Briana @ Pages Unbound
Written on Aug 9, 2017
In this tale, Rapunzel freely leaves her tower when she believes the witch (whom she fondly calls simply “Witch”) is in danger, and that it’s up to her to keep the only family she has ever known safe. Her journey brings her, and new acquaintance Jack the Beanstalker, clear across the land of Tyme, through places and people she never even knew existed. The journey is of one of personal realization, as much as one of action, as Rapunzel encounters people who have distinctly different thoughts about Witch than she does. She must learn to reconcile what she already knew about Witch and one she learns before she can return home.
The book takes places in a wonderfully imagined fantasy land, where Stalkers fill the land with danger, fairies grant wishes, and acorns can turn into just about anything you would ever want. However, as grand as the setting and fantasy draw of the narrative is, it really shines when it looks at the relationship between Rapunzel and Witch. This is an immensely complicated and nuanced thing, but Morrison tackles it head on, as well as some huge questions about morality, love, and life after death. Other family relationships (for example, between Jack and his sister) add to the rich tapestry of the novel.
My only annoyance with the book was the large chunk of time set aside for other characters to explain things to Rapunzel, from what a mother is to what the ocean is to what sex is (which I guess was supposed to be humorous, but it comes across more as a joke for adults than middle school readers). I understand Rapunzel has spent the entirety of her life in a single room in a tower, with only Witch for company and only books to read that were curated by Witch (and so don’t mention things like mothers, so Rapunzel will never wonder why she doesn’t have one), but the motif gets tiring. I could have done without pages upon pages of characters explaining perfectly ordinary things. Luckily, this stops after a while, and the focus returns to the plot at large.
This was a perfectly fun read, engrossing and imaginative but full of important questions and complex themes.