What happens if Rapunzel has the power of the moon drop rather than the sun drop. Since the sun drop has healing properties, the moon has death as one of its powers. This book is good for kids 10 and older and has a lot of creativity on powers and family. ( )

Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Braswell is one of my favorite authors that write retellings. The way that she reimagines these classic Disney tales that everyone grew up with always feels magical and creative. I would recommend the Twisted Tales series to any Disney lover, or someone who is looking for darker retellings of fairytales!

The story follows the same opening of the original movie, Tangled, but those that searched for the Sundrop flower to save the Queen accidentally find a different magical flower--the Moondrop flower. The flower makes Rapunzel untouchable, and the King and Queen make the decision to lock her up in a tower and she is watched over by a powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel. Although Rapunzel knows of the dangers she poses to others, the pull and mystery of the floating lights make it too hard for her to resist leaving her tower, where she sets off on an adventure with two thieves, Gina and Flynn, to find her own version of a happily ever after.

The characters were written incredibly well and were witty and quirky, which is everything you would expect from the Tangled cast. I really loved the addition of Gina, and all the reveals at the end were amazing. I only wish that Flynn felt more like a main character throughout the whole story and not pushed off to being a side character. I also love Braswell's creative mind and the addition of the 'moon powers' that Rapunzel explores and discovers throughout her journey in the book. ( )

I am a Person

Liz Braswell is back with another imaginative Disney retelling of Tangled. What if Rapunzel’s mother was healed by the moondrop flower instead of the sundrop flower? Liz Braswell is content to make her readers cry from the first page to the very end. As this story is narrated by a brother trying to refresh Rapunzel’s story for his sister during her chemo treatment. A brother with an impressive vocabulary, and attention to detail. There are not many ways to improve the original story line, even Daniella insists that certain aspects of the story remain the same. Except this time Rapunzel is cursed with a deadly ability. The fact that her family chooses her miserable childhood this time, makes this a significantly darker tale. This is a slow-paced book, with a sad undertone, and an imaginative but jumbled plot.

Mother Gothel is just as prominent in this story, and doubly wicked since she no longer has to rely on Rapunzel for her youth. More villains become involved, making Rapunzel’s dream to see the lanterns even more dangerous. Rapunzel’s disposition is unchanged in this book as she is cheerful, kind, curious, and ignorant about almost everything in the world. It certainly highlights her loneliness, and how confining her life has been in the tower. A new character Gina helps give her a friend’s perspective, though she often seesaws between pitying Rapunzel and competing with Flynn. Awkwardly leaving Rapunzel as a bit of a third wheel. Flynn is his usual bantering and charming self, if not a little more reluctant to help. The changes to Maximus and Pascal are a bit disappointing, taking a lot of humor out in the process.

This retelling does delve deeper into the problematic issues of the Tangled world. Rapunzel comes to many realizations about the traumatic experiences in her life, the social problems her friends face, and the meaning of forgiveness. Most of which she has to learn on her own, even learning about her magic hair alone. Liz Braswell’s retelling is complicated, with a very long journey of finding what freedom and social responsibility really means to a character who is just learning about herself and the world. Princesses don’t always get happy beginnings, but sometimes the adventure is worth the wait. ( )