Fairytales/Myths/Folklore That Should Be In Young Adult Retellings More

It’s pretty obvious that certain fairytales and mythology are more saturated in media than others.

Greek mythology, anyone? (@ uncle rick I love you but still)

There are a lot of Western-centric fairy tales that, in my opinion, we already have a lot of retellings:

• Peter Pan (there’s only one Peter Pan retelling that I stan and it’s May’s wip)
• Sleeping Beauty (surprisingly enough, there are a lot of retellings of Sleeping Beauty when the Disney movie had like. no plot at all???*)
• Snow White (the only song I acknowledge from Snow White is the Hi-Ho song that the dwarves sing. and I only acknowledge the first 10 seconds of it because I forgot the rest.)
• Beauty and the Beast (tbh I actually freaking love Beauty and the Beast. Just look at the Beast’s library.)

Also, a lot of the books that I show as examples I haven’t… actually… read. But I’m showing them because why not. Some of my “examples” section only include one book… but that’s why we need more retellings! (Look, there’s even evidence that there’s not enough retellings. I’m so factual.)

*Actually though. The Disney movie was literally: *girl meets prince* *girl succumbs to enchantment* *girl saved by prince* that’s literally it.

{as always all covers link to respective goodreads pages}

the evil queen

I’m pretty sure that the evil queen is just the figure within Snow White and we don’t have a specific fairytale written out for her* but I still need evil queen stories.

Anyways, I love stories about antiheroes and morally gray characters hello. I’m here.

me holding my copy of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

*unless we do. then I NEED IT.

  

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a retelling but set in China. I??? Love it?? Also this was actually one of my most anticipated for 2017 and then I got an advance copy and then I… never… actually… read it.*

An amazing retelling is Girls Made of Snow and Glass, which is a part Snow White retelling and part Evil Queen retelling and it’s dual narrated!! It’s a feminist female friendship based story and it’s so cute and sweet and happy I love it.

*wow fake fan @ me

one thousand and one nights

I remember being in China and going to the bookstore and reading this one children’s book that was in Chinese but I honestly couldn’t read half of the words… anyways I’m 50% sure that one of the stories I read was One Thousand and One Nights!

But also I could only understand half of the words so who knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyways, I have only seen this tale told in mainstream young adult fiction a total of… two times. And this literally has so much potential for a ya story? HAVE YOU SEEN THE WRATH AND THE DAWN because it was amazing.

    

The Wrath and the Dawn is one of my. favorites. I love Renée’s writing and this is actually one of my first ventures into the chasm that is young adult retellings!!

I actually dnf’d A Thousand Nights… but I probably just wasn’t in the mood for it and the cover’s really pretty so I think I’ll try again and hopefully love it?

Apparently One Thousand and One Nights is actually between a retelling and an outright translation of the works, but the covers all look so amazing and I’m here for it.

baba yaga

Wow I was just about to write “the first time I read the story of Baba Yaga was when I was in kindergarten and we read the spaghetti version” but then I looked it up and apparently they are two. separate. tales.

#MyMemoryIsAmazing

The one I read in kindergarten was actually Strega Nona. I honestly would love to eat a ton of pasta though.

So technically the first time I read the official Baba Yaga story was never. But as for retellings, my first was Vassa in the Night then! (Also I think The Language of Thorns had a short story that was inspired by Baba Yaga? Or it at least reminded me of it.)

  

Vassa in the Night is a really interesting modern retelling of this! The main character travels to a supermarket instead of… wherever they travel to in the original tale. Also, Sarah Porter is releasing a faerie novel next year that sounds really good… I’m probably just going to look at Melanie’s review to see whether or not I’ll read it.

I haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale but can we just take a second to appreciate this cover?? I love this version of the cover so much and it looks so whimsical and completely reminds me of the cover of Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence.

sun wukong

You already know why I’m including this.

Also, I think the Sun Wukong tale was like 50% of my childhood. I used to watch the animation and the live-action show and I forget everything except for the peaches and the horribly rude leader that always tortured Sun Wukong.

I actually have the theme song of Journey to the West permanently ingrained into my mind.*

*HOOOO GUHHH HO GUH (I’m laughing at this text right now) (also this isn’t the correct phonetic pronunciation I know I’m sorry)

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is amazing (and yes, has a younger writing style but whatever) and it’s hilarious and I just love it a lot!! Please read this!! Also I love Quentin goodbye

the snow queen

We love snow queens! Also yes, Frozen is a snow queen retelling which I love. (Also why is there so much hate for Frozen?? I am confusion because it’s literally a Disney movie.)

I haven’t read any of the examples I put here, but I plan to soon!

  

A lot of people hated Winterglass, but I’m still going to try to read it because the cover! looks! amazing!! LOOK AT THE ASIAN MODEL. Also, one of the reviews stated this is a Southeast retelling and there’s hardly any Southeast fiction out there?? WE LOVE.

I own a hardcover of Stealing Snow but that was before I read a bunch of reviews that basically dissolved my interest in it. But I might still read it just because I have a copy and it actually does sound interesting. I’ve also read some of Danielle Paige’s work before, which I liked!

rumpelstiltskin

I love the tale of Rumpelstiltskin even though it was lowkey unfair that the princess was able to keep her child. (Also I hated the king?? Did they have a happy marriage? I need to know the answers.) (smh @ these plotholes)

    

I’ve read C.J. Redwine’s other book, The Shadow Queen, but I actually dnf’d it because it was really stereotypical and insta-lovey and it was just a Mess. However, The Wish Granter actually sounds really interesting?? I’ll just ignore that it’s set in the same world as The Shadow Queen.

I’m pretty sure Spinning Thorns is an indie novel but it has a pretty cover so I put it in here. The synopsis actually sounds intriguing; blood-seeking thorns still surround the castle? I WANT TO READ IT.

Spinning Silver is by the famed author of Uprooted and this premise actually sounds amazing… instead of the main character having someone else do the work, the main character can actually spin the silver into gold.

What are some fairytales that should be retold in young adult fiction more? Do you agree with any of the things I listed here? Did you read Strega Nona as a child and ever confuse it with Baba Yaga?