Special Report: Retellings

RETELLINGS

Recently, I found Epic Reads's chart of retellings. I thought that I would share a bit about retellings, my opinion on them, and the retellings on the chart that I've read. And what I've thought of them.

In case you want to know what the chart is, I've taken the liberty of adding the link to the chart below.

http://www.epicreads.com/blog/an-epic-chart-of-162-young-adult-retellings/
 (The chart is also below as a picture.)

What Are Retellings?
The Merriam-Webster definition is:
  a new version of a story
You might be wondering to yourself, 'What's it?' The answer is...pretty much.
Retellings are the original story told in a new format. Perhaps it's a new setting. Perhaps the character is slightly different. There are a lot of variables in retellings. There might be small changes. 
Maybe, as in 'Ash' by Malinda Lo, the main character is a lesbian Cinderella. 

What Do I Think?
I think retellings are interesting. If they are written in a way I like. They can't be princesses in a tower begging for help. No damsels in distress. I like when the retellings have a strong 'princess'. (That is mostly at fairy tale retellings. Which I have read more.) I think that retellings can be bad when the retelling isn't written correctly. By that, I mean, the story doesn't go along with the original. Or if the story is too much romance. That's just my opinion, though.

Fairy Tales

I've read:

Stung (I couldn't believe that this was a retelling!)

Of Beast and Beauty (It was an okay retelling.)

Cinder (Gosh. Cinder. Kai. -cue fangirling-)

Scarlet (I was just okay with this one. Scarlet isn't a favorite of mine.)

Cress (If you know of the original Rapunzel, you know there is a reason for Thorne's blindness.)

Throne of Glass (Wow. Was anyone else surprised that this was a retelling?) 

Classics

Looking Glass Wars (It's a good book. Trust me. It's a new Alice in Wonderland.)

Shakespeare

Eyes Like Stars (This was just okay...)

The Red Pyramid (I didn't particularly enjoy this one...)

The Lightning Thief (Wow. This series. And the Heroes of Olympus series. Just wow.)

What retellings have you read? Which ones are not on the chart that you think should be?

Comment about it.