MG Fantasy: Grounded The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison

Published by:  Arthur A. Levine Books

on  April 28th 2015

Genres:  Fairy Tale Retelling
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source:  Library

In all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so---her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can't imagine any other life.

Then a thief named Jack climbs into her room to steal one of her enchanted roses. He's the first person Rapunzel's ever met who isn't completely charmed by her (well, the first person she's met at all, really), and he is infuriating-- especially when he hints that Witch isn't telling her the whole truth. Driven by anger at Jack and her own nameless fears, Rapunzel descends to the ground for the first time, and finds a world filled with more peril than Witch promised ... and more beauty, wonder, and adventure than she could have dreamed. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

I always enjoy reading fairy tale retelling's, it's an opportunity to revisit an old favorite or even to see it in a new light.  I am familiar with Rapunzel's tale, well mostly the line "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair." That line quickly comes to mind, well and  the movie Tangled.  Grounded does have the feel of the original tale, yet highlights some of the details from the original better though.  Like how Rapunzel ended up with Witch and how Witch was able to keep her in the tower? Even why she never realized how alone she really was living in the tower?  Grounded gave more depth to Rapunzel's character and really had me see her in a new light.  Like one of the things that really stuck with me while reading Grounded is that Rapunzel never refers to Witch as her mother, it's always Witch.  Yet, she also loves Witch and would have been  perfectly happy living in her tower and completely trusting everything Witch said to her.  She always "believed Witches words, not her own senses."  Throughout the story Rapunzel is worried that Witch is going to be harmed, she has a tenderness and caring toward Witch that you really come to understand.  Which if you think about it makes sense, Witch is all she knew.   At the same time it was interesting to watch Rapunzel's conflict of emotions as she learns how Witch has been lying to her and see her change from this gullible, naive, innocent girl to ultimately outwitting Witch.  Grounded is the first book in the Tyme series,  and I will be interested to see where the next adventure leads.  

 Grounded has been nominated for the Cybils award and my review reflects my personal opinion, not the opinion of the Cybils committee.