Hale, Shannon and Dean. 2008. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 1599902885.

What’s a gal to do when she’s been taken from her family, raised by an evil witch, imprisoned in a tree, and cursed with incredibly fast-growing hair? Rapunzel demonstrates the empowered gal response in this fast-paced, full-color graphic novel for ages 10 – 13.

When 12-year-old Rapunzel finally manages to scale the high wall surrounding the villa where she has grown up as nature witch Mother Gothel’s daughter, she discovers a bleak, dry western land and the long-lost mother she never knew, existing as a slave in the mines. Captured and imprisoned in a tree for four years as punishment for her disobedience, Rapunzel escapes and learns Mother Gothel has the entire countryside in thrall to her magic, permitting food to grow only in those communities who accept her authority and who pay her tribute. Meeting up with a wily boy named Jack, who is on the run with his pet goose, Rapunzel journeys across the land to return to the mines and free her mother. Along the way the intrepid pair perfect such skills as jail breaking and braid lasso whip-cracking while rescuing kidnapped girls and battling hungry jackalopes, ferocious coyotes, unsavory bandits, and slippery sea serpents. When a traveling thespian troupe scheduled to perform at Mother Gothel’s annual shindig offers Jack and Rapunzel a way to infiltrate the villa, they hatch a daring plan to free Rapunzel’s mother, destroy Mother Gothel’s magic totem, and free the land from her tyrannical power.

Shannon Hale fleshes out the backstory of the Rapunzel fairy tale, gives the tale a new twist with an Wild West setting, and offers readers a satisfying answer to the question, “what happened next?” The story’s main characters are well defined, easy to empathize with, and show personal growth as they overcome difficulties and learn to trust each other. The plot of the story flows quickly from scene to scene without chapter breaks, showing the time-compression aspect of fairy tales, as the vigilante heroes dash from one scrape to the next in their quest. The generic western setting is conveyed by idiomatic phrases “guess we’ll mosey along”, as well as traditional motifs in the artwork panels: red rock mesas and pueblo-style buildings, prickly pear cactus and Joshua trees, horses and covered wagons, in addition to characters wearing Mexican cultural dress or standard Western cowpoke attire. The severe desert environment is integral to the story, reflecting the harsh conditions Mother Gothel imposes on her suffering subjects and emphasizing how dependant they are on her goodwill for survival.

The theme of a young woman exploring hidden talents within her nature, and seeing what she can accomplish using them, is a recurring one in Ms. Hale’s books for young people. She says she appreciates the universality of fairy tales, existing as they do in every culture, and explains retelling fairy tales is her way of returning to the mystery of books she felt as a young reader. She enjoys taking a traditional fairy tale and “finding a way to understand and explore and expand it until it becomes a full-fledged story where I want to live” (Amazon, 2009).

Ms. Hale encourages readers to believe in Rapunzel’s fantastic world by giving details of how she spent her time, locked away in her tree tower for years. “So. There I was. Nothing to do. Besides a little housekeeping. And thinking. Again and again, I’d daydream about sneaking into the mines, saving my momma, and running away to a place where we could be happy and safe. But I was stuck in the tower like an ant in a drop of honey.”

The graphic art of Nathan Hale (no relation to the authors) creates for readers an impressive landscape, brimming with forests, deserts, fantastic beasts, interesting characters, and non-stop action. Essential to the story are the hundreds of multihued panels that convey the plot even without text. “Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action -Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Nathan Hale's art, stylistically reminiscent of a picture book, provides a snazzy counterpoint to the folksy text.”(Kirkus Reviews)

Reviews and Awards

Publishers Weekly starred review: “With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody."

VOYA review: “The Hale team creates an engaging heroine. Rapunzel gallivants across the unexpected setting, [and] meets a cast of characters both humorous and threatening…This novel presents entertaining girl power at its quirkiest. ”

School Library Journal starred review: “The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after.”

Kirkus Reviews: “A beloved fairy tale gets a glossy graphic-novel makeover, reworked in a fanciful Old West setting. A dash of typical fairy-tale romance, a strong sense of social justice and a spunky heroine make this a standout choice for younger teens.

ALA Notable Children's Book, 2009
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2009
Will Eisner Comic Industry Award nominee
Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
Best Book of the Year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
Cybil Award Winner, Graphic Novels Elementary/Middle Grade, 2008

Connections

Readers can visit Shannon Hale’s website for ideas on using Rapunzel in the classroom, download a reader’s theater script, and even print out Rapunzel paper dolls. Also available on the web is a video of the author discussing her writing, her books, and her love of fairy tales at Amazon’s Shannon Hale author page.

Books
Other novels by Shannon Hale:
Calamity Jack!, 2010 (Rapunzel’s sequel)
Book of a Thousand Days, 2009
River Secrets, 2008
Enna Burning, 2006
Princess Academy, 2005
The Goose Girl, 2005

Websites
Author’s website: www.squeetus.com

Author interview:
Amazon.com. 2009. “Shannon Hale on writing children’s books”. Shannon Hale author page. http://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Hale/e/B001JP9U7E/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
(accessed November 12, 2009)