ARC REVIEW: Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Title: Rapunzel Untangled
Author: Cindy C. Bennett
Pages: 304
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Expected Publishing Date: February 12, 2013
Format: eBook
Source: Received from Publisher via NetGalley

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

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 absolutely adore fairytale retellings, so I jumped at the chance to read and review Rapunzel Untangled.  Writing a retelling has to be a very difficult thing for any writer.  How do you take a story that's been told for years and give it your own unique twist?  It's all been done before!  Well, Cindy Bennett has done an amazing job of giving us a unique and imaginative story while keeping to the basics of the classic fairytale.  This is probably the darkest Rapunzel story I've heard.  Most all have the same basic plot:  Rapunzel is kidnapped as an infant by the witch Gothel and grows up in a tower, trapped there for years.  Sometimes Rapunzel lives as a prisoner, sometimes as a daughter of Gothel.  This story is no different, but that is where the similarities end.  Rapunzel Untangled is modern and fun, but gives us a twist filled with darkness and horror.

Rapunzel is nearly 18 years old, and she has lived in her rooms in the tower of Gothel Mansion all of her life.  She has a serious illness that makes it impossible for her to go outside without getting sick.  Her mother, Gothel, is the only other person she has ever had contact with.  She does all of her schoolwork online, and when she accidentally finds this wondrous site called Facebook she realizes she can use it to connect with other people her own age.  This is how she meets Fane.  At first they only correspond online, but Rapunzel eventually agrees to meet him.  He climbs her tower and the two become close friends.  When Fane convinces Rapunzel to sneak out of her rooms one night, they find stairways that lead nowhere and doors that open up to cement walls.  There's also a creepy room covered with black scorch marks and decorated with 6's.  Soon Rapunzel starts questioning everything she's been told.  Things don't add up.  The more Rapunzel learns the more questions she has, and the answers aren't at all what she wants to hear.

I enjoyed the uniqueness of Rapunzel Untangled.  It was unexpected and refreshing to read a story that's so classic, yet it's turned into something so much more modern and fun.  Rapunzel transforms throughout the book from the quiet girl that obeys every order to a strong woman willing to risk everything just to live a real life.  What we see of Fane is great.  He's funny, and he's completely loyal to Rapunzel.  I'd like to have seen more of his personality.  This would have been a great book to have alternating points of view.  His mind had to have been blown by the circumstances surrounding Rapunzel, but we don't really see that.  I also found the ending bit incomplete.  It would have been nice to see more about Rapunzel's real family.  Without a doubt, Rapunzel Untangled was a great read, and a great fairytale retelling.

 

 

REVIEW & GUEST POST: Sprite by Leigh Michael

Title: Sprite
Author:  Leigh Michael
Series:  Annabelle's Story (Part One)
Pages:  161
 

Series summary:

Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take?

Sprite was such a unique story!  As a mythology lover I really enjoyed Leigh Michael's take on Hades, Zeus and Poseidon.  When Annabelle is kidnapped by a strange man and dragged into the sea she has no idea that she's about to be introduced to a whole new world.  Not only does she realize she can breathe under water, but she's also a descendant of Triton.  How cool is that?!  I really liked Annabelle's character.  While she was a bit irritating in the beginning, when she realizes she has a job to do she puts on her big girl panties and gets to work.  I also like the twists and turns of the story.  No one really is as they seem.  While at times a bit predictable, the action and adventure kept the pages turning.  Sprite was an enjoyable read, and I hope Kin (Part Two) keeps me just as intrigued. 

Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes& Noble

Smashwords

Kin (Annabelle’s Story Part Two)can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 

Leigh’s Indie ABCs

(Part one of a guest post by Leigh Michael)

When I released Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) in April, I knew very little about the writing industry. Over the past 6 months, I’ve acted as a sponge for information. It’s been an amazing, gut-checking, rewarding, and humbling experience. Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade that I’d love to share with you all. Below is part one in what I’ve learned thus far in self-publishing my first series, Annabelle’s Story. Part two will be posted on Little Library Muse on October 17. Part three will be posted on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

Author website — Having one of these is important. It allows readers an easy way to learn about an author, their books, and where to buy ‘em. Check out my site at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Beta readers — When I released the first part of Annabelle’s Story, I was too afraid to let others read my work. I just wanted to bite the bullet and publish. Not the best idea. Since then I’ve come to rely on beta readers to help me polish my work.

Carissa Katz — This young lady is an amazing designer. Actually, I already knew that. I just wanted to emphasize it. Carissa put together my covers for Annabelle’s Story and I couldn’t be happier. Check out her other work here.

Digital, not print — In “Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know” it says that print should be a secondary focus to ebooks. I’d have to agree. My digital versions sell a lot more than print editions. Still, I think having a paperback version for giveaways is important.

Editing — I’d like to go on the record to say that it’s so frustrating and difficult to remove every single typo/error from a manuscript. For both Sprite & Kin, I hired a professional proofreader to complete two rounds of reviews. Afterwards, I found additional errors. However, I think it’s crucial to take this step and hire another set of eyes.

Facebook fan pages — Seems like a no-brainer to create an author page on Facebook. In my initial research on how to market myself, this was one of the first things I’ve learned. Alas, I’ve created Facebook.com/LeighMichaelBooks. Like me!

Goodreads — I must admit that I’d never heard of Goodreads before writing Annabelle’s Story but it’s great. It’s where I find my next book to read. Check out my page on Goodreads to see what I’ve been reading.

Hashtags — There are so many of these on Twitter (and more are introduced every day). To start, I found 44 essential twitter hashtags that every author should know. I also love reading Sara Megibow’s #10queriesIn10tweets every Thursday.

Thank you for reading part one of my A through Z of industry learnings. Be sure to check out part two on Little Library Muse on October 17 and part three on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

So what’s next for me? I’ve thrown myself into a new series. This one is a historical fiction that I’m pretty thrilled about. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll pursue the traditional route or follow the same indie path. Who knows, there could be a “Leigh’s Bestseller ABCs” post one day. One can only hope!

Also, don’t forget to stop by Leigh Michael Books on October 31^st for a special Trick or Treat surprise!

 

 

Author Bio:
Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle. Please learn more about Leigh and her works atwww.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Contact info:

 

Website

Twitter
Facebook
Email
Amazon
Smashwords
Goodreads

 

 

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn



I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with the curse. And the frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED.

***********************

Johnny Marco works with his mom at the family business doing shoe repair for the rich and famous.  His dad left when he was only a baby, and his mom has struggled to make ends meet every day since.  He's a hard working good boy.  But even though he never complains, underneath it all he longs to be free of his ordinary life.  He wants to be a shoe designer, and he knows he'd be good at it, too!  But he knows he will never have the money to do what he wants.  When a famous princess visits the motel where he works he thinks he'll be lucky just to get a look at her.  But Princess Victoriana notices him, and asks him for a favor.  It seems a witch has turned her brother into a frog and she needs Johnny's help to find him and break the curse.  And what will Princess Victoriana do for Johnny in exchange?  Well, she'll marry him, of course!

I love fairytale retellings!  I know some people don't, and I can understand why.  They aren't always original.  But, I like that you can pick one up, have no expectations of literary genius, and just enjoy a good story.  That's exactly what you get with Cloaked.  Johnny is a very likable character.  He tries to help everyone he encounters on his quest, and even when he messes up (which he does quite a bit!) you can't help but hope he will finally get it right.  His best friend, Meg, is my favorite character.  She's in love with Johnny, but she's never let him know how she feels.  When she realizes Johnny is going on a dangerous quest she does everything she can to help him, saving his life more than once.  Even after she finds out he plans to marry Victoriana she never lets Johnny down.  I loved watching how these two handle one problem after another.  I had so much fun reading Cloaked! 

This is the third book I've read by Alex Flinn (also read Beastly and A Kiss In Time), and it's most definitely my favorite.  Have you read it yet?  Would you like to?  Well, I hope so because I've decided to give away my copy!!  So if you would like to get your hands on Cloaked be sure to enter the giveaway below!!  And good luck! 

4 Stars * * * *

Don't forget to enter the Off the Shelf Giveaway too!!

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