A medieval retelling of Rapunzel.
I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book. I love the Rapunzel fairytale but I'm not sure how I feel about Meanie Dickerson's telling of it.
The book starts out with Rapunzel and Gothel living in a little village and after a farmer asks for Rapunzels hand in marriage they up and move to the city of Hagenheim (the whole book is based in Germany in the 1400's). Rapunzel possesses all kinds of skill sets - painting, knife throwing and sewing however she doesn't know how to read and has her heart set on learning how. On their journey to Hagenheim, they run in trouble but are saved by a knight. Later down the road Rapunzel saves the knight. and they kinda keep doing that throughout the book and eventually feelings develop.
Melanie sticks VERY true to the era with descriptions. But while she mentions the bible frequently in the book, she also quotes it and her characters also talk a lot about god. Like more than just passing. Now I am a bible reader myself and believe in god but this book felt more like a religious novel than a fairytale retelling. It made me a tad uncomfortable.
That aside, I found Rapunzel herself to be not as well rounded a character as I would have liked in a fairytale book and Gerek (the knight) to be well I dunno. I felt like this book was trying to be a romance novel (without the sex) but failing and trying to be a fairytale - which it was only because it's a retelling but also trying to be a religious novel. None of those things mix well in the blender. Oil and water and air. Nope didn't happen.
Anyways if this is your cup of tea and sounds intriguing - have at er. Personally I wouldn't recommend this one.
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