Classic retellings are rather prevalent these days, especially when it comes to fairytales. What I find a little less often is retellings of classic literature amongst new children’s books. Recently, however, I found a retelling of the classic Robin Hood story by Wendy Mass that I thought was worth a review.
The Story: Before he was ever a hero to the universe of AD 2336, Robin Hood was just Robin and before she ever met him and became a heroine of her own story, Marian was just a lady of earth. When Robin finds a clue hinting at the truth of where his missing parents vanished to, he decides to follow with the help of his uncle Kent and cousin Will. Meanwhile, Marian is being sent away from Earth and all of her family to Delta-Z. There Marian and Robin might both discover the truth that lies behind their government and their entire universe as they know it. In the process, Robin and Marian might find that they are stronger than they think and have the capability to be the heroes of their own stories.
My Thoughts: This is definitely a different take on the classic tale of Robin of Loxley. Having read the original novel by Howard Pyle, it’s not often I’ve seen retellings of this story. I’ve read prequels and sequels to the medieval Robin Hood story, but this is a retelling in which the characters live in a futuristic world and the plot has less to do with the original “rob-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor” (which is actually misrepresented in every version of Robin Hood I’ve seen/read, with perhaps the slight exception of the 1938 film). That having been said, this was a really entertaining read that you definitely cannot read passively. I will say Robin and Marian don’t meet up until a little more than halfway through the book so there is a weird disconnect for a little while when switching between POVs. Still, it’s a read that’s really fun.
Parental Advisories: The worst this book contains is some mild teen romance (think looking at each other and thinking the other has “bejeweled eyes”) and some slight boy humor.
