When it comes to YA retellings, the nostalgia factor is real—at least for adult readers like myself. I can’t seem to resist a fresh take on a familiar story, when authors take beloved and well-known tales but center an unexpected background character or write a new happy ending absent from the original but longed for by readers. I’m particularly fond of retellings with unexpected settings, gender-swapped roles, or surprising plot changes that allow us to approach these stories as if for the first time by injecting them with new and sometimes altogether different meanings and morals.
Today’s book list includes twists on classics, fairytales, and myths, both familiar and new, and all from the YA authors. While the reading options below are abundant, our incomplete list offers just a small sampling of all the YA retellings out there. (We could have put together a list solely composed of retellings based on Pride and Prejudice or Beauty and the Beast !) We’ve left room for your favorites: if you have a favorite YA retelling or three, please tell us all about them in the comments section.
Scarlet
This inventive retelling of Robin Hood focuses on Will Scarlet, who is not only one of Robin’s best thieves, she’s also a girl. (Gasp!) She has reasons for hiding her identity—and they’re about to be put to the test now that thief taker Lord Gisbourne is on the prowl. Will she put herself first or the people of Nottingham she’s sworn to protect? Scarlet grows tremendously across the trilogy, making for a satisfying reading experience. More info →
A Study in Charlotte
This puts such a fun spin on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories. Jamie Watson transfers to fancy Connecticut prep school Sherringford on a rugby scholarship, and there he he meets the eccentric Charlotte Holmes. Charlotte seems to have inherited her great-great-great grandfather's keen eye and unpredictable temperament, so Jamie decides to avoid her. However, when they're suspected of murdering a fellow classmate, Jamie and Charlotte must team up—much like their ancestors—and solve the case in order to clear their names. Clever and witty, you'll want to keep reading the whole series. More info →
Pride
A Pride and Prejudice "remix" that envisions Darcy and Lizzie as two Brooklyn teens. First line: "It's a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it's a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up." Zuri Benitez is the second daughter of a large Haitian-Dominican family that has lived forever on their block in Bushwick. When Darius Darcy pulls up to the expensively renovated mini-mansion across the street in a blacked-out SUV, she immediately hates him and the gentrification he represents. But Austen fans know that's only the beginning of the story. Hot tip: Elizabeth Acevedo narrates the audiobook, and it is incredible. More info →
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
This clever twist on Beauty and the Beast features Harper, a modern-day 17-year-old girl who is going through a terrible time when she gets sucked right into a fantasy world. There she encounters Prince Rhen, heir to the throne of Emberfall, who is cursed, turns into a beast, and destroys everything he holds dear. (Sound familiar?). This retelling is delightfully modern, features a character with cerebral palsy, and straddles reality and fantasy in a refreshing way. More info →
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
A brilliantly imagined sapphic fairy tale inspired by the Persian epic the Shahnameh, featuring dangerous demons, poisonous girls, and a kingdom in peril. The cursed princess Soraya has been living inside her family’s palace walls—touching no one—for eighteen years. As her twin brother’s wedding day approaches, the palace guards capture a demon who may be able to tell her how to break the curse and gain her freedom. But the answers she seeks plunge her into personal crisis and political intrigue, and Soraya is soon forced to question everything she thought she knew about herself—while facing choices that may endanger not just her own fate, but that of the entire kingdom. An enthralling fantasy with broad appeal, with lyrical prose and incredible worldbuilding. More info →
Spinning Silver
This ambitious Rumpelstiltskin retelling works in other recognizable elements from Eastern European folklore while building a beautifully unique world while tackling timely themes and putting her own mark on this enchanting story. This updated version presents a tale of two kingdoms, an impossible challenge, a peasant girl, and a high-stakes quest. With six different narrators, it may take you a few chapters to get acclimated, but your patience will be rewarded. I love magical reads that pack a dose of realism, and this one delivers. More info →
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix
This sophisticated “remixed” classic keeps the familial love of Louisa Alcott’s Little Women and sheds the rest to tell a new story of four Black sisters starting over in 1863 North Carolina. In her fresh and nuanced version, Morrow moves the March family south to the Freedpeople Colony on Roanoke Island, where they’re recovering from the trauma of enslavement (which Morrow offers glimpses of) and struggling to build new lives. The irrepressible March sisters—teacher Meg, writer Jo, seamstress Beth, and dancer Amy—are vividly characterized. Morrow retains many of the young women’s personality traits from the original, while plunging them into new situations and challenges in the colony. The sisters’ love anchors the story throughout, giving the book a gentle feel though Morrow’s update deftly tackles painful topics as she sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of American history. Don’t miss the author’s note. This is the May 2022 selection for Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. More info →
Wintersong
This deliciously dark retelling draws inspiration from many well-known fairy tales. Liesl grew up hearing about the Goblin King who goes out riding in search of his bride. When the Goblin King steals her sister, she has no choice but to go after her. Liesl decides to make the ultimate sacrifice: her life for her sister’s. She’ll stay Underground and marry the Goblin King instead. It’s not long before she discovers it’s not the sacrifice she thought it would be and that there’s so much more to the Goblin King than she realized. More info →
Wicked Fox
You don’t need to be familiar with the Korean legend of the gumiho (nine-tailed fox who devours the energy of men) to appreciate this story. Miyoung guards the secret of her gumiho identity at all costs. When she sees Jihoon being attacked by a goblin, she violates the rules of secrecy to protect him and loses her fox bead—her very soul—in the process. Prickly Miyoung and good-natured Jihoon have to band together while they figure out how to reunite her fox bead with her body but neither are prepared for what it might cost. Bold choices make this difficult to put down. More info →
A Spark of White Fire (Celestial Trilogy Book 1)
This is a YA space opera retelling of the Sanskrit epic the Mahabrahata. No one knows Princess Esmae is still alive until she wins a competition and comes back to her family’s kingdom to claim what’s hers. She’s back for the sake of her family, even if her estranged family doesn’t see it that way. It’s about love and belonging and how to cope when your allegiance is torn. Plus, there’s a sentient warship(!!!) named Titania. This is a fun, fast-paced read that several MMD team members have loved. More info →
Cinder
Each book in the YA fantasy series The Lunar Chronicles puts a new spin on an old fairy tale. In this first installment, Cinderella becomes a kickass mechanic, despised by her mother and stepsisters because she’s a cyborg. Though it’s clear where the story is headed, spotting the imaginative ways Meyer reinvents the old fairy tale keeps the reader turning the pages. Fresh, fun, surprising, and compulsively readable. I loved these first as an adult reader, and then my tween and teen daughters blew through the whole series. More info →
Olivia Twist
In this genderbent retelling of Oliver Twist, Olivia is both a hard-scrabbling orphan posing as a boy and a lady trying to figure out where she belongs now that her uncle has taken her in. It’s hard to escape her past, however. She steals small trinkets from the wealthy while she's at their parties, then hocks them so she can give food and money to some orphaned boys she looks after. While at one such party, Olivia immediately recognizes the Artful Dodger who took her under his wing but Jack only ever knew her as the boy Ollie and has no idea who she's become, even if she does seem familiar. There’s danger and intrigue and you’ll fly through the pages to see whether this version of the story gets a happy ending. More info →
What are your favorite YA retellings? Please tell us all about them in the comments section!
P.S. 13 excellent young adult historical novels for readers of any age, 20 spellbinding fairytale retellings to get lost in, and 20 books inspired by Greek mythology and Classic texts.
26 comments
I recently read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh on audiobook. It was a beautiful YA retelling of a Korean fairytale. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year!
Oh my goodness! Ditto!!!
Yes!! LOVED this on audio!
I really enjoyed Megan Spooner’s two adaptations — Hunted (a retelling of Beauty and the Beast) and Sherwood (a retelling of Robin Hood). Both were terrific.
I’ll have to check these out. I love both of those original stories. Beauty and the Beast is actually my favorite!
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni is fantastic!!! It is the first installment of a trilogy!! EVERYONE should read it!!
I’m listening to the audiobook of “Fire Keeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley and I’m absolutely mesmerized by the narration performed by Isabella Star LaBlanc, a Native American whose perfect Ojibwa pronunciation and youthful lilt are just impossible to stop listening to. The story is also really good- 100% compelling from page one. I don’t read a lot of YA but this has been on my list for awhile and I highly recommend it.
Yes, “Fire Keeper’s Daughter” was one of the best books I read in 2021! Loved it!
I ADORED The Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry. You will never feel the same about Peter Pan or Captain Hook again!
I loved reading Silverlock by John Myers many years ago. Not so much a retelling but it does test your knowledge of classic fairly tales and fables and history as you meet many characters from those stories. I guess it could now be considered a classic since it was published in 1949.
Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer! The audio books are especially magical, with fabulous narrator Katherine Kellgren… and much much better than the Netflix adaptation.
I didn’t realize these were books! I keep seeing it pop up on Netflix though. Glad I haven’t watched it, but I’ll definitely have to read it!
The Storyteller’s Daughter is a delightful, happy ending story of Rumpelstiltskin. And Beauty by Robin McKinley is one of my favorites of Beauty and the Beast. Not sure they count as YA, but I don’t see why they couldn’t 🙂
But I was happy to see Cinder and the Lunar Chronicles make the list, and I’m excited to check out some of these other retellings. I adore retellings. Thanks for this list, Anne!
In case anyone wants to see a few more of my favorite retellings, here’s a post I did some months ago: https://alookatabook.com/2021/06/05/fables-folklore-and-fairy-tales-10-delightful-retellings-for-kids-and-adults/
I discovered Beauty in my junior high library in 7th grade. I’ve always considered it YA.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price was very fun.
These retellings by Tizrah Price are really fun!
I just received my BOTM copy of “Darling Girl” by Liz Michalski. Curious to see how I like it!
I loved the Goose Girl Series. So fun to read fairytales!
Anne, if you have not read “Echo North” by Joanna Ruth Meyer, you are missing out – it’s a retelling of the Beauty & The Beast and the Four Winds fairy tales, and I absolutely loved it. It’s been out a few years (I read it in 2018) but so worth the time – at 394 pages, a quicker read because it hums along very well. I rooted for Echo, and was delighted with the ending!
So Many Beginnings was my favorite book of last year. I just adored how Bethany C. Morrow wrote the characters.
As a follow-up, I watched her speak about her historical research behind it and found myself blown away! I learned *none of this* in school.
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/blackwastheink
My 17 year old gasped in glee when she saw your list. My thought was I hope you included Cinder. And not only Cinder, you included my favorite Scarlett! You are seriously the best!
Would any of the above listed books be appropriate for an 11 year old? I’m not sure exactly what ages YA refers to but I’d love to pick up some new books for my daughter in 6th grade. Thank you!
Every reader is different, but the one I feel most confident about recommending to middle grade readers is Cinder and the whole Lunar Chronicles series. They’re often found on middle school library shelves, and my own kids were pretty young (6th grade?) when they read them. (And loved them!)
I recently read Gilded by Marissa Meyer which was another excellent Rumpelstiltskin retelling.
Pudge and Prejudice….if you were a teen in the 80’s, this book is especially for you. I got a kick out of the 80’s references and high school take on Jane Austen’s classic.