Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale

Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale

Calamity Jack is the sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, a retelling of the Rapunzel story with a western twist. Calamity Jack takes place in the big city, and recounts how Jack ended up out west, and what happens when he come back home with Rapunzel. This retelling of Jack and the beanstalk opens with a humorous narration of Jack’s wayward youth, and how he plotted to steal from the one of the town’s most influential businessman, Blunderbore the Giant. Having angered one of the most powerful individuals in the city Jack made a break for the west.

Now that he has returned with Rapunzel he finds large portions of the city in ruins, and that everyone is afraid. Apparently, a large ant army has been terrorizing the citizens and destroying the city. Jack discovers that his mother’s house is destroyed and that his mother is forced to work for Blunderbore himself. Jack is angry and determined to get his mother out of the clutches of the evil giant, but Jack must also contend with the mysterious ant creatures, which are still terrorizing the town. Jack and Rapunzel do some sleuth work and determine that the ant army and Blunderbore are somehow connected. Jack and Rapunzel have to put together a rag-tag team clever enough to rescue Jack’s mom and save the town from the terrorizing ant army.

From the very first page this book had me laughing. I read this little book in one afternoon, and felt like I had just watched a very clever and satisfying movie after I finished. Usually, I have a hard time getting into graphic novels, but I was sucked right in from the beginning with this one. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the fact that I had read Rapunzel’s Revenge and so was already familiar with the characters, but I really enjoyed the story-line. The new characters— a fairy with a hat fetish, and a newspaper man obsessed with inventions— were funny and interesting. I had so much fun reading about their adventures as they plotted to take down Blunderbore together. I also really loved the city setting and the fun steam-punky inventions that showed up every once in a while. Rapunzel is a strong, spunky, female character that defies all conventions to come to the rescue of those in need. Jack is a lovable renegade with a soft heart. To all those in need of a quick, entertaining, and hilarious adventure story I’d recommend this book.

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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.