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My Name Is Rapunzel
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My Name is Rapunzel by K.C. Hilton - Start Date: July 2, 2014 (July 2014 Young Adult)
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Date Chapters Pages DQ's
July 2nd Prologue - Chapter 7 Page 1-49 Sonia
July 3rd Chapter 8 - 14 Page 50-93 Renee
July 4th Chapter 15 - 22 Page 94-137 Amanda
July 5th Chapters 23- 30 Page 138-183 Renee
July 6th Chapter 31 - end Page 183-225 Lisarenee
Yay! I'm so excited that this was chosen! Looking forward to it. :)
I am in for this. I got my book already.
I was excited when I first got the book i really wanted to love this book, unfortunately I was disappointed.Hope you guys will enjoy it
I am obsessed with fairytale retellings. Really looking forward to this one :).
I wanted a refresher on the original Rapunzel Fairytale, so I got a free kindle Grimm Fairytale ebook HEREWikipedia also has an outline of the story, with the different variations HERE
Beka_68 wrote: "I was excited when I first got the book i really wanted to love this book, unfortunately I was disappointed.Hope you guys will enjoy it"
Bummer. This one earned the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval (CLC). I hope we like it too.
I'm in too. Never read a retelling of a fairy tale so this could be good.
Renee wrote: "I wanted a refresher on the original Rapunzel Fairytale, so I got a free kindle Grimm Fairytale ebook HEREWikipedia also has an outline of the story, with the different variations HERE"
Thanks for the links. I've just remembered I have this book thanks to this thread, I completely forgot about it. So, why not give it a try?
Questions and Comments for Prologue - Chapter 71. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
Questions and Comments: Prologue - Chapter 71. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
Yes, I'm curious about this too. Though I have to say that by the time I was finished reading chapter seven I'd nearly forgotten that there was an escape attempt. I still really want to know how the witch and the dragon work together to keep Rapunzel imprisoned.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
Yeah, that was really the first strike I had against this book. The POV shift seemed really unnatural, and I could see no real reason for it.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
Ohhh I hope so! That would be really cool, if he was turned into the dragon. And yeah, the face-off seemed really... odd, to me.
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
I don't know if she could escape, but surely there were other ways they could have attempted to break the curse? I just find it sort on unbelievable that the first thought they would have would be to have another child and sacrifice that baby to the witch.
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
The time jumps were disconcerting. Plus, there was nothing really to cement what year it was in the chapter themselves. This book is mostly dialogue, which is okay, but I feel like the author tends to skimp on building a scene. It feels a lot like there are two people speaking in a little circle of light in an otherwise blacked-out world.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
It makes very little sense to me. I can sort of reason that he was attempting to make sure his daughter was cared for, but I don't know why the only person that he could think of doing this was the witch that cursed her.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
I'm trying to be positive about it, but I'm finding myself not really enjoying it. I'm not familiar with the story either, so there's none of it that really clicks with me. I did see Tangled, but I don't know if that's an accurate 'retelling' either. I'm just not sure about this book in general.
Questions and Comments for Prologue - Chapter 71. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
I want to find out where Gretta and the Dragon came from.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
It was a bit disjointed. I was expecting it to happen again, but it didn't. I'd actually forgotten there was a change of POV by the time I'd finished part 1.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
I hope that too, it would be a good twist.
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
Baby sacrifice was a bit extreme for me too. Maybe the parents had made their own deal with the witch? That's what happened in the original fairytale.
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
It seems like part 1 is a runthrough the back story of how she got to where she is now.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
It seems a bit crazy. But I guess if Rapunzel is going to live forever, a companion/carer who also lives forever and has an invested interest in keeping her alive could seem like a good idea.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
I like the concept. The chapters are short and the language easy to read. It hasn't really caught me yet.
Questions and Comments for Prologue - Chapter 71. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
The prologue was certainly a little confusing, and the subsequent chapters didn't really link to the escape attempt very well.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
I think the change of POV was completely unnecessary, especially there. If she plans on doing it again later on, maybe it'll make more sense, but really it didn't add anything to the story at the time. Plus, I don't think guys think like that. While reading this, I kept thinking back to Twilight and how my husband kept saying, "guys don't think that way!" (Edward Cullen really bugged him). I keep on getting the same impression with Henry, which is a strike against the book, in my opinion. But hey, it's still early in the story.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
One thing I'm noticing with this author is that she doesn't set the scene very well. Her description isn't sufficient enough to help me visualize what's going on and why. She tried to make it work, but in the end it fell short.
As for Henry getting turned into the dragon, that would make perfect sense!
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
Once again, the setup was lacking here. We become utterly shocked that her parents would do such a thing. It is understandable that they're feeling desperate, but the author didn't give us enough time with the family to fully comprehend their reasoning.
Personally, I would have done everything in my power to make my daughter self-sufficient, and also research magic and what the witch wants from Rapunzel. I would give my daughter the tools she needed to figure out how to lift the curse by herself, instead of sacrificing another child. I'm amazed that for fifty years, all Rapunzel's parents did was basically grow old and die, with the occasional feeble, ridiculous attempt to save their daughter. It seems like a large plot hole to me.
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
Once again, it was a poor setup. I don't think the time jumping was necessary, especially back-to-back like that. Honestly, she could have summarized everything into one or two chapters and stuck with the original escape attempt.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
Once again, if I were her parents, I would have done everything possible to make her self-sufficient and able to find out how to break the curse by herself. Having the witch tag along seems like a very dangerous idea. It's obviously not going to work, so why even consider it without a backup plan? Although, come to think of it, the father did threaten the witch without considering the consequences until it was too late. He's probably just not too bright.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling
I loved Tangled when I first watched it; I thought that was a fun way to bring a classic fairy tale into the modern age. I am somewhat familiar with the original Rapunzel story, although I've only read the story once. This book has certainly deviated from the original fairy tale by a huge margin.
I personally love fairy tale retellings, and so far I'm disappointed with this one. I'm not trying to sound harsh or superior with my critique: I'm just being honest. The beginning of this story has fallen flat. I get a little suspicious with self-published authors (sometimes the reason they self-publish is because they couldn't find a publisher who liked the story enough to market it); but I don't plan on passing judgment until I've read the whole thing. Who knows? Maybe the story gets better once we're in the meat of the whole thing. Whoever nominated this book had a good reason to, so maybe that reason will show itself later.
I just downloaded this book and will try to catch up with you all!
I finally started a BOM on time! Let's see if I can keep up with this one. :)Questions and Comments for Prologue - Chapter 7
1. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
Gretta is the witch that traps Rapunzel in the tower. I think Rapunzel's hair keeps her young or something. I do not know about the dragon. I don't remember there being a dragon in any of the Rapunzel stories, but I never read the original Rapuzel.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
I thought it was strange that there was just that one section from Henry's POV. I'm not sure if it was there to show that what Rapunzel was thinking was wrong or if it was meant to show his true feelings for her. Maybe a little of both. I wonder if their will be other snippets from other perspectives as well.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
I believe he could move, but wouldn't leave Rapunzel. It seemed that he didn't understand that she couldn't move. I hadn't thought about him being the dragon, but I bet you're right! That makes perfect sense.
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
I kept thinking that too. I don't believe the witch would have allowed her to marry. Even if it's not acceptable, she could have tried to just have a baby and lose her power. (Although, I think the witch might have appeared to prevent that as well.)
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
The time jumps didn't bother me at all. I felt that it was necessary to show that time moved on, she didn't age, her parents did, the prince didn't return... It seems that it was just normal day to day life, except for the non-aging during the times not mentioned.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
I don't think the witch would have let her go if she didn't go with her. I don't think the witch will just change her mind, though.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
I like it so far. I'm not mesmerized by it, but it is good and I want to see what happens.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 Chapter 8 – Chapter 148. Part 1 started in 1763 and gave us the back story. Now we are in the present day, 2013. Rapunzel is now 268 years old. I keep getting the Queen song “Who wants to live forever” in my head. Would you want to live forever?
9. Rapunzel won’t let go of her past. She still has the wedding dress from her planned wedding to Henry in her room. Why can’t she let go?
10. Gretta has been taking Rapunzel’s hair since she was a child and has now cursed her to live forever. What’s in it for her? What is she using the hair for?
11. Who is that man in the wheelchair that Gretta has been seeing? Friend or another victim?
12. Gretta and Rapunzel were both suspects in the witch hunt. Gretta has the typical old crone look, but when they saw a young beautiful Rapunzel, they decided she couldn’t be a witch. I wonder what would have happened if the mob decided they both were witches and tried to kill either of them?
13. Rapunzel was very isolated. She read a lot of books as a form of escapism and she also got involved in online communities. I bet she would love NBRC! (Rapunzel....are you out there....are you doing this buddy read with us?) Her only real life friend is Pepper – who delivers the mail. Do you think she will meet up with her at the party or for a coffee?
14. Rapunzel was named after a plant. It looks like this.
15. Chapter 14 is retelling the beginning of Part 1. That must be an important part of the story. It still hasn’t explained where the dragon came from . Did the dragon eat Henry? Or is Henry the dragon? Any other ideas?
Additional thoughts about Rapunzel having a baby to escape the witch - Although we hope the baby is a boy, if it is a girl, would she be safe from the witch? Or even if it is a boy, is there enough power in the boys that the witch would still want him? The witch may keep Rapunzel just to keep the baby close. Also, if the witch let Rapunzel go could she age her, as if the spell had never been cast, leaving the baby motherless and again in the witch's care? I guess just having a baby may not actually be what Rapunzel needs to do in order to get out of this.
1. I'm presuming the dragon is the witch's guard but I wonder if it is Henry? The first bit puzzled me too but then it seemed to get more straight forward.2. Yes the POV change with Henry and Rapunzel was good! I liked to see it from both perspectives. Shame she hasn't done that again.
3. The face-off was weird. It felt even a bit too fantastical for the rest of he story so far, if that makes sense. It was odd that she couldn't speak. The dragon could be Henry. I must admit I didn't think that at the time but I guess he could be.
4. I thought exactly the same about the pregnancy. All they had to do was for Rapunzel to have a baby, that would have been a lot easier. This seems to be a bit of a slip in the story.
5. It did feel rushed. I suppose nothing much happened in that time. I guess the main part of the story is her in the tower. I am still undecided about whether I am liking it or not.
6. No I don't get where the father is coming from here. She has had years to try to sort out he curse. Why does he think she will do it in the castle? That was just too contrived.
7. Not sure about book. Too contrived, too convenient. I know it's a fairy story but I think it is not believable enough if you know what I mean.
1. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.What I'm wondering is why she didn't escape after lighting the candle in the window. If that's what the dragon was looking for, it would make sense to light the candle first. It would give her a lot more time to run.
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
That was really strange. Almost unnecessary. Why have a book written from one character's POV and then throw in few paragraphs from a different POV for no reason at all?
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
That's what I thought! It was too much of a coincidence that the dragon appeared just as Henry disappeared.
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
Unless the witch would interfere? Maybe she was afraid that the witch would kill another of her suitors?
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
I think that must have been why the author wrote it that way. I don't usually mind time jumps.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
No, definitely not. I think they are just playing right into her hands.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
I am trying to keep an open mind, but so far I am underwhelmed. I hope it will pick up soon! I usually love retellings and I had very high hopes for this one.
Questions and Comments for Prologue - Chapter 71. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.
Didn't Gretta have a pet dragon that poofed Henry?
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
I feel like this is a good example of telling not showing in books. I feel like I'm reading a summary of a tv show or something. We never really knew Henry enough to care that he got poofed. There's no fallout from his parent's about their son missing. No weirdness with their neighbors about her not aging. Especially in a time where I doubt many people made it to 68. I just looked it up 1850ish life expectancy, assuming you didn't die as an infant, was about 58. So for both parent's to make it to what must have been around 90 seems shocking plus to not have her age well after the point at which most people would have died....
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
Maybe. When I read your first question I almost assumed the dragon was going to turn into her prince that she could live with. Aren't dragon's usually immortal too?
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
I thought of the My Sister's Keeper where the parent's love the kid so much they sacrifice their others. I can't really imagine a parent doing that though. I'm not sure why she can't just move away. It's not like the witch can kill her.
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
I never got a good feeling for the time passing. I wish it had given a date plus a "18 years since last chapter" type of thing. They all act the same between long periods of time passing. Plus she acts like an 18 year old at 68...
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
I'm not even sure of his reasoning. It seems like he must have a plan of some form but you'd think he'd share that with her.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
It doesn't really do much for me. I'm fond of fairytale retellings but this one doesn't seem to have any depth to the characters. Looking at the reviews most of them seem to be people who were given it as an ARC copy for a review.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 Chapter 8 – Chapter 148. Part 1 started in 1763 and gave us the back story. Now we are in the present day, 2013. Rapunzel is now 268 years old. I keep getting the Queen song “Who wants to live forever” in my head. Would you want to live forever?
I would not want to live forever. I think it'd get terribly boring.
9. Rapunzel won’t let go of her past. She still has the wedding dress from her planned wedding to Henry in her room. Why can’t she let go?
I don't know. It's a bit annoying though. It's almost like she wants to be a tragic heroine but she doesn't do anything so she can't be a heroine. She's just someone with crappy luck who won't do anything to change it. I suppose in that thread it's like a lot of YA books in that the main character suffers some tragedy and does the woe is me thing until they become the most popular person ever.
10. Gretta has been taking Rapunzel’s hair since she was a child and has now cursed her to live forever. What’s in it for her? What is she using the hair for?
I thought she couldn't take the hair now, since she can't cut it at all. Wasn't there something about Rapunzel deciding never to cut her hair to spite the witch? I feel like the author had a few different plot lines they could follow and decided to follow all of them. I can't figure out why the witch would be a servant for 250 years. What could she need that badly?
11. Who is that man in the wheelchair that Gretta has been seeing? Friend or another victim?
I'm going with relative.
12. Gretta and Rapunzel were both suspects in the witch hunt. Gretta has the typical old crone look, but when they saw a young beautiful Rapunzel, they decided she couldn’t be a witch. I wonder what would have happened if the mob decided they both were witches and tried to kill either of them?
I imagine lots of young pretty women were sacrificed as witches previously.
13. Rapunzel was very isolated. She read a lot of books as a form of escapism and she also got involved in online communities. I bet she would love NBRC! (Rapunzel....are you out there....are you doing this buddy read with us?) Her only real life friend is Pepper – who delivers the mail. Do you think she will meet up with her at the party or for a coffee?
Seems like she's finally decided to. Yay 2013 year of enlightenment.....
14. Rapunzel was named after a plant. It looks like this.
Not sure I'd want to be named after the roots of a plant my parent's liked to eat. Suppose it's hanzel and gretel that get eaten though. I like the author forshadowing a Goldylocks story....
15. Chapter 14 is retelling the beginning of Part 1. That must be an important part of the story. It still hasn’t explained where the dragon came from . Did the dragon eat Henry? Or is Henry the dragon? Any other ideas?
I was a bit annoyed at having to re-read basically the same story. It's almost just like highlighting it and saying "here here! important story elements!" I think the dragon's henry.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 Chapter 8 – Chapter 148. Part 1 started in 1763 and gave us the back story. Now we are in the present day, 2013. Rapunzel is now 268 years old. I keep getting the Queen song “Who wants to live forever” in my head. Would you want to live forever?
Well, the song didn't occur to me before, but it's certainly stuck in my head now. :)
I certainly wouldn't want to live forever. Eternal youth, maybe (I would love to look 21 for the rest of my life).
9. Rapunzel won’t let go of her past. She still has the wedding dress from her planned wedding to Henry in her room. Why can’t she let go?
This part certainly bugged me. She keeps saying things that contradict each other (such as her reasons for staying on page 73). It's just a whole lot of whining without a whole lot of taking action. I think 200 years is plenty of time to figure out what Gretta is trying to do, rather than just mope around.
10. Gretta has been taking Rapunzel’s hair since she was a child and has now cursed her to live forever. What’s in it for her? What is she using the hair for?
In chapter 14, we get the "hair brings eternal youth" explanation, which doesn't coincide with what Gretta says about the magic in Rapunzel's father's family, particularly in the women from that side of the family. Either this will be explained better later, or the author was a bit too hasty in publishing this novel. There seem to be quite a few plot holes.
11. Who is that man in the wheelchair that Gretta has been seeing? Friend or another victim?
Co-conspirator? I dunno. I'm just going to wait and see on this one.
12. Gretta and Rapunzel were both suspects in the witch hunt. Gretta has the typical old crone look, but when they saw a young beautiful Rapunzel, they decided she couldn’t be a witch. I wonder what would have happened if the mob decided they both were witches and tried to kill either of them?
Well, Rapunzel did get mention being really sick at one point, so maybe eternal youth doesn't also mean immortality, or being impervious to pain and sickness.
13. Rapunzel was very isolated. She read a lot of books as a form of escapism and she also got involved in online communities. I bet she would love NBRC! (Rapunzel....are you out there....are you doing this buddy read with us?) Her only real life friend is Pepper – who delivers the mail. Do you think she will meet up with her at the party or for a coffee?
I think now that she's gotten tired of hiding, she's going to meet up with Pepper. I think Mr. Jenkins will also soon make an appearance.
14. Rapunzel was named after a plant. It looks like this.
Pretty plant
15. Chapter 14 is retelling the beginning of Part 1. That must be an important part of the story. It still hasn’t explained where the dragon came from . Did the dragon eat Henry? Or is Henry the dragon? Any other ideas?
It seems that the letter to Mr. Jenkins is the original inspiration for this story, and where the author chose to start writing. It's the part of the book that is the best written, and the best organized. And this is where some editing could have come in really handy. If I had been the editor, I would have cut out the first 7 chapters and summarized them as the final part of the letter to Mr. Jenkins. I would have kept the prologue (with a slightly better end to it), and the story would have started at chapter 8. I think the story would have run a lot more smoothly in that fashion, and it would have removed some rather large plot holes and plot inconsistencies. This story would have really benefited from an actual publishing company, with editors who would have looked at the story more critically, and would have helped refine what could have been an excellent fairy tale re-telling. Right now, I find I keep focusing on the flaws rather than being able to just let go and enjoy the story as it unfolds.
By the way, has anyone figured out where Paradise Valley is presumed to be?! When we read about castles and kingdoms, we assume Europe. Rapunzel also mentions using "proper English" (p.94), so we could narrow it down further to England. However, Pepper says the minimum age requirement for a certain bar is 21 (p. 95); in England, the drinking age is 18. Plus the slang and dialogue also suggest the U.S. But the U.S. didn't have kingdoms, nor were there spectacular castles that belonged to noble families. This huge inaccuracy is starting to drive me a little crazy. I know it's fiction, but I do appreciate a little historical accuracy when they try to tie it in with the modern world. I really want to like this book, but these flaws and inconsistencies are really distracting. This author has the potential to write really good YA fiction; she just needs to proofread her work some more and finetune the little details
@Kelly9. It does have that teen angst feel, but surely she would have matured through that after 200 years. I found it a bit annoying too.
14. It does seem like there might be another fairytale retelling in the pipeline...
@Lisa
8. LOL I hope you like Queen then if it's stuck in your head too.
10. Yes there does seem to be a few plot holes.
15. Good editing tips, that would make it flow better.
I've finished it already and at the end of my copy are some authors notes, where she explains about Paridise Valley. It doesn't spoil the story, but I'll post it under a apoiler to save space.
(view spoiler)
Christine wrote: "Unfortunately, I cannot get into My Name is Rapunzel :( not for me, I sit out this time."No worries. See you on another thread.
8. Part of me thinks that living forever would be great as you could have time to see everything and have loads of adventures....but then, everyone who you loved would get old and die which would leave you very lonely.9. She loved Henry so much and she must blame herself for what happened. Perhaps she always hopes that he will come back to her. I suppose, also, that the wedding dress is something from her past for her to hold on to as times change
10. Is she using the hair to continue living? She must be or else she would have died ages ago?
11. That is a total mystery. It's got to be someone to do with the story. She hasn't got a husband and is keeping him alive with the restorative powers of Rapunzel's hair?
12. I wonder if the spell would be broken if Gretta was killed. I wonder if it is impossible to kill Rapunzel, just like it is impossible to chop off her hair.
13. It would be great if she could truly befriend Pepper but it's not practical. Give it a couple of years and Pepper will wonder why Rapunzel isn't aging.
15. I'm not sure I like the fact that we are hearing the same story for a second time, it feels a bit repetitive. I reckon Henry turned into the dragon and Gretta is worried it will eat her.
I have read this book already, I won't spoil it, but I was really disappointed. It's not what I thought it was going to be at all! I hope you guys enjoy it and like it more than I do.
@ Claire8. Yes, there are pros and cons. Lots of travel would be fun.
13. It would be nice for her to have a real friend.
15. I felt the same.
Questions and Comments for July 4th, Chapters 15 - 22
16. Rapunzel seems to think that she's been keeping Greta from her hair. But earlier in the book she mentioned that Greta cleans the hair from her brush every morning. Is it just me, or is she overlooking something?
17. There are obviously some hard feelings between the dragon and Greta. That would make sense if he is, in fact, Henry. I wonder where he was hiding on their journey to the castle. And why wait so long to show up?
18. So...Greta either loves Luke or is good at pretending to. Which do you think is the case? Do you think there's more to Greta than we had thought?
19. Why do you think Rapunzel is so scared and angry that Luke is trying to have a life of his own? Do you think him finding someone would mean the end to her secrecy?
20. What is your take on Anastasia? Is she just a spoiled and selfish woman, or is there more to it than that? I hated the way she tried to take over the household!
16. Yes I picked that up about the hair too. Surely Gretta is taking the hair out of the hairbrush and using that.17. I think the dragon must be Henry as he seems to be protecting and obviously doesn't like the witch. Don't know why he stayed away so long
18. I think Gretta is lonely and Luke was someone she could love
19. I don't get why she doesn't want him to have a wife, she could just tell her the truth as she has old Luke.
20. I didn't like Anastasia at all. I think she was a bit of a gold-digger. Fancy lying about the pregnancy
Renee wrote: "@Kelly9. It does have that teen angst feel, but surely she would have matured through that after 200 years. I found it a bit annoying too.
14. It does seem like there might be another fairytale r..."
Then if Paradise Valley is in Sweden or Denmark, there are definitely some writing goofs in the story.
Questions and Comments for July 4th, Chapters 15 - 22 16. Rapunzel seems to think that she's been keeping Greta from her hair. But earlier in the book she mentioned that Greta cleans the hair from her brush every morning. Is it just me, or is she overlooking something?
Rapunzel did say that she can't cut her hair since the curse, but that some strands would come out in her brush. How does that happen if it can't break?
17. There are obviously some hard feelings between the dragon and Greta. That would make sense if he is, in fact, Henry. I wonder where he was hiding on their journey to the castle. And why wait so long to show up?
He did go MIA for a while.
18. So...Greta either loves Luke or is good at pretending to. Which do you think is the case? Do you think there's more to Greta than we had thought?
I think she does have a human side, but is more selfish and power hungry than kind.
19. Why do you think Rapunzel is so scared and angry that Luke is trying to have a life of his own? Do you think him finding someone would mean the end to her secrecy?
She is scared that he will leave her.
20. What is your take on Anastasia? Is she just a spoiled and selfish woman, or is there more to it than that? I hated the way she tried to take over the household!
Gold digger?
Questions and Comments for Part 2 Chapter 23 - Chapter 3021. Luke and Anastasia were just killed in the fire. Who started the fire? Gretta swears she didn't, is she lying? Or did the dragon start the fire?
22. We are rehashing the prologue again. It seems a bit like a copy and paste to fill a page number quota as it is still left unresolved. We know now that she didn't escape, but why is the dragon following her. Is the dragon her captor or her protector?
23. Who is the man spying on the hillside? For a little while I thought, maybe the man is Henry, who is like a werewolf and turns into a dragon at night...But then I thought that Rapunzel would surely recognise her one true love and wouldn't he have made contact insted of spying.
24. She is finally making friends outside the castle. Rapunzel has gone out of her way to hide who she really is, then seems surprised and angry that John doesn't believe her. She had her "fists balled in rage" because "You think my story is crazy" It is a crazy story! Rapunzel seems very immature to me - 267 going on 14. Would you belive someone who told you they were a fairytale character? Then when the opportunity for proof comes - the dragon - she kisses John to hide the dragon from him. Why doesn't she want John to see the dragon?
25. John said he wanted to be the dragon so that he fly and feel free. What character would you like to be? The dragon and fly but be hunted? The maiden who is trapped but lives forever? The Prince, who may or maynot get the happily ever after - depending on which version you read? The witch who has magical powers but is seen as the bad guy? The hero who makes everything better, but may not find true love?
Questions and Comments for July 4th, Chapters 15 - 22 16. Rapunzel seems to think that she's been keeping Greta from her hair. But earlier in the book she mentioned that Greta cleans the hair from her brush every morning. Is it just me, or is she overlooking something?
It also seemed strange to me that she commented that she's tried to cut it many times including burning it and can't so there doesn't seem to be much keeping going on. Plus, it doesn't seem to be doing her a lot of good and Greta's living just fine so... not sure what the hair is supposed to be for. I don't know why Greta wants an eternal life of servitude to this girl who hates her...
17. There are obviously some hard feelings between the dragon and Greta. That would make sense if he is, in fact, Henry. I wonder where he was hiding on their journey to the castle. And why wait so long to show up?
Maybe off doing other things or trying to do whatever he needs to do in order to finish the quest he's on. I assume he's up to something that will free her.
18. So...Greta either loves Luke or is good at pretending to. Which do you think is the case? Do you think there's more to Greta than we had thought?
Dunno. Must be lonely waiting 260ish years with someone who hates you though and having to serve them. Maybe he's actually her great-(etc)-grandson through something.
19. Why do you think Rapunzel is so scared and angry that Luke is trying to have a life of his own? Do you think him finding someone would mean the end to her secrecy?
No, I think she was just jealous and didn't want to be alone again. She feels petty to me in most interactions she has. She feels like she's written as a teenager, not a 265 year old woman stuck in a teenager body.
20. What is your take on Anastasia? Is she just a spoiled and selfish woman, or is there more to it than that? I hated the way she tried to take over the household!
I suppose we'll find the answer to that when we know who set the fire. The lack of baby is definitely a point against her.
Sigh. I wish more people would read the books they vote for. This one had 37 votes (and not mine) and there's hardly any people posting at all.
Questions and Comments for July 4th, Chapters 15 - 2216. Rapunzel seems to think that she's been keeping Greta from her hair. But earlier in the book she mentioned that Greta cleans the hair from her brush every morning. Is it just me, or is she overlooking something?
Yeah, that seems a little strange. I still can't figure out how this whole relationship between the two. Everything is so mixed and contradictory, I can't make any sense of it.
17. There are obviously some hard feelings between the dragon and Greta. That would make sense if he is, in fact, Henry. I wonder where he was hiding on their journey to the castle. And why wait so long to show up?
That part I have no clue. Maybe he went home to his parents to figure things out? And why would Greta make Henry into a dragon? Why not a bunny rabbit?
18. So...Greta either loves Luke or is good at pretending to. Which do you think is the case? Do you think there's more to Greta than we had thought?
At this point, I've given up trying to figure this book out. There's not enough on Greta herself to determine if she's good or evil. Or somewhere in between.
19. Why do you think Rapunzel is so scared and angry that Luke is trying to have a life of his own? Do you think him finding someone would mean the end to her secrecy?
I think she's scared of losing Luke, and also scared of being found out and killed. Once again, nothing makes sense. There's too much writing when you don't need it, and not enough when you do.
20. What is your take on Anastasia? Is she just a spoiled and selfish woman, or is there more to it than that? I hated the way she tried to take over the household!
Anastasia was certainly nosy and manipulative, and she was ready to declare Rapunzel a witch to everyone. I'm sure there's more to the story that we'll find out later. I'm really not enjoying this book all that much, but I feel like I have to follow through to the end.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 Chapter 23 - Chapter 3021. Luke and Anastasia were just killed in the fire. Who started the fire? Gretta swears she didn't, is she lying? Or did the dragon start the fire?
I still think the dragon is Henry so I don't think he would. Maybe Anastasia started it and got caught in it. People did crazy things when they thought there were witches. I get the feeling that they might just not explain it at all though.
22. We are rehashing the prologue again. It seems a bit like a copy and paste to fill a page number quota as it is still left unresolved. We know now that she didn't escape, but why is the dragon following her. Is the dragon her captor or her protector?
It's a rather short book to begin with so with all the repeating there's not much story left. I assume he's a protector, it's going to be something like dragon protects her til she can protect herself, she finds Jeremy, dragon eventually reveals himself as Henry and wishes her well then poofs as some magic protecty thing is complete.
23. Who is the man spying on the hillside? For a little while I thought, maybe the man is Henry, who is like a werewolf and turns into a dragon at night...But then I thought that Rapunzel would surely recognise her one true love and wouldn't he have made contact insted of spying.
Maybe it was Jeremy?
24. She is finally making friends outside the castle. Rapunzel has gone out of her way to hide who she really is, then seems surprised and angry that John doesn't believe her. She had her "fists balled in rage" because "You think my story is crazy" It is a crazy story! Rapunzel seems very immature to me - 267 going on 14. Would you belive someone who told you they were a fairytale character? Then when the opportunity for proof comes - the dragon - she kisses John to hide the dragon from him. Why doesn't she want John to see the dragon?
Who knows what she's thinking. You'd think after 5 years on the internet she'd have a pretty good idea of why people would think she's nuts... I also find it strange that no one in town seems to know who lives in this giant castle and doesn't seem to care. Wouldn't taxes and stuff get her found out eventually?
25. John said he wanted to be the dragon so that he fly and feel free. What character would you like to be? The dragon and fly but be hunted? The maiden who is trapped but lives forever? The Prince, who may or maynot get the happily ever after - depending on which version you read? The witch who has magical powers but is seen as the bad guy? The hero who makes everything better, but may not find true love?
Um. They all seem like terrible tragic hero type people. I don't think I'd want to be any of them. I suppose being the hero means you could walk away if you want, or at least get to escape at the end.
Questions and Comments for July 6th Chapter 31 - end
26) Sonia was right about Henry, he was the dragon. I think that part was a bit predictable. Did you think Rapunzel would be related to Greta? You'd think she'd have been nicer to her, wouldn't you?
27) What did you think of Rapunzel forgiving Henry for her son's death? I felt she was a bit quick about it.
28) What did you think of all the revelations which were revealed at the end? Did you like it or feel some should have been revealed sooner? To me it all felt a bit jumbled together especially where the reporter was concerned. He made her feel like Henry did with his last kiss?
29) Overall thoughts on this fairy tale makeover? What were your favorite parts and what will you rate it?
30) Do you think you'll read a book by this author again?
31) If you're a fan of fairy tale rewrites, do you have any you'd recommend? Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly, has quite a few good remakes out there and Robin McKinley's version of Beauty was quite good.
21. I think Gretta did it!22. I definitely think the dragon is Henry but I agree with you about the rehashing, getting fed up with the repeats
23. Is the man on the hill the man from the bookshop?
24. I don't know why she doesn't want him to see the dragon. Surely then he would believe her!? Don't understand her at all
25. That is a tough question as none of the options sound great. I guess out of that list I would have to live forever....just think how many books you could read!!
@ Kelly21. Don't worry, they do explain the fire.
24. Oh yes! how has she managed to hide from the tax man. Maybe since "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes - Benjamin Franklin", she's managed to aviod both!
25. None of them were characters I had much empathy for either.
@ Clare
21. I don't trust Gretta either.
24. I know how you feel.
25. LOL That's the best reason to live forever I've heard.
Questions and Comments for July 6th Chapter 31 - end
26) Sonia was right about Henry, he was the dragon. I think that part was a bit predictable. Did you think Rapunzel would be related to Greta? You'd think she'd have been nicer to her, wouldn't you?
The Henry part didn't surprise me at all. Especially with how much they played up the dragon as the protector bit. The part about family I guess I could see but I was confused why it meant that her mother couldn't have another child to replace her. Wouldn't that still be family? Maybe I missed something in the lore.
27) What did you think of Rapunzel forgiving Henry for her son's death? I felt she was a bit quick about it.
She seems really shallow. I'm not sure I could forgive my husband if he killed my son because he was trying to murder someone else... Especially not in a "I just found out and of course I forgive you, how can I make your grief better?" type of way. I really don't see love lasting 260 years of not knowing the other person is alive. I think at that point it's an unhealthy obsession... Not a great role model for kids.
28) What did you think of all the revelations which were revealed at the end? Did you like it or feel some should have been revealed sooner? To me it all felt a bit jumbled together especially where the reporter was concerned. He made her feel like Henry did with his last kiss?
I thought she was pretty mean to the reporter. I felt bad for him. Hopefully, he's not actually stuck protecting her since that'd be extra sad. Though I suppose in a sense it's nice he didn't get stuck with a whiny annoying old girl. I was also annoyed at the "We were looking for you for years" even though she's in the same darn location she's been in for 260 years. How lame do you have to be to not find it at that point...
29) Overall thoughts on this fairy tale makeover? What were your favorite parts and what will you rate it?
I didn't really like it at all. I found myself skimming a lot. I was very confused at some points. Like when she mentioned "Wait what did he say about Luke?" and I didn't know so I skimmed back and I couldn't find anything about Luke. So now I think she had it and edited it out and missed a spot. I'm really not sure I had a favorite part. Maybe the book store scene since the bookseller and Jeremy were reasonably nice characters.
30) Do you think you'll read a book by this author again?
No. Though her other books seem to have fared better in the ratings.
31) If you're a fan of fairy tale rewrites, do you have any you'd recommend? Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly, has quite a few good remakes out there and Robin McKinley's version of Beauty was quite good.
I did like the Cinder/Scarlet/Cress series. It's a bit more of an off take on the fairytales and not straight re-tellings. I don't remember any others I've read recently.
Questions and Comments for July 6th Chapter 31 - end
26) Sonia was right about Henry, he was the dragon. I think that part was a bit predictable. Did you think Rapunzel would be related to Greta? You'd think she'd have been nicer to her, wouldn't you?
I picked the dragon as Henry, but not Gretta being related. Though they were both quite shallow and selfish, so maybe there was some family resembalance.
27) What did you think of Rapunzel forgiving Henry for her son's death? I felt she was a bit quick about it.
Way too quick to forgive.
28) What did you think of all the revelations which were revealed at the end? Did you like it or feel some should have been revealed sooner? To me it all felt a bit jumbled together especially where the reporter was concerned. He made her feel like Henry did with his last kiss?
I think I would have chosen the reporter, who showed an interest and hadn't been lying to me for hundreds of years.
29) Overall thoughts on this fairy tale makeover? What were your favorite parts and what will you rate it?
I liked the idea and was excited to read it, but quite let down with what it actually was. After reading part 1, I had a look around the authors web page and found out "My Name is Rapunzel is not your every-day, ordinary fairytale. KC Hilton has crafted a noteworthy read, two and a half decades in the making." I thought, with that much time put into the book, surely it will get better. I gave it 2 stars.
30) Do you think you'll read a book by this author again?
No.
31) If you're a fan of fairy tale rewrites, do you have any you'd recommend? Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly, has quite a few good remakes out there and Robin McKinley's version of Beauty was quite good.
I haven't read much in fairytale rewrites, but I love the idea. I'll keep an eye out here for other recommendations.
I'm catching up now...is it too late to post my comments for the first questions?
Nope, we set up the questions so late comers can still figuratively dance at the party (so to speak). :) We love hearing what people think.
1. I was curious about the failed escape attempt. Who was Gretta? Who was the Dragon and how she got there? I'm still curious about how she and Gretta did along and what's the part the Dragon is played.It seemed like she was trying to escape even though she knew it was impossible. At times she was hopeful and others not at all. If this was your first attempt at escape in all those years, don't you think you'd have thought everything through and have been more sure it would work?
2. Thought about the POV changing between Henry and Rapunzel? It seems a totally different book since it only happened then.
I liked those POV changes, but it did seem a little pointless when Henry died right away and then having no other POV changes after that.
3. The face-off with the witch was strange. Rapunzel was completely frozen but Henry could speak. I'm wondering if he also could move but didn't. And why do I have this feeling that he was turned into the Dragon?
I just did not like how she seemed completely surprised that the witch appeared, but then KNEW it was pointless for her to try and run. I could see him being turned into the dragon. That is definitely an interesting idea!
4. Rapunzel's parent risked to have another baby to save her. That was shocking. And I kept thinking why? Wasn't it better for her to marry and have a child? After losing her "power" she would be no use for the witch. She could escape, right?
Yes, I think it would have been more logical to try other ways of breaking the curse. If Rapunzel's parents had tried other methods- trying to have Rapunzel have a baby, trying to kill the witch, etc, then MAYBE having her mom sacrifice a baby would be more understandable. Really though, what kind of mom could imagine GIVING her baby to a witch, being subjected to who knows what?! You would have 9 months to realize how wrong that plan is. I did not like how both Rapunzel and her dad came to that realization but the mom never did.
5. Time jumped from chapter to chapter. I didn't like it that much. It felt rushed. But I guess we needed to know how she ended up in the castle.
I didn't mind the time jumps, but I do think they could have been used to show how they tried to break the curse throughout the years.
6. Do you agree with her father's reasoning to take the witch with them?
I agree that I think he was playing right into her hands. I think that after 50 years you would know the witch would never release Rapunzel. Maybe he knew that really but thought she'd be better off at the castle than stuck in a smaller house with no servants. Bringing the witch with them was the only way Gretta would have allowed them to leave.
7. Are you liking the book so far? I'm not familiar about Rapunzel's story except from the tower and the long hair - and no, I didn't watch tangled - so I don't have that "retelling" feeling.
I am interested enough that I want to continue reading the story. I think there are several holes in the first part though.
Hi Greta. I kept thinking of you when I was reading this. Just because your name is Greta, I don't think you are an evil witch! LOL.
LOL, Renee! I think that Gretta was my evil great Aunt or something...
26. That Henry was the dragon was predictable but I didn't guess about Greta being related to Rapunzel but I can't say I'm into the book enough to really care!27. The forgiving was all a bit too convenient and too rushed - just a way of tying up all loose ends before the end of the book I reckon
28. The last chapter or so was just a rush of one revelation after another. It felt a bit clumsy to me.
29. I thought it was really disappointing. I can't say I had favourite bits as it just didn't seem to flow nicely as a book.
30. No, she's not going to be on my list
31. Never read any before. Would like to read a really good one now.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Calling on Dragons (other topics)The Stepsister Scheme (other topics)
Talking to Dragons (other topics)
Searching for Dragons (other topics)
Dealing with Dragons (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Alex Flinn (other topics)Robin McKinley (other topics)
K.C. Hilton (other topics)
Synopsis:
My tale has been told again and again, and I’ve heard each one. Except for my hair, I barely recognize the pitiful renditions. Muddled versions, crafted to entertain laughing children…but the children wouldn’t have laughed if they’d known the real story. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the truth. Nobody did.
My name is Rapunzel. I will tell you my story. I will tell you the truth.