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samrushingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this twist on Rapunzel and Snow White. It was very interesting to see Rapunzel as an anti-heroine and see her struggles through life after falling in love with a prince who is betrothed to another. It is what happens as Rapunzel tries to take what she believes to be her rightful place next to Josef that really sets her on the path as Snow White's step-mother and her inevitable fate. I honestly had thought that either Rapunzel or Snow White would have a happy ending, not both, but somehow Carolyn Turgeon made it happen. Absolutely wonderful.
lamom77's review against another edition
2.0
good premise, did not personally care for the execution
hadiii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
The Fairest of Them All was such a fun fairy-tale twist. Rapunzel being the Evil Queen to Snow White felt like a dream come true. Sort of. I honestly really liked how dark this story went. Especially since it reunites two fairytales together so beautifully. Or maybe I'm just a little bias because I love retellings.
Throughout the book, I definitely got Tangled meets Snow White vibes. Which I absolutely loved from start to finish. The reason why is she's all mirror mirror on the wall while living in a tower locked away from the world. Then one day, she escapes and marries a prince. All to find out that little Snow exists and she's the fairest of them all.
Each twist, turn, and darkly turn made me devour each chapter that much quicker. It was so much fun to see what was going to happen next to everyone within this kingdom/world. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for it all to begin with?
In the end, I can't wait for the next twisted fairytale to come my way. I definitely need more in my life.
Throughout the book, I definitely got Tangled meets Snow White vibes. Which I absolutely loved from start to finish. The reason why is she's all mirror mirror on the wall while living in a tower locked away from the world. Then one day, she escapes and marries a prince. All to find out that little Snow exists and she's the fairest of them all.
Each twist, turn, and darkly turn made me devour each chapter that much quicker. It was so much fun to see what was going to happen next to everyone within this kingdom/world. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for it all to begin with?
In the end, I can't wait for the next twisted fairytale to come my way. I definitely need more in my life.
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
Rapunzel lived in a castle with her mother, a witch. Rapunzel fell in love with a prince. When he would come to visit her, he would tell Rapunzel to “Let down her hair” and than he would climb it to the top of the castle tower. Things went well until the prince told Rapunzel that he was marrying someone else. Rapunzel waited for her prince to return. He did later after the queen died and asked Rapunzel to marry him. They lived in the kingdom where Rapunzel helped to raise the king’s daughter from his prior marriage. Her name is Snow White.
If you are anyone, than you can remember growing up reading fairy tale stories or even watching them. Well in this book, Carolyn Turgeon combines two well known women…Rapunzel and Snow White into one story.
I like that the author stayed somewhat traditional to the original stories. What I mean by this is that there was that I was not surprised by how the book ended or that there were a bunch of new characters that I had to familiarize myself with. This book was a fairly quick read. It was funny as I liked Rapunzel better than Snow White. She seemed more real to me. Not that I had anything against Snow White. Snow White just was “too perfect”. Again though I still had a good time reading this book. Anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale should check this book out.
If you are anyone, than you can remember growing up reading fairy tale stories or even watching them. Well in this book, Carolyn Turgeon combines two well known women…Rapunzel and Snow White into one story.
I like that the author stayed somewhat traditional to the original stories. What I mean by this is that there was that I was not surprised by how the book ended or that there were a bunch of new characters that I had to familiarize myself with. This book was a fairly quick read. It was funny as I liked Rapunzel better than Snow White. She seemed more real to me. Not that I had anything against Snow White. Snow White just was “too perfect”. Again though I still had a good time reading this book. Anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale should check this book out.
kaytee_murphy's review against another edition
4.0
As I've said before in other reviews, I absolutely LOVE books based on fairytales@ I grew up on The LIttle Mermaid, Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty! (BTW, Auror is my favorite princess, with Cinderella and Rapunzel close behind!) So when I read this synopsis I knew I had to read this book.
This was an awesome twist of Rapunzel and Snow White! And, weird as it sounds, it totally makes sense. I understand why she went "evil", if that's what you want to call her. I feel for her. As the story went on, it just kept getting worse for her. It was horrible. And I can't stand Prince Josef.
There really wasn't a set protagonist or antagonist through this. Everyone was kinda their own antagonists. There were so many twists in this book I had some trouble keeping up at points, but the twists made it awesome! Especially the ending!! Oh, what an ending!
My opinion: READ THIS BOOK! You won't regret it!
This was an awesome twist of Rapunzel and Snow White! And, weird as it sounds, it totally makes sense. I understand why she went "evil", if that's what you want to call her. I feel for her. As the story went on, it just kept getting worse for her. It was horrible. And I can't stand Prince Josef.
There really wasn't a set protagonist or antagonist through this. Everyone was kinda their own antagonists. There were so many twists in this book I had some trouble keeping up at points, but the twists made it awesome! Especially the ending!! Oh, what an ending!
My opinion: READ THIS BOOK! You won't regret it!
noolna's review against another edition
3.0
I first read the description of this and instantly fell in love. A re-telling of Rapunzel and Snow White where Rapunzel is the “evil step mother”? SIGN ME UP! I had read Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon first, before getting my hands on The Fairst of Them All, and was not impressed. So impressed to the point where I couldn’t even bring myself to finish it. So, I was a little bit hesitant to pick this up but come on, that cover with all the hair sold me and the summary, please all I wanted to do was devour it.
So, did I devour it? Relatively speaking, I did, mostly towards the end though. As captivating as the summary for this story was, I wasn’t as captivated by the story. That’s not to say that I was entertained. I went into this with high expectations, seeing as how a lot of the book bloggers that I follow really enjoyed this book. Reading it, though, I wasn’t pulled in as much as I had expected. Usually when I really, really, like a book I loathe to put it down even for a second. The Fairest of Them All is a pretty small book in comparison to the long novels that I like to read. It took me twice—perhaps more—than the amount of time than I usually do to finish a book of its size.
That is to say that I didn’t really love or hate this book, it was kind of in between for me. I was expecting to fall absolutely in love with it due to the amazing reviews on Goodreads, but once again I was deceived. I really should stop falling for those reviews, ugh. Especially since I couldn’t even finish Godmother by the same author, which was just beyond terrible.
The story was really well done. I think Turgeon did a good job blending both the stories of Rapunzel and Snow White and putting her own little twist on them. I really liked the way Rapunzel was portrayed, especially in the beginning. Her relationship with Mathena was everything I expected and more. I actually really enjoyed Mathena as a character very much. I thought she was fantastic, she was possibly my favourite character in the book. Mathena is not apologetic for who she is, especially at the end of the book, with how things turned out. Her relationship with Rapunzel really set the story for the book. Those who are familiar with the fairytale know that Mathena is the “witch” who kidnapped Rapunzel from her parents, which is the impression that we are given for the majority of the book. The twist that we get at the end is possibly one of my favourite things about the book.
I was disappointed about the lack of Prince Josef through most of the book. I was really expecting a love story between Prince Josef and Rapunzel, not what we got. I wasn’t entirely moved by the ~romance~ in the book, I thought it was very superficial, especially for a retelling of a fairytale. I understand that Turgeon possibly wanted to focus a lot more on the relationship between Snow White and Rapunzel, but still. What’s a fairytale without romance? Also, whenever Prince Josef was involved in absolutely anything I feel like Rapunzel lost all of her senses.
Speaking of the relationship between Rapunzel and Snow White, I thought it was oookay. I thought it started off okay, I enjoyed the bonding time they spent together. Their relationship towards the end did get a little rocky, as to be expected in order for the whole evil!step-mother thing to work out. I just thought that the ending was a really big cop-out. The ending left a lot to be desired. There were elements of Rapunzel being pushed to that evil!step-mother edge, and I would have appreciated Turgeon’s efforts a lot more if she had taken that step further.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Rapunzel and Snow White, read this book to pass the time. I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you’re expecting all of the stops though.
So, did I devour it? Relatively speaking, I did, mostly towards the end though. As captivating as the summary for this story was, I wasn’t as captivated by the story. That’s not to say that I was entertained. I went into this with high expectations, seeing as how a lot of the book bloggers that I follow really enjoyed this book. Reading it, though, I wasn’t pulled in as much as I had expected. Usually when I really, really, like a book I loathe to put it down even for a second. The Fairest of Them All is a pretty small book in comparison to the long novels that I like to read. It took me twice—perhaps more—than the amount of time than I usually do to finish a book of its size.
That is to say that I didn’t really love or hate this book, it was kind of in between for me. I was expecting to fall absolutely in love with it due to the amazing reviews on Goodreads, but once again I was deceived. I really should stop falling for those reviews, ugh. Especially since I couldn’t even finish Godmother by the same author, which was just beyond terrible.
The story was really well done. I think Turgeon did a good job blending both the stories of Rapunzel and Snow White and putting her own little twist on them. I really liked the way Rapunzel was portrayed, especially in the beginning. Her relationship with Mathena was everything I expected and more. I actually really enjoyed Mathena as a character very much. I thought she was fantastic, she was possibly my favourite character in the book. Mathena is not apologetic for who she is, especially at the end of the book, with how things turned out. Her relationship with Rapunzel really set the story for the book. Those who are familiar with the fairytale know that Mathena is the “witch” who kidnapped Rapunzel from her parents, which is the impression that we are given for the majority of the book. The twist that we get at the end is possibly one of my favourite things about the book.
I was disappointed about the lack of Prince Josef through most of the book. I was really expecting a love story between Prince Josef and Rapunzel, not what we got. I wasn’t entirely moved by the ~romance~ in the book, I thought it was very superficial, especially for a retelling of a fairytale. I understand that Turgeon possibly wanted to focus a lot more on the relationship between Snow White and Rapunzel, but still. What’s a fairytale without romance? Also, whenever Prince Josef was involved in absolutely anything I feel like Rapunzel lost all of her senses.
Speaking of the relationship between Rapunzel and Snow White, I thought it was oookay. I thought it started off okay, I enjoyed the bonding time they spent together. Their relationship towards the end did get a little rocky, as to be expected in order for the whole evil!step-mother thing to work out. I just thought that the ending was a really big cop-out. The ending left a lot to be desired. There were elements of Rapunzel being pushed to that evil!step-mother edge, and I would have appreciated Turgeon’s efforts a lot more if she had taken that step further.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Rapunzel and Snow White, read this book to pass the time. I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you’re expecting all of the stops though.
mirable's review against another edition
4.0
LJ review:
Turgeon, Carolyn. The Fairest of Them All. Touchstone: S. & S. Aug, 2013. 272p. ISBN 9781451683763. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9781451683790. F
Turgeon (Godmother; Mermaid) is known for putting her own spin on traditional fairy tales and here posits the question: What if Rapunzel was Snow White's wicked stepmother? Most of the elements of both stories remain intact, but certain details are twisted just so, creating this entirely new take on the oft-told tales. Rapunzel's hair is her magic, allowing her to feel the emotions of anyone it touches, and her first-person point of view allows readers to experience all the love and longing she holds for Josef, the prince. Her desperation to be with him at any cost sets off a chain of events that will seem, to the enlightened, orchestrated. Her early acceptance and love for Josef's daughter, Snow White, goes through a slow, unfolding erosion. The refrain to Rapunzel's magic mirror--"Who's the fairest?"--along with her suspicion of her adopted mother, Mathena, adds to the creeping horror that permeates the story from the beginning.
VERDICT: As in Godmother, Turgeon incorporates a sense of melancholy that adds an enormous amount of depth and sympathy for what would otherwise be unsympathetic characters. Rapunzel's growing affection for Gilles (here the king's falconer, taking the traditional role of huntsman) and her absolute devastation at a shocking discovery both ring true, adding a layer of realism to the magic-sparked tale. Lovers of fairy tales will enjoy Turgeon's fresh take on classic stories.--Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI
Turgeon, Carolyn. The Fairest of Them All. Touchstone: S. & S. Aug, 2013. 272p. ISBN 9781451683763. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9781451683790. F
Turgeon (Godmother; Mermaid) is known for putting her own spin on traditional fairy tales and here posits the question: What if Rapunzel was Snow White's wicked stepmother? Most of the elements of both stories remain intact, but certain details are twisted just so, creating this entirely new take on the oft-told tales. Rapunzel's hair is her magic, allowing her to feel the emotions of anyone it touches, and her first-person point of view allows readers to experience all the love and longing she holds for Josef, the prince. Her desperation to be with him at any cost sets off a chain of events that will seem, to the enlightened, orchestrated. Her early acceptance and love for Josef's daughter, Snow White, goes through a slow, unfolding erosion. The refrain to Rapunzel's magic mirror--"Who's the fairest?"--along with her suspicion of her adopted mother, Mathena, adds to the creeping horror that permeates the story from the beginning.
VERDICT: As in Godmother, Turgeon incorporates a sense of melancholy that adds an enormous amount of depth and sympathy for what would otherwise be unsympathetic characters. Rapunzel's growing affection for Gilles (here the king's falconer, taking the traditional role of huntsman) and her absolute devastation at a shocking discovery both ring true, adding a layer of realism to the magic-sparked tale. Lovers of fairy tales will enjoy Turgeon's fresh take on classic stories.--Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI
mnboyer's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first read of a novel by [a:Carolyn Turgeon|132091|Carolyn Turgeon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364239467p2/132091.jpg] and I was pleasantly surprised at myself for not having found her work earlier. I've been told that [b:Mermaid|7328156|Mermaid|Carolyn Turgeon|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|8888969] is her best book (after having completed this) so I am looking forward to reading more by her in the future.
Here are some wonderful things about this story:
-- Rapunzel is presented as a strong female character, one that you can connect with even though you may not have experiences that are similar to hers. However, there are probably many of us that have had similar experiences. For example, (spoiler alert) how many readers have probably been in a relationship where we've found out our significant other has wandering eyes? Needless to say, I was pleased with the way that Rapunzel is not helpless in this story. Although there are times where she relies upon others, she comes into her own.
--I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this novel. We are not told all of the story immediately, you have to figure things out as Rapunzel figures things out. There are a lot of twists and turns. Some, I saw coming (but still enjoyed them) and others I did not see coming (some I liked, others I did not).
-- The book does not shy away from taboo subjects. Rape, miscarriages, cheating husbands, etc., are all things that happen. Some readers/authors may shy away from this. I genuinely appreciated the way in which Turgeon wove these issues into her story. I think these are issues that even teenagers (some in the comments have argued this book should be 18+ readers) as young as 12 should begin understanding and grappling with.
Things keeping this from being 5 stars:
--
-- Let's talk about the falconer/huntsman.
Overall, I liked this book. But there were a few twists here and there that just kept it at a solid 4, or maybe a 4.5 in the end. That being said, I am looking forward to reading more from [ai:Carolyn Turgeon|132091|Carolyn Turgeon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364239467p2/132091.jpg] Ms. Turgeon.
Here are some wonderful things about this story:
-- Rapunzel is presented as a strong female character, one that you can connect with even though you may not have experiences that are similar to hers. However, there are probably many of us that have had similar experiences. For example, (spoiler alert) how many readers have probably been in a relationship where we've found out our significant other has wandering eyes? Needless to say, I was pleased with the way that Rapunzel is not helpless in this story. Although there are times where she relies upon others, she comes into her own.
--I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this novel. We are not told all of the story immediately, you have to figure things out as Rapunzel figures things out. There are a lot of twists and turns. Some, I saw coming (but still enjoyed them) and others I did not see coming (some I liked, others I did not).
-- The book does not shy away from taboo subjects. Rape, miscarriages, cheating husbands, etc., are all things that happen. Some readers/authors may shy away from this. I genuinely appreciated the way in which Turgeon wove these issues into her story. I think these are issues that even teenagers (some in the comments have argued this book should be 18+ readers) as young as 12 should begin understanding and grappling with.
Things keeping this from being 5 stars:
--
Spoiler
I did not mind that Josef was unfaithful to Rapunzel. But, I did not see the twist that leads to Rapunzel and Josef being related and therefore they've been "set up" to have an incestuous relationship. While this may explain their deformed, miscarried child, this just did not sit well with me. Not because I was bothered by the incestuous relationship ([b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436732693s/13496.jpg|1466917] has done this far better than most books) but because it just seemed to come from out of nowhere. I understand why Mathena hated the kingdom. But it seemed too forced and too out of character for her to have set Rapunzel (who she seemingly loves otherwise) up for this type of relationship. I just thought this twist was too forced, and could have been done differently.-- Let's talk about the falconer/huntsman.
Spoiler
I liked the idea of this budding relationship between Rapunzel and Gilles. At first it was set up like a romance, or like this was really the man she wanted all along, but then suddenly it was too forced when she goes to Gilles to have him kill Snow. And he immediately forgives her later and runs away with her at the end. This was too forced for me, but it was also too easy for Gilles to immediately forgive Rapunzel for her actions. I call it a "tidy forced ending" when they run away together at the end. And, of course, Rapunzel will not know of her actions because she's going to take the easy way out...Overall, I liked this book. But there were a few twists here and there that just kept it at a solid 4, or maybe a 4.5 in the end. That being said, I am looking forward to reading more from [ai:Carolyn Turgeon|132091|Carolyn Turgeon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364239467p2/132091.jpg] Ms. Turgeon.