Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lokipokey75 's review for:
Zel
by Donna Jo Napoli
Having read the Grimm's Rapunzel this book is based on, Zel expertly provides background to what never gets explained in the traditional tale. We follow Zel and her mother in the marketplace where Zel meets a handsome young noble. Her mother is envious of the attention the boy gets, fearing that her daughter will leave her one day in order to marry and move on with her life. She had desperately tried to have children and Rapunzel, though not her biological daughter, is much coveted by her. She locks her up in a tower because she is tormented by her obsession to keep her close. Meanwhile, the boy goes in wild search of the girl that he fell in love with at the marketplace. Eventually, the mother wants Zel to choose between staying with her, whom she dearly loves, or being free.
The descriptions are rich and the characters are well-drawn. Zel's insanity is warranted by her endless stay in the tower, though I feel like her mother's insanity in keeping her there is less believable. Even though I'm not a huge fan of either this or The Magic Circle, I find it worked better than the latter because it better shapes the characters, their relationships, and seamlessly blends the traditional tale with this modern reworking.
The descriptions are rich and the characters are well-drawn. Zel's insanity is warranted by her endless stay in the tower, though I feel like her mother's insanity in keeping her there is less believable. Even though I'm not a huge fan of either this or The Magic Circle, I find it worked better than the latter because it better shapes the characters, their relationships, and seamlessly blends the traditional tale with this modern reworking.