Amanda Sellet]

Breaking news: BELITTLED WOMEN is now available on NetGalley and Edelweiss!
For the curious, a few tidbits about BELITTLED WOMEN are available here: https://www.amandasellet.com/belittle...
Update: For more details and a tiny snippet (!), head over to YA Books Central:
https://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/i...

[Stephanie Fitzgerald]

4.5 stars
Warning to all “Little Women” purists:
This is not a re-telling of that classic novel!
Come meet the Porter family through the eyes of the middle daughter, Jo. Not Josephine, just Jo. She has an older sister named Meg, and a younger one named Bethamy. Yes, you read that correctly. Any of those names strike a literary chord, readers?
Teenage Jo would love to get out on the running track of her school in Concord, Kansas, and never stop running. She loves her mother, and sisters, but being a constant part of “Little Women:Live!”, is getting old. When her Louisa May Alcott-obsessed mom inherited a rambling old house and barn, “Marmee” Porter thought it would be perfect for staging beloved scenes from Alcott’s classic. After all, with a family of three girls, she already had the characters of Meg, Jo, and Amy ready, with no casting calls needed. (Yes, only three; even she was not willing to have a fourth baby just for a “Beth”.)
However, that was years ago. The excitement has been lost for the three teenagers, what with the school tours, production season from May to August, and a well-stocked gift shop to help run. And besides, these girls know they are nothing like the family in the book, and that that ancient tome couldn’t possibly have any relevance in today’s society…
Most Memorable Scene For Me:
The Porter family stages a play, just as the original Marches did. However, “Beth” plays not a piano, but a keyboard, for the background music. And I have not stopped laughing yet at the choices she played to introduce each character! No spoilers; you just have to read it!!
This book is definitely intended for a mature Y.A. audience or older. There are references to drinking. drugs, and sex. (Hence my 4.5 star rating.)
I will certainly purchase a copy of this one when it releases .

[michelle (magical reads)]

2.5 stars

rep: Black side character

**I received an ARC from the publisher. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

oh this was....not a good book...I really enjoyed the author's debut but this one was all over the place. characterizations were so one-dimensional and pounded into your head constantly. like genuinely, I don't think amy said a single normal thing the entire book jfc. and the last 20% was so rushed (even though you can see everything coming), I was just like, what is even happening at this point??

I should've trusted my instinct to dnf when I was 15% through but every time I thought, "oh maybe I should not finish this," I would reach a point where it was somewhat interesting. this occurred often throughout the first half and after that I was just like, might as well finish it for the sake of finishing it (and to see if it got better, which ofc it didn't). The only thing that I really liked was Jo and David's scenes together, and those were usually wrecked by Hudson or Amy or Andrea etc etc.

[hannah!]

this was a shitshow but i liked the fighting.

[aarya]

For the first 80%, the heroine’s mom and sisters treat her like crap. Then for a couple chapters, non-family members treat the heroine like crap. Then our intrepid heroine runs home into the loving embrace of her family, where no apologies or meaningful promises for changes are made. A complete waste of time. I wanted to break something by the time I reached the “happy” epilogue.

I enjoyed Sellet’s debut, but only read this if you want your blood pressure raised. I’m not writing a full-fledged review because I’m pretty sure that process will cause me to knock down another star.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa]

Full of back and forth banter, complicated family dynamics and fighting to find yourself, this was a hilarious and romantic YA contemporary.

I struggled with pacing in the middle of the story, but the dialogue and slow burn romance more than make up for a slightly slow middle.

Amanda Sellet is an auto-buy author for me!

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Stephanie
Cover Story: Adorable!
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Sophomore Slump
Factor: Little Women
Relationship Status: Can I Get A Refund?

Read the full book report here.

[Can Dragons Read?]

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Gotta be honest...I don't understand the positive reviews here. I thought I would love this because I think Little Women is such a sweet book but this...was annoying, boring, and not enjoyable. The characters were one dimensional, the conversations had no depth and we're painful to read, and Amy...couldn't stand her at all. I barely finished this book. I feel so bad giving horrible reviews but you want honest....this would've been a DNF if I didn't have to review it.

[Stephanie Affinito]

If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh from the beginning to the end, then this book is for you. But make no mistake, there are plenty of important life lessons inside. Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet is a delightful parody on the original Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Set in modern times, Jo and her sisters aptly named Meg and Amy, are the main cast of characters in their mother’s family business: Little Women Live! Each play their namesake on stage and off, leaving each with big questions about where their life is heading. When a big city journalist comes to document the show, she pokes a few personalities and uncovers a few secrets. As Jo attempts to find her way, she learns about the true power of family and finding yourself. This was thoroughly enjoyable book with real-life sisterly banter that had me laughing throughout and wishing Little Women Live! Was real so I could see for myself.

[Patty (IheartYA311)]

This was cute but not memorable. It felt superficial, lacking substance. The banter was sometimes entertaining but mostly useless. A more complex story would have made it more enjoyable. The author did a good job of making the main character unlikable. I kept waiting for the build up to a pivotal moment, but neither ever came.

[Clara Dowdell]

Obscure library books are my niche

[Ardie]

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

[Cass™]

2 out of 5 stars

Very boring for the majority of the time, and the familial relationships were so mean-spirited that it made it hard to find any sort of joy in them. The romance was cute but nothing too swoon worthy. I expected way more out of this book considering I had loved Amanda Sellet’s debut novel.

My main gripe with the book and the reason I could not for the life of me enjoy it was because of how plain awful, and borderline abusive the family was towards Joe, and at the end it never got discussed! Like what was the point of this book only to let us know that yes while your family might treat you horrendously at the end of the end they are still family? It made me angry.

Joe had so many aspirations and desires, and they never get shared or further discussed with the people that were stifling them. She only confides in the love interest and it made me roll my eyes. It hinges on the idea of “No one understands me except the boy I like!” Of course, it was more of a friends-to-lovers trope so the closeness was understandable but either way I simply didn’t like it.

Just a very disappointing read overall. Not sure what the message of the book was nor if we were to find it funny, or entertaining. I will still keep an eye out for Sellet’s next novel because this might have just been a case of second book syndrome.

[Rebecca Coffindaffer]

Charming as hell, with a vivid cast of well-drawn, quirky characters that seem both larger than life and absolutely true to it.

[Sarah Book Dragon]

YAY! I WON A PHYSICAL ARC!

[Mallaree]

I should have DNF’d this. So much teenage angst and teenagers making awful decisions- something I cannot stand in a YA novel.

[Megan Wors]

3.5 STARS
What I really liked about the book:
1) I liked the nods to history with Louisa May Alcott, and the similarities between this retelling and the original source material.
2) I thought that there were some witty and funny moments.
3) It is a fast and easy to binge book that feels nostalgic if you love Little Women

What I didn’t necessarily love:
1) I get that the characters in this book AREN’T actually supposed to be the original Little Women, but I couldn’t help but compare them and Meg’s portrayal was harsh.
2) The sibling back and forth “banter” felt a bit much at times. I had trouble staying invested in all of these scenes.

Overall I feel like it’s a fun and nostalgic read for fans of Little Women and it’s an easy book to binge in a night.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie]

I have been feeling like Little Women is a bit overplayed and I got this book not thinking about Little Women. However, this is about a family that has created a Little Women world and enactment. However, Jo named after Jo March isn't into it and would rather be running. I pretty much knew what was going to happen from the very beginning.

How did this book find me? It was listed for the 2023 Kansas Book Festival and I'm not sure why.

[K Whatsherface]

Not a retelling. Knew that walking in, skimmed the summary before reading, but I'm still putting it on my retelling shelf because its as much of a retelling as a few of books that a suppose to be actual retellings. I like that about it. It knows it's not a retelling.

It's an interesting take. Still a story of family but not a retelling.

[Stephanie]

2.5 stars? I had a lot of complicated thoughts. Review to come.

[Christy Lucas]

Easy read with a funny premise.

[Abigail Franklin]

Fun, but kind of went off the rails in all possible ways.

[Janet Lukehart Lukehart]

I thoroughly enjoyed Belittled. It is an engaging and well written story with many fun details to reward the Alcott fan.

[Deni Tani]

3.5 stars

[Marina]

I love twists on Little Women. This was a fun, modern and realistic take on the original.

[Holly]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book! I loved Little Women when I read it as a kid, and this story was such a fun homage.

[Stephanie A.]

Interesting premise - and I love a random Kansas setting - but largely unlikable characters. Props for successfully tricking me into believing Hudson was, if not a catch/dreamboat, at least harmless. That really went off the rails by the end.

[Elizabeth]

2.5 stars rounded down. HarperCollins is not engaging in good faith with its workers, so that's all i am saying!

[Lindsy C.]

I think perhaps I wasn’t in the mood for this book, or just wasn’t in the right space for a YA (which is strange since I usually enjoy YA). Or maybe it really just wasn’t a good novel (like I kept thinking was the case throughout). It’s a rounded up to 3-stars book for me because I’m generous and have a hard time giving up beer three stars.

While this novel clearly pulls from Little Women in a myriad of ways, attempting to pay homage to the classic in a modern way, I just did not care for any of the primary or secondary characters. The quips between the sisters (that were supposed to be funny) simply seemed downright mean. ALL. OF. THE. TIME. I found myself annoyed, instead of laughing. I did not feel the plot was strong enough, and the ending was rushed and completely anti-climactic. The quotes directly from Little Woman that started each chapter seemed irrelevant and random…simply plopped there because they were decent quotes.

This book will be for someone. But it wasn’t for me.

[the pickwick club]

as someone who has spent a lot of time studying alcott and reading her works, can i just say how cool it is to see a book that mentions her thrillers??? iconic.

however, this one wasn’t for me. it hurts my heart to see people hate on beth’s role in LW. i see you, elizabeth alcott. i also feel like this book misrepresented the source material a bit. LW was pretty radical for its time, in part because of its attitude towards women. this book dwelt more on the domesticity that LW promoted (which isn’t a bad thing) and beth’s apparent waste of space :(.

unfortunately i feel too strongly about LW for my review to be anywhere near unbiased, though. this is an exercise in humility lol ✌🏻