Warning: spoilers ahead
This book was amazing! It was fun to see Jack, from Jack and the beanstalk, bring Rapunzel down from the tower. I loved how the witch wrote books saying how horrible life down was and erasing Rapunzel’s memories because that makes the story all the more interesting and makes Rapunzel more innocent. In fact, I just loved the witch. I know what she did and kept doing was horrible, but I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She actually cared about Rapunzel, so I ended up actually mourning her death. As for Jack, at first I hated him, but as the story progressed I actually started liking him and wanted him to end up with Rapunzel. My opinion on the fairies didn't change though. I absolutely hated them. They treated Rapunzel so unfairly and acted as if she was a villain as well, which is ridiculous because she was a victim as well. All she did was try to help out a fairy, and yet they hate her for it. She couldn't have possibly have known that she'd end up hurting the fairy. She deserved better treatment.
Other than those horrible fairies, I don't really have any complaints about this book. I liked most of the characters, I liked the possible romance and I liked the world building. All in all, a really good read. ( )

I was completely charmed by this book. It had all the innocence of a Disney classic but all the cleverness of a classic Pixar flick (making it quite enjoyable for older audiences).

Read it! This is the kind of light reading we should encourage.

2nd read:

I was surprised that it held up so well. Still charming and quite fun to read after the most recent sequel. Not quite as grounded in real-world concerns as the other, but hints towards a couple of potential problems.

Also was impressed at the way the author creatively introduces the reader to her world. ( )

Oh my! What a perfect retelling of Rapunzel. It's a little on the long side, but let me tell you, it is well worth reading. Before further adieu, let me get to the summary.

The story begins with Rapunzel in the tower (duh!). Between all the action there is a lot of internal dialogue as Rapunzel contemplates her world. The first event is Jack hopping in through her window. She thinks Jack must be a prince, but he doesn't behave like a prince, so she is offended. Jack is more of your "good ole boy" type, a little unrefined in his talk and mannerisms. Immediately, he starts filling Rapunzel in on all sorts of information that she thinks are lies. It's all directed at Witch (as Rapunzel calls her). Jack paints her as someone wicked, whereas Rapunzel has always thought her to be loving and kind, the one who takes care of her. According to Jack, the witch wipes her memory, leaving her with no knowledge of all the things that have happened to her. Jack visits her again and this time Rapunzel climbs down a rope with Jack. Thus begins the quest to get at the truth about Witch. It becomes the purpose of the entire book. At the end, after all of Rapunzel's encounters with fairies, travels to different countries, reunion with her grandmother and ultimately visit to the Wood Mother, she returns to the tower to confront Witch.

There are so many wonderful characters and settings. Rapunzel is as innocent as they come. Jack is easily annoyed by her cluelessness. Together they complement each other well. Then there's all the fairies, noblemen and commoners. And I can't begin to describe all the little details of their adventures, and all the little ways that Rapunzel's hair is both a nuisance and a blessing. If you love fairytales, you will love this one. If you don't love fairytales, this might be the one that causes you to start binge reading them. ( )

Almost 5 stars. ( )