Contemporary YA books Inspired by Classics

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta

A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide. But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters — including Firoze Darcy — and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.

Classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Told from multiple viewpoints, while seventeen-year-old Anna K seems above the typical problems of her Manhattan friends and siblings, finding love with a notorious playboy changes everything. 

Classic: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan

They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom– in costumes. Jubilee and Ridley can’t help falling for each other. And learn that Jubilee’s stepmom owns an indie comic shop– and Ridley’s parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country. But the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. Ridley suffers anxiety spirals, and Jubilee, a cellist, has been focused on her upcoming audition. What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

Classic: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet 

When a famed photojournalist shows up to document her family’s ‘Little Women Live!’ attraction, Jo, who is rebelling against living in the shadow of her literary namesake, discovers that real life is much more complicated and messier than fiction.

Classic: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor

When math genius Emma and her coding club co-president, George, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born. George disapproves of Emma’s idea of creating a matchmaking app, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first. Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other, and Emma’s own feelings defy any algorithm?

Classic: Emma by Jane Austen

Northranger by Rey Terciero

Cade Muñoz has has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary, but to Cade–a closeted queer teen growing up in rural Texas–real life can be way scarier. When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there–in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry. But as unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the mysterious details of several local deaths, and Cade begins to wonder what else he may be hiding. 

Classic: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Epically Earnest by Molly Horan

Jane Worthing’s claim to fame is that she was one of the first viral internet sensations…discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Janey is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax

Classic: The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

Anna Cicconi’s summer gig in the Hamptons village of Herron Mills as a nanny is supposed to be a fresh start. But the community has been on edge since Zoe Spanos, a local girl, disappeared on New Year’s Eve. Anna’s resemblance to Zoe causes her to delve into Zoe’s life. She becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected– and that she knows what happened to her. When Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Can her podcast uncover the truth?

Classic: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli

With gold-medalist parents, and her older sister headed to the Olympics, all Adriana Russo wants is to live up to the family name and stand atop the ice dance podium at the Junior World Championships. But the only thing keeping the family’s legendary skating rink afloat is a deal to host the rest of the Junior Worlds team before they leave for France. That means training on the same ice as her first crush, Freddie, the partner she left when her growth spurt outpaced his. Then her partner, Brayden, suggests they let the world believe that their intense chemistry isn’t contained to the ice, to attract more fans and sponsors. Caught between her past, present, and the golden future she’s worked so hard for, can Adriana take the pressure?

Classic: Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

Violet is shipped off to Maine after her brother’s hospitalization, where she searches for the lost shipwreck that her great-great grandmother survived and for answers about her family’s long struggle with mental illness, all while falling in love.

Classic: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky

Rafi Francisco needs something really special to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the hearthrob musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. Rafi lands herself a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River will be the headliner. But when Rafi arrives on the Caribbean island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers and (very minor) celebrities, they quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. And it’s not just confronting beauty gurus-gone-wild and spotty WiFi. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that he might be hiding even darker secrets than she suspected.

Classic: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target. They picked the wrong girl. Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

Classic: Macbeth by William Shakespeare