"Rapunzel: The One with All the Hair" by Wendy Mass is part of the "Twice Upon a Time" series.
Many authors have been rewriting fairy tales, and Wendy Mass is one of the successful ones. This story, which follows the Rapunzel tale fairly faithfully, deviates in that instead of the prince being blinded by the witch, he just has really poor vision and is practically blind without his glasses, which the witch breaks.
The story is told from alternative viewpoints, that of Rapunzel and that of the Prince. Each narrative is wonderfully done to give the reader a clear picture of each quite different character.
The book has subplots as well, and one of them involves a misunderstanding with the Prince and his cousin and a friend. The cousin acts superior and stand-offish, but it is because the Prince and his friend, a knight in training, seem to exclude him.
When the Prince finds out how his cousin feels, he reflects on his behavior and realizes that he is at fault. It's a good subplot illustrating how people can misunderstand each other and how, by sharing feelings, people can resolve those misunderstandings.
Kids from fourth grade through eighth grade will enjoy this book. It would be a good choice for a fourth or fifth grade reading group. Even though the story is a fairy tale retold, because the story is partially told from the Prince's point of view, boys might not mind reading it, also.
Wendy Mass is also the author of "13 Gifts." Visit Wendy Mass at her wonderful website.
This book was reviewed from the final paperback edition provided by the pubisher for review purposes.
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