Zel

A few years back, I went on a big reading binge with fairytale retellings. All were somewhat brief and young adult. But the shortest, darkest take was definitely this one. Napoli did an excellent job of really developing the limited cast of the classic Rapunzel while staying pretty true to the given......more

Zel was a grim and yet interesting take on Rapunzel. It was a barely 300 page book but it packed a lot and ended in a satisfying way. I liked the way Mother was portrayed and how realistic Rapunzel's mental state was written. I found three things weird though: Konrad's obsession, which started immed......more

Plot summary: Zel is a joyous, innocent girl on the cusp of womanhood. She has grown up on a peaceful and beautiful Swiss farm with just one person for companionship: Mother. More than anything, Zel wishes she could talk to animals and understand them. Mother has a gift of her own – a way with plant......more

I don't know how Napoli can take such a familiar tale (Rapunzel) and turn it into a book I end up staying all night to read because I can't put it down!!! She not only weaves it into a realistic setting (16th century Switzerland), but she handles all sorts of issues in depth - the danger of human lo......more

I picked this up because it was on the "recommended" list at the back of one of Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow's anthologies - and I'm very glad I did! It's a retelling of the story of Rapunzel, set in the 1500's in Switzerland. While Napoli does not take out the more fantastic/magical elements of......more