Six top YA retellings of familiar stories

Sona Charaipotra is a New York City-based writer and editor with more than a decade’s worth of experience in print and online media. For the B & N Teen Blog she tagged six strange and stunning YA takes on familiar stories, including:

Ash, by Malinda Lo

A Cinderella update unlike any you’ve seen before, Lo’s Ash spins a dark, lovely take on the tale. Ash feels lost at the hands of her cruel stepmother, but perhaps a pact with the decidedly dangerous fairy Sidhean will help her overcome her circumstances. But it’s her bond with the Queen’s huntress, Kaisa, that is ultimately empowering and redeeming, and worth risking everything for. Lo’s enchanting, exquisite take on the old fairytale leaves you rethinking tropes and norms, all while reveling in breathless storytelling.

Read about another entry on the list.

Ash is among Rachel Paxton-Gillilan's seven best YA Cinderella retellings.

--Marshal Zeringue