Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Cedar Fort, Inc. on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

My Pre-Reading

Fairy tale re-tellings are my favorite kinds of books, and I was super excited to find out about a modern day re-telling of Rapunzel. Surprisingly, I haven't come across too many of them, and I was really excited to see how Bennet would take Rapunzel and make her story fit into a world where most people have access to the internet, television, phones, and all sorts of technology. And if you're looking for a story where Rapunzel is taken out of the times of knights and castles and princes and princess and thrust into the world as we know it, this book will be just for you.

I was a little disappointed though, because I figured that this book wouldn't stick so closely to the original fairy tale. Rapunzel is kept locked in a tower, Mother Gothel is the only one who has access to it, and then a boy, Fane, comes across Rapunzel and opens her eyes to the world around her. And there were a few differences, but I felt like I was just reading the same old Rapunzel story again. 

Rapunzel also didn't really sit well with me. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but I just felt like some of her decisions, actions, and reactions were not indicative of a girl who has spent her entire life locked away in a tower.I mean, I know the only life she's ever known is the one Mother Gothel tells her about, but still. And telling her she's got this terrible autoimmune disease to keep her from leaving her tower? I just don't think most girls would accept that.

Despite all of the minor gripes I had with this book, it was actually pretty well written. I never felt like the plot was dragging or that we spent too long on one event or one mystery. Questions were presented and then answered in a timely manner, and everything flowed very smoothly. I was hooked from the beginning, and still wanted to find out more about Mother Gothel and Rapunzel and their lives.

Overall, I think this book was a pretty decent read. Just not entirely what I had hoped for. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a simple re-telling of Rapunzel, without too many new ideas introduced. A nice, simple read set in a familiar world with familiar characters. So, I would give it a 3/5.


--Ashley