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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
This book actually started out as a 4, but the AMAZING ending made it a 4.5 rounded up instead. :)
This story is structured a lot like Fairest of All, instead of starting in the present and flashing back like the other 3 did. This beginning was a tad bit creepy, because it dealt with descriptions of dead people and this "taking blood" ritual to get power that was meh for me. But after it bypassed that and went to focus on Gothel and her sisters, it got less creepy and more interesting.
There were a few choices regarding Rapunzel I didn't much care for because it seemed to clash with the movie—like her living in a cottage for 8 years instead of going straight to the tower, and then being put under a sleeping spell until it broke (which supposedly jump-started the events of the movie). They still made sense, but they just felt very off-putting because what the movie portrayed was very different that what Serena Valentino chose to do.
Gothel's story is long and twisted, but at the very center is her desire to be with her sisters—and I got the sense that that desire made her go a little bit mad, and that's how she became evil. The Odd Sisters were present, but they didn't do much to make her evil; they just helped the movie's events along.
And speaking of the movie: the first half was almost all from the Odd Sisters' POV while they're watching in their little mirrors, which got tiring because 1) it went WAY too fast, and 2) I wanted some of Mother Gothel's thoughts in there too. The second half, after Circe blocks her sisters from watching the story, was all Mother Gothel, and it got SO much better!! "Mother Knows Best (Reprise)" was written out word-for-word, like "Poor Unfortunate Souls" was, but I didn't mind, maybe because it was shorter, and it had some dialogue tags and other descriptions in the midst of it! The parts before the climax elaborated on how Rapunzel got chained up (because the movie never shows that), and how Rapunzel realizes that Mother Gothel isn't her real mother—little details like that I REALLY appreciated.
And the climax—OH, the climax!!! It doesn't seem like much at first glance, but it happens to be one of my favorite parts of the movie, and the way it was written was AMAZING!!!! It was word-for-word taken from the movie (which some people hate but I LOVE), it was not rushed, (which was a relief), and it showed Gothel's thoughts—how all of the previous events of the book led to this, and how they all connected with each other. How all Gothel really wanted was her sisters, and she was prepared to do anything to bring them back. Even when she was turning to dust, her thoughts were on her mother, on how she must have felt. There was never really any thought of "oh no, I'm not going to live forever"; it was more like "I've failed my sisters, and my friends, and I feel terrible because now I know how my poor mother must have felt when she died." It showed some of Rapunzel's POV, too, which I was actually really appreciative of. It just made the death scene so much more riveting. And the epilogue helped with all of that, and probably set up the next book too.
Overall, this is one of the better Villains books. I still like Mistress of All Evil better, but I think this takes second place. Since the next one is all about the Odd Sisters, I'm hoping it's a good one. It looks to be 5-star-worthy from what I've seen of it!!
This story is structured a lot like Fairest of All, instead of starting in the present and flashing back like the other 3 did. This beginning was a tad bit creepy, because it dealt with descriptions of dead people and this "taking blood" ritual to get power that was meh for me. But after it bypassed that and went to focus on Gothel and her sisters, it got less creepy and more interesting.
There were a few choices regarding Rapunzel I didn't much care for because it seemed to clash with the movie—like her living in a cottage for 8 years instead of going straight to the tower, and then being put under a sleeping spell until it broke (which supposedly jump-started the events of the movie). They still made sense, but they just felt very off-putting because what the movie portrayed was very different that what Serena Valentino chose to do.
Gothel's story is long and twisted, but at the very center is her desire to be with her sisters—and I got the sense that that desire made her go a little bit mad, and that's how she became evil. The Odd Sisters were present, but they didn't do much to make her evil; they just helped the movie's events along.
And speaking of the movie: the first half was almost all from the Odd Sisters' POV while they're watching in their little mirrors, which got tiring because 1) it went WAY too fast, and 2) I wanted some of Mother Gothel's thoughts in there too. The second half, after Circe blocks her sisters from watching the story, was all Mother Gothel, and it got SO much better!! "Mother Knows Best (Reprise)" was written out word-for-word, like "Poor Unfortunate Souls" was, but I didn't mind, maybe because it was shorter, and it had some dialogue tags and other descriptions in the midst of it! The parts before the climax elaborated on how Rapunzel got chained up (because the movie never shows that), and how Rapunzel realizes that Mother Gothel isn't her real mother—little details like that I REALLY appreciated.
And the climax—OH, the climax!!! It doesn't seem like much at first glance, but it happens to be one of my favorite parts of the movie, and the way it was written was AMAZING!!!! It was word-for-word taken from the movie (which some people hate but I LOVE), it was not rushed, (which was a relief), and it showed Gothel's thoughts—how all of the previous events of the book led to this, and how they all connected with each other. How all Gothel really wanted was her sisters, and she was prepared to do anything to bring them back. Even when she was turning to dust, her thoughts were on her mother, on how she must have felt. There was never really any thought of "oh no, I'm not going to live forever"; it was more like "I've failed my sisters, and my friends, and I feel terrible because now I know how my poor mother must have felt when she died." It showed some of Rapunzel's POV, too, which I was actually really appreciative of. It just made the death scene so much more riveting. And the epilogue helped with all of that, and probably set up the next book too.
Overall, this is one of the better Villains books. I still like Mistress of All Evil better, but I think this takes second place. Since the next one is all about the Odd Sisters, I'm hoping it's a good one. It looks to be 5-star-worthy from what I've seen of it!!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had the biggest backstory for any of the Disney villains in the series. I really enjoyed seeing how Gothel was raised and finding how she turned into the witch we see in Tangled. The story is DARK, so I definitely would not reccomend this book for a younger audience.
This was the kind of book I expected when I picked up this series, really an origin story for the villain instead of the fairy tale from the villain's point of view, and I really liked it. Gothel actually had reasons to do what she did, and even the Odd Sisters were very tolerable here.
Ive been chasing the high of “Fairest of All” as I continue this series, and they just keep getting… not WORSE, but less and less good, at least.
This one just had far too much revised for my tastes. Like yes, TECHNICALLY it fits within the parameters of the original movie (one of my favorite aspects of this series in particular), but there were things altered slightly that I felt were unnecessary and irritating (“it was all a dream?” REALLY?)
I’ll continue reading the series, since each book is only a couple hours long at most, but I just hope we get back to the mystical wonder of the very first book somewhere in the next 5.
This one just had far too much revised for my tastes. Like yes, TECHNICALLY it fits within the parameters of the original movie (one of my favorite aspects of this series in particular), but there were things altered slightly that I felt were unnecessary and irritating (“it was all a dream?” REALLY?)
I’ll continue reading the series, since each book is only a couple hours long at most, but I just hope we get back to the mystical wonder of the very first book somewhere in the next 5.
mysterious
slow-paced
Gothel
I love the backstory and learning this version of how the little Witch came to be. Very detailed storyline.
I love the backstory and learning this version of how the little Witch came to be. Very detailed storyline.
Compared to the Maleficent one, this one was fairly mediocre. I thought the beginning dragged on, and it took a while before we knew anything real about Gothel, or before anything significant happened.
I've read some other reviews, and I feel like I'm one of the only people who actually appreciates that this series focuses more on the Odd Sisters, Circe, and their friends, than it does on the actual villains. However, with this one I thought it felt pretty similar to my read of [b:Fairest of All|6124802|Fairest of All (Villains, #1)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360570756l/6124802._SX50_.jpg|6303264], which was kind of that it was thrown in with way too much backstory. When it came to the Odd Sisters and Circe, I really wanted to know what was going on, but I couldn't bring myself to care about Gothel and the Rapunzel/Tangled story. I especially didn't like that. However the Sisters did learn something in this one, and I feel that that's been missing from their story arc. The fact that they were forced to and learn a little bit of what Circe was attempting to show them. This makes me super excited for their book, the next one in the series.
One of the things that really confused me with this one was the timeline. The story starts off far before the events of the previous book, even more so than the other ones. This is tricky to conceptualize when the last one left off at a crucial point in the story arc of the sisters, and a lot of it felt like filler until they showed up. It probably didn't help that I read the last one almost a year ago, which I don't often do without rereading most of the series beforehand, but that definitely threw me off.
In terms of the Rapunzel story, all of the twists and deviations from the Disney movie were almost too similar to the last one. Those twists made [b:Mistress of All Evil|34220302|Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495803202l/34220302._SX50_.jpg|55271944] really interesting, but here it seems like Valentino is just reusing plot elements for no good reason. I was honestly thinking there was going to be a reveal that but instead it was the recycled plot twist of . The added part about Hazel and Primrose was interesting, but also kind of predictable. I also didn't like the story behind Rapunzel's upbringing, although I guess if they didn't want to focus on Rapunzel herself, it kind of makes sense. But that rubbed me the wrong way too.
I plan to continue with the series, and I hope I can get to [b:The Odd Sisters|42250086|The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557087898l/42250086._SX50_.jpg|65858495] in a lot less time than it took for me to get to this one.
I've read some other reviews, and I feel like I'm one of the only people who actually appreciates that this series focuses more on the Odd Sisters, Circe, and their friends, than it does on the actual villains. However, with this one I thought it felt pretty similar to my read of [b:Fairest of All|6124802|Fairest of All (Villains, #1)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360570756l/6124802._SX50_.jpg|6303264], which was kind of that it was thrown in with way too much backstory. When it came to the Odd Sisters and Circe, I really wanted to know what was going on, but I couldn't bring myself to care about Gothel and the Rapunzel/Tangled story. I especially didn't like that
Spoiler
everything that happened there was actually because of the Odd sisters trying to help the princess, as opposed to the hero turned villainSpoiler
let whatever happened, happenOne of the things that really confused me with this one was the timeline. The story starts off far before the events of the previous book, even more so than the other ones. This is tricky to conceptualize when the last one left off at a crucial point in the story arc of the sisters, and a lot of it felt like filler until they showed up. It probably didn't help that I read the last one almost a year ago, which I don't often do without rereading most of the series beforehand, but that definitely threw me off.
In terms of the Rapunzel story, all of the twists and deviations from the Disney movie were almost too similar to the last one. Those twists made [b:Mistress of All Evil|34220302|Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495803202l/34220302._SX50_.jpg|55271944] really interesting, but here it seems like Valentino is just reusing plot elements for no good reason. I was honestly thinking there was going to be a reveal that
Spoiler
Jacob was Gothel's father and Manea had killed him after her birthSpoiler
Gothel having been created by Manea's magicI plan to continue with the series, and I hope I can get to [b:The Odd Sisters|42250086|The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6)|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557087898l/42250086._SX50_.jpg|65858495] in a lot less time than it took for me to get to this one.
TL;DR Review: While flawed with strange retcons and pacing issues towards the end, Mother Knows Best proves to be a fun addition to the world of Tangled. The characters are fleshed out wonderfully and while the presence of the Odd Sisters does feel a bit forced, Gothel’s connection to her sisters is lovely. A must read for any major fans of the movie.
Content Warnings: Death, Abuse, Kidnapping.
”Sometimes we create images of the people we love and hate in our minds, and those images override what we see with our eyes, even when they are right in front of us. Even if we've imagined them to be monsters, to see them as they truly are with our eyes and our hearts is sometimes shocking.”
Full Review - Contains Spoilers:
I want to preface this review with this: I have not read the other books in this series and because of this, I do feel like I am missing out on some crucial backstory for the characters of the Odd Sisters. Their story and presence in the novel is prominent, so going into this and thinking it was a standalone book about the rise of Mother Gothel only does lead to some disappointment. The fact of the matter is that I did not enjoy the Odd Sisters, I found them to be unlikable and to have too much influence on the story. Maybe that would not be the case if I was more familiar with the series, but if you are thinking to pick this book up without having knowledge of the others, do consider that first.
Tangled is, at the time of this review, my favorite Disney Princess film. I connect with the story a lot, so when I head Mother Gothel was getting an expansion to her story, I was thrilled. I dove right into the book and honestly, I can say that overall I am impressed. The story presented is very fleshed out, with Gothel feeling much more like a person with dimension than she does in the film. We see her fall from grace and into darkness at the loss of her sisters and frankly, it becomes hard to not empathize with her plight.
My biggest critique overall is the changes it does make to the world of Tangled - things that just seem convoluted, especially towards the end, that drastically change the backstory of the Princess. It also ends up almost rushing to the finish line, pushing the Odd Sisters to the front of the story and making them Gothel’s antagonist. If you haven’t been reading the rest of the series, this almost feels as if it comes out of nowhere and leaves a hollow feeling to the finish.
One last thing: I was not a fan at all of the retcon. Having Rapunzel put into a sleep for ten years felt like it was just a way to not have to write her interactions with Gothel and rehash the movie. Yet, it didn’t work. If anything, it felt confusing and more like it was bent on making fun of the movie than embracing the very real themes of abuse and hardship that were present in the film. It honestly makes a lot of the trauma of Rapunzel’s story feel pointless.
Overall though, if you can look past those flaws and the pacing problems towards the end, it does prove to be a fun read. It’s very well written and it does provide a very interesting backstory for one of my favorite villains. If the Odd Sisters were removed, I feel it could have been a classic addition to an already loved Disney story.
Content Warnings: Death, Abuse, Kidnapping.
”Sometimes we create images of the people we love and hate in our minds, and those images override what we see with our eyes, even when they are right in front of us. Even if we've imagined them to be monsters, to see them as they truly are with our eyes and our hearts is sometimes shocking.”
Full Review - Contains Spoilers:
I want to preface this review with this: I have not read the other books in this series and because of this, I do feel like I am missing out on some crucial backstory for the characters of the Odd Sisters. Their story and presence in the novel is prominent, so going into this and thinking it was a standalone book about the rise of Mother Gothel only does lead to some disappointment. The fact of the matter is that I did not enjoy the Odd Sisters, I found them to be unlikable and to have too much influence on the story. Maybe that would not be the case if I was more familiar with the series, but if you are thinking to pick this book up without having knowledge of the others, do consider that first.
Tangled is, at the time of this review, my favorite Disney Princess film. I connect with the story a lot, so when I head Mother Gothel was getting an expansion to her story, I was thrilled. I dove right into the book and honestly, I can say that overall I am impressed. The story presented is very fleshed out, with Gothel feeling much more like a person with dimension than she does in the film. We see her fall from grace and into darkness at the loss of her sisters and frankly, it becomes hard to not empathize with her plight.
My biggest critique overall is the changes it does make to the world of Tangled - things that just seem convoluted, especially towards the end, that drastically change the backstory of the Princess. It also ends up almost rushing to the finish line, pushing the Odd Sisters to the front of the story and making them Gothel’s antagonist. If you haven’t been reading the rest of the series, this almost feels as if it comes out of nowhere and leaves a hollow feeling to the finish.
One last thing: I was not a fan at all of the retcon. Having Rapunzel put into a sleep for ten years felt like it was just a way to not have to write her interactions with Gothel and rehash the movie. Yet, it didn’t work. If anything, it felt confusing and more like it was bent on making fun of the movie than embracing the very real themes of abuse and hardship that were present in the film. It honestly makes a lot of the trauma of Rapunzel’s story feel pointless.
Overall though, if you can look past those flaws and the pacing problems towards the end, it does prove to be a fun read. It’s very well written and it does provide a very interesting backstory for one of my favorite villains. If the Odd Sisters were removed, I feel it could have been a classic addition to an already loved Disney story.
adventurous
dark
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes