Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" by Cameron Dokey

        

Golden:
A Retelling of "Rapunzel"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Before Rapunzel's birth, her mother made a dangerous deal with the sorceress Melisande: If she could not love newborn Rapunzel just as she appeared, she would surrender the child to Melisande. When Rapunzel was born completely bald and without hope of ever growing hair, her horrified mother sent her away with the sorceress to an uncertain future. 

After sixteen years of raising Rapunzel as her own child, Melisande reveals that she has another daughter, Rue, who was cursed by a wizard years ago and needs Rapunzel's help. Rue and Rapunzel have precisely "two nights and the day that falls between" to break the enchantment. But bitterness and envy come between the girls, and if they fail to work together, Rue will remain cursed…forever."

Rating:

I can point out a lot of good things about this book. For one, it definitely took after the original tale of Rapunzel but giving it a rather surprising twist. When we hear “Rapunzel” we immediately think EXTREMELY LONG BLONDE HAIR. But with Dokey’s Golden, we find our heroine BALD. Yup, you read it right; Rapunzel is B-A-L-D. I absolutely loved the idea. It was so fresh and the story of how she ended up with the sorceress was cunning.

Another thing I was fond of was Rapunzel herself. She’s spunky and charming. Usually, when I read about princesses or damsels in fairy tales they seem to always be mistreated and distressed. Here I find a girl who, despite having known how her past was, is a lively and strong-willed character who doesn’t have to be all nice and sweet.

I also like the idea that the person who took Rapunzel from her parents was not the villain in the story. Henry and Mr. Jones were also characters that I adored. I love Henry and Rapunzel’s bickering, I find them so entertaining.

I was really into my reading up until I reached the part where Rapunzel had to stay in the tower. It got a little TOO twisted at this part and I was just not getting what Rapunzel’s plan was on how to get out of that tower.

Another let down was the fact that when we finally reached the climax of the story, it was over by a blink of an eye. That fast? I didn’t even get how the story got there.

And then they lived happily ever after… that was it. Just when I thought this was going to be one of those books in the Once Upon A Time series that I’d come to love. *Sigh* So sad.

But I did appreciate how wise Dokey was to still incorporate how the tale we know of Rapunzel now with what she has recreated. That part of the ending was something that made me smile in spite of my displeasure.