Zel

I first read this book when I was ten. I got it from the library and I loved it. So when I had some extra money last month, I bought my own copy. Now that I'm 18 it's even better.This is the story of a mother, who loves her daughter and has a gift with plants. Zel loves mother back, and animals, and one day before her 13th birthday she meets a boy and horse, and the boy loves her too, though he doesn't understand it.But the mother can't stand to loose her daughter, and the mother has a choice that the daughter must make, so she tells her there is an enemy and locks her up in a tower. Sound familiar? It's Rapunzel. Told backwards and upside-down and with no one who is evil, just misunderstood, only as this author can do it. Recommended for everyone.Five stars.

Every child knows the story of Rapunzel, but you don’t realize until you’re much older how dark the story really is. Not just that Rapunzel’s “mother” tricked and stole her from her real mother, but the same woman imprisoned her in a tower for an indefinite period of time. No books, no TV, no phone, just a lonely room. In this version, Zel has ink and paper for drawing, but the isolation is real. Add that “Mother” does this in order to prepare her to sell her soul to the devil (as she has done), and you have a very, very dark story.Napoli generally manages to keep the content to a young adult/high kid audience, but you can feel the isolation and depression and, eventually, insanity that surrounds Zel.“Mother” becomes a somewhat more fleshed out character by the end of the book, but she’s no Ugly One from “The Magic Circle.”A powerful novel and very thought provoking. What, really, does someone need to survive?

I loved this book! I always go back to it and always recommend it!! This is the second copy I've had to get.

I used to read this book as a child, and recently read it again as an adult. There's something about the writing that blurs the lines between childish and mature. I still got sucked into the fairytale world but this time around I felt like I was viewing the characters differently, especially the mother. I thoroughly enjoyed it and suggest this to any lover of retold fairytales.

This is one of my absolutely favorite books. It's such an interesting take on Rapunzel. I read it when I was about thirteen and absolutely loved it. It's got wonderful imagery and is just one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.

The story of Rapunzel is perhaps one of the most psychologically intriguing of the Grimms Brothers fairy tales. A story of obsession, isolation, and the healing power of love, Rapunzel is my third favorite of the Grimms fairy tales; surpassed only by "Snow White" and "Hansel and Gretel."Donna Jo Napoli has taken the story of Rapunzel and rewoven it into a psychological study that is both chilling and heartrending.Zel lives with Mother in a remote cottage in Switzerland. She is a carefree young girl who loves her mother dearly. Mother has unusual abilities and talents when it comes to gardening, and she loves Zel with an unsurpassable desire. Zel cherishes the moments when she and Mother journey to town in order to buy supplies, but these visits are often mysterious. Often, Zel is unable to hear conversations of the villagers, and she is forbidden to socialize with people as well. One fateful day, Zel meets a young man in town, and her idyllic life drastically changes.This novel is unforgettable as each chapter is told from a different perspective. The best chapters are the ones in which Mother gets to tell her own story. I felt great sympathy toward this character as well as repugnance at her actions. Napoli does a superb job of illustrating Zel's childhood innocence and awakening knowledge.Katherine Byars reads this novel with vibrancy. Her depiction of Mother is wonderful! Please give this outstanding book a chance. God bless.(Please look for my fantasy novel, Crimilia, which will be released on May 24, 2011. Thank you).

A beautiful retelling of a classic. Full of symbolism that stays true to the fairy tells while adding new commentary

Great story with a wonderful new perspective. Emotional, lovely and evocative, I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a grown-up twist on a fairy tale.

Arrived swiftly, item as described.