Hi everyone! Hello April (uh oh, I guess I’m getting old this month…)! How are you? What’s new in your life? Tell me everything! Over here, it’s finally spring and I couldn’t be happier! The sun, the flowers… everything is waking up and it’s quite beautiful.
I’m back on the blog today to talk about retellings! For those who wouldn’t be familiar with the word, a retelling is a new version of an older story. Sometimes, a fairy tale or myth that is reimagined with a modernized setting or retold from a minor character’s perspective. I’m really fond of them and I thought I would share a small list of ya retellings I enjoyed. Are you in?!
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Top 10 YA retellings
Anna K: A Love Story, Jenny Lee
Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s love story, Anna Karenina. Full of glamour, drama, betrayal and romance, Jenny Lee has done an amazing job of taking this Russian classic and giving it a modern and diverse twist. This book is quite addictive, you’re definitely in for a treat!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Cinderella is Dead, Kalynn Bayron
This fresh take on the classic Cinderella story will make you question every fairy tale you’ve ever read. It’s about queer black girls overthrowing the patriarchy. The writing is piercing and even if there are some bumps along the way, it’s still a quite enjoyable read!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Stars We Steal, Alexa Donne
This one is a bit Jane Austen meets The Bachelor but set in space! And the romance is pure Persuasion! You’re going to have a lot of fun with this dynamic retelling. It definitely gave me all the happy feels!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
To Kill a Kingdom, Alexandra Christo
This one is a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid with pirates and sirens! You’ll find the classic fairy tale elements, while also a very unique spin on the characters. The romance is intense and the world building brillant!
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Batman: Nightwalker, Marie Lu
I really enjoyed Marie Lu’s take on Batman, this morally ambiguous superhero. He was amiable, and I loved his sarcastic sense of humor. Action-packed and filled with thrilling moments, it really felt like I was reading a great comic book!
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The Star-Touched Queen, Roshani Chokshi
Inspired by Hindu myths, this story is set in an original imaginative world with lush? colorful settings and strange creatures. I enjoyed the writing and was only a bit disappointed by the slow pacing of the book.
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Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge
This is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast but it isn’t as sweet and lovely like its Disney counterpart. It’s dark and somber, but also really romantic. This story isn’t only about love, it also raises some very important questions about justice. A really unexpected retelling you should try out!
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Girls Made of Snow and Glass, Melissa Bashardoust
This feminist fantasy is a reimagining of the Snow White fairytale. It revolves around a mother-daughter relationship and self-identity. A very character driven and magical story!
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The Forbidden Wish, Jessica Khoury
It’s a gorgeous retelling of Aladdin, but with a twist: the genie is a girl! Captivating, enchanting, this book is full of magic. The romance will definitely make you swoon! A book empowering women and female relationships and I’m 100% here for it.
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Wrath & the Dawn, Renée Ahdieh
I love this one! It’s inspired by 1001 Nights. The world-building is impressive, and the characters fierce and well-thought of. A mesmerizing journey of longing, deception, magic and love.
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
☂️ You might also enjoy: 10 YA Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About
📌 Pin Top 10 YA retellings on Pinterest!
What did you think of my list? Read any of them?
Are you also really into retellings? Do you have any awesome stories I should absolutely get my hands on?
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There are so many on this list that I would love to try, great selection 😊
Thank you so much, that makes me so happy 😊
Happy reading!! 😘😘
I really loved Echo North, an East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling.
Oh thanks!! I need to check it out 😊
I recently bought Cinderella is Dead as a present for myself for finishing all my uni assignments and I’m so excited to read it! Another retelling that I can’t wait to finally read is These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, I’ve heard so many good things about it.
Awesome!! I hope you’ll like it 😁
Oh yeees, me too!
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading 😘😘
The Wrath and the Dawn was so good, so atmospheric!
YEEES! Absolutely loved it 😍
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
Great list, Nyx! I’ve only read Cinderella is Dead from this, but I LOVED IT SO MUCH!
Thank you! 😊
Yaaay, it was really good 😁
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
This was a great list! 😊 Lots of ones I’ve read and loved and lots that I still need to read, like Cinderella is Dead!
Thank you!! 😊
Yaay, hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thank you so much for stopping by, happy reading 😘😘
You’re welcome! 😊
💞
oh my gosh, i love retellings so this post is perfect for me haha! girls made of snow and glass has been on my tbr for so long it’s practically a crime at this point.
I’m so glad 😁😁
Hahaha, well…there is only one thing left to do then… read it soooon 😁
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘
I read and loved cruel beauty, the forbidden wish, star-touched queen, and to kill a kingdom. These are definitely unique retellings. I am happy you enjoyed them as well!
Yaaay! 😊
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
Great list! I still really need to read Girls Made of Snow and Glass!
(www.evelynreads.com)
Thank you! 😊
Yeees, I hope you’ll enjoy it 😁
I’ve read some of them, especially Renee Ahdieh’s. I tend to love her concepts and first books but her sequels always disappoint me 😥 I tend to like darker retellings so my favorites are The Bear and the Nightingale, Forest of A Thousand Lanterns, and the Surface Breaks.
Yeah I agree, sequels are not her strong suit 😔
Oh, I’ll need to check them out!
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
I didn’t realise Anna K was an Anna Karenina retelling! It definitely piqued my interest, so I’m going to check out if my library has it. 😁
The only retelling that comes to mind is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, though that’s not YA, it’s so amazing!
Yaaay, I hope you’ll like it 😁
Oh, I will check this out 🤗
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
Great list! I really like retellings and I have quite a few of these on my TBR that I finally need to read! 🙂
Thank you! 😊
I hope you’ll enjoy them, happy reading 😁😁
Great post Nyx! I absolutely love retellings. I am not a big fan of classics…….it takes a lot of my brain to figure out corsets, kilts and what not. Fairytales are something we all wanted to be part of (at least at some point of our life.) I am extremely bias towards contemporaries. Retellings are a package bonanza- modern twist to fantastic fairytales or modern lifestyle to Mr. Darcy and Charlotte Bronte. Thanks for compiling such a list. Cinderella is Dead is definitely going on the top of my TBR.
Thank you! ☺️
Yeah, I totally get that!
You’re very welcome, thank you so much for stopping by! Happy reading 😘😘
I don’t read many retellings, but I’ve seen lots of people rave about To Kill A Kingdom. I might read that one if my library ever gets it.
Yaay, I hope you’ll enjoy it! 😊
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
I love retellings, but I’ve only read a couple of these. Looks like I have some reading to do!
I hope some of them inspired you! 😊
Thank you so so much for stopping by 😘😘
I second the recommendation for The Bear and the Nightingale. Based on your list I think you’d love it.
Aww, thank you!! I’ll definitely check it out 😁
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
Ooh, these are awesome! I love fairy tale retellings XD I haven’t gotten around to reading any yet, however, because funds and a recent move.
I hope you’ll get to read them all very soon 😁😁
Thank you so so much for stopping by 😘
I’ve only read one of these but I loved it. And then somehow I actually own all but three of the rest. In my defence though they are all either as 99p ebooks or second hand books. And I majorly plan to read them all soon.
I highly recommend Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly, I adored that book. And it has some quite unique elements to it.
I’m also hoping to read Midnight In Everwood during December as what could be better than a Nutcracker retelling around Christmas. That’s an adult retelling though I believe.
Yaaaay! Well…I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did 😁
Oh thanks a lot, I’ll definitely check these out!!
Happy reading 😘😘
Thank you 💗💗