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Towering

by Alex Flinn (Goodreads Author)

3.42 of 5 stars 3.42 · rating details · 552 ratings · 149 reviews

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage...more

Hardcover, 293 pages

Published May 14th 2013 by HarperTeen (first published May 13th 2013)

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Jun 02, 2013 Bookworm007 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytales-princesses-retellings, eventual-love

Ohhhhhhhhhh YEAH!!! All hail Alex Flinn: queen of modern fairytale retellings!!!

edit on June 2, 2013

Ok, so I was wrong: Alex Flinn is no longer the Queen of Modern Fairytale Retellings. That spot is now vacant for Marissa Meyer or Melanie Dickerson to claim.

First off, I was SUPER excited to read this, seeing as how Flinn did a fantabulous job with Beastly, A Kiss in Time, (er, not so much with Cloaked), and Bewitching: The Kendra Chronicles.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Nope, no siree.

Bu...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2013 fяσzєη rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, pretty-dress-on-the-cover, netgalley-or-edelweiss, boooooring, cheese, fairytale-retellings, hot-mess, i-am-disappoint, insta-love, meh-it-was-okay, sorry-excuse-for-a-romance

Actual rating is 2.5 stars.

I've said it a billion times that I'm a huge sucker for fairytale retellings in the YA world, and I've always felt that YA needed more of that genre. Now Rapunzel is a particular one that I've always wanted to see retold in YA fashion, yet I also know that this fairytale is . . . a tough one to modernize. Believe me, I've attempted it. But still, when I stumbled upon this on Goodreads, I was excited. I'm not a huge fan of Alex Flinn, but I was mainly excited for the f...more

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Renu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

Towering is an enchantingly dark re-telling of Rapunzel with a modern twist.

The story opens with a clash of modern and fairytale-esq scene setting. Trapped in a tower she's never left Rachel reads classics and wonders what the world outside her confinement is like. Alternately, Wyatt checks his cell phone for reception as he exits a train and steps into the small, isolated town of Slakkill.

My favourite aspect of this book was the mystery. Flinn creates a creepy, and desolate atmosphere that adds...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2013 ✿ℎazℯℓ✿ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing

I hate to admit it, but clearly, COVER ISN'T EVERYTHING.

I am a big fan of Rapunzel. She's my disney princess. Even when Tangled wasn't out yet, I always always found Rapunzel to be magical, wondrous and very interesting. When I first got a glimpse of this book, I HAD SKY HIGH HOPES. Is it my problem that I set my dreams so high? Oh well.. I guess we can't really have it all eh? This book has a damn great cover, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, that's the best thing that I can say about it.

The...more

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Richard (booksboysandsuch) added it

Shelves: wishlist

She is going to slay this fairy tale!! :DDD
I cannot freaking wait.

EDIT: Cover revealed!

Love. Cannot. Handle. FREAK OUT OVERLOAD!!!

description

34 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 AH rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: retellings, blue, arc-edelweiss, ghosts, read-mar-2013, romance, young-adult, paranormal

Towering by Alex Flinn is a retelling of the childhood classic Rapunzel with a few modern twists. The result is a creepy gothic tale complete with ghosts and mysteries. Towering is set in upstate New York in the Adirondacks. The region’s natural beauty combined with its isolation from civilization creates a spooky atmosphere.

Our heroine Rachel has been living in a tower for almost as long as she can remember. She’s 17 years old and has beautiful “golden princess” hair which grows so fast it mus...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Winnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alex Flinn is a unique writer. I like how she uses her imagination to retell the classics. Towering for example is a retell of Rapunzel… And I liked it.

Rachel, AKA Rapunzel had lived a secluded life for as long as she can remember. Yet there is something about her that’s unique.
Wyatt is a young man who’s dealing with a life changing lost and if possible Wyatt wants to go back in time to fixed a wrong that he blames himself for.

But, Fate, the meddling bitch has something else planned for both Ra...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 03, 2013 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-published-yet, request

The cover is bloody gorgeous <3 I. can't. wait!

2.5 stars, http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com

The first thing I need to say is: why is this part of the Kendra chronicles? I really don’t get it. Kendra has nothing to do with this book and it doesn’t have any connection with Beastly and Bewitching. Strange.. And it was good, but was it as good as I expected? Not really.

EDIT, comment from the author:
Thanks for the review. I apologize for any confusion about Kendra. This book is a standalone bo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Kayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-by-my-favorite-authors, books-with-characters-i-want-to-mar, borrowed-at-library, fiction, not-sure-about, read-in-2013, retold-fairy-tale, romance, young-adult

I've loved all of Alex Flinn's fairy tale retellings and when I heard she was doing one based on the tale of Rapunzel I was overjoyed. I love Disney's Tangled and wanted to see what one of the most well-known names out there in modern fairy tales could do with the story. I was excited for the creativity, how the girl would react to being saved, what the evil villain would be like . . Towering was nothing like what I expected and not really in the best of ways.
First of all, and a little thing too...more

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May 31, 2013 Lucy Cai added it

What does it mean to be lonely? Lonely meant being locked up from the rest of the world. Having no friend except for your supposed mother and well, books. Rachel, is a teenager girl that has been locked in this tower, was lonely. She was beautiful, yes, beautiful, but pitiful because she had no one, but her mother. She dreamt of romance like in the books that she have read. However, she knew that no one will come to take her away, save her. Wyatt, a boy who suffered from a tragic event of a fri...more What does it mean to be lonely? Lonely meant being locked up from the rest of the world. Having no friend except for your supposed mother and well, books. Rachel, is a teenager girl that has been locked in this tower, was lonely. She was beautiful, yes, beautiful, but pitiful because she had no one, but her mother. She dreamt of romance like in the books that she have read. However, she knew that no one will come to take her away, save her. Wyatt, a boy who suffered from a tragic event of a friend’s death, moved in with Mrs. Greenwood. One day, he accidently goes into Danielle’s room and read her diary. Then he began to develop a sixth sense, you know, seeing ghosts. Even worst, he began to hear things, someone singing. Will the string of fate draw the two or… will something else happen?
From what I know, this is the modern fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel. There are four others. The first is Bewitching, second is Beastly ( I think that this was a movie, if it was then it was kind of interesting), third is Cloaked and last A Kiss In Time. I do not think that these books are in order, or maybe there is no order to reading this series. Alex Flinn is the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book Beastly, which is a retell of Beauty and the Beast. P.S. love that story too. The ending was good, one of my favorite fairy tales when I was little.
Never judge a book by its cover. That is damn right, who ever said that. When someone is told not to do something stupid, guess what? They do it. That is me, just judging a book by its cover when I am specifically told not to. This book cover is really exquisite. The background is done really nicely with the snow, tower, trees and everything. Furthermore the girl in the picture has beautiful golden hair, just like a princess. The coloring gives off a vibe that makes the story seem interesting. To be honest, I do not think that this story was that good. It was okay good. Usually I would really like retells of fairy tales, but this one was an outlier.
I would not recommend this book to those who can find better books. This is probably a book that I would read if I had nothing. Or maybe trying to fall asleep.
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May 26, 2013 D. Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars

Check our more reviews on my blog Overflowing Bookshelves. I got this book as part of Around The World Arc Tours.

I really wanted to like this book. I’ve always loved the story of Rapunzel and the synopsis is entirely engaging. I figured Wyatt was going to be the prince to Rachel’s Rapunzel but I wanted to see who this Dani character was. I wanted to know if Dani was Mama and, whether or not she was, how her story line intersected with Wyatt and Rachel’s.

The one thing I really liked, and it was...more Check our more reviews on my blog Overflowing Bookshelves. I got this book as part of Around The World Arc Tours.

I really wanted to like this book. I’ve always loved the story of Rapunzel and the synopsis is entirely engaging. I figured Wyatt was going to be the prince to Rachel’s Rapunzel but I wanted to see who this Dani character was. I wanted to know if Dani was Mama and, whether or not she was, how her story line intersected with Wyatt and Rachel’s.

The one thing I really liked, and it was surprising since at the beginning I wasn’t to sure about it, was Dani’s sections. I was intrigued by her because of the summary but the first time we meet her in the story I was a little put off. The first scene she’s in was…I have no other words for it besides weird. It was odd. However, her journal sections really grew on me. She was a mystery and I loved being able to read her thoughts and slowly work out what happened to her. I felt for her when she was cooped up inside the house and wanted to see her break out and live her dreams. Even though I had an inkling that she was dead, once her entire story was told, I emphasized . She was so young and her life was cut short.

As much as I liked Dani’s sections, the other sections were kind of ‘meh’, and Rachel’s chapters were, again, odd. I didn’t hate those but I felt there was something missing to her story. There were points where I was left wondering what was going on, what the basis was for what was happening. For instance, Rachel’s hair. It’s never explained why it grows the way it does. One second it grows normally, the next it’s growing a foot a minute, and then it goes back to growing normally again. I mean, I don’t remember Rapunzel’s hair doing that in the fairy tale; her hair didn’t grow like that, it was long because of the amount of years Rapunzel had been stuck in the tower without being allowed to cut her hair. So Rachel’s magical, mind-of-it’s own, weird growing hair was just weird.

And it wasn’t just that. The insta-love turned me off, though it is way more believable for Rachel than for Wyatt (she’s been locked in a tower for her entire life, never even seen a guy, so it made sense she’d fall for the one to “break her out”). And I still don’t really understand the whole underground drug operation which sparked this entire thing. But overall, the issues I had with the book didn’t keep me from finishing it.(less)

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May 20, 2013 Once Upon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

Beginnings....with new people, new friends and new surroundings, can be very challenging. Wyatt finds himself beginning a new life, with new people, new relationships and new surroundings. This new life even forces Wyatt to go on the search for an answer to a mystery that no one seems to have an answer to. Forced to live with a old woman that he knows little about and isolated from the rest of the world, Wyatt occupies his time with exploring the unknown.

This is the third book that I've read, wr...more

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May 16, 2013 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Towering is a beautifully written re-imagining of an old fairytale favorite of mine, Rupunzel. It's breathless and imaginative enough to spirit you back to your childhood, when fairytales had happily-ever-after's. Or, did they? Alex Flinn is notorious for spinning old fairytales into dark, creative, and compelling stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one is definitely no exception.

Enchantingly dark, Towering is full of wonderful mystery and intrigue, that will keep you won...more

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May 13, 2013 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Towering is an enchanting, modern-day fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel.

Now, Towering might be modern day, but it’s still a fairy tale. So, you do have to suspend your disbelief and go with it.

Rachel has been confined to a tower in the woods since she was very young. The only visitor she has is Mama, who isn’t really her mother. Her mother was killed when Rachel was a baby, and Mama takes care of Rachel. But she won’t let her go anywhere because the people that killed Rachel’s mother want to harm...more Towering is an enchanting, modern-day fairy tale retelling of Rapunzel.

Now, Towering might be modern day, but it’s still a fairy tale. So, you do have to suspend your disbelief and go with it.

Rachel has been confined to a tower in the woods since she was very young. The only visitor she has is Mama, who isn’t really her mother. Her mother was killed when Rachel was a baby, and Mama takes care of Rachel. But she won’t let her go anywhere because the people that killed Rachel’s mother want to harm Rachel too.

Wyatt has been sent to the boonies, to live with an old friend of his mother’s, Mrs. Greenwood. He’s had difficulty recently, and I won’t explain why because that’s part of the plot. Suffice it to say, he is used to many more people and much more of a social life. He helps Mrs. Greenwood with some minor chores in exchange for room and board. Wyatt is supposed to finish high school via the internet. Mrs. Greenwood has had a hard life too, since her daughter disappeared many years ago.

It seems there are an unusual number of people disappearing from this small, remote town in the Adirondacks. Wyatt begins to make friends, but there’s something going on under the surface. And Wyatt hears singing coming from the woods.

I’m sure you can see where this story is going. I liked the characters, and the spooky feeling of the setting. I liked the mystery. It made the story more realistic, somehow, even though there are definitely magical things going on. I liked Rachel’s special powers. Of course, she can grow her hair very quickly, but she has another interesting ability. I don’t remember if this is accurate as far as the original fairy tale or not, but I liked it.

I found the ending of Towering to be satisfying. There was a dramatic build up of tension, and life-threatening situations. It all worked out well and tied up nicely.

I really enjoyed Towering for what it was. It was a quick, suspenseful read that kept me very entertained through the entire book. Anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings or just a magical, fun story will enjoy Towering.(less)

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May 12, 2013 Georgina Martin (Bookz and Bitz) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: egally, reviewed

Towering by Alex Flinn

Published by Harper Teen

3 out of 5 stars

Format: Egalley (Available 14 May 2013 in a variety of formats)

I love a good fairytale retelling, emphasis on the good. There are some corkers out there. I’m not familiar with Flinn’s tales, although I’ve seen the Beastly movie which I presume was based on her book (not a great advertisement in all honestly), but Flinn appears to be the ‘hero’ of fairytale retelling the YA genre - or so the critics would have you believe.

Towering is o...more Towering by Alex Flinn

Published by Harper Teen

3 out of 5 stars

Format: Egalley (Available 14 May 2013 in a variety of formats)

I love a good fairytale retelling, emphasis on the good. There are some corkers out there. I’m not familiar with Flinn’s tales, although I’ve seen the Beastly movie which I presume was based on her book (not a great advertisement in all honestly), but Flinn appears to be the ‘hero’ of fairytale retelling the YA genre - or so the critics would have you believe.

Towering is of course a rapunzel retelling, set in modern day US. Rachel is Rapunzel, a golden haired beauty trapped in a tower with a women she calls (but knows she isn’t) Mama. Wyatt (nope can’t get past the stupid - charmed inspired name, sorry) is trying to escape a loss, and Dani went missing seventeen years ago. Their stories intertwine, lead by Rachel and Wyatt’s POV the book takes the reader on a journey of mystery, mega instalove and discovery.

I was a little surprised to read a male POV more or less straight off (chapter 2 I think), in a story that is all about the long haired beauty, so I was pleased it was taking another direction so quickly. Wyatts opening chapters were pretty damn familiar, I had to check I wasn’t reading a Withering Heights re-write - nope definitely Rapunzel, WTF? Oh wait, a few pages later Flinn acknowledges the WH storyline - thats ok then......it does start to make some sense but still a little weird and out of place.

Wyatt’s a bit blah. His character has the depth of a frying pan, he’s also a little wet and there were several times I felt he needed a slap. Rachel’s not much better, and the instalove is outstanding, I didn’t realize the phrase ‘I love you’ could be used more than it was in Twiglet. But it has been. In truth - the whole set up was ridiculous, I suppose thats the problem with bringing rapunzel into the 20th century, the likelihood of a tower being undiscovered for so long, just isn’t believable - maybe in the arctic but in the US? nah....its the same issue that Rapunzel Untangled faced, and there’s nothing really new here.

The book got a solid 3 stars from me, it was nothing spectacular, I enjoyed it but won’t remember it in a few weeks. Much like Marr’s Cinder - I was expecting more from the hype surrounding the author, but nothing I’ve read her threatens Jackson Pearce’s position on the pedestal of retellings (for me anyway).

EGalley kindly provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Apr 19, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

As readers of The Phantom Paragrapher will know , I am a huge fan of rendition novels and one of my favourites would have to be Beastly by Alex Flinn. So when I learnt that she had a new one coming out called Towering , I knew I just had to read it . For those who have never read an Alex Flinn before - you will notice that they are called the Kendra Chronicles but in this particular novel the name Kendra does not arise. In Book #1 Beastly, Kendra was a witch who in order to teach the main charac...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Zachary Flye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Real rating 4.5 stars

For many more YA reviews check out my book review site Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Protagonists: This book is, at first, told from three perspectives, Rachel, a girl who's bee locked in a tower most of her life, Wyatt, a boy who leaves his town to escape his problem, and Dani, a girl who disappeared seventeen years ago, (or at least her diary.) I love multiple narrators as I feel I get to experience more to the story than I can with just one narrator or even...more Real rating 4.5 stars

For many more YA reviews check out my book review site Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Protagonists: This book is, at first, told from three perspectives, Rachel, a girl who's bee locked in a tower most of her life, Wyatt, a boy who leaves his town to escape his problem, and Dani, a girl who disappeared seventeen years ago, (or at least her diary.) I love multiple narrators as I feel I get to experience more to the story than I can with just one narrator or even a third person perspective. However three perspectives soon is cut down to two, as Dani's diary only contains a few entries. I would have liked a few more entries from her diary but the other narrators still provided a larger view of the story, so I wasn't too disappointed.

Romance: The other two narrators, Rachel and Wyatt, have a fated relationship which means that their romance is the insta-love sort. Now I'm not necessarily opposed to insta-love, and romances like this one are partly the reason why. On my insta-love relationships there doesn't feel like there's a connection witht he characters, or that it feels forced, however this one is different. Sure, the characters moved a bit fast in what they said and how they felt about each other, but it felt almost natural for them to feel that way as opposed to other romances I've read.

World-Building: One of the things that drew me to this book, and many other books by Alex Flinn, was that it's a fairy tale re-telling/interpretation/imagining. One of the things I've always loved is seeing my favorite stories with a twist, and this is no different. One of the things I was cautious about though was how the author would reinterpret some events, such as the lesser known part of Rapunzel where her father steals a rare plant, (I believe a turnip) called a Rapun, from his neighbor's, the witch's, garden, for his wife's extreme pregnancy craving and for his thievery he must give up his yet to be born daughter. The way it was handled and included was pretty spectacular. I have to say it was one of the highlights of the book. How the rest is re-imagined was handled with care as well and the twists to it were like a cherry (or whatever topping you prefer) on top of a sundae.

Predictability: I have to say that while there were parts of this story that I figured out early on, there were also parts that caught me off-guard. Some of the biggest being how they handled the character only known for most of the book as "Mama" who takes the place of "the witch" from Rapunzel. The other twists that caught me off-guard weren't necessarily attached to the original tale but to the story itself. There were some things that I felt would happen, that never did and a few things that were told out of the blue with no foreshadowing previously.

Ending: This had a great ending, however I felt like there were a things missing. These things weren't things that I felt would solicit a sequel, but just things that weren't actually explained. Such as, how (insert spoiler here) happened, or what happened to a character from the past that's been referenced in the present but where he is now and what he's doing isn't said at all. Now these things aren't bad per se, however I felt that adding them would have added a bit more intrigue and wouldn't leave a reader feeling like they're missing something.

Rating:

I was so close to giving this book 5 stars, however I wouldn't feel right as there are a few things that I just couldn't get past. Mainly feeling as though there was something missing from the story. That being said this is a great book and if you haven't read the other fairy tale retelling from Alex Flinn never fear as this book won't spoil them not them this.

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Apr 13, 2013 Valerie Dieter rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: MS

Recommended to Valerie by: Edelweiss.com

Shelves: edelweiss-arc, ya-books, series

Wyatt comes to live in a small desolate town after experiencing a personal tragedy. His mother has asked the mother of an old high school friend to let him stay with her while he recuperates. During his stay, he encounters first a ghost and then strange singing which lead him to Rachel. Rachel lives in a hidden tower and has no contact with anyone other than her caregiver, a woman she calls "Mama" even though she knows her real mother is dead. When Wyatt finds her, and old prophecy comes true th...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Sophia C rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was not one of Alex Flinn's best books, but it was still good. I felt that the pacing was off and there were sections in the book that were boring, but it was overall an okay book. There were some plot holes and I didn't really care that much about Rachel. Wyatt was okay, though. I like Flinn's writing style throughout all of her books, though.

Rachel was an okay character. I didn't like how she was so innocent and gorgeous; now that's just unrealistic. She was a bit Mary-Sueish. Wyatt...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

My full review can be found at my blog A Secret Book Affair

This title surprised me in a few ways, some negative and some positive. I really did enjoy the inventive way that Flinn retold the traditional Rapunzel fairytale with a modern twist. I was especially grateful it was in a young adult genre; I loved these classic fairy tales as a child, and even now as an adult, so I appreciate an authors attempt to recreate them into modern tales that our young adults might enjoy. Now I always promise to...more My full review can be found at my blog A Secret Book Affair

This title surprised me in a few ways, some negative and some positive. I really did enjoy the inventive way that Flinn retold the traditional Rapunzel fairytale with a modern twist. I was especially grateful it was in a young adult genre; I loved these classic fairy tales as a child, and even now as an adult, so I appreciate an authors attempt to recreate them into modern tales that our young adults might enjoy. Now I always promise to give an honest review so here it goes...

The things I did love about this title:

~Goes without saying I'm sure, but classic fairytale retelling.
~There was a great mystery aspect to Towering, which kept you guessing on what the true back story was. This made reading it much more enjoyable than it would have been, had it only been a retelling. I feel this is something that authors struggle with when recreating old fairy tales, because of course everyone already knows what to expect.
~That Rachel, the girl in the tower, speaks differently than young adult now days do. During her seclusion, all she has had to read has been classic gothic novels like Pride and Prejudice and Les Miserables. At one point she mentions in thought that she hasn't read a single novel that she could note, that the author was still alive. I highly appreciated Flinn's attention to this small detail, making Rachel's readings carry over to her way of speaking and her limited knowledge of the current world.
~Without a doubt, my favorite aspect of this title was the face that Rachel didn't need saving, because it was within her means to save herself. Although I adore old fairy tales, the one thing that almost always bothered me was that the female was always helpless and needed saving. In this title, the supposedly helpless female makes a stand and saves herself, as well as everyone else for that matter.

Now on to the things I loved less, or rather not at all:

~I know it's a young adult book, but it reads more like it was meant for possibly even a slightly younger crowd. It even seemed like it wasn't quite shelf ready, which is a possibility because I was reading an uncorrected e-proof. Please keep this in mind when considering my review against potentially reading this title.
~I found there were too many factors left unexplained in the end, which drives me absolutely into an irritated state when finishing a book.
~There were a few cliche moments, situations, and comments. Some where excusable because yes, it is a retelling, and there is only so much you can do to get around this as an author.
~The ending bothered me, and I'm not even sure exactly why. It might be because it was sudden, and seemed to me, in some ways unfinished. (Again I remind readers that I read an uncorrected e-proof, so some of the issues I have with this title may have been resolved.)

Although I take issue with some factors of this title, I still enjoyed reading it. It was a quick read, that had many fun great little moments. I won't discourage anyone from reading this title, because it wasn't a terrible read, and the things that bothered me may not bother others. This is just my honest review, as promised.
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Feb 03, 2013 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A creative retelling of Rapunzel, split between the perspectives of him and her, with a third perspective from the journal of a gal who lives in a town where many teens go missing.

Flinn begins with an engaging first chapter, letting "Rachel" tell of what she can see from her tower over the years and who comes to keep her company and trapped atop the tower. The second chapter is equally alluring (the chapters are short 1.5 pagers) with "Wyatt" exiting from a train to the middle of nowhere in wint...more A creative retelling of Rapunzel, split between the perspectives of him and her, with a third perspective from the journal of a gal who lives in a town where many teens go missing.

Flinn begins with an engaging first chapter, letting "Rachel" tell of what she can see from her tower over the years and who comes to keep her company and trapped atop the tower. The second chapter is equally alluring (the chapters are short 1.5 pagers) with "Wyatt" exiting from a train to the middle of nowhere in winter to live in a house of an old lady his mom knew once upon a time.

There's a mix of modern day with classic sensibilities. Wyatt, stepping off the train checks for cell phone reception; Rachel, stuck atop the tower reads the likes of Jane Eyre and wonders what year she lives in or attempts to imagine what an automobile is like.

The story is interspersed with a third perspective: Danielle. Told through journal entries written 18 years ago, and Wyatt's ghostly encounters with her (think Wuthering Heights), Danielle lives with an overprotective mother who keeps her trapped within the confines of the home....

Readers know that Wyatt and Rachel will unite, and the getting there is slowly paced (Wyatt hears Rachel singing from atop the tower but is told he's merely hearing the calls of a loon). When they meet, it is Rachel who saves Wyatt (***spoiler: he falls into a frozen lake and she climbs down her own hair to his aid) and upon their meeting, we begin to understand why Rachel lives atop the tower alone. (***spoiler: her tears can heal).

The idea of a retelling of a fairy tale was intriguing, the execution a little lacking. In two instances the female characters fall too easily in love without much development, and the backing storyline to why Rachel was kept atop the tower (***spoiler: to bring down a ring that produces a hallucionegic drug Rhapsody) was equally undeveloped.

Still, this is a tale the me from years ago would've eagerly anticipated. To bear being repetitive, for another retelling, try Robin McKinley's Beauty.(less)

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May 19, 2013 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

"Towering" by Alex Flinn is a modern twist on the classic fairy tail Rapunzle. Rachel (the Repunzle character) is locked in a tower by a woman she calls 'mama' though she knows she isn't her biological mother. Wyatt (prince charming) has come to stay with an elderly women in the town, hoping to escape the pain and guilt of his past. They soon become entangled in fight much bigger then they anticipated, for so much more then Rachel's freedom.

Overall I thought Flinn did a good job putting a modern...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Mariam rated it 4 of 5 stars

4/5

Thanks Alex Flinn for yet another great modern version of the classic fairy tales that I loved and grew up with.

Towering was a great read, filled with a lot of action, romance, appropriate amounts of drama, and even a little comedy. I really enjoyed the story line and how the author really kept the story as original as possible. In my opinion, there is no other author who can do that as well as Alex Flinn.

Wyatt, the main character of the story, is my favorite because he tries his hardest to...more

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May 28, 2013 Amelia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: feel-good-and-happy, female-leads, romance

Rapunzel with drugs. Um so... yeah ick. At first I was like OMG this is really good ('cept I figured out the old lady was Mama right away) and then I was like what the heck is going on here? Needless to say I was completely confused... um I still am. So it was prophesized that Rachel would um save all the druggies? WEIRD! And where the heck did Wyatt come into play with this? I'm still confused by the whole "destined" for each other. So now I understand what people mean when they say "love at fi...more Rapunzel with drugs. Um so... yeah ick. At first I was like OMG this is really good ('cept I figured out the old lady was Mama right away) and then I was like what the heck is going on here? Needless to say I was completely confused... um I still am. So it was prophesized that Rachel would um save all the druggies? WEIRD! And where the heck did Wyatt come into play with this? I'm still confused by the whole "destined" for each other. So now I understand what people mean when they say "love at first sight" Rachel and Wyatt meet and the next chapter they're snogging each other... anyway.... yeah, it was like "hi I don't know you but you're hot so I'm just going to make out with you." "Oh totally I've been seeing you in my dreams I am all for making out with you!" So now to say what I didn't get.
PLOT
So the plot... um what plot? Okay so the majority of the plot takes place in the last fifty pages... what was the big deal with Wyatt's friend dying? Was it just to get "destiny" and "fate" moving so that he could go meet Rachel. And the whole stupid drug ring. And Danielle? CREEPY! The old guys totally creeped me out! I'm scared of old men! (Well techincally they're like a gajillion years old) So let's see the grandma was addicted to drugs and then Danielle got addicted because her true love Zach gave them to her (and she's still crazy in love with the guy who caused this big mess Um she needs to get her priorities straight...) Yeah I'm still confused about what happened in the end...
CHARACTERS!
Rachel: Okay I once made a vow never to read a book with a main character whose name is Rachel cuz there's a girl in my class who drives me BONKERS named Rachel. Rachel... well I still don't get why she had healing powers and stuff. When she said "my tears heal" I'm like TANGLED! And then I was like is that why she sings? (oh yes she sings and plays the harp) I started breaking out in song
FLOWER GLEAM AND GLOW LET YOUR POWER SHINE MAKE THE CLOCK REVERSE BRING BACK WHAT ONCE WAS MINE HEAL WHAT HAS BEEN HURT CHANGE THE FATES DESIGN... well you get the picture. Rachel annoyed me... 'nough said?
Wyatt: Um... I don't get why he was here, i get he's like the "prince" but I'm still confused. But hey any guy who reads Wuthering Heights is cool.... loved the whole Jo March to Joe march thing.
DESTINY:
So I still don't get this is it destiny or drugs? They were destined to be together but um... they don't even know each other. HELP WEAK PLOT WEAK WRITING ALRET!
Okay so I'm going to quote my texts to my friend:
I'm mad just when i thought it was magic turns out it's drugs Strike all the nice words I've said about this book... it's crap.

Yep... um... moral of this story: DON'T DO DRUGS!(less)

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May 25, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, fantasy

Another great fairy-tale retelling by Alex Flinn!!

As you can tell by the cover art, this is the story of Rapunzel. We have 17 year old Rachel, who has been locked away in a tower and only sees her "mama" every day, who brings her food and the necessities. She tells her this is for her own good, as some one murdered Rachel's mother and that same man wants to do the same to her.

We also meet Wyatt, a senior in high school who is running away from something in his past (view spoiler)...more

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May 19, 2013 Gabriella rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, ugh, I'm very disappointed in the story because there are no explanations why Rachel has magical tears and long hair. Everything that happened seems to be connected to fate, but there are no reasonings at all onto why something is that way. Why is Rachel special, why is Wyatt special, where does the plague come from? A lot of questions that should be answered in the book but were never mentioned. I think the main characters fall in love too quickly too, especially if Wyatt is such a jerk....more

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May 19, 2013 Heidi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Two stars: A book with insta love and unanswered questions

Rachel longs to see the outside world. She has spent years trapped in her tower, her only contact with the outside world is Mama. Her friends are the beloved characters from her well worn books. Things begin to change when Wyatt comes to town. Wyatt is recovering from a traumatic experience. His mother sends him to live with her high school friend in the middle of nowhere. Wyatt is soon caught up in a seventeen year old mystery when he un...more

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May 05, 2013 Jenna Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, firstly the cover is really gorgeous! I wonder what it feels to have hair that long and pretty! Anyway! Alex Flinn is known for her modern retellings of fairytale stories. I've read Beastly and watched the movie, and I loved how she told that story. It was reality-based but still had a lot of fairytale touches.

Towering is a modern adaptation and retelling of Rapunzel. Quite obvious with the book cover, a girl with a long blonde hair can only mean Rapunzel. Anyway, the story however is quit...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was one of Flinn's best books yet! I loved the fact that there were multiple mysteries in the book that kept you guessing throughout the book; it really sucked me in!

The book was a little darker than some of her other books, but I found this to be a good thing; it makes it more realistic than some of her other, well, happier books, like A Kiss in Time

The only thing I didn't like about Towering was the cheesy romance. Pretty much Wyatt and Rachel fell in love the day they met...it...more

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About Alex Flinn

I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But...more I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But I compensated for this early proficiency by absolutely refusing to read the programmed readers required by the school system -- workbooks where you read the story, then answered the questions. When the other kids were on Book 20, I was on Book 1! My teacher, Mrs. Zeiser, told my mother, "Alexandra marches to her own drummer." I don't think that was supposed to be a good thing. Now, when my daughter, Katie, brings home FCAT prep materials where you are supposed to read a passage and answer questions, I want to ask the teacher, "Does she really need to do this? She can read!!!"

My family moved to Miami when I was in middle school. I had a really hard time making friends, so I spent a lot of time reading and writing then. But unlike Christopher Paolini or Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, I never finished writing a novel. That was also when I learned to be a keen observer. By high school, I'd made some friends and gotten involved in various "gifted and talented" performing arts programs. I studied opera in college (I'm a coloratura -- the really loud, high-pitched sopranos.) and then went to law school.

It was law school that probably helped with my first novel. Breathing Underwater deals with the serious and all-too-common problem of dating violence. I based the book on my experiences interning with the State Attorney's Office and volunteering with battered women. I thought this was a really important topic, as 27 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been hit by a boyfriend. I'm happy that the book is so popular, and if you are reading this bio because the book was assigned for school, I'm happy about that too.

I started writing an early (and laughable) version of Breathing Underwater in college (I was really bored on a car trip with my parents). I didn't get back to it until I had my first daughter, Katie. I'm self-taught. I went to the library and took out books on writing. Then, I read a lot of young-adult novels by writers I admired, particularly Richard Peck. Reading his books is like listening to Mozart -- you learn the right way to write a novel. Then, you fill in your own style. I actually got to meet Richard Peck in person at a workshop of the Key West Literary Seminar. Lots of writers have been really helpful to me, especially Richard and fellow YA author, Joyce Sweeney.

I think I write for young-adults because I never quite got over being one. In my mind, I am still 13-years-old, running laps on the athletic field, wearing this really baggy white gymsuit. I'm continually amazed at the idea that I have a checking account and a mortgage. So I try to write books that gymsuit girl might enjoy. It's a way of going back to being 13...knowing what I know now.
Right now, I live half a mile away from my old middle school, in Palmetto Bay, a suburb of Miami, with my husband, Gene, and daughters, Katie and Meredith. (less)

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Books by Alex Flinn

Breathing Underwater (Breathing Underwater #1)

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Quotes from Towering

“You have to avoid thinking of what upsets you. If not, it will take over your life.” — 3 people liked it

“The thing about Sarah was, she always did what I wanted her to do. Always. And that was because she was me, and I was her. She never disappointed me. She always showed up. Wyatt disappointed me precisely because he was real. He was a real boy who could not climb my tower in the slippery rain.” — 1 person liked it

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