Rapunzel's Revenge

Bibliography

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. 2008. Rapunzel’s revenge. Ill. By Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 159990070X

Plot Summary

When young Rapunzel dares to sneak a peek over the wall of the villa, she finds a desolate land, and her real mother who is a slave in the mines. Rapunzel confronts Mother Gothel, the witch who raised her, and is sent to live in a tree tower all alone with nothing to do except practice lasso tricks with her fast growing braids. Four years later and still unrepentant, Rapunzel escapes from her prison and sets out to rescue her mother. Rapunzel meets a noble prince soon after her escape, but quickly realizes that he is none too charming. When Rapunzel meets Jack, with his goose that refuses to lay an egg, they get into a brawl, rescue a little girl, break out of jail, wrangle a herd of coyotes, and battle a serpent on their way to rescue Rapunzel’s mother. With each adventure, Rapunzel becomes more aware of the stranglehold that Mother Gothel has on the people, keeping them hungry and desperate by controlling all things that grow.

Critical Analysis

This Wild West version of Rapunzel features a princess who rescues herself from her tower, and rescues her people from the clutches of the evil witch. Themes center on girl power and honesty. Characters and motifs from other fairytales make appearances. The graphic novel format beautifully illustrates the contrast between the soft, blooming, villa that Rapunzel grew up in, and the desolate, rugged wasteland where all of the people have turned into outlaws in order to survive.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Rapunzel is no damsel in distress–she wields her long braids as both rope and weapon–but she happily accepts Jack’s teamwork and friendship. While the witch’s castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive.”

BookList: “This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine… Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.”

Connections

* Sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge:

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. 2010. Calamity Jack. Ill. By Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 1599900769

* Versions of other Fairytales by Shannon Hale:

Hale, Shannon. 2005. The goose girl. ISBN 1582349908

Hale, Shannon. 2009. Book of a thousand days. ISBN 1599903784