Dahlia Adler has been pumping out YA anthologies based on familiar lore for a while. At MIDNIGHT, twists on popular fairy tales, is her most recent work. It’s also the first I’ve read, though I have her Poe remix on my shelf, and the Shakespeare remix is definitely going on my wishlist. It is a fantastic homage to favorite fairy tales. Almost all of them bring something new to each tale, but here are my favorites:
- Adler’s Rumpelstiltskin, which turns the gold-making goblin into a genius teen coder.
- Stacey Lee’s Little Match Girl, which gives her a happy ending based on true historical events.
- Alex London, “Cinderella” which makes Cindy a teen YouTube sensation just looking to fit in with the nobodies for a day
- Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood” where Red is looking to pay for her gran’s medical treatment and gets involved with some shady people to do so
- Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid” – this tale as a trans narrative isn’t new, but Russo still delivers a fresh take by making it a fairy tale where the humans are the mysterious creatures and introducing new lore for merpeople.
- Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird” which sets the tale in British-occupied India with a creepy twist on what the murderous captain does with his victims.
All 15 tales are enjoyable to read, and if you’re not familiar with any of the source material, the last section of the book is the fairy tales each was based on.