Releasing on January 30th 2024, Annie Cardi’s new release Red is a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter for the #MeToo era where a Christian girl who is stigmatised by her peers after seeking an abortion.

When I was in high school, my favorite part of art class was working with found objects. I made a purse out of old neckties; angel wings out of wire hangers; a sculpture out of old lipstick tubes; a recycled paper book. Similarly, I love books that repurpose old, familiar stories into new tales that help the reader reexamine something they thought they understood.

I especially love this when it comes to retellings of classic English literature. I was an English major, so I love a lot of the classics, but they often frame stories around a particular (often white/cis/het/male) experience. That’s something that a lot of teen readers either can’t relate to or something they’ve already seen a lot of in many years of required reading. One thing I love about YA adaptations of classic novels is the opportunity to deconstruct these stories and reframe them in a way that’s both fresh and also touches something familiar in the reader’s own life.

When I first read The Scarlet Letter in high school, I was so pissed that Hester Prynne was shamed for getting pregnant outside of marriage while her romantic partner didn’t admit his involvement until the very end and kept on living his normal life. I wanted better for Hester. For my newest novel Red, I kept thinking of abuses of power in small religious communities, standing strong despite public shame, and stigma around sex and reproductive rights—all aspects of The Scarlet Letter that are part of teen readers’ lives today.

For readers looking for more fantastic spins on classic novels, here are a few of my favorite YA contemporary retellings. In no particular order:

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays, so I was thrilled to read this queer take on the classic tragedy set at an elite boarding school. Talley weaves together the interpersonal intrigue and the supernatural creepiness to create a thrilling story of betrayal, desperation, and guilt.

Ana of California by Andi Teran

Like many readers who grew up with the Lucy Maud Montgomery series and the CBS miniseries, I am very protective of Anne of Green Gables and was therefore suspicious of a contemporary YA adaptation. But Teran handles the transition from late 19^th century Prince Edward Island to early 21^st century California with care as Ana deals with trauma from her past while moving forward with hope and love as she forms a new family.

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig

When I was in high school, I dragged myself through Hamlet and was frustrated with the title character. Matt Haig’s The Dead Father’s Club gave me a deeper sympathy for the main character, torn between guilt and grief and loyalty and fear. It’s also a great exploration of toxic masculinity and the pressures sons feel from their fathers.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This is more inspired by King Lear than a straight retelling, but Lockhart’s story of a rich family on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts pulls so much of the emotional core from Lear that I had to include it here. It’s a fantastic look at privilege, family trauma, and the cost of honesty. I also love this as an example of how an adaptation can veer so far from the source material and still connect so deeply on a thematic and emotional level.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by EK Johnston

Johnston’s adaptation of The Winter’s Tale has so much I love to see in YA: a strong, smart main character, fierce female friendships, and a frank but supportive depiction of reproductive rights and surviving sexual assault. Readers will connect with cheer captain Hermione as she navigates what it means to live with and after trauma.

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

Persuasion, Jane Austen’s novel of second chance romance gets an update in Dass’s Where the Rhythm Takes You, which centers on a seventeen-year-old who manages her family’s hotel in Tobago and an ex-boyfriend-turned-music-superstar. Reyna is relatable as someone who takes on more responsibility than most would at her age while also feeling the longing and heartbreak and hope of first love. It’s also great to see a YA set in the Caribbbean!

I, Claudia by Mary McCoy

It’s difficult to think of many contemporary YA political thrillers, but in I, Claudia, McCoy creates a sharp, dynamic retelling of I, Claudius centered around high school student government. Claudia is a smart, observant, wry narrator who draws the reader in while also keeps us guessing at her motivations and machinations. I need a mini-series of this.

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