BOOK REVIEW: ‘Beth is Dead’ gives ‘Little Women’ a dark, modern twist | Books
Who killed Beth March?
In “Beth Is Dead,” a modern reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” Beth, who hasn’t returned home from a New Year’s Eve party the night before, goes from missing to dead within the first few pages of the book. The March sisters — Jo, Meg and Amy — are determined to find Beth’s killer. But tracking down a murderer isn’t as easy as they think it is. The sisters soon discover that everyone, including Beth, has secrets. And just about everyone they know has a motive.
In her debut novel, Katie Bernet has set “Beth is Dead” in present-day Concord. Jo, Beth and Amy are high school students; Meg is a freshman at Harvard; Aunt March is a career woman living in New York City; Marmie, who is just known as Mom, is a nurse; and their Dad is a novelist who recently published “Little Women.” In his version, which follows his daughters, Beth dies in a car accident at the end of the book. “Little Women” is not well-received by the public (who challenge his right to write about female experience) or the majority of his family (who take issue with him writing about the most private moments of their lives). Only Jo is a fan of the book.
Told through the perspectives of all four of the sisters, in then and now chapters, we can see how each sister is impacted by the publishing of “Little Women.” Jo, who aspires to be a novelist and shares everything with her social media followers, has been given her own book deal, a response to her father’s novel. Meg, off at college, feels she must keep her on-again relationship with Beth’s former piano teacher a secret. Beth, who feels she now has to prove her life is meaningful, is getting ready to attend Plumfield, a prestigious arts academy in New Hampshire. Amy is hoping Aunt March will pay for her to spend a summer in Europe with her favorite artist. During all of this, Mr. March is MIA, having left to camp in Vancouver until the protests and death threats related to “Little Women” disappear.
In her debut novel, “Beth is Dead,” author Katie Bernet brings “Little Women” into the age of true crime.
And then, Beth is found dead. Amy, who has returned home after a night out, was last seen fighting with Beth at Sallie Gardiner’s party. Meg’s boyfriend, Fred, is the last person seen with Beth — he gave her a ride home from the party. Jo is rewriting her novel after her initial draft was deemed too boring. Even Laurie, the beloved boy next door, is interviewed by the police.
“Beth is Dead” is a fast-paced modern murder mystery that will keep you on your toes with its twists and turns as it unfolds. This reimagining smartly captures everything fans of “Little Women” love and spins it to the present day, giving the March family all the problems that modern teenagers face as they maneuver through a life lived in the public eye that is social media. Hard to put down, this book had me falling in love with the March sisters all over again.
BOOK REVIEW
“Beth is Dead” by Katie Bernet
Published by Sarah Barley Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
400 pages
$19.99
