Gamila's Review

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale

I have to admit I was hesitant to read Rapunzel’s revenge. Not so much because it is a graphic novel, but because Rapunzel looks like a cowgirl on the front cover. I don’t have anything against westerns, but Rapunzel is supposed to be romantic, classical, and sort of renaissance-ish. Definitely, not a western. So, though I love Shannon Hale, I hesitated. Then I just needed to read something new, and a little different. I haven’t been able to get into reading lately. Working a lot, and snatching bits of a novel at lunch break kind of ruins the reading experience.

So, I decided to try Rapunzel’s revenge, and I really loved it. I picked up the book and couldn’t put it down until I finished. What a wonderful thing! I finished a book in one sitting (okay there are lots of pictures…I know.). Still three hours later and I was finished. (This may be long by some standards, but I read more slowly than reading maniacs, like my husband, who finish 500 page novels in a day.) It was really fun.

The book starts out with Rapunzel wandering a beautiful villa, having nothing to do but practice rope tricks with some of the servants. She lives with her mother, or who she thinks is her mother. With nothing to do, Rapunzel naturally wants to see over the huge wall that surrounds the villa, and decides to sneak over it one day. She doesn’t expect to find that the land beyond the wall looks like a wasted desert, full of slaves, who work the mines. She also meets someone important to her from her past, and learns that she was deceived. Rapunzel is so angry that she takes on Mother Gothel, and lands herself up in a tall tree tower. She determines to find a way out, so she stop Gothel from exploiting her subjects, and save those she cares about.

This book is way fun, and it is cool to see Rapunzel whip her braids around, and take down outlaws, wild beasts, and evil fake-mothers. There were a few cheesy parts, but this book is an overall winner. I hope you take the time to read it.