Rapunzel's Revenge: A Review

Hello, my lovelies!

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

4.5 Stars

Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you've never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter.  ~From Goodreads

This graphic novel has been one of my favorites from the first time I read it! I was going to say that I was ten or eleven when I first read this book but a quick look at the publication date shows I was fourteen when it came out. So I’ll just say it feels like this book has been a part of my life for a very long time.

What I Liked:

The Retelling- This is such a clever take on Rapunzel! The author sticks close to the themes and ideas of Rapunzel but sets it in a new setting and offering us some delightful twists, making the story more one of Rapunzel coming into her own and learning to stand not only for herself but also those who’ve had their voice taken away from them.

The Setting- This book is set in a fictional world that is based off the Old West and It. Is. Glorious. It had all the feelings that you want out of a stereotypical western and then some. My little western loving heart was so incredibly happy.

Jack (and Jack and Rapunzel’s Relationship)- Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) happens into Rapunzel’s life quite by accident. And from there the two bicker, banter, and become fast friends. Jack’s exactly the type of conman you want in a story- shady but lovable- and he runs into your heart right from the very first page. He’s funny (partially because he isn’t funny but thinks he is), clever, terrified of getting into danger and yet always scheming some scheme, and just really, really fun.

He and Rapunzel have a wonderful relationship, starting as two strangers thrown together, growing into friends, and then developing into something more. It’s sweet, natural, and I love it.

The Story- As I mentioned above this is more a story of Rapunzel coming into her own, learning to be strong, and standing up not only for herself but others as well. It starts when Rapunzel is locked in the tower and she realizes she has to get out on her own or stay there forever.

But the moment she realizes she needs to save herself is also the moment she realizes the villain is evil and that Rapunzel isn’t the only person she’s oppressed. So when Rapunzel decides to save herself she also decides to save the others who’ve suffer so much worse than her. And the more she travels the kingdom the more oppression she sees and the more her resolve is strengthened.

It’s a really powerful message and one I think more girls need to hear. So often empowerment is portrayed as a personal thing- “You’re strong and capable and you don’t need anyone but yourself to save you!”- but here we’re given a step further. “You’re strong and you’re capable and not only can you save yourself but you can save the people who aren’t strong enough to save themselves too.”

The Diversity- It’s sad that I have to put this (because this should be so normal I shouldn’t have to mention it). But I loved the fact that Native Americans get a good amount of screen time in this book in portrayals that aren’t just stereotyped or as nothing more than a threat to induce excitement or as villains or as token POC characters. They’re portrayed both as individuals and an incredible group of people, fierce and proud and worthy of respect.

This is a fictional west. The authors could have easily done what other have done and written them out of it altogether, claiming that they weren’t part of this west, which is a grievous error I’m glad these authors didn’t make. They included a very forgotten or otherwise misrepresented part of the west with respect and dignity and for that I am so very grateful.

What I Didn’t Like:

The Prince- The book strays a little into “Girls rule, boys drool!” territory for a quick second after Rapunzel escapes the tower and comes across the arrogant prince who declares he’s going to save the princess. He’s super sexist and Rapunzel is rightly revolted by him so she sends him on his way. I just feel like this character pops up in nearly every book like this. Can we not have a book meant to empower girls that features a character like this? I get the idea of showing girls that even when they encounter negative guys like this they’re stronger than that and they can rise above these things. But this character is always flat and a walking political point, which is distracting when the rest of the cast is so well-developed…

And I’m spending why too much time on this because this character is literally on maybe two or three pages so it’s not a huge deal. And Jack does a good job making sure the readers know that the author doesn’t think all guys are arrogant and incompetent. So yeah, it’s not a huge deal. It just bugged me…

Overview:

I love this book. It’s not perfect, no. Not even close. But it’s fun and well-written and it has good characters and it makes me laugh. It’s also played a huge role in shaping how I view Rapunzel. Much like Rapunzel in Tangled, this Rapunzel has given me a view of her as spunky and strong, determined and driven, rather than the timid and stupid girl people often try to make her out to be.

I also realized rereading this that there are things I associate with Rapunzel that come from this story. More often than not, I picture Rapunzel as a redhead, instead of the blonde she traditionally is. I also associate her with Jack and the Beanstalk and I’m not sure if that came from my retelling that includes Rapunzel and Jack or if the idea for that part of the retelling subconsciously came from this book.

I would recommend this book to middle schoolers or older. And I would definitely recommend it. In a heartbeat.

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I hope to see you all on Monday for a new post about writing. Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3

~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess