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 life: 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

375 pages, Hardcover

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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! (lowkey gone) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a shitshow but i liked the fighting.

[aarya · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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? · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Ardie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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™ · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Christy Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read with a funny premise.

[Abigail Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Janet Lukehart Lukehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Deni Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[the pickwick club · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 ✌🏻

[Macy Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was provided an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley

I should have been the ideal audience for this book. It's a Little Women retelling/adaptation and it's set in Kansas. However, it felt a little too chaotic for me in a way that felt like it could have used a stronger editorial hand rather than necessarily a writing issue. In fact, there were several moments, particularly descriptors of Jo and David's friendship that felt so recognizable to me from my own teenage years that I thought were wonderfully written. The premise is excellent and promises many meta moments, but it all just felt like it was a hair off from achieving what it could have been.

My biggest issue with this book was that Jo truly felt like the only character who was truly complex and fleshed out. Meg and Amy in particular felt like caricatures and even when Jo feels like she comes to understand them better, they don't really feel anything other than two-dimensional. The layers that exist between this book and Little Women also felt hard to track at times and the way the characters bounce back and forth between referring to themselves and the characters that Alcott created just hurt my brain a little. Even a humorous attempt to try and address this complexity just made me groan especially given the humor that was employed (the joke of referring to Book Jo as BJ particularly did me in).

Another thing that bothered me, which to be fair is probably more personal as a Kansan, is the fact that this book was set in Kansas but didn't feel like it made any real use of the setting. It could have just been set in any small town anywhere in the country. I appreciate small town settings, don't get me wrong, but if a book is set in my home state I want it to feel like Kansas because stories set in small towns and rural places are even better when they feel geographically specific because place representation in stories is important too and it should be in more than name.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of thoughts that if I could I would just have them out here all at once, but writing is unfortunately linear. First, I was not sure if this should be a straight up 2 stars, a 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars, or a straight up 3 stars. So, I settled on 2 stars, which feels right-ish, except I was toying with the idea of 1.5 stars rounded up to 2 stars. Second, while I knew the romance was coming for I peeked at the end, I still was not sure it was going to happen as we got closer to the end. Third, I think this might be my 3rd Little Women (ish) retelling, but this was not really a retelling. Have you ever read fanfiction/fanart/fan comics, where the author/illustrator imagine the characters are actors playing the characters? That this is what it kind of felt like.

To me, this felt more like Pride and Prejudice in parts, especially when Jo interacted with a character that was giving me Wickham vibes. With the 3 retellings I have read, my favorite, I think, has to be More to the Story by Hena Khan. This was okay, but I had to agree with my Grandmother that there was a lot of bickering (at least I think that is what she said). Now this story does end with the romance that people may want to happen in the actual story even though I think the 2019 movie version sets up very persuasive argument for the romance that happens there, eventually.

Verdict: Eh. I read it, but it was not my favorite. I feel there was not enough reconciliation for me, but I will admit I like when characters get hugs and attention and that was not enough here.