21 exciting YA book releases we can’t wait to read in Fall 2021
By Lacy Baugher
Fall 2021 release: Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales – Soman Chainani
Beasts and Beauty is a collection of reimagined fairytales that aims to explore and subvert many of the traditional tropes we’ve come to expect from these stories. These new versions are still deeply familiar, yet are now updated with more feminist sensibilities, racial and ethnic diversity, and several queer characters.
The twelve tales in this collection encompass many long-time favorites from Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel to Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood. Darker themes are explored, familiar tropes subverted, and perspectives shifted in interesting ways. (For example, the Peter Pan retelling here is from Wendy’s point of view, and the Hansel and Gretel story is centered on a pair of South Asian siblings left in a forest by their parents.)
If you’re a fan of retellings, this is one you won’t want to miss.
The official synopsis describes the collection as follows.
"Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that capture hearts long kept tame and set them free, truths that explore life . . . and death. A prince has a surprising awakening . . . A beauty fights like a beast . . . A boy refuses to become prey . . . A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again. New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare."
Beasts and Beauty is available on September 28.