Staff Picks: Retellings of Classics

Sat, 01/04/2025 - 10:04am by walkerk

It's fun to see different spins on classic stories—here are a handful of retellings of classic teen books, specifically of Pride and Prejudice, Twelfth Night, Robin Hood, and The Legend of King Arthur. Although the books in this list are YA, many adult readers have found joy in some of them as well. There are too many good retellings to mention, so if you've read any lately, please share! The more, the merrier.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi | Request Now
Zuri Benitez has pride, but that might not be enough to save her gentrifying neighborhood. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, falls for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. With four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, some boy vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape.

While a couple of books on this list may transcend audience categories, this retelling of Pride and Prejudice is moreso for teens. Written with care and exploring issues such as race, cultural differences, and family, Pride is an imaginative, lighthearted, and refreshing take on a beloved story. Readers enjoyed the poetic elements throughout, as well as seeing how Zoboi nods to Pride and Prejudice while managing to write a unique story all the same.

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake | Request Now
After surviving the Lyric's shipwreck, Violet and Sam's great-great-great-grandmother founded Lyric, Maine. Shipped back to Lyric while her brother is in treatment for attempting to take his own life, Violet is haunted by the shipwreck she and Sam had always dreamed of discovering. She embarks on a mission to locate the Lyric, lying hidden in a watery grave. She finds a fellow wreck hunter in Liv Stone, an amateur local historian with sparkling intelligence and guarded gray eyes. The journey Violet takes—and the bridges she builds along the way—may be the start of something like survival.

As a reimagining of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night many readers found The Last True Poets of the Sea to be comforting, like a warm hug, with witty, thoughtful, lyrical narration, and a character-focused story. This title explores heavier topics, so please take care and check for content that you would like to avoid. Though, alongside its heavy themes, it carries an adventurous and hopeful air.
 

Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi | Request Now 
Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but all Rahma wants to do is get them home alive. Zeena refuses to give up the fight, so Rahma takes on one final mission with her sister. On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers. The teens find solace, purpose, camaraderie, and a healthy bit of mischief in each other's company. It falls to this merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning, wit, and thievery to foil the usurper queen, and perhaps finally restore peace to the land.

Readers describe this inclusive, fast-paced retelling of Robin Hood as clever, fun, and entertaining, with Travelers Along the Way exploring beautiful new perspectives and themes, particularly expanding upon the found-family trope. The story features good character development and playfulness that even extends to its chapter titles. If you're a fan of found families heisting and thieving with good intentions, this one's for you.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn | Request Now 
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews thinks a residential program for bright high schoolers is the perfect escape from her life—until she witnesses: a flying demon, a secret society of “Legendborn” students hunting creatures, and a mysterious teenage mage, a “Merlin,” who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory. The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory. Now, knowing there’s more to her mother’s death, Bree will do whatever it takes to discover the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as an initiate.

As a retelling of The Legend of King Arthur, many readers describe Legendborn as an adventurous, mysterious, smart, and enthralling read with fun and inventive world-building, a creative magic system, fantastic character development, and complex and layered themes. This is a popular title, but get yourself in the queue; let this book draw you into its intricate world.