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Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories
These sixteen stories by award-winning and bestselling YA authors center a Latinx point of view in an empowering anthology that reimagines classics through fantasy, science fiction, and with a dash of magic, for fans of A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN and RECLAIM THE STARS
In classic stories remixed, Latinx characters take center stage
Pride and Prejudice is launched into outer space, Frankenstein is plunged into the depths of the ocean, and The Great Gatsby floats to an island off the coast of Costa Rica.
A shape-shifter gives up her life to save the boy she loves from an evil bruja. La Ciguapa covets a little mermaid’s heart of gold. Two star-crossed teens fall in love while the planet burns around them.
Whether characters fall in love, battle foes, or grow through grief, each story will empower readers to see themselves as the heroes of the stories that make our world.
Featuring original stories
In classic stories remixed, Latinx characters take center stage
Pride and Prejudice is launched into outer space, Frankenstein is plunged into the depths of the ocean, and The Great Gatsby floats to an island off the coast of Costa Rica.
A shape-shifter gives up her life to save the boy she loves from an evil bruja. La Ciguapa covets a little mermaid’s heart of gold. Two star-crossed teens fall in love while the planet burns around them.
Whether characters fall in love, battle foes, or grow through grief, each story will empower readers to see themselves as the heroes of the stories that make our world.
Featuring original stories
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2024
31 people are currently reading
5788 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
February 4, 2024
In a Nutshell: A well-written YA anthology that takes sixteen classic stories/fairy tales and gives them a Latinx spin. Excellent as a retelling collection. Quite good as a YA work. Recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends know that I don’t have any fondness for YA fiction. Its characters are usually so self-centred and whiny that I can’t stop rolling my eyes at them. However, the YA anthology subcategory has brought out story collections with some unusual and inclusive themes over the last couple of years. This anthology too appealed to me by virtue of its central intent and hence I grabbed it, despite the YA tag.
Luckily, the *risk* was much worth it. 😉
This collection of sixteen stories takes classic short stories, poems and fairy tales, and reimagines them in a new setting with Latinx characters at the helm. The original stories span a variety of styles: Frankenstein, Goldilocks, Pride & Prejudice, Theseus and the Minotaur, The Great Gatsby…! What a marvellous range! The spun-off tales also cover a variety of genres: dystopia, magical realism, science fiction, horror, mythology,…
It isn’t necessary for you to know the original classics. Each of these tales stands on its own merit as an independent story. However, I always love knowing the source of the retelling so that I can judge the modified version better. After all, if a story is promoted as a remix, the approach of reading it as a fresh tale instead of as a fresh take on an existing story won’t yield best results. I had already read fourteen of the original stories in this set, so I quickly read the remaining two (‘Bartleby the Scrivener’ by Herman Melville and ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe) and went into this anthology fully prepared.
Here’s why the anthology really clicked for me:
🌹 The source material is mostly popular, and I enjoyed seeing some old favourites in the mix. (On second thought, I knew most of the original stories. I don’t know how many YAs would be familiar with these, especially the classics! Oh well!)
🌹 Right under the title of each story, there is a mention of the classic it retells. I wish every retelling anthology would follow this. It is so much more entertaining when we know the base plot and can hence experience a retelling as a ‘retelling’ instead of as wasting time trying to figure out the original story. (Which doesn’t even yield results when we aren't familiar with the original!)
🌹 The stories justify the word ‘retelling’ in every sense. This is not the kind of anthology where the original story structure is cloned in the retelling with just a minor change of setting, or where the retelling has been so twisted that you can’t see any sign of the foundational plot. Instead, in this anthology, a clear mark of the original tale is visible in the retelling, but there is also enough of novelty to make it seem like a fresh story. This is how retellings should be written. Kudos to most of the authors for handling their work well!
🌹 A majority of the stories are not typical YA in style. I, for one, was very relieved about this: no idiotic adults, no whining, no insta feelings, no shallow characters. Though the stories have YA characters, the style is not pure YA except for a couple of stories.
🌹 The Latinx representation is apt in many of the stories. A few just stop at giving their characters a Latinx background, but the rest incorporate specific traditions into the story. The representation spans diverse Latinx cultures.
🌹 The authors are also from varied Latinx backgrounds, making this a 100% OwnVoices anthology. Love it!
One negative is that a few of the stories stray into content that I personally don’t like seeing in YA works: cuss words, drug use, underage drinking, and hints of sex.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Needless to say, my favourites were those stories that weren't overly YA in style and did complete justice to either the retelling task or the Latinx representation, sometimes both.
These are my favourites:
All in all, definitely an anthology worth trying. I must confess that I enjoyed it better because it was NOT a typical YA work. Actual YA readers might feel differently. Moreover, I always enjoy retellings that pay the perfect homage to their source material instead of being retellings merely in name. In that sense, this one was a winner.
A shoutout to the cover designer – What an excellent artwork that is perfect for every feature of this work!
3.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story.
My thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friends know that I don’t have any fondness for YA fiction. Its characters are usually so self-centred and whiny that I can’t stop rolling my eyes at them. However, the YA anthology subcategory has brought out story collections with some unusual and inclusive themes over the last couple of years. This anthology too appealed to me by virtue of its central intent and hence I grabbed it, despite the YA tag.
Luckily, the *risk* was much worth it. 😉
This collection of sixteen stories takes classic short stories, poems and fairy tales, and reimagines them in a new setting with Latinx characters at the helm. The original stories span a variety of styles: Frankenstein, Goldilocks, Pride & Prejudice, Theseus and the Minotaur, The Great Gatsby…! What a marvellous range! The spun-off tales also cover a variety of genres: dystopia, magical realism, science fiction, horror, mythology,…
It isn’t necessary for you to know the original classics. Each of these tales stands on its own merit as an independent story. However, I always love knowing the source of the retelling so that I can judge the modified version better. After all, if a story is promoted as a remix, the approach of reading it as a fresh tale instead of as a fresh take on an existing story won’t yield best results. I had already read fourteen of the original stories in this set, so I quickly read the remaining two (‘Bartleby the Scrivener’ by Herman Melville and ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe) and went into this anthology fully prepared.
Here’s why the anthology really clicked for me:
🌹 The source material is mostly popular, and I enjoyed seeing some old favourites in the mix. (On second thought, I knew most of the original stories. I don’t know how many YAs would be familiar with these, especially the classics! Oh well!)
🌹 Right under the title of each story, there is a mention of the classic it retells. I wish every retelling anthology would follow this. It is so much more entertaining when we know the base plot and can hence experience a retelling as a ‘retelling’ instead of as wasting time trying to figure out the original story. (Which doesn’t even yield results when we aren't familiar with the original!)
🌹 The stories justify the word ‘retelling’ in every sense. This is not the kind of anthology where the original story structure is cloned in the retelling with just a minor change of setting, or where the retelling has been so twisted that you can’t see any sign of the foundational plot. Instead, in this anthology, a clear mark of the original tale is visible in the retelling, but there is also enough of novelty to make it seem like a fresh story. This is how retellings should be written. Kudos to most of the authors for handling their work well!
🌹 A majority of the stories are not typical YA in style. I, for one, was very relieved about this: no idiotic adults, no whining, no insta feelings, no shallow characters. Though the stories have YA characters, the style is not pure YA except for a couple of stories.
🌹 The Latinx representation is apt in many of the stories. A few just stop at giving their characters a Latinx background, but the rest incorporate specific traditions into the story. The representation spans diverse Latinx cultures.
🌹 The authors are also from varied Latinx backgrounds, making this a 100% OwnVoices anthology. Love it!
One negative is that a few of the stories stray into content that I personally don’t like seeing in YA works: cuss words, drug use, underage drinking, and hints of sex.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Needless to say, my favourites were those stories that weren't overly YA in style and did complete justice to either the retelling task or the Latinx representation, sometimes both.
These are my favourites:
🔥 Shame and Social Media - Anna Meriano: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with pace and wit and a social cause and outer space. What's not to like? - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 Break in Case of Persephone - Olivia Abtahi: ‘Persephone and Hades’ with the pomegranate but without the kidnapping. Loved the combination of detective fiction and Greek mythology! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 Thornfield - Monica Sanz: ‘Jane Eyre’ with a witchy twist. Though I could guess the ending, it was still amazing to read. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 La Cotorra Y El Flamboyán - Amparo Ortiz: One of my all-time favourite short stories, Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ gets a fresh breath of life in this retelling. Knowing the original helped me realise where the story was going much in advance. But it still didn't prepare me for the ending. I actually went 'Oh, sh*t!' when I read the finale. Reader, I never go 'Oh, sh*t!' while reading fiction. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Isla Bella - Ari Tison: Quite ironic that a novel that I found mostly boring – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ inspired a spinoff that was mindblowing. I adored the indigenous rep in this story, which I probably why I went generous with my rating, though the story itself had more YA masala than I prefer. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 Evermore - NoNieqa Ramos: I read ‘The Raven’ specifically for this story, and it sure was worth it! Good as a retelling and fabulous with the gender identity theme. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Celia's Song - Jasminne Mendez: I enjoyed the strong Latinx flavour in this retelling of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
All in all, definitely an anthology worth trying. I must confess that I enjoyed it better because it was NOT a typical YA work. Actual YA readers might feel differently. Moreover, I always enjoy retellings that pay the perfect homage to their source material instead of being retellings merely in name. In that sense, this one was a winner.
A shoutout to the cover designer – What an excellent artwork that is perfect for every feature of this work!
3.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story.
My thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
August 26, 2024
Relit is a collection of short stories that offers a fresh perspective on some classic tales, from an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in space to a version of Beauty and the Beast where the Beast may not be so beastly after all. As you read you are asked to reexamine your preexisting beliefs and biases. The short stories in this collection offer a refreshing look into the world of classic literature.
-Whitney W.
-Whitney W.
December 4, 2024
I love the idea of latinx remixes of classic stories and myths, but unfortunately most of the stories were just ok in my opinion. I would still recommend it as a YA anthology though, because it covers a lot of different topics and offers interesting perspectives. I guess there is something for everyone between space ships, sea ships, vampires, witches, mermaids, fox boys and more. My favourite stories were by Amparo Ortiz (a remix of 'The Rose and the Nightingale') and Monica Sanz (a remix of 'Jane Eyre').
Read
January 31, 2024Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Science Fiction, Short Stories, Collections & Anthologies
December 9, 2023
Sixteen stories by Latinx authors that remix classic literature featuring Latinx characters and experiences.
🌊
Outer space, mermaids, battles, Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby in Costa Rica, Goldilocks, Jane Eyre, Theseus and the Minotaur, Persephone & Hades, Beauty and the Beast and more!
🪐
This anthology was full of rich, culturally-driven stories with authentic points of view. Some horror, scifi, fantasy, mythology and more. Some of the stories even had me giggling. There’s something for everyone in this one. I cannot wait to get this in my middle school library when it releases February 6!
CW: death, violence, classism
🌊
Outer space, mermaids, battles, Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby in Costa Rica, Goldilocks, Jane Eyre, Theseus and the Minotaur, Persephone & Hades, Beauty and the Beast and more!
🪐
This anthology was full of rich, culturally-driven stories with authentic points of view. Some horror, scifi, fantasy, mythology and more. Some of the stories even had me giggling. There’s something for everyone in this one. I cannot wait to get this in my middle school library when it releases February 6!
CW: death, violence, classism
August 6, 2023
I am editing this AMAZING anthology filled with incredibly talented Latine writers taking on some of the most well-known Classics from Frankenstein to Beauty & the Beast. You won't want to miss this one!
November 5, 2025
I read this for a staff book club read.
I did not like this. The premise was there. The product… not so great. How many times can we set a canonical text in space and call it a “retelling”. Being on Mars is not original or fun. At times the slang and modernity felt forced.
This just was not for me.
I did not like this. The premise was there. The product… not so great. How many times can we set a canonical text in space and call it a “retelling”. Being on Mars is not original or fun. At times the slang and modernity felt forced.
This just was not for me.
May 6, 2024
I’m such a bad reader, because I forgot to give reading updates while I was reading this one! But later when I’m not tired I’ll give u guys my thoughts on this short story collection!! Really enjoyed it gave it 3.5 stars but 4 on goodreads cause they can’t do half stars yet
Read
April 3, 2024Only skimmed a few of the stories. Some clever ideas, but way too much content.
January 19, 2024
3 Stars
Middle-of-the-road is kind of my standard review for anthologies. I really love short story collections, but with so many authors wrapped up into one book, there are a lot of feelings... One of the things I adore about this book is how clearly the authors all took inspiration from their classic. A lot of "remixes" aren't really remixes at all, but these stories all pay an incredible homage to their originals... all while being wildly out there. This book is full of some crazy sci-fi and fantasy concepts, and the classics aren't all tried-and-true, either. There are some pretty obscure classics being respun here, and I really appreciate that. Not all of these stories worked for me. But the ones that got it right, really knocked it out of the park.
Anyway, there's more to be said here, and that all will be included in my full review at Gateway Reviews, publishing February 23, 2024. Check it out when it goes live!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Middle-of-the-road is kind of my standard review for anthologies. I really love short story collections, but with so many authors wrapped up into one book, there are a lot of feelings... One of the things I adore about this book is how clearly the authors all took inspiration from their classic. A lot of "remixes" aren't really remixes at all, but these stories all pay an incredible homage to their originals... all while being wildly out there. This book is full of some crazy sci-fi and fantasy concepts, and the classics aren't all tried-and-true, either. There are some pretty obscure classics being respun here, and I really appreciate that. Not all of these stories worked for me. But the ones that got it right, really knocked it out of the park.
Anyway, there's more to be said here, and that all will be included in my full review at Gateway Reviews, publishing February 23, 2024. Check it out when it goes live!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
August 27, 2023
Uplifting, magical, awesome. Three words to describe a book full of stories that made me feel connected to the writers and their cultures. My son is from Central America and I'm always looking for books I think he'd enjoy. I'm going to be buying a copy when available! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
March 20, 2024
*4 Stars*
Summary: The first anthology I’ve read that I actually liked most of the stories in! So refreshing to read about these classics remade with Latino/Hispanic characters. I enjoyed about 11 of the stories here, and definitely plan on getting my hands on a physical copy. There are a lot of unique takes and remixes on the sources, more about each specifically below!
Shame and Social Media (Pride and Prejudice):
4.5 stars
Off to a good start! I don’t know if it’s because I know and love the P&P story but this remix was super cute! This was written through transcripts of vlogs and takes place in a sci-fi future where people live in a massive ship on their way to a new planet. I would love a full length novel written in prose about this, maybe even just a novella! That way we could get to learn more about Darcy, since this relies heavily on the source text, I think. Still super cute with great topics discussed.
Break in Case of Persephone (Myth of Hades and Persephone):
2.5 stars
This story was really rather mid, unfortunately. The world building was very confusing, and there really wasn’t any explanation to it which didn’t help. It was some weird combination of sci-fi tech with mythology…? It didn’t work in the way this was written, in my opinion. There was a lot of lore that was needed and didn't get explained. Apparently Persephone and Demeter are reincarnations? Or descendants? Or magic users? I've got no clue! How did the curse of the pomegranate even happen? I also thought that the character development was a bit rushed, for both of the MCs and their relationship.
Thornfield (Jane Eyre):
5 stars
I’ve never read Jane Eyre, but I absolutely loved this story, so I’ll have to pick it up! The magic system was great, as were the characters and the world they live in. It all felt very real, and I would love to read what happens next to these characters. In such a short amount of time the author had me caring about them, worrying for their lives, and creeped out by the world!
La Cotorra y el Flamboyán (The Nightingale and the Rose):
4 stars
Another source I’m not familiar with, but I liked this one! It didn’t have a happy ending which I’m 100% mad about lol, but they do include hope for the future of the characters. This one had a neat magic system, with shapeshifters and evil witches and even a Snow White-esque theme to it. I would also love for this story to continue!
Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears):
1 star
The first big disappointment lol. It’s not badly written, but it most definitely just isn’t my taste. It’s a vampire story, and the escalation of violence was so quick I almost had whiplash. We’re not meant to like the MC (I think), which is fine, but I want her to get her comeuppance, and she doesn’t in the timeline of the story, so. I would definitely read a spinoff book about her friend learning she’s a vampire and having to fight and take her down. Sign me up for that story!
This Mortal Coil (Hamlet):
1 star
Yeah, I don’t know what happened here. The story felt very macho-man, poorly written, and very info-dumpy, especially for a short story. There was a lot of telling over showing, making everything that happened super dull and boring to read about, even when they were talking about adultery and murder and political conspiracies and pregnancies like ugh I just could not care, because apparently the MC couldn’t either! There were no emotions on the page at all, and oh my gosh — this takes place in a futuristic society living on Mars. Hebrew and English are still languages in this time period, but not… Spanish? Every time the characters would speak “Spanish” it was written in a whitewashed way, like “grasyas” instead of gracias and “te kyero miho” instead of te quiero mijo, or “yo tammen” instead of yo tambien. I literally could not fathom WHY the author chose to write it this way, I ground my teeth every time it happened. Which was a lot. And I’ve had experience transforming Spanish into a fantasy dialect, it’s 100% possible to do so while keeping the soul of the language!!! Also, the character randomly had a pompadour pftttt. And just the cherry on top was that you could just tell this was written by a man. I’ll leave it with this quote:
”The weeks went by. School, work, sex. Humans fall so easily into routine, which blots out emotional spikes and mysteries. Occasionally, I would make a half hearted attempt at understanding the strange rectangle of plastic my father left me, but my time was occupied by love, final exams, the need to fool those I mistrusted.” CONTEXT: His father died a month ago and he suspects his uncle. Is he going to do anything about it? No, he’s just going to have sex, because apparently humans just fall into that routine.
#Ace
June and the Fox Boy (Beauty and the Beast):
5 stars
I really needed this after the previous one lol. It read like a Disney movie, it was so cute and pure, such a great take on the source. It is a bit rushed, but I can chalk that up to it being a short story (but give me the full book now please!!) This one really made me feel how special it is to read about main characters who are POC, and not only POC, but Latino! So refreshing and so sorely needed. The magic system in this was cool, and the fox transformation was a neat idea.
Prefiero No (Bartleby, the Scrivener):
4 stars
Another where I wasn’t familiar with the source! This story did start a bit slow for me, and I was wondering for a while where it was going. There were a few overdramatic/unrealistic things in the beginning in regards to people making fun of the MC’s art, but then the story took a dark/melancholic turn, and when I found out the plot twist it picked up from there. It was beautifully written and super sweet.
Trespassers Will Be… (Theseus and the Minotaur):
2.5 stars
This one was weird. The inner narration quickly became repetitive with the MC letting us know over and over again what the situation was. Like okay, we get it. It was also annoying because you could clearly tell this was written by someone who doesn’t know what teens are like right now — seeing as how the kid was getting bullied for liking Guardians of the Galaxy and Stranger Things… and he called both of them “not mainstream…?” Okay… I was initially excited about this story because I thought we’d finally get a sympathetic take on the minotaur (justice for the mino!) but they just made him a racist and abusive white man lmaoo. The story also ends pretty anti-climactically with no questions answered or solved so, there’s that.
Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby):
5 stars
The concept was really well realized, I felt like I was actually on the islands with the characters! It gave me Jurassic Park meets The Great Gatsby and, strangely, Dark Shadows lol. It was very haunting and celebratory of indigenous voices. There was a point though where they compared the Gatbsy figure to Columbus and the colonizers, saying she was no better than them, but… This woman bought and developed land, yes, but she wasn’t raping and murdering people and committing genocide. It was just a bit weird to compare what Columbus did with this character. Aside from that, I really loved this story!
Evermore (The Raven):
1 star
I absolutely hated this one. It dragged. It made me seriously not want to pick up the book just to not have this story on my shelf lol. Just refer to my updates on this one because it was a lot (about 64-71%). It was boring, tried to do too many things that I lost track of, and followed a similar structure to the first story, but through “mind maps” of characters that were just poems… The story was very negative and backward, weirdly, since it takes place 70 years in the future. The main character was also willing to manipulate her mom (who has Alzheimers) and abuse her with overmedication (that actually burned her) and yeah, I couldn’t take this one. Lots of trigger warnings for this one, I think, as the characters kept thinking their problems could be solved with suicide. I can’t believe a story told in verse dragged so long.
Celia’s Song (The Little Mermaid):
5 stars
Another one I sorely needed. This was a really unique take on the story and I loved the magic and the vibes. This one managed to make you care more for the sisters than most adaptations. I loved the sea witch and the concept of a golden heart and emotions that controlled the weather. No romance in this one, just sisterly love!
Esmeralda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight):
4.5 stars
I’m going to have to look up the source for this because I was super confused by the ending lol. Also, the character is never described until halfway through which made them hard to picture, but the world and environment descriptions were super lush, so there was no trouble there. This was really, truly beautifully written, but it might need repeat reads to truly understand for me. Loved it!
Twenty Thousand Leagues Away from Me (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea):
5 stars
Loved this one! It was way better than the last retelling of this story I read lol. This is another future, post-apocalyptic world where the sun burns and the water overtook much of the coasts. It was very realistically done, and I loved the main character and his bond with his adoptive parents and the baby whale.
Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein):
5 stars
Similar to the previous one, this took place in a post-apocalyptic future in which NYC has been completely submerged underwater. The inner monologue of the “monster” which is a cyborg-mermaid in this one, was beautiful and melancholic. I loved the description of the undersea world. The Frankenstein character is depicted as the bad guy in this, but I feel like this version of him deserved at least a tiny bit of sympathy. He was a boy alone at the end of the world and tried to make companions, even if he wanted them to work for him. I feel like a full novel could really delve into both the characters’ psyches and complicated relationship together.
Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea):
4.5 stars
This was another really interesting take, and another post-apocalyptic world that was set in the desert of Las Vegas instead, where the water has dried up. I’d love to spend more time in this world, too. I thought all of the characters felt real and really respected the main character’s grit.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection! I loved so many of the stories that the ones that I didn’t don’t outweigh it. I really recommend this to anyone who needs more Latino characters and stories in their reading :)
Summary: The first anthology I’ve read that I actually liked most of the stories in! So refreshing to read about these classics remade with Latino/Hispanic characters. I enjoyed about 11 of the stories here, and definitely plan on getting my hands on a physical copy. There are a lot of unique takes and remixes on the sources, more about each specifically below!
Shame and Social Media (Pride and Prejudice):
4.5 stars
Off to a good start! I don’t know if it’s because I know and love the P&P story but this remix was super cute! This was written through transcripts of vlogs and takes place in a sci-fi future where people live in a massive ship on their way to a new planet. I would love a full length novel written in prose about this, maybe even just a novella! That way we could get to learn more about Darcy, since this relies heavily on the source text, I think. Still super cute with great topics discussed.
Break in Case of Persephone (Myth of Hades and Persephone):
2.5 stars
This story was really rather mid, unfortunately. The world building was very confusing, and there really wasn’t any explanation to it which didn’t help. It was some weird combination of sci-fi tech with mythology…? It didn’t work in the way this was written, in my opinion. There was a lot of lore that was needed and didn't get explained. Apparently Persephone and Demeter are reincarnations? Or descendants? Or magic users? I've got no clue! How did the curse of the pomegranate even happen? I also thought that the character development was a bit rushed, for both of the MCs and their relationship.
Thornfield (Jane Eyre):
5 stars
I’ve never read Jane Eyre, but I absolutely loved this story, so I’ll have to pick it up! The magic system was great, as were the characters and the world they live in. It all felt very real, and I would love to read what happens next to these characters. In such a short amount of time the author had me caring about them, worrying for their lives, and creeped out by the world!
La Cotorra y el Flamboyán (The Nightingale and the Rose):
4 stars
Another source I’m not familiar with, but I liked this one! It didn’t have a happy ending which I’m 100% mad about lol, but they do include hope for the future of the characters. This one had a neat magic system, with shapeshifters and evil witches and even a Snow White-esque theme to it. I would also love for this story to continue!
Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears):
1 star
The first big disappointment lol. It’s not badly written, but it most definitely just isn’t my taste. It’s a vampire story, and the escalation of violence was so quick I almost had whiplash. We’re not meant to like the MC (I think), which is fine, but I want her to get her comeuppance, and she doesn’t in the timeline of the story, so. I would definitely read a spinoff book about her friend learning she’s a vampire and having to fight and take her down. Sign me up for that story!
This Mortal Coil (Hamlet):
1 star
Yeah, I don’t know what happened here. The story felt very macho-man, poorly written, and very info-dumpy, especially for a short story. There was a lot of telling over showing, making everything that happened super dull and boring to read about, even when they were talking about adultery and murder and political conspiracies and pregnancies like ugh I just could not care, because apparently the MC couldn’t either! There were no emotions on the page at all, and oh my gosh — this takes place in a futuristic society living on Mars. Hebrew and English are still languages in this time period, but not… Spanish? Every time the characters would speak “Spanish” it was written in a whitewashed way, like “grasyas” instead of gracias and “te kyero miho” instead of te quiero mijo, or “yo tammen” instead of yo tambien. I literally could not fathom WHY the author chose to write it this way, I ground my teeth every time it happened. Which was a lot. And I’ve had experience transforming Spanish into a fantasy dialect, it’s 100% possible to do so while keeping the soul of the language!!! Also, the character randomly had a pompadour pftttt. And just the cherry on top was that you could just tell this was written by a man. I’ll leave it with this quote:
”The weeks went by. School, work, sex. Humans fall so easily into routine, which blots out emotional spikes and mysteries. Occasionally, I would make a half hearted attempt at understanding the strange rectangle of plastic my father left me, but my time was occupied by love, final exams, the need to fool those I mistrusted.” CONTEXT: His father died a month ago and he suspects his uncle. Is he going to do anything about it? No, he’s just going to have sex, because apparently humans just fall into that routine.
#Ace
June and the Fox Boy (Beauty and the Beast):
5 stars
I really needed this after the previous one lol. It read like a Disney movie, it was so cute and pure, such a great take on the source. It is a bit rushed, but I can chalk that up to it being a short story (but give me the full book now please!!) This one really made me feel how special it is to read about main characters who are POC, and not only POC, but Latino! So refreshing and so sorely needed. The magic system in this was cool, and the fox transformation was a neat idea.
Prefiero No (Bartleby, the Scrivener):
4 stars
Another where I wasn’t familiar with the source! This story did start a bit slow for me, and I was wondering for a while where it was going. There were a few overdramatic/unrealistic things in the beginning in regards to people making fun of the MC’s art, but then the story took a dark/melancholic turn, and when I found out the plot twist it picked up from there. It was beautifully written and super sweet.
Trespassers Will Be… (Theseus and the Minotaur):
2.5 stars
This one was weird. The inner narration quickly became repetitive with the MC letting us know over and over again what the situation was. Like okay, we get it. It was also annoying because you could clearly tell this was written by someone who doesn’t know what teens are like right now — seeing as how the kid was getting bullied for liking Guardians of the Galaxy and Stranger Things… and he called both of them “not mainstream…?” Okay… I was initially excited about this story because I thought we’d finally get a sympathetic take on the minotaur (justice for the mino!) but they just made him a racist and abusive white man lmaoo. The story also ends pretty anti-climactically with no questions answered or solved so, there’s that.
Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby):
5 stars
The concept was really well realized, I felt like I was actually on the islands with the characters! It gave me Jurassic Park meets The Great Gatsby and, strangely, Dark Shadows lol. It was very haunting and celebratory of indigenous voices. There was a point though where they compared the Gatbsy figure to Columbus and the colonizers, saying she was no better than them, but… This woman bought and developed land, yes, but she wasn’t raping and murdering people and committing genocide. It was just a bit weird to compare what Columbus did with this character. Aside from that, I really loved this story!
Evermore (The Raven):
1 star
I absolutely hated this one. It dragged. It made me seriously not want to pick up the book just to not have this story on my shelf lol. Just refer to my updates on this one because it was a lot (about 64-71%). It was boring, tried to do too many things that I lost track of, and followed a similar structure to the first story, but through “mind maps” of characters that were just poems… The story was very negative and backward, weirdly, since it takes place 70 years in the future. The main character was also willing to manipulate her mom (who has Alzheimers) and abuse her with overmedication (that actually burned her) and yeah, I couldn’t take this one. Lots of trigger warnings for this one, I think, as the characters kept thinking their problems could be solved with suicide. I can’t believe a story told in verse dragged so long.
Celia’s Song (The Little Mermaid):
5 stars
Another one I sorely needed. This was a really unique take on the story and I loved the magic and the vibes. This one managed to make you care more for the sisters than most adaptations. I loved the sea witch and the concept of a golden heart and emotions that controlled the weather. No romance in this one, just sisterly love!
Esmeralda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight):
4.5 stars
I’m going to have to look up the source for this because I was super confused by the ending lol. Also, the character is never described until halfway through which made them hard to picture, but the world and environment descriptions were super lush, so there was no trouble there. This was really, truly beautifully written, but it might need repeat reads to truly understand for me. Loved it!
Twenty Thousand Leagues Away from Me (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea):
5 stars
Loved this one! It was way better than the last retelling of this story I read lol. This is another future, post-apocalyptic world where the sun burns and the water overtook much of the coasts. It was very realistically done, and I loved the main character and his bond with his adoptive parents and the baby whale.
Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein):
5 stars
Similar to the previous one, this took place in a post-apocalyptic future in which NYC has been completely submerged underwater. The inner monologue of the “monster” which is a cyborg-mermaid in this one, was beautiful and melancholic. I loved the description of the undersea world. The Frankenstein character is depicted as the bad guy in this, but I feel like this version of him deserved at least a tiny bit of sympathy. He was a boy alone at the end of the world and tried to make companions, even if he wanted them to work for him. I feel like a full novel could really delve into both the characters’ psyches and complicated relationship together.
Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea):
4.5 stars
This was another really interesting take, and another post-apocalyptic world that was set in the desert of Las Vegas instead, where the water has dried up. I’d love to spend more time in this world, too. I thought all of the characters felt real and really respected the main character’s grit.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection! I loved so many of the stories that the ones that I didn’t don’t outweigh it. I really recommend this to anyone who needs more Latino characters and stories in their reading :)
August 31, 2024
it seems the only way for me (personally) to rate anthologies is to rate each story separately so...
1. shame & social media by anna meriano (pride + prejudice) — 2⭐️
2. break in case of persephone by olivia abtathi (hades + persephone) — 3⭐️
3. thornfield by monica sanz (jane eyre) — 5⭐️
4. la cotorra y el flamboyán by amparo ortiz (nightingale + the rose) — 2⭐️
5. goldi and the three bodies by saraciea j fennell (goldilocks) — 2⭐️
6. this mortal coil by david bowles (hamlet) — 4⭐️
7. juna and the fox boy by raquel vasquez gilliland (beauty + the beast) — 5⭐️
8. prefiero no by alexandra villasante (bartleby, the scrivner) — 3⭐️
9. trespassers will be… by torrey moldonado (theseus + the minotaur) — 2⭐️
10. isla bella by ari trison (the great gatsby) — 3⭐️
11. evermore by nonieqa ramos (the raven) — 4⭐️
12. celia’s song by jasminne mendez (the little mermaid) — 4⭐️
13. esmeralda by laura pohl (sir gawain + the green night) — 4⭐️
14. twenty thousand leagues away from me by eric smith (twenty thousand leagues under the sea) — 3⭐️
15. heart of the sea by zoraida córdova (frankenstein) — 4⭐️
16. tesoro by sandra proudman (the old man + the sea) — 2⭐️
overall average rating for the anthology: 3.25⭐️
1. shame & social media by anna meriano (pride + prejudice) — 2⭐️
2. break in case of persephone by olivia abtathi (hades + persephone) — 3⭐️
3. thornfield by monica sanz (jane eyre) — 5⭐️
4. la cotorra y el flamboyán by amparo ortiz (nightingale + the rose) — 2⭐️
5. goldi and the three bodies by saraciea j fennell (goldilocks) — 2⭐️
6. this mortal coil by david bowles (hamlet) — 4⭐️
7. juna and the fox boy by raquel vasquez gilliland (beauty + the beast) — 5⭐️
8. prefiero no by alexandra villasante (bartleby, the scrivner) — 3⭐️
9. trespassers will be… by torrey moldonado (theseus + the minotaur) — 2⭐️
10. isla bella by ari trison (the great gatsby) — 3⭐️
11. evermore by nonieqa ramos (the raven) — 4⭐️
12. celia’s song by jasminne mendez (the little mermaid) — 4⭐️
13. esmeralda by laura pohl (sir gawain + the green night) — 4⭐️
14. twenty thousand leagues away from me by eric smith (twenty thousand leagues under the sea) — 3⭐️
15. heart of the sea by zoraida córdova (frankenstein) — 4⭐️
16. tesoro by sandra proudman (the old man + the sea) — 2⭐️
overall average rating for the anthology: 3.25⭐️
February 9, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for an honest review.
3.5 stars
My favourite stories were:
La Cotorra Y El Flamboyán - Amparo Ortiz (A re-telling of The Nightingale and the Rose - Oscar Wilde)
Isla Bella - Ari Tison (A re-telling of The Great Gatsby)
Evermore - NoNieqa Ramos (A re-telling of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
3.5 stars
My favourite stories were:
La Cotorra Y El Flamboyán - Amparo Ortiz (A re-telling of The Nightingale and the Rose - Oscar Wilde)
Isla Bella - Ari Tison (A re-telling of The Great Gatsby)
Evermore - NoNieqa Ramos (A re-telling of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
March 27, 2024
Relit is a very cool collection of retellings with LatinX voices and stories. Lots of these stand out but I really enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice retelling and the Beauty and the Beast retelling. I'll definitely be looking into more of these authors work in the future.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.
August 24, 2024
This was just okay. There are some really cool ideas what could be explored more, but generally speaking the stories weren't all that well written and there were some cringe rushed romance moments.
March 14, 2025
A really great anthology, but translating classic novels into short stories sometimes sacrificed substance.
Read
October 4, 2024DNF Over half way thru, but just didn’t feel compelled by enough of them to keep going. Some were interesting. Most ended too soon. And a few were confusing.
September 26, 2025
I really liked the reimaginings of these classic tales, both ones I was familiar with and those I wasn’t, and loved seeing them in different genre contexts! Some I enjoyed moreso than others but it was an enjoyable read overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 1, 2024
Thanks to Harper360YA for providing me with an ARC!
Fantasy short stories are some of the hardest out there to write. You're creative space is already very limited, so to have to build an entire world, magic system, and cast of characters while also retaining a coherent plot, all in about 15 pages? In my opinion, it's nearly impossible. As a result, my favorites from this collection were mainly the sci-fi or magical realism stories, while the rest I found to be a bit lacking or confusing.
My highlights were:
➳ Shame and Social Media by Anna Meriano
➳ This Mortal Coil by David Bowles
➳ Isla Bella by Ari Tison
➳ Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me by Eric Smith
I'm glad I read it and if you normally enjoy short story anthologies, then I would definitely recommend checking this one out! I just struggled when it came to the fantasy stories as I didn't feel like there was enough space for them to be properly fleshed out. Happy Reading :)
Fantasy short stories are some of the hardest out there to write. You're creative space is already very limited, so to have to build an entire world, magic system, and cast of characters while also retaining a coherent plot, all in about 15 pages? In my opinion, it's nearly impossible. As a result, my favorites from this collection were mainly the sci-fi or magical realism stories, while the rest I found to be a bit lacking or confusing.
My highlights were:
➳ Shame and Social Media by Anna Meriano
➳ This Mortal Coil by David Bowles
➳ Isla Bella by Ari Tison
➳ Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me by Eric Smith
I'm glad I read it and if you normally enjoy short story anthologies, then I would definitely recommend checking this one out! I just struggled when it came to the fantasy stories as I didn't feel like there was enough space for them to be properly fleshed out. Happy Reading :)
June 5, 2025
A collection of 16 tales all inspired by classic stories with Latine characters taking center stage.
From beloved fairy tales such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid" to iconic Greek myths, "Relit" is brimming with retellings of iconic stories in fresh and vibrant new ways all edited by Sandra Proudman, the author of "Salvación," a YA remix of Disney's "Zorro."
I've been so excited to read "Relit" for quite some time now. I am a sucker for retellings, so I figured an anthology of them would be quite entertaining. When I finally got my hands on this one, I was pleasantly surprised by how random some of the inspiration stories were. I thought the majority of them were going to be fairy tales, but this anthology was brimming in works inspired by Shakespeare, Poe, Melville, Shelley, and so many others. As with most anthologies, a few stories really stand out and a few really fell off the bandwagon. I wish this one would have had a slightly more consistent feel to it; about half of the stories are dystopian which tied them together somewhat, but the only thing they all have in common is that they reimagine a classic story. Also, I love how there was a segment of the original story before each reimaging. It made it abundantly clear which story was being retold, and it took all of the guess work out of reading this anthology.
"Shame and Social Media" by Anna Meriano: 🌟🌟
"Pride and Prejudice" starring an influencer in space. I personally found this one to be slightly annoying with all of the slang, but I did find the vlogging format to be intriguing. Darcy Fitz, the love interest, was by far my favorite part of this mediocre story.
"Break in Case of Persephone" by Olivia Abtahi: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a hopeful tale that reimagines the myth of Hades and Persephone. It touches on themes of embracing the future, letting go of fear, and finding your individual happiness no matter what it takes. I thought the curse element was neat, even if the story wasn't the most unique.
"Thornfield" by Monica Sanz: 🌟🌟🌟
"Jane Eyre" but with brujas. I'm not overly familiar with "Jane Eyre" and I find that I am rather confused by every reimaging that I encounter, so here's another sign that I really need to read this classic novel. I thought it was neat how the magic enhanced the hatred and betrayal that is so important in this story. I found the dual timeline to be a bit jarring at first, but it certainly added to the tension in the long run.
"La Cotorra y El Flamboyán" by Amparo Ortiz: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This one is a remix of "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde, which I quite frankly, have never even heard of. Despite this, I wasn't confused and I found myself liking this one quite a bit. The prose was immaculate and I found the ending to be quite emotional. It's mostly a dark tale, but it has a hint of hope at the end.
"Goldi and the Three Bodies" by Saraciea J. Fennell: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" but with a vampire twist. This was the first one in the anthology where I thought to myself, "this person understood the assignment." Though the story itself is vastly different than the classic children's story, the way that it was inspired by the original was so smart. The intense vibe also propelled the story forward.
"The Mortal Coil" by David Bowles: 🌟🌟🌟
In a futuristic world set on (I believe) Mars, "Hamlet" is brought to life (and killed) like never before. The thing that stood out to me the most was the usage of an Old English-type Spanish. I'm not an expert on the variations of the Spanish language, but the feel that this evoked was real neat. The way that Hamlet's tale is retold is witty, such as his father's ghost being brought back as a robot. The twist ending of this one was also well executed.
"Juna and the Fox Boy" by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Beauty and the Beast" but with a fox boy and some chick named Juna. This one was one of my favorites in the entire collection. It was quite hilarious and I found myself cackling aloud several times. The banter between Juna and Lago is peak and I couldn't help but smile at their chemistry. This one feels like a classic fairy tale and evoked a nostalgic feeling.
"Prefiero No" by Alexandra Villasante: 🌟🌟🌟
I was honestly pretty lost in this one. It's based on Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," which I've never heard of either. I kinda just liked the vibes in this one, despite not knowing what was happening whatsoever in the story and knowing nothing about the source material.
"Trespassers Will Be. . ." by Torrey Maldonado: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This New York horror story retells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology, so I found this one to be cool. The way that racism was explored was quite poignant and I totally dig the fact that the racist man was a literal monster. I was so mad when I flipped the final page on this one; I would have read this one as a full-length novel!
"Isla Bella" by Ari Tison: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
"The Great Gatsby" ends up in Costa Rica with three teens who've acquired an internship opportunity. This one really hones in on anti-colonialism and respecting the natural world. I must say, I haven't read "The Great Gatsby," but the ending has me wondering just what in the world that book is actually about.
"Evermore" by NoNieqa Ramos: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Evermore" is a remix on Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven." I absolutely adore this poem, so my expectations were quite high going into this one. And Ramos did not disappoint! This story features a futuristic society that is still not widely accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. As Lenore and Zadie spend more time with one another, they begin to experience what it means to truly be themselves without fear. This story/poem raises questions about what lengths one would go to achieve an inclusive world despite the consequences.
"Celia's Song" by Laura Pohl: 🌟🌟🌟
In this retelling of "The Little Mermaid," Celia will do anything to protect her little sisters. Even if it means never going to the surface and concealing the powers of her golden heart. This one follows a similar arc to most "Little Mermaid" stories, but it wasn't a boring read either.
"Esmeralda" by Jasminne Mendez: 🌟🌟
A retelling of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" that I found to be utterly pointless. I like how the characters are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but I found the pacing and overall atmosphere of the story to just be weird. But hey, honor isn't dead, I guess.
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me" by Eric Smith: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This one is evidently based on Jules Vernes' "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." This story is set in a dystopian world in which humans have totally trashed the Earth's oceans. It has messages about conserving the planet and respecting animals, which I can definitely get behind.
"Heart of the Sea" by Zoraida Córdova: 🌟🌟🌟
"Frankenstein" but with mechanical mermaids. A young Vic builds a robotic mermaid and names her Fisher, because he created her to catch fish for him. Just like in the original tale, this backfires and the automation has more emotions than Vic could have ever thought possible. I also appreciate that this one was told from "the monster's" PoV.
"Tesoro" by Sandra Proudman: 🌟🌟🌟
The final selection by the anthology's editor Sandra Proudman retells Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" (which is a book that I have actually read!). I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but Proudman's prose is still solid. I did also really like the saying about how there is always water in the desert and hope will persist no matter how hopeless the scenario seems.
Overall, I had a decent time with "Relit," but I wish I had stronger feelings about a few of the stories. But in my opinion, "Evermore" alone is worth the time I put into this entire collection. I am a huge fan of Latine mythology, so this one was a fun one to dive into, especially because I also adore retellings. Some of the source materials were a tad random for the average human, but I know enough about miscellaneous literature to not be completely lost. This one will definitely be added to plenty of my future recommendation lists!
From beloved fairy tales such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid" to iconic Greek myths, "Relit" is brimming with retellings of iconic stories in fresh and vibrant new ways all edited by Sandra Proudman, the author of "Salvación," a YA remix of Disney's "Zorro."
I've been so excited to read "Relit" for quite some time now. I am a sucker for retellings, so I figured an anthology of them would be quite entertaining. When I finally got my hands on this one, I was pleasantly surprised by how random some of the inspiration stories were. I thought the majority of them were going to be fairy tales, but this anthology was brimming in works inspired by Shakespeare, Poe, Melville, Shelley, and so many others. As with most anthologies, a few stories really stand out and a few really fell off the bandwagon. I wish this one would have had a slightly more consistent feel to it; about half of the stories are dystopian which tied them together somewhat, but the only thing they all have in common is that they reimagine a classic story. Also, I love how there was a segment of the original story before each reimaging. It made it abundantly clear which story was being retold, and it took all of the guess work out of reading this anthology.
"Shame and Social Media" by Anna Meriano: 🌟🌟
"Pride and Prejudice" starring an influencer in space. I personally found this one to be slightly annoying with all of the slang, but I did find the vlogging format to be intriguing. Darcy Fitz, the love interest, was by far my favorite part of this mediocre story.
"Break in Case of Persephone" by Olivia Abtahi: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a hopeful tale that reimagines the myth of Hades and Persephone. It touches on themes of embracing the future, letting go of fear, and finding your individual happiness no matter what it takes. I thought the curse element was neat, even if the story wasn't the most unique.
"Thornfield" by Monica Sanz: 🌟🌟🌟
"Jane Eyre" but with brujas. I'm not overly familiar with "Jane Eyre" and I find that I am rather confused by every reimaging that I encounter, so here's another sign that I really need to read this classic novel. I thought it was neat how the magic enhanced the hatred and betrayal that is so important in this story. I found the dual timeline to be a bit jarring at first, but it certainly added to the tension in the long run.
"La Cotorra y El Flamboyán" by Amparo Ortiz: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This one is a remix of "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde, which I quite frankly, have never even heard of. Despite this, I wasn't confused and I found myself liking this one quite a bit. The prose was immaculate and I found the ending to be quite emotional. It's mostly a dark tale, but it has a hint of hope at the end.
"Goldi and the Three Bodies" by Saraciea J. Fennell: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" but with a vampire twist. This was the first one in the anthology where I thought to myself, "this person understood the assignment." Though the story itself is vastly different than the classic children's story, the way that it was inspired by the original was so smart. The intense vibe also propelled the story forward.
"The Mortal Coil" by David Bowles: 🌟🌟🌟
In a futuristic world set on (I believe) Mars, "Hamlet" is brought to life (and killed) like never before. The thing that stood out to me the most was the usage of an Old English-type Spanish. I'm not an expert on the variations of the Spanish language, but the feel that this evoked was real neat. The way that Hamlet's tale is retold is witty, such as his father's ghost being brought back as a robot. The twist ending of this one was also well executed.
"Juna and the Fox Boy" by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Beauty and the Beast" but with a fox boy and some chick named Juna. This one was one of my favorites in the entire collection. It was quite hilarious and I found myself cackling aloud several times. The banter between Juna and Lago is peak and I couldn't help but smile at their chemistry. This one feels like a classic fairy tale and evoked a nostalgic feeling.
"Prefiero No" by Alexandra Villasante: 🌟🌟🌟
I was honestly pretty lost in this one. It's based on Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," which I've never heard of either. I kinda just liked the vibes in this one, despite not knowing what was happening whatsoever in the story and knowing nothing about the source material.
"Trespassers Will Be. . ." by Torrey Maldonado: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This New York horror story retells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology, so I found this one to be cool. The way that racism was explored was quite poignant and I totally dig the fact that the racist man was a literal monster. I was so mad when I flipped the final page on this one; I would have read this one as a full-length novel!
"Isla Bella" by Ari Tison: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
"The Great Gatsby" ends up in Costa Rica with three teens who've acquired an internship opportunity. This one really hones in on anti-colonialism and respecting the natural world. I must say, I haven't read "The Great Gatsby," but the ending has me wondering just what in the world that book is actually about.
"Evermore" by NoNieqa Ramos: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Evermore" is a remix on Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven." I absolutely adore this poem, so my expectations were quite high going into this one. And Ramos did not disappoint! This story features a futuristic society that is still not widely accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. As Lenore and Zadie spend more time with one another, they begin to experience what it means to truly be themselves without fear. This story/poem raises questions about what lengths one would go to achieve an inclusive world despite the consequences.
"Celia's Song" by Laura Pohl: 🌟🌟🌟
In this retelling of "The Little Mermaid," Celia will do anything to protect her little sisters. Even if it means never going to the surface and concealing the powers of her golden heart. This one follows a similar arc to most "Little Mermaid" stories, but it wasn't a boring read either.
"Esmeralda" by Jasminne Mendez: 🌟🌟
A retelling of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" that I found to be utterly pointless. I like how the characters are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but I found the pacing and overall atmosphere of the story to just be weird. But hey, honor isn't dead, I guess.
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me" by Eric Smith: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This one is evidently based on Jules Vernes' "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." This story is set in a dystopian world in which humans have totally trashed the Earth's oceans. It has messages about conserving the planet and respecting animals, which I can definitely get behind.
"Heart of the Sea" by Zoraida Córdova: 🌟🌟🌟
"Frankenstein" but with mechanical mermaids. A young Vic builds a robotic mermaid and names her Fisher, because he created her to catch fish for him. Just like in the original tale, this backfires and the automation has more emotions than Vic could have ever thought possible. I also appreciate that this one was told from "the monster's" PoV.
"Tesoro" by Sandra Proudman: 🌟🌟🌟
The final selection by the anthology's editor Sandra Proudman retells Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" (which is a book that I have actually read!). I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but Proudman's prose is still solid. I did also really like the saying about how there is always water in the desert and hope will persist no matter how hopeless the scenario seems.
Overall, I had a decent time with "Relit," but I wish I had stronger feelings about a few of the stories. But in my opinion, "Evermore" alone is worth the time I put into this entire collection. I am a huge fan of Latine mythology, so this one was a fun one to dive into, especially because I also adore retellings. Some of the source materials were a tad random for the average human, but I know enough about miscellaneous literature to not be completely lost. This one will definitely be added to plenty of my future recommendation lists!
January 26, 2024
*Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories is a beautiful rendition of Latinx culture, with tons of diversity and variety. All inspired by a ton of classics that now have a fresh and diverse twist. Each story is fully indicative of Latinx culture, which is vast and unique on its own, and every story brings a new perspective into it. Of the stories I already know I felt they did a great job of portraying them while being fresh, and of those I did not know, each story made me curious to go read the original.
Although each story holds their own to stand out in some way, the ones that are most memorable for me is, 'Thornfield: A Remix of Jane Eyre' by Monica Sanz, 'Isla Bella: A Remix of The Great Gatsby' by Ari Tison, and 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me: A Remix of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea' by Eric Smith. Thornfield is a standout for me in that it felt like a fully developed novel in such few pages. Each story has that element but this one is still so vivid in my mind and felt like a much longer journey. Isla Bella had such stunning, vivid prose. I felt as if I could see every image and the story has stayed with me. It was also incredible to get an Indigenous perspective into Latinx culture. Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me was by far the most emotional, really tugging at my heartstrings. It was both the most difficult to read and the most driven in feeling. The symbolism between the main character and the calf was phenomenal.
Despite having my personal favorites, each story did have elements that I think other readers will love. For example, 'Shame and Social Media' was very unique in storytelling, and did a wonderful job in opening up this collection. 'La Cotorra y el Flamboyán' offered an unexpected ending that was both conclusive and open ended. 'Juna and the Fox Boy' took a beloved children's classic and managed to stray far from its roots while remaining close enough to the story that the comparisons are unmistakable. 'Evermore' includes poetry that feels on par with 'The Raven' and offered a beautiful flow to the story. And every story in between had wonderful lessons and representation, from queer characters to Afro-Latinx characters.
The only reason I did not give a full five stars was because a few of the stories felt a little tonally different from the core tone. By this I mean that each story fit in terms of representation, but some of these stories can get really dark with difficult topics and I felt there were a few that in comparison would be better suited for middle grade. Despite this, I do think some readers will appreciate this because it really breaks up the intensity and allows you to ebb and flow with the collection.
Overall, this is a stand out collection with really incredible authors who I am now eager to read more from!
Rep: Bi mcs, WLW mcs/scs, Persian sc, Sephardic sc, Afro-Latinx scs, Indigenous MCs, Trans MC, nonbinary MC.
Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories is a beautiful rendition of Latinx culture, with tons of diversity and variety. All inspired by a ton of classics that now have a fresh and diverse twist. Each story is fully indicative of Latinx culture, which is vast and unique on its own, and every story brings a new perspective into it. Of the stories I already know I felt they did a great job of portraying them while being fresh, and of those I did not know, each story made me curious to go read the original.
Although each story holds their own to stand out in some way, the ones that are most memorable for me is, 'Thornfield: A Remix of Jane Eyre' by Monica Sanz, 'Isla Bella: A Remix of The Great Gatsby' by Ari Tison, and 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me: A Remix of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea' by Eric Smith. Thornfield is a standout for me in that it felt like a fully developed novel in such few pages. Each story has that element but this one is still so vivid in my mind and felt like a much longer journey. Isla Bella had such stunning, vivid prose. I felt as if I could see every image and the story has stayed with me. It was also incredible to get an Indigenous perspective into Latinx culture. Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me was by far the most emotional, really tugging at my heartstrings. It was both the most difficult to read and the most driven in feeling. The symbolism between the main character and the calf was phenomenal.
Despite having my personal favorites, each story did have elements that I think other readers will love. For example, 'Shame and Social Media' was very unique in storytelling, and did a wonderful job in opening up this collection. 'La Cotorra y el Flamboyán' offered an unexpected ending that was both conclusive and open ended. 'Juna and the Fox Boy' took a beloved children's classic and managed to stray far from its roots while remaining close enough to the story that the comparisons are unmistakable. 'Evermore' includes poetry that feels on par with 'The Raven' and offered a beautiful flow to the story. And every story in between had wonderful lessons and representation, from queer characters to Afro-Latinx characters.
The only reason I did not give a full five stars was because a few of the stories felt a little tonally different from the core tone. By this I mean that each story fit in terms of representation, but some of these stories can get really dark with difficult topics and I felt there were a few that in comparison would be better suited for middle grade. Despite this, I do think some readers will appreciate this because it really breaks up the intensity and allows you to ebb and flow with the collection.
Overall, this is a stand out collection with really incredible authors who I am now eager to read more from!
Rep: Bi mcs, WLW mcs/scs, Persian sc, Sephardic sc, Afro-Latinx scs, Indigenous MCs, Trans MC, nonbinary MC.
February 18, 2024
This is a beautiful book filled with beautiful stories. All of these stories are deeply emotional in one way or another, and they are sure to make a lasting impact on the reader. There are multiple stories that in my personal opinion are even better stories than the originals. My personal favorite is "Juna and the Fox Boy: A Remix of Beauty and the Beast" by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, though also Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories. I cried in this remix. I loved everything about that story, but especially the two main characters and their personalities. Every story, however, is exceptional. Some of them really ought to be made into full length books of their own, and I hope they are some day. This is an essential purchase for public libraries, and it will find many devoted fans among readers of all ages.
February 4, 2024
Language: R (63 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
These sixteen authors retell stories we know from Disney movies and high school English class. From Greek mythology to folktales, Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, stories familiar to us are made new and exciting again.
The intent of this collection was to rewrite familiar stories with Latinx characters, which breathes new life into the retellings. The cultures of the new main characters and their settings lend elements to the stories that did not exist in the originals. It’s as if the authors are inviting readers to ask how the story would change if they—if we—were the main character. Let your imagination go wild.
Most of the characters are implied, if not explicitly, Latinx. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, drug use, kissing, innuendo, partial nudity, and mentions of sex and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for fantasy violence; mentions of guns, torture, homicide, and genocide; and suicide.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
These sixteen authors retell stories we know from Disney movies and high school English class. From Greek mythology to folktales, Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, stories familiar to us are made new and exciting again.
The intent of this collection was to rewrite familiar stories with Latinx characters, which breathes new life into the retellings. The cultures of the new main characters and their settings lend elements to the stories that did not exist in the originals. It’s as if the authors are inviting readers to ask how the story would change if they—if we—were the main character. Let your imagination go wild.
Most of the characters are implied, if not explicitly, Latinx. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, drug use, kissing, innuendo, partial nudity, and mentions of sex and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for fantasy violence; mentions of guns, torture, homicide, and genocide; and suicide.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
January 14, 2024
This collection of short stories reimagines many classic tales that are told from a Latinx perspective and does so in a way that makes you wish these were the original stories. Every single story had well developed characters that went beyond their classic inspirations and the stories themselves were unique and so beautiful to read. I really enjoyed that there were focuses on many of the indigenous communities and their cultures, especially their relationship to their native lands. This is by far the best collection of classic stories reimagined I have ever read.
Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2024
Yeah! I finally finish the book!!! Relit is an interesting collection of stories. When I found the book, I was excited since it said classic Latino stories. I thought they were stories told in Latin American countries like "La llorona. La catrina, and "Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl" to name a few. But looking at it further, I saw it was actually Classic stories remix with Latino characters. I was a bit disappointed but still wanted to see what it was about. I'm going to do a overall review and then individual stories. I like the horror vibe to some of the stories, and to be honest I only knew five of the original classic. I'm from the East Coast and a lot of time, stories about Latinos usually take place in the West Coast. I was excited that half the stories were from the East Coast. The themes of Colonization, indigenous belief, and climate change were strong and heavy themes that were in some stories. The authors wrote about it in a productive and realistic way that brings aware to the reader that these problems have not disappeared. I appreciated the LGBTQ+ theme and how the authors navigate each story, and the challenges that many characters face in being part of both communities. Especially the Latino community that is still very conservative with it. The stories were realistic and I appreciated it because in today's media world Latinos are either drug dealers, comedy relief, or tied to a holiday (dia de los muertos, quinceanera, etc).
Here's a review of each story.
Shame and Social Media by Anna Meriano. 3/5. It was a space theme, futuristic story. It was uniquely told in the form of the main character narrating a blog. I love the character and wish we got to see more of the two.
Break in case of Persephone by Olivia Abtahi. 3/5. I love Hades and Persephone. They are the power couple of the Greek Gods. This retelling had high hopes and it was sweet. However, I wanted more exploration of the characters. The maybe slow burn to romance with Hector and Persefonia. I get it was more platonic. But maybe it could have develop more.
Thornfield by Monica Sanz. I will give it 5/5. This story was AMAZING!!!! It had revel the world bit by bit beautifully. They whole brujas theme plus a rebelling. I wish this was a full book!!!
La Cotorra y El Flamboyan by Amparo Ortiz.2/5. This was the first story in the collection that left me a bit traumatize. I am not familiar with the original story but it had very dark themes.
Goldi and the Three bodies by Saraciea J. Fennell. 4/5. The vampire theme sell it for me and it was the first story that was sorta in our world. The remix version was genius in my opinions.
This Mortal Coli by David Bowles. I will give no stars. HEAR ME OUT. I sort of read it. I am not a fan of science fiction only cause everything confuses me. I've tried my best to read it but I was so confuse with the story that I just skim it. I will say 5/5 on the writing. The parts that I did understand were beautifully written. I really like Mr. Bowles writing style.
Juna and the Fox boy by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. 5/5. I love anything beauty and the beast and I really wish the romantic part was explore more. I wish the story was longer.
Prefiero No by Alexandra Villasante. 2/5. I liked the art analogy but honestly it was a bit boring for me.
Trespassers will be... by Torrey Maldonado. 3/5. I WISH THE STORY DID NOT CUT OFF WHERE IT DID!!!!!!
Isla Bella by Ari Tison. 4/5. The story was beautifully written. There was so much respect. it highlighted the indigenous community feelings of their ancestors land. The injustice that occur and how to respect the land or else.
Evermore by NoNiequa Ramos. 4/5. This story was heartbreaking. It was gracefully written and it honestly made me cry because it was so realistic. Not to give to much away, but the realistic struggle the characters face among there love ones was heartbreaking. I wish they made it to there happy ending.
Celia's Song by Jasmine Mendez. 3/5. I relate to the main character, and I feel in our community sometimes family priority becomes a bit toxic. Especially when you want to pursuers a passion or dream.
Esmeralda by Laura Pohl. 5/5. I have no words for this story. It was open-ended. I felt at peace when reading it. I dont know why. It did however, the religion trauma some of us bare.
Twenty Thousand Leagues away from me by Eric Smith. 2/5. This story broke my heart and made me really thing of the state of our world. I felt helpless along side the character.
Heart of the Sea by Zoraida Cordova. 3/5. The corresponding theme with domestic violence and what that would look like, was written well. I have never read a book that truly acknowledge the emotional and physical damage of being in that situation. Especially the past that was taken away and the fear of the future. The small detail of Fisher (Sonia) feeling guilty and hurt when she thought of the pain she is causing Vic truly had me in awe. Thank you Zoraida for writing a strong story.
Tesoro by Sandra Proudman. 4/5. This story highlighted the journey to the USA in a futuristic world. My heart broke for the dad and the uncertainty of communication from one place to the other. The anger, wonder and confusion of the missing parent. All the possibility racing in Mimi's head. Well deliver this harsh reality, Sandra.
Overall, an amazing read. Each story brought a unique perceptive of similar themes while tying it to real situation people in our community face. From Vampires, future space world, to witch and the end of the world. It has it all.
Here's a review of each story.
Shame and Social Media by Anna Meriano. 3/5. It was a space theme, futuristic story. It was uniquely told in the form of the main character narrating a blog. I love the character and wish we got to see more of the two.
Break in case of Persephone by Olivia Abtahi. 3/5. I love Hades and Persephone. They are the power couple of the Greek Gods. This retelling had high hopes and it was sweet. However, I wanted more exploration of the characters. The maybe slow burn to romance with Hector and Persefonia. I get it was more platonic. But maybe it could have develop more.
Thornfield by Monica Sanz. I will give it 5/5. This story was AMAZING!!!! It had revel the world bit by bit beautifully. They whole brujas theme plus a rebelling. I wish this was a full book!!!
La Cotorra y El Flamboyan by Amparo Ortiz.2/5. This was the first story in the collection that left me a bit traumatize. I am not familiar with the original story but it had very dark themes.
Goldi and the Three bodies by Saraciea J. Fennell. 4/5. The vampire theme sell it for me and it was the first story that was sorta in our world. The remix version was genius in my opinions.
This Mortal Coli by David Bowles. I will give no stars. HEAR ME OUT. I sort of read it. I am not a fan of science fiction only cause everything confuses me. I've tried my best to read it but I was so confuse with the story that I just skim it. I will say 5/5 on the writing. The parts that I did understand were beautifully written. I really like Mr. Bowles writing style.
Juna and the Fox boy by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. 5/5. I love anything beauty and the beast and I really wish the romantic part was explore more. I wish the story was longer.
Prefiero No by Alexandra Villasante. 2/5. I liked the art analogy but honestly it was a bit boring for me.
Trespassers will be... by Torrey Maldonado. 3/5. I WISH THE STORY DID NOT CUT OFF WHERE IT DID!!!!!!
Isla Bella by Ari Tison. 4/5. The story was beautifully written. There was so much respect. it highlighted the indigenous community feelings of their ancestors land. The injustice that occur and how to respect the land or else.
Evermore by NoNiequa Ramos. 4/5. This story was heartbreaking. It was gracefully written and it honestly made me cry because it was so realistic. Not to give to much away, but the realistic struggle the characters face among there love ones was heartbreaking. I wish they made it to there happy ending.
Celia's Song by Jasmine Mendez. 3/5. I relate to the main character, and I feel in our community sometimes family priority becomes a bit toxic. Especially when you want to pursuers a passion or dream.
Esmeralda by Laura Pohl. 5/5. I have no words for this story. It was open-ended. I felt at peace when reading it. I dont know why. It did however, the religion trauma some of us bare.
Twenty Thousand Leagues away from me by Eric Smith. 2/5. This story broke my heart and made me really thing of the state of our world. I felt helpless along side the character.
Heart of the Sea by Zoraida Cordova. 3/5. The corresponding theme with domestic violence and what that would look like, was written well. I have never read a book that truly acknowledge the emotional and physical damage of being in that situation. Especially the past that was taken away and the fear of the future. The small detail of Fisher (Sonia) feeling guilty and hurt when she thought of the pain she is causing Vic truly had me in awe. Thank you Zoraida for writing a strong story.
Tesoro by Sandra Proudman. 4/5. This story highlighted the journey to the USA in a futuristic world. My heart broke for the dad and the uncertainty of communication from one place to the other. The anger, wonder and confusion of the missing parent. All the possibility racing in Mimi's head. Well deliver this harsh reality, Sandra.
Overall, an amazing read. Each story brought a unique perceptive of similar themes while tying it to real situation people in our community face. From Vampires, future space world, to witch and the end of the world. It has it all.
January 20, 2024
3/5 Stars
TL;DR - An interesting anthology with a little bit of everything, from sci-fi to magical realism to some stories that border on horror. Ended up being more lukewarm for me than anything, but a few stories stood out.
Big thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: persecution by Christians, mentions of attempted rape, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and attempted suicide.***
‘Relit’ is an anthology of “remixed” short stories with Latinx characters taking center stage. From fairy tales to classics re-imagined with sci-fi and fantasy twists, this anthology will certainly surprise you.
So, anthologies are always a mixed bag, but this one ended up being pretty ‘meh’ for me. I really wish I’d liked it more - I LOVE retellings, especially when changing up the genre - but overall, this was just middle of the road for me at best.
As I read, I gave each individual story its own score out of five stars, and the aggregate ended up around 2.5, but I rounded up to 3 because I did really enjoy a few of the stories. The total count comes in at four 1-stars, four 2-stars, five 3-stars, and three 4-stars, with no stories that I felt earned 5 stars, for a total of 16. The 1-stars were hardcore 1s, poorly written to the point that I skimmed most of them, the 2-stars were average in craft but poor in execution, the 3-stars were solidly mid across the board, and the 4-stars were pretty good overall. Nothing really captured me and earned a 5-star, though, which is disappointing.
Genres are mainly sci-fi and fantasy, though I would say “magical realism” is a better term than fantasy in most cases. There are a few that skirt the line into horror, which I liked.
‘Thornfield’ by Monica Sanz is easily my favorite, and this is me officially begging the author to turn this into a full novel - I would devour that in a heartbeat, take all my money. I also really enjoyed ‘Prefiero No’ by Alexandra Villasante and ‘Isla Bella’ by Ari Tison.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, not my favorite anthology, though there were a few diamonds in the rough. Might be a nice way to spend a few minutes a day if you have some free time on your lunch break or riding the bus or something. Fine for one read-through, but I won’t be purchasing a physical copy.
TL;DR - An interesting anthology with a little bit of everything, from sci-fi to magical realism to some stories that border on horror. Ended up being more lukewarm for me than anything, but a few stories stood out.
Big thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: persecution by Christians, mentions of attempted rape, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and attempted suicide.***
‘Relit’ is an anthology of “remixed” short stories with Latinx characters taking center stage. From fairy tales to classics re-imagined with sci-fi and fantasy twists, this anthology will certainly surprise you.
So, anthologies are always a mixed bag, but this one ended up being pretty ‘meh’ for me. I really wish I’d liked it more - I LOVE retellings, especially when changing up the genre - but overall, this was just middle of the road for me at best.
As I read, I gave each individual story its own score out of five stars, and the aggregate ended up around 2.5, but I rounded up to 3 because I did really enjoy a few of the stories. The total count comes in at four 1-stars, four 2-stars, five 3-stars, and three 4-stars, with no stories that I felt earned 5 stars, for a total of 16. The 1-stars were hardcore 1s, poorly written to the point that I skimmed most of them, the 2-stars were average in craft but poor in execution, the 3-stars were solidly mid across the board, and the 4-stars were pretty good overall. Nothing really captured me and earned a 5-star, though, which is disappointing.
Genres are mainly sci-fi and fantasy, though I would say “magical realism” is a better term than fantasy in most cases. There are a few that skirt the line into horror, which I liked.
‘Thornfield’ by Monica Sanz is easily my favorite, and this is me officially begging the author to turn this into a full novel - I would devour that in a heartbeat, take all my money. I also really enjoyed ‘Prefiero No’ by Alexandra Villasante and ‘Isla Bella’ by Ari Tison.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, not my favorite anthology, though there were a few diamonds in the rough. Might be a nice way to spend a few minutes a day if you have some free time on your lunch break or riding the bus or something. Fine for one read-through, but I won’t be purchasing a physical copy.
February 18, 2024
I love anthologies as a way to introduce me to new authors. A try before you commit to a full book.
So a collection of Latinx authors doing SFF retellings of classic stories? Perfect.
I knew many of the classic stories, but some were completely new and it's nice to have some with expectations and going into others having no idea where they're going to go.
As with most anthologies I think it's hard for them to get 5 stars as it's inevitable some stories I'll love, some ill like and some won't be for me.
Out of the 16 stories I didn't hate any, but a few were a little dull or felt unsatisfying.
My favourites were :
❤️SHAME AND SOCIAL MEDIA
a remix of Pride and Prejudice by Anna Meriano
-loved this futuristic take on a story I know very well. The inherited lodgings in a space ship was a very clever way of keeping the original essence.
🧡THORNFIELD
a remix of Jane Eyre by Monica Sanz
-Loved this witchy story. I could have had a full novel of this. Knowing the original story did mean you could see the end coming but an excellent twist to this story.
💛LA COTORRA Y EL FLAMBOY
a remix of “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Alexandra Villasante
-i don't know this classic story but this retelling was beautiful and surprising.
💚EVERMORE
a remix of “The Raven” by NoNieqa Ramos
Well this was such a surprise! I don't know the full poem but I am aware of parts of it. I didn't think I'd like the prose but it was so so good. The story was moving and gripping .
I'll now be checking out the other books by these authors.
I would highly recommend this book to those who want to diversify the authors on their shelves, who love retellings, or want to try some new authors..
So a collection of Latinx authors doing SFF retellings of classic stories? Perfect.
I knew many of the classic stories, but some were completely new and it's nice to have some with expectations and going into others having no idea where they're going to go.
As with most anthologies I think it's hard for them to get 5 stars as it's inevitable some stories I'll love, some ill like and some won't be for me.
Out of the 16 stories I didn't hate any, but a few were a little dull or felt unsatisfying.
My favourites were :
❤️SHAME AND SOCIAL MEDIA
a remix of Pride and Prejudice by Anna Meriano
-loved this futuristic take on a story I know very well. The inherited lodgings in a space ship was a very clever way of keeping the original essence.
🧡THORNFIELD
a remix of Jane Eyre by Monica Sanz
-Loved this witchy story. I could have had a full novel of this. Knowing the original story did mean you could see the end coming but an excellent twist to this story.
💛LA COTORRA Y EL FLAMBOY
a remix of “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Alexandra Villasante
-i don't know this classic story but this retelling was beautiful and surprising.
💚EVERMORE
a remix of “The Raven” by NoNieqa Ramos
Well this was such a surprise! I don't know the full poem but I am aware of parts of it. I didn't think I'd like the prose but it was so so good. The story was moving and gripping .
I'll now be checking out the other books by these authors.
I would highly recommend this book to those who want to diversify the authors on their shelves, who love retellings, or want to try some new authors..
Read
June 24, 2024I read this for a graduate school class but I'm glad I did. Here are my thoughts:
1) Shame and Social Media (Pride & Prejudice)
This was not my cup of tea. I appreciated the Pride & Prejudice references but found Izzy (aka Elizabeth) pretty insuffable.
2) Break in Case of Persephone (Hades & Persephone)
I liked this one better than the first story. It was a fun, less ominous spin on the Hades & Persephone story.
3) Thornfield (Jane Eyre)
This one was twisty and dark and I thought it was great. Very Salem Witch Trials mixed with 1800s England.
4) La Cotorra y El Falmboyan (The Nightingale and the Rose)
Well written and incredibly dark. I had to skim this one since my head was already in a dark space before encountering this story.
5) Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears)
I mean, I guess it should have guessed it from the short story's name but I didn't like this one. At all. Super graphic and dark.
6) This Mortal Coil (Hamlet)
7) Juna and the Fox Boy (Beauty & the Beast)
8) Prefiero No (Bartleby, the Scrivener)
9) Trespassers Will Be... (Theseus and the Minotaur)
10) Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby)
11) Evermore (The Ravens)
12) Celia's Song (The Little Mermaid)
13) Esmeralda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
14) Twenty Thousand Leagues Away from Me (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
15) Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein)
16) Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea)
1) Shame and Social Media (Pride & Prejudice)
This was not my cup of tea. I appreciated the Pride & Prejudice references but found Izzy (aka Elizabeth) pretty insuffable.
2) Break in Case of Persephone (Hades & Persephone)
I liked this one better than the first story. It was a fun, less ominous spin on the Hades & Persephone story.
3) Thornfield (Jane Eyre)
This one was twisty and dark and I thought it was great. Very Salem Witch Trials mixed with 1800s England.
4) La Cotorra y El Falmboyan (The Nightingale and the Rose)
Well written and incredibly dark. I had to skim this one since my head was already in a dark space before encountering this story.
5) Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears)
I mean, I guess it should have guessed it from the short story's name but I didn't like this one. At all. Super graphic and dark.
6) This Mortal Coil (Hamlet)
7) Juna and the Fox Boy (Beauty & the Beast)
8) Prefiero No (Bartleby, the Scrivener)
9) Trespassers Will Be... (Theseus and the Minotaur)
10) Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby)
11) Evermore (The Ravens)
12) Celia's Song (The Little Mermaid)
13) Esmeralda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
14) Twenty Thousand Leagues Away from Me (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
15) Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein)
16) Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea)
March 16, 2024
I enjoyed Relit!
I was immediately drawn into this book by its absolutely beautiful cover. Isn't it stunning!
Relit is a fantasy and sci-fi anthology that includes 16 Latinx stories that reimagine classics.
It was a fun read and with, like most anthologies, some of the stories I really loved and some I just liked.
My favourites were definitely Thornfield, which is a retelling of Jane Eyre and This Mortal Coil, which is a Hamlet retelling.
Both were absolutely amazing, and i would love them as full-length novels!
I definitely do recommend this anthology!
Here are my individual ratings for each story!
● Shame and Social Media (Pride and Prejudice) ⭐⭐️
● Break in Case of Persephone (Hades and Persephone) ⭐⭐️⭐️
● Thornfield (Jane Eyre) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
● La Cotorra Y El Flamboyán (The Nightingale and the Rose)⭐️⭐️⭐
● Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● This Mortal Coil (Hamlet)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Juna and the Fox Boy (Beauty and the Beast)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Prefiero No (Bartley, the Scrivener)⭐️⭐️
● Tresspassers Will Be...(Myth of the Minotaur)⭐️⭐️
● Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Evermore (The Raven)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Celia's Song (The Little Mermaid)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Esmerelda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea)⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was immediately drawn into this book by its absolutely beautiful cover. Isn't it stunning!
Relit is a fantasy and sci-fi anthology that includes 16 Latinx stories that reimagine classics.
It was a fun read and with, like most anthologies, some of the stories I really loved and some I just liked.
My favourites were definitely Thornfield, which is a retelling of Jane Eyre and This Mortal Coil, which is a Hamlet retelling.
Both were absolutely amazing, and i would love them as full-length novels!
I definitely do recommend this anthology!
Here are my individual ratings for each story!
● Shame and Social Media (Pride and Prejudice) ⭐⭐️
● Break in Case of Persephone (Hades and Persephone) ⭐⭐️⭐️
● Thornfield (Jane Eyre) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
● La Cotorra Y El Flamboyán (The Nightingale and the Rose)⭐️⭐️⭐
● Goldi and the Three Bodies (Goldilocks and the Three Bears)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● This Mortal Coil (Hamlet)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Juna and the Fox Boy (Beauty and the Beast)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Prefiero No (Bartley, the Scrivener)⭐️⭐️
● Tresspassers Will Be...(Myth of the Minotaur)⭐️⭐️
● Isla Bella (The Great Gatsby)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Evermore (The Raven)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Celia's Song (The Little Mermaid)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Esmerelda (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Twenty Thousand Leagues Away From Me (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Heart of the Sea (Frankenstein)⭐️⭐️⭐️
● Tesoro (The Old Man and the Sea)⭐️⭐️⭐️
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