Rapunzel's Revenge

I thought I would like this book a lot, but for some reason it was just okay. It lacked some kind of oomph to really stand out from the average graphic novel. Still good, but I would probably recommend borrowing it from the library instead of buying it.

Who knew Rapunzel had it in her? All those years spent locked away in that tower, waiting for some handsome young prince to come along and rescue her --- wait, she didn't need a man to get out of that predicament? It turns out Rapunzel was actually a kick-butt heroine who had a feisty temperament and tenacity --- or at least that's how a trio of Hales have envisioned her. Shannon Hale, a Newbery Award-winning children's book author, has teamed up with her husband, Dean, to write RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, which turns the original Brothers Grimm tale on its ear. They brought in the help of talented illustrator Nathan Hale (no relation) for help fleshing out the story. RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE offers a thrilling reimagining of the fairy tale --- just look at the cover to see Rapunzel looking like she's straight out of the wild west. Inside, she's thrown into even more outrageous settings, all of which work somehow --- and it succeeds because of its unabashed spirit. The Hales seem like they're having a ball with this story, and they like to mix in generous helpings of other myths and legends to flesh out the action. (Also, a couple of other fairy tales find their way into the telling of RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, but it would take an evil stepmother to give them away here.) RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE sticks fairly close to the original at the beginning. Rapunzel is a young girl living with Mother Gothel, who rules over the land with an iron fist (and a little bit of witchcraft). They live in luxury (or boredom, to hear Rapunzel tell it), with Rapunzel having no idea what lies over the giant wall surrounding their castle. When she dares to spy over it one day, and finally meets her real mother living in poverty on the other side, she incurs the wrath of Mother Gothel and gets locked away in a small room at the top of a very tall tree. When her hair begins to grow excessively long, Rapunzel formulates a plan. With a clever guile, she learns how to use her hair like a rope, rappelling out of the tree and into the wild forest around her. And here's where the adventure truly begins (as Rapunzel herself puts it in her narration, "This is where the `once upon a time' part ends."). And what an adventure it is. When Rapunzel meets up with a young scallywag named Jack, things really pick up. Both are on the run: Jack is a horse thief, and Gothel has put a price on Rapunzel's head. To make things worse, Gothel has locked up Rapunzel's birth mother, and Rapunzel is bound and determined to get back to the castle to rescue her mother and overthrow Gothel for good. Luckily for readers, RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE is as clever as it is good-humored. The plot never rests for too long, keeping our two intrepid heroes constantly moving and always in some spot of trouble that takes all their wits to escape. Mining the depths of fairy tales provides a wealth of material, and giving this one a modern-day twist adds layers of personality to the mix. Believe it or not, this Rapunzel is so much more inte

I'm a fan of Shannon Hale's novels, and I too was surprised that this is in a "comic book" format. Wow! The story is well-told, but my kudos go to the illustrator Nathan Hale. I had to read this twice in succession -- first to enjoy the plot, but the second time to look closely at every picture. The pictures make the text even more ironic and witty, and there are little themes in the pictures alone (watch the goose, for example). I feel silly sometimes for reading "kid's books", but this was so classy I plan to share with friends.

This is a graphic novel in the truest sense of the word, a done-in-one novel length comic book. It's intended for, and marketed to, the middle reader set (ages 9 to 12), but it's just as suitable for young adults and adults alike. Rapunzel's Revenge takes place in a fairy-tale-version of the American west, in which standard fairy tale tropes are recast in western idioms. The main character is Rapunzel, a young girl raised in a well-guarded villa by a woman she thinks is her mother. When Rapunzel learns that the woman is in fact an evil sorceress who rules the land with an iron fist, she tries to escape, only to end up imprisoned in a high tower, her hair cursed to grow endlessly. But rather than waiting for any handsome prince to come along and rescue her, Rapunzel simply braids her hair into two long rope-like braids, frees herself, and then using her braids as lariats and whips sets out to end the sorceress's rule once and for all. She meets up with a young ne'er-do-well named Jack, who is down on his luck until his pet goose finally lays an egg, and together they travel across the deserts and forests, having adventures. Highly recommended.

I loved this book!! Being mother of 4 and loving the Young Adult books that Hale so beautifully writes, I was just excited for her next book. Then I got it in the mail and saw that it was a comic book! I was so surprised, but very happy. I sat down and started reading with my 8 year old daughter and my 6 year old son. They LOVED IT! I would find them reading it in their rooms when they were supposed to be doing chores, sneaking it outside, and hiding in our 'library' with it in their laps and noses burried deep. How can you say 'no' to a clean, witty, action/adventure that keeps the kids' attention? A must for family readers!

Rapunzel's Revenge is a great book by a great author. Shannon Hale retells the classic tale of Rapunzel with a little bit of a Mother Goose (Gothel?) tie-in in a wonderfully comic-book style illustrated book. Hale is funny and thoughtful in creating this new version of Rapunzel, a heroine who realizes that the woman who has been raising her is NOT her mother and that her real mother has been slaving away in Mother Gothel's mines. When Rapunzel rebels, Mother Gothel places her in a towering tree room. Mother Gothel posesses growth magic and so the tree is able to provide everything Rapunzel needs to survive for several years. Finally on Rapunzel's 16th birthday (after her hair has grown to ridiculous lengths, like everything else in the Forest) Rapunzel rebels for the last time and Mother Gothel commands the tree to stop providing food and shelter. Rapunzel uses her hair to swing to safety and the real adventure starts from there. Rapunzel immediately meets several characters and makes a friend of Jack, a briefly cross-dressing, goose-toting man with some fairly loose morals when it comes to stealing. Rapunzel and Jack save each other from some seedy characters before heading out of town on stolen horses. Rapunzel (or Punzie as Jack sometimes calls her) is determined to save her mother from Mother Gothel's mines. With the help of Jack (and a little bit of magic) Rapunzel is able to get into the party Mother Gothel is hosting and save her mother and all the inhabitants that Mother Gothel had oppressed. The book is a charming retelling of the fairy tale and the illustrations are terrific. Hale is able to use the illustrations to tell a fuller story. My favorite instance of this is when Rapunzel is escaping from her tree tower and the words say that she manages to gracefully escape but the pictures show her falling into the water around the base of the tree. In this way Hale is able to make the heroine both strong and funny. She's not perfect but learning and growing (without the help of Mother Gothel's magic).