Reading Recommendations: Refreshing Retellings

A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! March’s theme is focused on retellings of classic stories of the past that offer a fresh take on an old tale. I hope you enjoy these picks!

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The Forbidden Wish

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

Readers follow Aladdin as he discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp and goes on a journey of magic, romance, and adventure. Khoury has a way of mixing familiar elements of the story while adding many new and unique elements. It’s definitely the first Aladdin retelling where the Genie gets to tell their story. I felt there was never a dull moment and I like that constant aura of suspense that keeps you on your toes. Every single twist and turn brought new excitement to the narrative and I had a hard time putting the novel down.

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The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

Throughout the story there is a constant aura of heavy suspense along with many horror elements (things that go bump in the night). I was on edge with all of the twists and turns in the plot. The tables were constantly turning because Elizabeth thinks she is one step ahead of Victor and vice versa. I wondered how the events would play out in the end. The book was way darker that I had anticipated (even after seeing the cover art and reading the synopsis). The landscapes are realistic and her characters are complex and multi-faceted. I felt that it was a very immersive reading experience which is key to any proper horror story. It definitely gave me chills.

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So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix

North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the old life. It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:

Meg, a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own.

Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained.

Beth, a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose.

Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family’s home.

As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together. 

What I really enjoyed about this version of Little Women is how it uses small bits and pieces of the original work but makes it into a novel that stands on its own. Morrow’s retelling also focuses on a point the horrors of slavery and the difficulties of colonies during and after the Civil War and the changes it brought. While it is a novel about sisters and their close relationship it paints a vivid portrait of how we try to cover up things from the past. It’s about reckoning with history, overcoming tragedy, and these sisters grappling with the fact that they still have limitations to their freedom. These aspects really added to the historical parts and I can tell a lot of details came from heavy amounts of research.

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The Emerald Wars

When Leonie escapes from her life as a servant in the Emerald City, all she wants is to find her place in the outside world. After being saved by rebel fighter Dorothy, she finds herself drawn into a mission to retrieve the stolen heart of the Tin Man. But something much more sinister is happening in Oz, and before long they find themselves working with the exiled Professor Crow to save their home from being destroyed from the inside out.

It’s a perilous journey that pushes them to their limits, but the four friends keep going in search of the things they need the most; wisdom, love, courage, and a home.

Watson has created a more diverse and inclusive version of the classic tale we all know with LGBTQA characters and PoC representation which I appreciated.

We follow Leonie as she explores the wonderful and dangerous world of Oz along the side of legendary figure, Dorothy, and the Tin Man. It was fun to see a new inventive twist on a familiar setting and I like how the characters got a new look and feel. It’s got romance, action, mystery, magic and so much more! I love the way that the story keeps some of the original aspects of the story while adding in many new elements. The world building was smooth and I kept looking forward to what would happen next. It’s a fast paced book where the action had me hooked and the suspense kept up the entertainment factor.

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The Girl in Red

It’s not safe for anyone  alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn’t look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there’s something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined. 

The Girl in Red follows the story of a girl named Delia otherwise known by her nickname “Red” who mirrors the style and characteristics of Little Red Riding Hood. The story follows Red as she tries to survive in a a post-apocalyptic world. Throughout the book there is an aura of having suspense as the readers trying to figure out the mystery behind the contagious virus and what is the monstrous parasite that is killing people. The reader doesn’t know what’s going to happen at any moment in the story. There is danger around every single corner and the overwhelming fear that radiates throughout the novel has the reader on the edge. The story also touches on a couple discussion points about Red’s survivalist skills and basically humanity as a whole. 

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Anne of West Philly

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

Set in the 21st Century in West Philly, this rendition of the story has a much more modern setting while keeping most of the elements of the original story. Anne’s character stays mainly the same and her constant upbeat energy and flair for the dramatics are sure to put a smile on the reader’s face. I love the diversity of having Anne as a young black girl. I’ve always related to her character a bit, but seeing her look like someone like me made that connection much stronger. I also appreciated how Anne in this version has a passion for STEM and is brimming with creativity. Her spirit will surely motivate younger readers that pick up this book.

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That concludes my reading recommendations for retellings! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!