Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday (22): Fairytales I Want to be Retold

 
TTT is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's TTT topic had a few variations to choose from, but they all have to do with fairytale retellings! I feel like I haven't read that many retellings yet, aside from the Lunar Chronicles and ACOTAR, so I thought I would talk about the fairytales that I want to be retold. A (good) retelling of these fairytales would perk my interests immediately! 

10. Hansel and Gretel
This would be a lot of fun to read in a YA, or even MG book. I feel like there's a lot of material here to twist enough to make the retelling super intriguing!

9. The Frog Prince
This is just DEMANDING to be retold in YA form. Especially the original form, in which the princess is a total brat and the prince is only transformed back after she throws him against the wall. Love/hate relationships, anyone? 

8. The Little Mermaid
So, real talk, The Little Mermaid is not a favorite Disney movie, by far. But the original tale is far darker and sad, and I feel like this would make such a compelling YA. Bonus points if it makes me cry. 

7. Rumplestiltskin
Rumple is one of the best characters on Once Upon a Time, though his story has meandered very far from the original tale. But I would love to get a better feel for the character through the original story as well, just retold!

6. Little Red Riding Hood
Once again, I've read Marissa Meyer's Scarlet. But there are a MILLION ways this could be reworked for the YA readership. I dabble in writing myself, and one of my favorite forever-in-progress WIPs in my collection is a LRRH retelling, but I would love for someone else to beat me to the punch!

5. The Pied Piper
How would this work as a YA novel? I honestly have no idea. But I bet it would be super dark and twisted. Delightful. 

4. The Little Match Girl
This is one of the most depressing fairytales out there, but it's still a favorite because it's extremely bittersweet. I'm not sure how it would work as a YA retelling, but I would love for someone to give it a shot. Because I would read the crap out of that.

3. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Just think about it. A girl in the woods who happens upon a family whose child's porridge, chair and bed are just right for the girl? I smell the perfect recipe for a complicated romance!

2. Snow White
We don't have to wait long for Marissa Meyer's take on Snow White, Winter! (SO MUCH EXCITE.) But I'm sure there are many more takes on this classic that could be written, and I think I would read them all. 

1. Bluebeard
I don't know why, but the tale of Bluebeard fascinates me, and I think it has the potential to be a super swoony, thrilling, adventurous YA book. Strands of Bronze and Gold, I believe, is a Bluebeard retelling that I was very intrigued by, but there have been so many mixed reviews that my interest has definitely waned. So I'd love for there to be another retelling in the mix!

Tell me: do YOU know of any retellings of the above fairytales that I should check out? Let me know in the comments below!





4 comments:

  1. Didn't Bluebeard murder his wives? Or am I confusing him with another pirate? That might be interesting. I haven't heard of Strands of Bronze and Gold. I'll definitely check it out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! He murdered each wife, then when the next wife discovered the bodies, he murdered her, too. Until one wife who outsmarted him! I don't know why I love it so much. It's super creepy. :)

      Danielle

      Delete
  2. I'd love a Pied Piper story. That was one of my favorites as a kid. :)

    I know tons of fairy tale retellings to match your picks:
    • Hansel and Gretel = Sweetly by Jackson Pearce.
    • The Frog Prince = Kissing Frogs by Alisha Sevigny.
    • The Little Mermaid (less Disney, more original tale) Fathomless = by Jackson Pearce. • Rumpelstitskin = A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. (One of my fave retellings.)
    • Little Red Riding Hood = Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce; Red by Alyxandra Harvey.
    • Snow White = Okay, so this isn't YA - it's adult fiction, but it's so beautifully done: Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi. (This one is also a fave of mine.)

    You can check out my full list on YA Book Shelf.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohh, I always forget about the Jackson Pearce books. I'll have to check those out. And yay, more retellings! Thank you so much for the suggestions because these are fascinating. :)

      Danielle

      Delete