Book Review ~ LITTLE MONSTERS by Máire Roche

Little Monsters
by: Máire Roche
Genre: Middle-Grade Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: June 23, 2026
Publisher: Aladdin

In this modern supernatural middle grade retelling of the beloved classic Little Women, the March sisters have a monstrous secret Meg will do anything to protect—especially with another beast lurking in the woods threatening to expose them.

Meg March and her three sisters are monsters. No, really. Meg has teeth that are a little too sharp. Jo gets furry under the full moon. Beth goes night flying on wings that are impossible to hide under her sweaters. And Amy? Well, don’t let her near a body of water or she’ll start sprouting her mermaid’s tail.

Meg is sure their foster mom, Marmee, wouldn’t like any of this if she knew. And Jo’s best friend Laurie, the nice boy next door, would run screaming. To make matters worse, Meg’s small town outside of Salem is on edge. A vicious beast has been spotted in the forest, and Farmer Bhaer believes it’s responsible for his missing chickens. Meg is sure to be blamed if anyone realizes she’s a monster in disguise. And the closer it gets to Halloween, the surer the town is that something evil is hiding in the forest.

Meg doesn’t always remember what she gets up to at night, and sometimes, she wakes alone in a mossy part of the forest and has to find her way back. With John Brooke determined to find out just what Meg is hiding and locals working to uncover the monsters in their midst, Meg must find the culprit herself—or risk losing the little home she’s found with her sisters.

Little Monsters by Máire Roche is a reimagining of Louisa May Alcott's classic, Little Women. In this story, the March sisters have been in foster care for a number of years. They often find themselves being shuffled to different homes every three to six months. None of these homes truly make them feel welcomed, wanted, or as if they belong.

Little Monsters mainly focuses on 13-year-old Meg March as she deals with trying to get enough money together to buy Halloween costumes for her younger sisters. There's also the added issue of them being a little different, more like "furry different," with claws and wings.

I love the realness of the relationship between the March sisters. They have their disagreements, but they always show up when one of them needs someone. As the older sister, Meg puts a lot on herself. She often takes on the adult role with her sisters, previously because she had to, but lately because she doesn’t know how not to. I loved watching her experience and discover her first crush.

Máire takes Meg and her sisters on a journey of self-acceptance and love, with the realization that there are people who will care for and love you if you only give them the chance.

With a targeted reading age of 8 to 12, Little Monsters is a perfect Halloween or anytime read.

**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**

Rating: 5

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Máire Roche is a former elementary and pre-k teacher who now writes stories full of magic, mystery, and wonder. When she isn’t teaching or imagining fictional worlds, Máire enjoys running, teaching martial arts, and baking too many cookies. She lives in the Midwest with her spouse and their very disagreeable cat, Lulu. Little Monsters is her debut middle grade novel. Under the name Mary E. Roach, she is also the USA Today and Indie bestselling author of the adult novels Bromantasy and We Are the Match, and young adult novels Better Left Buried and Seven for a Secret.

*Photo by Kat Veldt

Places to find Máire Roche:

Website | Instagram | Threads | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page