Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C Bennett

Title: Rapunzel Untangled

Author: Cindy C Bennett

Publish Date: February 12, 2013

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Pages: 304

Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble

Rating: ★★★★

Rapunzel is not your average teenager.

For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is.

Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

I think once I matured to a certain age, I had to grapple with the idea that fairytales and all the magic I had surrounded myself with weren't real. It was when I was young that I first realized the princesses in movies weren't the same as the real ones or didn't even exist -- a figment of someone else's imagination. Although I felt a lot of nostalgia towards the prospect of reading a fairytale geared to the modern age, I found myself surprised at just what I was confronted with.

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C Bennett was a beautiful story that held magic, darkness, adventure, and romance. It entwined the previously written tale and brought it to the modern age. It caught me off guard sometimes just how well the author managed to bring these two worlds -- these two times -- together. If I didn't know about the previous story of Rapunzel and her golden hair, I would've believed that this story had always been apart of this time. In fact, sometimes, I really thought that.

I genuinely love bad guys. I think a lot of people take them for granted and don't develop them to their full extent. There is a definite art to creating a great bad guy, especially one that can rock a person to their core. I wasn't disappointed in the bad guys of this story. They gave me the creeps as I read about what they'd done and what they planned to do. One thing I think was great about the story was that the previous tale really set up the whole relationship between Gothel and Rapunzel. Cindy Bennett developed that relationship very well and you could see why the main character felt such loyalty to her "mother".

Love interest fangirl moment. I basically want to know if Facebook stalking and adding random strangers is the way to meet a very hot, very nice, and very funny guy. If so, I just want to know where I can find Fane. Okay, I'm good now. Fane is a great love interest for Rapunzel in the sense that he challenges her to find out who she is and what her surroundings hold. At the same time, he knows when to pull her back and say, "Don't do this, don't look at this." I liked how real Fane is to every other guy, he wasn't some supernatural being that had super powers. Nope, this was the boy next door kind of guy and I loved that.

There is only so many hot vampires/angels/werewolves/ghosts/merman/demigods/etc. that I can handle. 

Rapunzel is a funny little character that has no problem capturing your attention. I was surprised that she wasn't more stubborn or defiant as many female characters are in YA books. Throughout the story, she is easily swayed or she gives in quickly. Although, I think that the lack of stubbornness has to do with not only how she was raised but also the type of character she is. Selfless seems to be the only correct adjective to accurately how she acts. There is a certain way that she holds herself throughout the book that tells of her desire to help everyone but herself. I loved that she became a little bit selfish a couple of times over the book. It added a wonderful quality to her character as a whole.

I think the romance fell a little short for me. I kept having the urge to make the characters kiss or something but of course, I can't reach into the book and demand the characters do what I want (sadly). Also, I was equally frustrated with Rapunzel when she refused to acknowledge any advances in relationship between her and Fane. Overall, I thought the romance was good but could've been a little hotter? I don't know if that makes sense.

The house is, I'm assuming, based off an actual house called Winchester Mansion. I got really excited because I could recognize something and relate it to something real and tangible. Anyway, that was epic.

It was a good book. I think it is a worthwhile read for everyone.