Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet Review

 Title: Beth Is Dead

Author: Katie Bernet

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I received a copy of this book through the Booktrovert feed, run by Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author!

I have a confession to make: I’ve never read Little Women, even though the book has been on my shelf for over three years now. But as soon as Beth Is Dead was announced, I was immediately intrigued. When the opportunity to review it came up on my Booktrovert feed, I leaped at the chance. This is Little Women told in a completely different way, turned on its head as a murder mystery mixed with compelling family drama, all told in a contemporary setting. This book was a deliciously dark puzzle box for me to sort through, and I wanted to read it slowly, so as to savor it. I sat on the review for a while, just because it took me a long time to sort out my thoughts. This book made me view Little Women entirely differently, and I loved it! I’m so excited to see what Katie Bernet does next!

This is Little Women like you’ve never seen it before: The March patriarch is a lauded, bestselling author, riding high on the success that he’s made off of his own daughters. However, the public doesn’t seem to agree with this sentiment, and he is smeared online. All the girls have different reactions to the novel, but none of them are as upset as Beth. At the end of the book, she is killed, and reduced to little more than the tragic heroine, her candle snuffed out too soon. But everything changes when Beth truly dies. And how? Was it an accident, or something more sinister?

I loved this dark and modern take on Louisa May Alcott’s enduring classic of sisterhood and family bonds. I was immediately drawn in; the pacing was breakneck, and the multiple points of view constantly had me guessing and on my toes. I felt like it was impossible to guess who killed Beth, and why. Each of the characters’ voices was real and distinct, and to be honest, I related to all of the characters in some way or another, especially the girls. The twists and turns had me curled up with my Kindle long into the night, desperate to solve the mystery. Even as I suspected the ending, it still threw me for a complete loop! This book was dark, thrilling, and ultimately satisfying; I enjoyed it very much. Easily one of my favorite books of 2026! The bottom line: Richly plotted, dark, and thrilling, I loved Beth Is Dead! Next on deck: The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst!