Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, D and Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge (N. Hale, illus.). New York: Bloomsbury.

Genre: Fractured Fairy Tale
Format: Graphic Novel
Age Recommendation: 8 & up

Shannon Hale and her husband Dean Hale, accompanied by illustrator Nathan Hale (no relation) work together to make their graphic novel debut with Rapunzel's Revenge, an adventure story set in the old west, loosely based on the fairy tale classic Rapunzel. Having been raised with a privelaged life by Mother Gothel inside the castle walls, Rapunzel one day lets her curiosity get the best of her and ventures outside the towering walls only to find a ravaged land and her own mother enslaved as a mine worker. Having previously believed Mother Gothel to be her real mother, all of Rapunzel's repressed memories come flooding back to her and in her bravery she confronts Mother Gothel, only to be tied up, dragged away, and locked up in a towering magical tree. With no hope of being rescued, Rapunzel passes her time reading books and practicing kicks and flips. As her hair grows longer, she begins using it to jump rope, swing from the towering heights of the tree, and practice rope tricks. Her hair eventually grows so long that she's able to escape from the tree holding her captive, and she sets out on a journey to return to Mother Gothel and defeat her once for all so as to free the land from her magical destruction. Along the way, Rapunzel meets Jack (who is later discovered to be the same Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk), and together they face villain after villain until the final showdown with Mother Gothel. (My personal favorite parts of the book are, of course, these very fighting scenes where Rapunzel uses her long braids as a whip to defeat the villains. Only the Hale's could think of such a creative use for her classic long locks...)

Full of fun, adventure, wit, romance, and every other ingredient needed for a successful graphic novel, Rapunzel's Revenge is an absolute delight. I recommend this book to children at least eight years old, as children of this age are developing more of an interest in adventure stories as well as stories set in the past. Children stuck in a cowboys and indians phase or a fairy tale phase will especially love this book. Schools, libraries, and parents alike shouldn't hesitate to own this book, as it will no doubt be a great way to get kids interested in reading.

Bird, E. (2008, June 24). Review of the day: Rapunzel's revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. School Library Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1650028565.html?q=rapunzel%27s+revenge.

Bird gives Rapunzel's Revenge a raving review in School Library Journal, and her sharp wit makes even the review a delight to read: "Why an enterprising young man or woman---and man, could perhaps even take a fairy tale and do wondrous things with it. You could even, and maybe I'm just talking crazy stuff here, take the fairy tale of Rapunzel slap it into a psudo-cowboy/wizardry setting. Add in Newberry-Honor winner Shannon Hale, her husband, and a guy with the same last name who doesn't happen to be related to either of them, and you have a rip-roaring tale of betrayal, escape, romance, and very long locks. Hypothetically, of course." Had I read this review without having read the book, I would have gone out and bought it. She describes the plot with great detail, discusses the personality quirks of the characters, and describes the book as a "kick-butt girl package," a term that would have had me sold in an instant. In the end, the only problem Bird finds with the book is "in figuring out what to recommend to patrons when they finish the book and want more of the same." Now that's a good review if I ever saw one.