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Zel

by Donna Jo Napoli (Goodreads Author)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 3,867 ratings · 281 reviews

High in the mountains, Zel lives with her mother, who insists they have all they need -- for they have each other. Zel's life is peaceful and protected -- until a chance encounter changes everything. When she meets a beautiful young prince at the market one day, she is profoundly moved by new emotions. But Zel's mother sees the future unfolding -- and she will do the unspe...more

Paperback, 227 pages

Published November 1st 1998 by Puffin (first published 1996)

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Jul 27, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, adaptation-retelling

A few years back, I went on a big reading binge with fairytale retellings. All were somewhat brief and young adult. But the shortest, darkest take was definitely this one. Napoli did an excellent job of really developing the limited cast of the classic Rapunzel while staying pretty true to the given motives in the original and giving us a very rich setting. I read books in a very visual way, so when I can imagine a full cinematic concept for what I'm reading, I consider the book a success.

Now, I...more A few years back, I went on a big reading binge with fairytale retellings. All were somewhat brief and young adult. But the shortest, darkest take was definitely this one. Napoli did an excellent job of really developing the limited cast of the classic Rapunzel while staying pretty true to the given motives in the original and giving us a very rich setting. I read books in a very visual way, so when I can imagine a full cinematic concept for what I'm reading, I consider the book a success.

Now, I'm seeing people say they didn't like it because it was dark and they didn't understand the characters. And that's completely fine. It's an opinion. But, I think, contrary to what appears to be a popular opinion, the characters are made to be completely believable in the time frames given to Napoli from the original story. Yes, the Duke is obsessive with his love for Rapunzel. Why wouldn't he be? He fell in love with her in a day in the original tale, as most princes do. Yes, Rapunzel goes insane; she goes from having access to a village that enjoys her company and open air to trapped in a tree with scant visits from her mother. And Mother's roll is amazing. We've been given so many possible reasons for why the witch of he original tale traps her daughter as she does, from spite to Disney's latest idea of greed for magic hair. Napoli gives us a simple and very believable and sympathizing reason: because she's a mother afraid of losing her child.

That said, it is very heavy for such a short novel, and I definitely put it on the older end of young adult. (Parents: if your teen has not yet read the Giver or the Lord of the Flies or anything by Shakespeare, you might want to hold off on this book.) In the span of two lunch breaks, I got to see vividly how two obsessive characters can destroy someone who is relatively pure in nature with manic love, because that is exactly what this story is about. The triumph of the story is when circumstances help rebuild Zel's sanity, taking her from being a child, to a tragically mad creature, to a strong woman and mother. The duke faces his own adversity for the first time, beyond that of simply not being able to find a pretty girl, and grows from it. The tragedy is entirely in Mother, who simply wanted a child too badly and went about it in the worst of ways.

Overall, I really do love this book. Rapunzel is not one of my favorite fairytales, so the fact that I got to enjoy this so much was something pleasantly new. If you want a quick read and lack the stress to be able to get into something dark and emotional, I highly recommend it.(less)

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Feb 23, 2008 Carrie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature

This story is deep and melancholy and left me feeling depressed. Some graphic scenes are rather disturbing, and the sex scene kind of ruined it for me (bumped the book into a more mature category than is appropriate for its audience).

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Feb 22, 2013 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow. As other reviewers have said, it is dark, intense, mature, horrifying, sophisticated. Very true to the un-sanitized, un-disneyfied style of the older European folk-tales. Its ubiety is key to understanding Napoli's intent - it couldn't be written with a first-world 21st century setting.

I do disagree with the reviewers who imply it's a quick read. Napoli worked hard on the language, on the structure, on the three unique perspectives of Girl, Count, and Mother, on the change in their Voices...more

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Mar 09, 2009 nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, mlis

what i wrote for class

I think it's a very dark tale on what it means to be an adolescent, a story of the deepest betrayal. I found it far creepier than Coraline, as Zel's mother turns into the other mother before her very eyes without any warning. I know we've spoken about absentee parents in previous weeks, but I can't quite recall if I've been in a thread that touched on bad parenting. It was difficult to read their interactions once Zel was in the tower, to realize that the mother was so inte...more

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Mar 08, 2009 Lara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Plot summary: Zel is a joyous, innocent girl on the cusp of womanhood. She has grown up on a peaceful and beautiful Swiss farm with just one person for companionship: Mother. More than anything, Zel wishes she could talk to animals and understand them. Mother has a gift of her own – a way with plants. She can manipulate them to serve her purposes, growing trees and shrinking vines, raising all sorts of vegetables and fruits. It turns out that Mother is a barren witch who traded her soul for a ch...more Plot summary: Zel is a joyous, innocent girl on the cusp of womanhood. She has grown up on a peaceful and beautiful Swiss farm with just one person for companionship: Mother. More than anything, Zel wishes she could talk to animals and understand them. Mother has a gift of her own – a way with plants. She can manipulate them to serve her purposes, growing trees and shrinking vines, raising all sorts of vegetables and fruits. It turns out that Mother is a barren witch who traded her soul for a child when she could not bear her own.

Zel looks forward to their twice-yearly visits to the town market, where she can interact with all sorts of people. Mother looks forward to the time when Zel will have to make the choice between leaving the farm to start her own family, or staying with Mother forever. Mother could not bear it if Zel were to leave the farm, and pours her heart into making Zel happy. On their latest visit to the market, however, Zel encounters a young man, Konrad. Konrad sees Zel's sweet way with animals and her unusual manners, and is enchanted with her. When Zel calms Konrad's horse while the blacksmith removes a tick from the horse's ear, Konrad asks how he can repay her. Having no desire for money, Zel thinks of a solitary goose at the farm – she sits on a nest of rocks because she cannot have her own goslings. Zel asks for a goose egg, hoping to persuade the goose it is her own egg. Konrad is amazed at the request but takes the dark-eyed girl seriously and begins hunting for a goose egg.

As soon as Mother realizes Zel's thoughts have turned to a certain young man and the unsure way he made her feel, she acts to separate the two before they have a chance to meet again. Spiriting Zel high up into disused tower, Mother feeds Zel special foods to make her hair grow long. At first Mother reaches the tower by making a tree next to it grow and shrink, but eventually Mother can climb up by Zel's hair. Konrad, meanwhile, has been hunting for Zel for two years, obsessed with her and mystified by her disappearance. Zel, locked in her tower prison, starts to lose her mind, keeping secrets from Mother and trying to make friends with the squirrel in the tree and a pigeon that roosts above her cramped quarters. When Konrad finally finds the tower and watches Mother ascend using the golden braids, Konrad is able to use the same trick to get up, as Zel doesn't even realize it is him. When Mother discovers that Konrad has found Zel, she breaks down completely and uses the forest to transport Zel, now pregnant, far away where Konrad has almost no hope of ever finding her again. Mother throws Konrad out the window of the tower but at the last moment shrubs around the base of the tower spring up and cushion his fall, though they scratch out his eyes. Her strength gone, Mother dies. Zel is taken in by villagers who find her at the end of her long strange journey and starts a new life in a new country. Konrad resumes his search, even blind, in this love story for the ages.

Comments: Napoli has done a fantastic job of re-writing the Rapunzel fairy tale. Zel is so full of life and joy in small everyday things, it is tragic to see the way Mother tries to limit her enthusiasm. It is also distressing to read about how much Mother simply wants Zel to love her and to be happy with the quiet country life they have carved out for themselves, but by loving Zel too much she turns Zel against herself. Napoli has written the book from the three different viewpoints of Zel, Mother and Konrad. As Mother's reasoning becomes more flawed and distressed, Zel starts to lose her own mind, cooped up in the tower with only a hour long visit from Mother each day. Konrad, caught up in his obsessive quest to find the beautiful and unique Zel, changes from being a boy to emerging as a man as his search becomes more arduous.

Napoli did a great job of handling the extreme youth of Zel and Konrad. In this type of fairy tale, marriage at a younger age than is now commonly accepted was not unusual. Without remarking on explicit details, Napoli crafts a love story that will appeal to readers of many ages. I will be looking for more of Napoli's revised fairytales in the future. (less)

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Jan 06, 2009 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fairy-tales

I really enjoyed reading Zel. Napoli takes the fairy tale Rapunzel and creates a new version of the classic story by adding interesting twists and details.

Zel’s mother was the character that seemed most different from the versions of Rapunzel that I read. Instead of simply presenting her as a witch from the beginning, we learn that she was married and longed for a baby but could not have one. This longing turned into an unhealthy obsession and led her to trade her soul in exchange for a baby. Ze...more I really enjoyed reading Zel. Napoli takes the fairy tale Rapunzel and creates a new version of the classic story by adding interesting twists and details.

Zel’s mother was the character that seemed most different from the versions of Rapunzel that I read. Instead of simply presenting her as a witch from the beginning, we learn that she was married and longed for a baby but could not have one. This longing turned into an unhealthy obsession and led her to trade her soul in exchange for a baby. Zel is a healthy, happy and curious girl. Near the end of the book, Zel remembers “Her dreams hold on to almost thirteen years, good years. Mother was a good mother. The alm was a good place to grow”. Zel’s life begins to unravel after her visit to town. Zel’s mother really struggles with the decision to put Zel in the tower. When they talk about the beautiful and wonderful life in the alm, Zel notes she loves meeting new people and going new places. Zel’s mother reacts by thinking “…I must not shackle Zel to me. I love her. That love must be returned freely.” Of course, it does not work out that way. Zel’s mother realizes Zel will not make the “right” choice and lies about an enemy that wants to kill her.

Napoli’s description of life stuck in a tower is vivid and horrifying. Imagine the loneliness and despair Zel felt. There can be no heat in the tower when it is cold for someone might see smoke. The famous line from the fairy tale, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair” is given new meaning. Imagine how cumbersome hair that long must be so much so that you can’t even put a dress over your head. The weight of that hair causes horrible headaches. Rapunzel’s only contact with living beings other than her mother is with animals, even lice. Slowly, she is going crazy.

Another change from the fairy tale happens after Zel leaves the castle. In the fairy tale she winds up in a desolate land with her twins. She is on her own. In Napoli’s version, Zel is rescued and taken to a beautiful town by the sea. She needs time to heal and is accepted and befriended by the people in the town. She makes a good life for herself and her daughters. I had the feeling that Zel could have been happy on her own and I liked that idea. After all, most women in fairy tales need that handsome prince to be complete! Ultimately, her prince does arrive, the family is united and the traditional happy ending results.
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Nov 07, 2011 Sharne' Cherry added it

1. Junior Fantasy book
2.The book “Zel,” tells the story of a beautiful girl who lives far out in the isolated Swiss alms. Distant from the town and any neighbors, Zel truly only knows her mother, the land, and the animals that reside there. Despite her mother’s desire to remain together on the alm forever, Zel is curious to discover and learn about the world outside of her home. During a long awaited trip into town, Zel briefly encounters a young nobleman, Konrad that ends up playing a much larg...more 1. Junior Fantasy book
2.The book “Zel,” tells the story of a beautiful girl who lives far out in the isolated Swiss alms. Distant from the town and any neighbors, Zel truly only knows her mother, the land, and the animals that reside there. Despite her mother’s desire to remain together on the alm forever, Zel is curious to discover and learn about the world outside of her home. During a long awaited trip into town, Zel briefly encounters a young nobleman, Konrad that ends up playing a much larger role in her life than she could have ever imagined.
However, one short-lived meeting was all it took for the two to fall for each other. As mother discovers Zel’s interest in the young nobleman, she does the unthinkable. In fear that her daughter will choose love over her, she locks Zel in a tower hidden deep within the woods.
Even after two years, Zel has yet to forget about the nobleman she met in town. But as time passes, hope is lost. Until one day, after two years of searching for her, Konrad discovers the tower where Zel has been trapped. Once he finds her, there is no losing her no matter how much her mother tries to keep them apart. After what seems to be a never-ending battle and what seems like a lifetime of searching, their love for one another remains.
3.a.The story is told from three different perspectives and points of view throughout the book. Each chapter is told by one of the following; Zel, her mother, or Konrad. Therefore, every chapter is focused upon the thoughts and perceptions of one of the three main characters.
b.However, within each chapter both the 1st and 3rd person points of view are used to tell the story. The various points of view enable the reader to see the perspectives of each of the main characters. They can develop an understanding for their actions, decisions, and feelings within the story. Although this technique can be confusing at times, the title at the beginning of each chapter distinguishes which point of view will be utilized. Therefore, decreasing the possibility for confusion and misunderstanding while reading. Although this format requires readers to pay close attention to detail, it allows them to develop empathy and see further into the thoughts of each character.
c.-Chapter 16 Zel pg. 110: Suffering. Was it really only a few months ago that Zel hardly knew what suffering was? Her memory of herself on the day they went to the market seems so childlike.
-Chapter 17 Mother pg. 11: I’m preparing my daughter for the choice. There is no other way.
-Chapter 22 Konrad pg. 166: Konrad’s mouth goes dry. He must speak, and if he is wrong, his dream is gone. Oh, God let Konrad be right. “You are Zel. You are my Rapunzel.”
4.This book can be used to explain and discuss different point of views in writing.(less)

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Apr 08, 2010 Caitie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well this caught me off guard.

It's a retelling of the story of Rapunzel. Looking at the cover and the size of the book (just over 200 pages, and small dimensions), I was expecting the classic story, someone undeniably evil locks her in a tower, a handsome prince finds her, they talk, he visits occasionally, eventually the brave prince defeats evil, and sweeps Rapunzel off and marries her right then.

Nope. Not quite.

The beginning was so sweet and the girl was so obnoxiously cheerful and naive that...more Well this caught me off guard.

It's a retelling of the story of Rapunzel. Looking at the cover and the size of the book (just over 200 pages, and small dimensions), I was expecting the classic story, someone undeniably evil locks her in a tower, a handsome prince finds her, they talk, he visits occasionally, eventually the brave prince defeats evil, and sweeps Rapunzel off and marries her right then.

Nope. Not quite.

The beginning was so sweet and the girl was so obnoxiously cheerful and naive that I thought I was going to punch her if she kept it up and if the whole book was going to be like that, but it darkened up quite a bit. The book switches between Zel's point of view, Mother's point of view, and Konrad's (the count) point of view. All are written in present tense, which always bugs me, but surprisingly, I was brought around to it eventually. The interesting part is that Mother was the only character whose chapters were written in first person instead of third, like the others.

The twist in this story that was interesting is that the mother locks the girl in the tower, but she's not totally evil. She genuinely loves her daughter, and is desperate to keep her with her always. The first chapter that is hers gives the reader a sense that she's not quite right. As the story unfolds, you get more and more insights to the mother's psyche and background, and you pity her, even though she's doing totally evil things. She was barren and essentially sacrificed her soul to get her daughter. She turned herself into a witch, consorting with devils, turning her back on everything she believed for the sake of love. Weird juxtaposition, right? Sacrificing a soul in exchange for love. She wants her daughter to do the same, so they can be together forever. She was a really interesting, desperate character.

As for Zel, she's never had a reason to distrust her mother, which is kind of scary as you get to know Mother better. Zel has had a happy, albeit excluded life, and is incessantly happy and content with her life. Her life in the tower shows her progression from naive child to distrustful woman. Being locked in a tower for two years with no human contact save her mother an hour a day affected her psyche. Her chapters tracked her slow descent into insanity. She never made it to completely insane, but you could see where she was headed. She went a little savage.

Even Konrad had his creepy moments. He obsesses about the girl after meeting her once. He even comes to recognize how weird his obsession is and tries to shake it off, but he can't. Somehow, though, you end up liking both the main characters, while alternately respecting and loathing the mother.

There were a lot of other themes in this book but I don't feel like writing about them right now cause this is too long. You'll just have to read it and find out. So overall, a dark and psychologically interesting take on the Rapunzel you never knew.(less)

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Sep 03, 2009 Sandra Strange rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Though listed for middle and junior high readers, I wouldn’t recommend it to immature girls, and it definitely is a girl book. The story is the retold fairy tale of Rapunzel. The tale is told from alternating points of view of Rapunzel, the prince, and the witch who raised Rapunzel. The mature part is Napoli’s usual sensuality in the retelling, with lightly veiled sexual references relating to the relationship between Zel and the prince. The parts from the point of view of the witch are disturbi...more

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Apr 29, 2009 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

Once again Napoli retells another well-known fairytale from a detailed, well-researched perspective. I would recommend this to any Napoli or fairytale retelling fans because of it's unique narrative - a dark, character-driven story that focuses less on intricate atmospheric details Napoli usually writes with. Instead, Zel is a retelling of Rapunzel that focuses on the three main characters and how love can drive a person to do the unthinkable or the insurmountable.

My only critique is the lack of...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Gabriela rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fairytale fans, fans of depictions of mother-daughter relationships

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales, romance, ya

I don't want to hide the entire review, so don't read past the first paragraph if spoilers are unwanted.

I felt things in this book. Despite how much it conforms to the conventions of straightness and marriage and fairy tale love, I don't mind as much as I usually would. The story of Zel and the way her mother treated her had this effect on me. Konrad, the love interest, is the fantasy that there's someone there for you and you won't be alone when you leave that tower, that there was someone ther...more

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May 31, 2010 Lindsay rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-half

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a story about Repunzel. I think it is a lot like the "original" version, except for the ending. Repunzel is named after the lettuce for which her birth mother traded her. The mother who raised her was a barren woman who wanted a child more than anything. She tricked her neighbors into giving her a child through sorcery she received by trading her soul to the devil. With this sorcery, she also promised to convince Zel to sell her soul for "gifts" as well. The first time Zel meets a boy, h...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-books, retold-fairy-tales

In this slim retelling of the Rapunzel story, the narrative is shared by Zel, her witch mother, and a Duke's son. Set in 16th-century Switzerland, this story begins with a pre-adolescent Zel happily on her way into town with her beloved mother, who typically shirks any contact with the outside world. Left on her own for a few minutes, Zel meets the aristocrat, Konrad, and both instantly feel a strong connection. They are soon separated, and Konrad begins a tireless search for the interesting gir...more

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May 27, 2009 Leanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ah, the Reworked Fairy Tale.

I must admit, the Grimm Rapunzel first struck me as choppy and disjointed. I had trouble picking out, “the journey itself, rather than the ending” (Elgoff). Enter Napoli with her expertly crafted first person narrative and behold: Zel explicitly filled in the gaps that Grimm implicitly implied.

An exposition of gender analysis, I felt that I am now honing in on a keen sense of fantasy critique. No more will I hide behind the ohs and ahs of poetic adjectives describing...more Ah, the Reworked Fairy Tale.

I must admit, the Grimm Rapunzel first struck me as choppy and disjointed. I had trouble picking out, “the journey itself, rather than the ending” (Elgoff). Enter Napoli with her expertly crafted first person narrative and behold: Zel explicitly filled in the gaps that Grimm implicitly implied.

An exposition of gender analysis, I felt that I am now honing in on a keen sense of fantasy critique. No more will I hide behind the ohs and ahs of poetic adjectives describing scenery or passion between lovers. I am now focusing more on, “why is that scenery that way?”

Developing a fresh vision can certainly be a dangerous task. How do you know your vision is developed on a solid foundation? Having always been the type to read a book, literally, cover-to-cover, I was first baffled at Naopli’s remark in her Acknowledgements section of Zel that states, “Thanks also go to the American Association of University Women for giving me a summer fellowship in 1995 to visit Switzerland and complete the research for this story”. Research for a fantasy novel?

After finishing Zel, I fell further into a spiraling confusion regarding this enigma of research for fantasy? How does one research what one makes up in one’s own mind? Thanks to an article by Yolen, Naopli’s comment is now not only crystal clear, but firm in its relevance to my growing appreciation of fantasy. When Yolen stated, “All the fantasy authors I know own research volumes on wildlife, wildflowers, insects, birds” (p. 165) makes total sense, especially since she also claims, “do your research and believe in your monstrosities—at least as long as you are writing them” (p. 165).

The fact that Napoli chose a believable marketplace, a believable goose, and the believable family dynamic of Konrad’s house, it allowed me to take the leap of faith necessary to make sense out of the fantastical witch’s reign over plants, the rearrangement of an entire forest, and the ability to grow braids a toe-length every evening, just to name a few.

But the leap of faith isn’t over. My final thought–fantasy is about the moral of the story… which moral, is of your choosing. As Yolen states, “Look hard at the real world and then look slightly askance… As Emily Dickinson advised in one wise little poem, ‘Tell all the truth/but tell it slant.’ Zel calls us to look at the world through a critical eye, an eye of critical consciousness, where reader is in constant search for the answer to “but why?”.
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Feb 17, 2010 GenreGroup rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-fairy-tale-retellings

Audrey Byrnes-Tolley's review:

In this retelling of Rapunzel, love and jealousy play a major role. The characters include a mother who loves her daughter and wants to be together with her always, a girl who is excited to grow up and see the world outside her cottage, and a young nobleman who is smitten with her. What lengths can a mother go to, to keep her daughter safe?

It isn't always the case, but in this particular retelling, the motivations of all three main characters are drawn clearly, and...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, young-adult, retold-fairy-tales

Zel is the first book I’ve read by Napoli and it will not be my last. In her unique retelling, Napoli manages to both faithfully keep within most parameters of the original fairy tale and yet at the same time recreate the characters in 16th century Switzerland with their own motivations, personalities and psychological state of minds. Napoli expands on the classic tale, adding twists and turns along the way. Like many fairy tales read in their original form, this story is not completely rosy thr...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Another fabulous book from Donna Jo Napoli. This time she has re-envisioned the story of Rapunzel and placed it richly in the context of a Swiss canton in the 1500s. I found it a slower start than "The Magic Circle" but by the middle of the book I was captivated.

The deepest tension that Napoli pulls from the story is how a woman, obsessed with being a mother and holding on to her child, makes choices and horrible decisions that she never should have. In trying to picture evil, Napoli leaves us...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Lauren Stout rated it 5 of 5 stars

Donna Jo Napoli's extension of the Rapunzel tale is beautifully written and haunting at the same time. Told from the perspective of Zel's mother who eventually uses her powers to lock her daughter away from the world to keep her safe, Zel herself, and from the perspective of Konrad, Zel's perspective love interest who is unwillingly betrothed to another, and does not give up searching for her, Napoli's tale is appropriate for young adult readers ages 12 and up. Despite the inclusion of multiple...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrensfiction, youngadultfiction

Wonderful retelling of Rapunzel from one of my favourite writers, like, evah! The role of the witch-mother figure in Napoli's fairy tale retellings is always fascinating and revealing. In Zel, the question of mother love and guilt is at the heart of the drama, and I also love how Napoli explores the psychological effects of imprisonment on Rapunzel.

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Dec 28, 2010 Dannielle Buckley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy, tales, retelling, fractured, romance, mother-daughter, relationship, witchcraft, abandonment, isolation

Zel is the retelling of the class fairy tale Rapunzel but this book isn't for kids. It's a deep look at what can happen when natural human longings become evil. Set in 16th-century Switzerland, the book alternates between prince Konrad, Zel, and Zel's mother's point of view. The book answers all the questions that the original Grimm's story never answered for us. Why did that witch want Rapunzel in the first place? How did she get her up in the tower if there was no door? Why didn't Rapunzel hat...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Medina added it

It started off amazingly well. I would happily recomend the first half of this book to just about anyone and then it all went to heck in a hand basket. The author became so invested with recreating the fairy tale that the story telling faltered and she tried to cram as many different fairy tales as possible. It was a mess but of course true love wins out. Such potential I hated to see it go to pot. Or I could just be through with the happier ever after and the best a girl can do is find a man wh...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Katie van Langen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Zel is a pretty interesting book. There is a lot of great character dynamic that really tells the story in a new and refreshing way. I liked that this just wasn't one of those fairy tales where some evil queen locks up her naughty house maid in some tower, and blah, blah, blah... It is way more complex, and way more dark.
I never really liked fairy tale stories in any form, but the way this fairy tale is told actually makes the story more berable to read.
The only thing I didn't like was Zel. She...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

I ended up searching for this book after an instructor in one of my Children's Lit classes mentioned it in a unit on Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. Zel is a retelling of the traditional Rapunzel story, but is much darker and intended for more mature child audiences. I would actually consider it a YA novel. I've read bits and pieces of original Grimm Brothers' stories, and I would say that Zel is similar in its serious, almost to the point of being disturbing, themes and motifs.

An interesting devic...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Stevecrandell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, grades-7-10, romance

A spellbinding story, and much more mature than its “Rapunzel” fairy-tale premise suggests. Napoli unhinges a tightly coiled spring of obsessive parental control.

Zel is trapped in a tower, at the mercy of her deranged witch of a mother. But Zel loves her mother, almost as much as her mother loves her in return. Zel is driven to near-madness in captivity, and her possible release coincides with another emotional spike, the awakening of sexual desire. The final arc of tension is frantic and fasci...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Whitney rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-young-adult

This book is the Rapunzel story and is pretty true to the main events of the fairy tale. The book is very detailed about her stay in the tower, years there, and how she kinda goes crazy. It made me think of the story in a different dimension: Yeah, I would go crazy if I were locked away (not exactly a happily ever after story now is it?). After this heart wrenching locked away time period, the book quickly goes through the rest of the story and concludes. I wish the ending would have been longer...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

A reimagining of Rapunzel where the creepy ick factor that always kind of molded away underneath the twinkly fairy tale facade is finally allowed to seep straight through. In other words, how you feel about this will depend on how attached you are to retaining the magic. Readers fed up with sickly sweet, glossed-over and Disneyfied princess stories might find this tale of an unnaturally obsessed woman and her young charge's descent into madness under her abuse the refreshing shot of adrenaline a...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Briana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-25

This is a retelling of Rapunzel. It starts out with the story of Zel and her mother living high in the mountains. Zel lives a sheltered life away from many people. But as her mother, who is actually a which, sees that the perfect life they have together is threatened by an interested young man, she hides Zel in a tower, in the hopes of never being separated from her daughter.
I enjoyed this book. It is written differently from a lot of the books you read now, the perspective is interesting. Ther...more

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Nov 27, 2009 Morgan F rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, preston-public-library, myths-retellings, 1990s

I did not like this book. The characters were completely unrealistic, and they all were overdramatic. I saw reviewers saying how this novel had plot twists and was exciting and unpredictable. Uh, no. If you know the story of Rapunzel at all, you know the enitre book. I at least expected refreshing insight into the characters, but again was disappointed. It seemed to be okay in the beginning, but the pace and tone of the novel was uneven and the end was incredibly rushed. The first 75 pages take...more

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May 02, 2012 Brittnay rated it 1 of 5 stars

Absolutely HATED it. I may be the only one who thinks so, but i thought it was a poorly written retelling. Personally i felt like it had no flow, that the story was clunky--sort of like curdled milk flowing out of a carton. It was incredibly cheezy at times, and justgenerally rather stupid in my opinion.
For those of you who like a WELL written story where the paragraphs actually flow together and belong where theyre placed, this isnt the story for you. But maybe i was reading a rough draft inst...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, ya-lit

I don't know how Napoli can take such a familiar tale (Rapunzel) and turn it into a book I end up staying all night to read because I can't put it down!!! She not only weaves it into a realistic setting (16th century Switzerland), but she handles all sorts of issues in depth - the danger of human longing, the psychological effects of imprisonment, the joy of young love, etc. It also kindly shares alternative perspectives of it all. Haunting and breathtaking, this psychological masterpiece is a M...more

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What's The Name o...: Rapunzel retelling - YA fantasy [s]	6	51	Jan 20, 2013 02:59pm

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Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy

245 users

Young Adult

179 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

120 users

Romance

41 users

Fairy Tales > Fairy Tale Retellings

28 users

Retellings

24 users

Young Adult > Teen

21 users

Historical Fiction

17 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

12 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

11 users

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About Donna Jo Napoli

From her website:

Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction.

Donna Jo has five children. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden and bake bread.

At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to...more

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