Best Modern Fairy Tale Books

We all know the genre of "fairy tale rewrite," in which a classic, familiar tale gets rewritten or recast from a new perspective. But there are other ways to riff on fairy tales in contemporary novels: by leaning on them for inspiration and peppering references to them in an original story. Some of these novels depart from familiar fairy tales so much that they become their own creatures entirely. Some don't need to reference familiar fairy tales at all to evoke a strong vibe of enchantment.

What makes the following reads "fairy tale-like" is one or two of a few things: fairy tale-like prose (i.e. abstracted, flat writing--prose that purposefully lacks some emotional depth), immersive world building in a modern-day setting, dark whimsy, and a touch of the otherworldly. Here are some of our favorite modern fairy tale reads:

Bunny by Mona Awad

Bunny is a lot of things. Fans of literature and pop culture will instantly notice nods to fairy tales, Greek mythology, Disney princesses, and cult films like "Heathers" and "Carrie" peppered throughout. The 2019 novel's plot hinges on Samantha Heather Mackey's arrival on a small New England campus as an MFA student. Put off by the "rich girl" clique called the Bunnies who dominate the social scene, Samantha keeps to herself. Little does she know that she will soon be drawn down the rabbit hole after an invitation to the Smut Salon that introduces her to a world of rituals and disturbing magic.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

In 2018's The Hazel Wood, teenage Alice learns just how bad bad luck can get when her cult-favorite author grandmother dies alone in her estate. This happens right before her mother is kidnapped by a mysterious figure claiming to be from a place called the Hinterland that exists in her grandmother's stories. With the only instruction to stay away from the Hazel Wood, left behind by her grandmother, Alice is out of both luck and ideas. Luckily, she can turn to her grandmother's superfans to enter the realm of her famed tales. While the story is completely original, The Hazel Wood sprinkles in references to The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and Rumpelstiltskin that serve as magical little breadcrumbs.

The Great Night by Chris Adrian

This 2011 retelling of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with some absurdist and dark twists thins the veil between a faerie kingdom and the mortal world. Just as three humans run from heartbreak and failed relationships into San Francisco's Buena Vista Park, the faeries who secretly live there unleash an ancient menace that threatens the lives of both mortals and faeries. With nods to both A Midsummer Night's Dream and classic fairy tales, The Great Night reads like a novel that could be a collaboration between Shakespeare and the Brothers Grimm if they all lived in modern-day San Francisco. With lines blurred between dreams and reality, the novel is playful, charming, and heartbreaking all at once.

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann

How to Be Eaten reimagines characters from popular fairy tales as modern-day women living in present-day New York City. It all starts with a support group where five women share their past traumas that sound suspiciously like the plots to classic cautionary tales. While Gretel wonders if her memories of being trapped in a house made from candy are real, Ruby wears a coat made of the wolf that once devoured her. As the women share their strange experiences, they soon begin to wonder what has brought them all together. While clever and fun, this 2022 read touches on important themes that range from trauma to victim-blaming, making it a smart social commentary as well as an escapist good read.

What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

When Librarian Sayuri Komachi recommends a book to you, it will change the course of your life. That's the premise of this charming, smile-inducing 2022 novel that centers on a well-read librarian with a gift for sensing exactly what each soul who enters the library needs. Readers see how Komachi's gift impacts the lives of five library patrons seeking answers and fulfillment at different junctions in life. It's prose is sparse and straightforward in a charming, fable-like way, perhaps due to the fact that it's a translation (the original is in Japanese). The effect is a no-frills modern fairy tale.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by ​​Robin Sloan

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is an enduring blend of Bay Area tech culture with old-world curiosity. In this tale, web designer Clay Johnson takes a job at an unusual San Francisco bookstore that has almost no customers. It does have a steady roster of eccentric regulars, though. Eventually, Clay discovers that the bookstore is really a cover for a secret society that is focused on unlocking immortality through ancient texts. Clay dives headfirst into solving this mystery, leading readers on a journey that feels both novel and fairy tale-like.