Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, S. D. (2008). Rapunzel's Revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Rapunzel is kept separate from the world around her by her cold mother Gothel.  One day she sneaks out and sees a dreary village with a long line of people waiting for water. The people look like they have been beaten down by life. They are weak and their clothes are ragged. Rapunzel discovers that her real mother is one of the villagers in line. She was taken away from her when she was younger. Having discovered not only that Gothel lied about being her mother but that she has forced people to work in mines with little food and water, Rapunzel is upset. Gothel orders her taken away from the villa and sends her to a live in a towering tree deep in a far away forest.  When Rapunzel refuses to accept Gothel's life and help her  build their empire, she is forced to stay in the tree for years. Her hair grows and eventually she find a way to escape. She meets up with renegade character, Jack. They travel through the kingdom looking for food, trying to find work to make money, saving kidnapped children, and fighting outlaws.  Soon Rapunzel ends up back at Gothel's villa and a final showdown ends with Gothel losing her powers and being destroyed. Rapunzel saves her mother Kate and her Jack can live in the kingdom worry free.

This is not a typical fairy tale. It is not even the traditional fairy tale with a twist.  This was a whole new story. The only similarities with the familiar Rapunzel story are the character names and the problem of being stuck in a high location.  It seems strange and disjointed to have a story about slaves in a mine and then a charging boar, then a boy with a goose that can lay golden eggs. Then there is a crazy witch man and group of small people who have to fight a giant sea snake.  It didn't make much sense to me. I wouldn't recommend it to a teacher but I could see how adolescents would like it especially since it is written in graphic novel format.