"Rapunzel's Revenge" by Shannon and Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale

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Bibliographic Citation

Title: Rapunzel’s Revenge

Author: Shannon and Dean Hale

Illustrator: Nathan Hale

Year of Publication: 2008

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781599900704

Authors’ Websites: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html &

http://www.dreadcrumbs.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.spacestationnathan.com/

Media Used for Artwork: Pencil, Ink

2009 Students' List

Fiction Graphic Novel

Awards

·         American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Book, 2009

·         Young Adult Library Services Association’s Great Graphic Novel for Teens, 2009

·         Eisner Award Nominee

·         Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Readers Choice Award, 2011

Annotation

A reinvention of the fairy tale of Rapunzel set as a western, with lassos and gun fights.  Rapunzel is not some damsel that must be rescued and sets out on her own journey of revenge.

Personal Reaction

                In literature and movies now reinterpreting classic stories is very popular, the reboot rules over all.  “Rapunzel’s Revenge” is one such graphic novel that takes a classic tale and modernizes it to keep readers interested.  Female readers will appreciate Rapunzel for her ability to think quickly and do things on her own.  Though Rapunzel is still locked in a tower, it is not because she is a damsel in distress, it is because she is strong willed and wouldn’t cave to pressure.  She doesn’t need to be saved by some prince, Rapunzel rescues herself.  The authors and illustrator take a few opportunities to make fun of the “classic” storylines of fairytales.  For example, while she is trapped in the tower, Rapunzel only has three books to read, and one is entitled “Girls who get saved and the Princes who save them.” 

Besides the powerful leading lady, the setting has changed as well.  The Hale’s (writers and illustrator) have set the fairytale in a Western, full of gunfights, horses, and lassos.  Changing the setting adds a great deal of tension; there is always another fight on the horizon.  Hale (the illustrator) took the Hales’ (the authors) ideas and created a world for the characters to run around in.  Because of the use of the graphic novel format there are panels were no words are spoken, yet a reader is still able to understand the action that is occurring.

This is definitely a fun read for older readers interested in fairytales and how they are being changed in the modern world.

Use of Alliteration:  Mother Gothel’s spells use alliteration.

Example:

“Grew Grow Growl Grot

Spin Spell Spool Spot

Flower Flutter Flicker Fly”