This gra
phic novel update to the traditional tale of Rapunzel is set in the American Southwest in the time of cowboys and miners. As expected, it begins “Once upon a time…” and is a story told by Rapunzel, who lives in a huge castle with servants who attend to her every need and desire. She has never seen the world beyond the castle and keeps having a strange dream about what lies out there. Her “mother,” the sinister Gothel, assures her that the only world she needs to know is the world of her huge house and legions of servants. Is that enough for Rapunzel, or will she have to see things for herself? On her twelfth birthday, she makes her decision, and that curiosity has far-reaching consequences.This entertaining story follows Rapunzel as she makes a humorous foray over the wall and into the blighted land outside with the aid of a rope and her note to readers, “Call me a numbskull if you like” (11). Nathan Hale’s illustrations of the huge castle, its occupants and its plant life are colorful and rendered in specific lifelike detail, and his landscape just outside of it is arid, grey and smoky, its slave-like characters downtrodden as they haul dirt. It is here that Rapunzel finds and learns the truth about her real mother, with her flashbacks and memories recreated in gold-tinted panels. Her dream about her mother was real, and she confronts Gothel, who imprisons her in a “creepy tree…with a hollowed-out room high up…perfect for imprisoning a trouble-maker” (24).
True to the original, Rapunzel spends a long time imprisoned, and over time her red hair grows and grows and grows, eventually getting long enough to enable her to use it as a rope for another escape. She cannot return to her house and the cushy lifestyle she had before. Instead, she must use her wits to survive in a landscape controlled by Gothel and her magic. Gothel is everywhere, and her influence over the setting is simple: in the past she used her magic, “the ability to make things grow or dry up as fast as a bird flies” (86), according to old Jasper, a former town witch. Gothel, then, is a fairy-tale symbol of evil who controls the lives of everyone in “Gothel’s Reach,” a helpful map of which is included in the text. As might be expected, the farmers, miners and fishermen living there lead lives of misery.
Shannon and Dean Hale propel Rapunzel through a series of encounters with a lively cast of characters, some of whom are employed by Gothel and others who remember a better time before she conquered the land. Early on, she meets a thief named Jack, who just happens to have a goose. (His name and choice of pet evoke other fairy tales.) He helps her as she becomes embroiled in situations with cattle rustlers, kidnappers and coyotes on their journey to topple Gothel. When necessary, Rapunzel uses her hair like a lasso to free herself and Jack from the danger threatens to derail their quest.
Nathan Hale's design and illustration use different numbers of panels per page to show the rich, stylized settings, clothing and characters from the Southwest. Character close-ups reveal a wide range of emotions and feelings, from shock to calculation, from surprise to happiness, and from frustration to anger. The dialogue is always lively and riddled with humor, even when the action is at its most dangerous. Rapunzel’s narration in the yellowed text boxes adds to the humor by giving her another means of expressing her voice. She is sarcastic, jealous and descriptive of both the action and her feelings.
As is to be expected, the good represented by Rapunzel (and Jack and all the decent people they have encountered) triumphs over the evil as embodied by Gothel. At the climax of the story, things might look bleak, but they right themselves with a bit of luck, cunning, and magic. Overall, “the story is an enticing departure from the original” (von Wrangel Kinsey). With its artwork, dialogue and overall snappy storyline, this novel will appeal to readers of all ages, especially those who love modern versions of fairy tales. Jack has a trick or two to offer, and he and Rapunzel have that happy ending rife with romance. And his pet goose? That may show up in a sequel.
Reference List
von Wrangel Kinsey, Cara. 2008. Review of Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. School Library Journal 54(9): 215. Library, Information Science & Technology (LISTA) database through TWU Library. Accessed 26 November 2011.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (Grade 5 & up)
Review Excerpts
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. (Booklist, September 1, 2008)
Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after. (School Library Journal, September 1, 2008)
The Hale team creates an engaging heroine…This novel presents entertaining girl power at its quirkiest. (Voice of Youth Advocates, October 1, 2008)
Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action--Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. (Publishers Weekly, August 4, 2008)
Review Excerpts from Books in Print database, TWU Library, accessed 15 November 2011.
Awards & Recognition
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Young Reader's Choice Award
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