Rapunzel and the Sea Witch {Review}

 

What would happen if Rapunzel and The Little Mermaid mysteriously had their fairy tales switched?  Would they recognize each other from folklore?  Would they be able to untangle their new lives with all its twists and turns?  And would anyone else notice?

Rapunzel lives a life locked away, believing she's cursed and protecting others by staying in her tower.  Little Hana wonders why her mother, the ruler of the undersea world, treats her so differently from her sisters.  And why won't she investigate the cause of the mysterious storm tormenting their kingdom?

These two princesses live lives of predictable patterns, until one day they switch places and Rapunzel is transported to a sea witch's lair while Hana finds herself locked in a tower.  Working their way through this mystery, the girls are joined by Oliver and Jack, a rogue prince and a boy with a precious bean.  The four of them must discover who is causing the storm and how to make peace between the sea kingdom and the villagers.

I love these twisted fairy tales by Kim Bussing.  But when this title came up, I just couldn't see how she was going to do it with these two characters.  They seemed so unlikely to cross paths.  Thankfully, I was wrong and found myself in the middle of an adventure I never expected.  This was such a fun book and filled in some backstory where I least expected it.  Rapunzel's mother is a little predictable, but she still has her surprises.  And all the other character stories are woven together beautifully.  This book is marketed to middle grades (ages 8-12), but I believe it has a much broader appeal and could be enjoyed well into the teenage years (even older if mom wants to include it as a read-aloud).

Other books from this series that you might enjoy include:

Snow White and the Dragon

Cinderella and the Beast

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.