Rapunzel by any other name

TOWERING by Alex Flinn. HarperCollins, 2013.

Flinn offers another take on traditional stories in this version of Rapunzel. Alternating narrators, Rachel and Wyatt, are two teens, one whose guardian has locked her away in a tower to protect her from men who would want to see her dead. Wyatt comes to stay with a woman whose daughter was his mother’s high school friend. Wyatt is running from a traumatic event in his own life. He feels that perhaps he can begin to deal with his tragic loss if he simply escapes from his usual haunts. Wyatt soon discovers a secret that leads him ultimately to the imprisoned Rachel. While TOWERING is set in a very real world, there are many elements of the fairy world that heighten the suspense and take the story on lots of twists and turns. Romance, ghosts, and of course, the hair. Teens will welcome this reconsideration of Rapunzel.

Be very careful with this book: it bites!

OPEN VERY CAREFULLY: A BOOK WITH BITE by Nick Bromley with illustrations by Nicola O'Byrne. Nosy Crow, 2012.

The Ugly Duckling
Has much to fear from creatures
That can bite and snap!

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Bewitching Tale

BEWITCHING by Alex Flinn (HarperCollins 2012) combines the tales of The Princess and the Pea, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, and the Titanic and King Louis. What's that, you say? Trust me. This book manages to jump centuries with ease and move from the archetypes of fairy tales to historical fiction with ease. All that is due to the skill with which Flinn takes the reader from the beginning of the Kendra's life as a witch to her latest incarnation in the lives of Emma and Lisette, newly introduced step-sisters. Along the way,we have flashbacks that put us on the Titanic, take us under the sea with The Little Mermaid, and then to the Court of Versailles. The novel is bewitching and thoroughly absorbing with more than a few surprises along the way. <74>

reimagined, reinvented, retold

Even though the cover art is not final and the book is not due to pub until July, you will want to have this book ordered and set to go straight to the top of your TBR stack. LIES, KNIVES, AND GIRLS IN RED DRESSES by Ron Koertge (Candlewick, July 2012) presents fairy tales in variations one never dreamed possible. Here is how this remarkable book opens: black page with white letters:

Do you want to sleep? Find another storyteller. Do you want to think about the world in a new way?

Come closer. Closer, please.
I want to whisper in your ear.

OK, I am already hooked. Plus, I know what Koertge can deliver having been a fan of his work for years. STONER AND SPAZ, SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP, STRAYS, MARGAUX WITH AN X, THE ARIZONA KID, and THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS are all on my shelves, all favorites. So, now Koertge turns his talent to the fairy tale. Come and explore Cinderella, Little red Riding Hood, and Rumplestiltskin. Be prepared, though, for these are not for the faint of heart. Here are stories that have their origins deep within the Grimm Brothers; they are totally un-Disneyfied and very adult. Some tales are monologues, some dialogues, some beautifully wrought poems. Hansel and Gretel wreak revenge on a father who did nothing to prevent their abandonment; the Ogre Queen (mother of Prince Charming) now serves as a consultant in D.C. There are surprises around every corner in this slim, unforgettable, unputdownable collection. <23>