A Melanie Dickerson Collection II

October 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Rapunzel and her "mother" are always on the move, but this time they have a specific destination, the city of Hagenheim. As they journey, they are attacked by strangers. But luck is on their side when Sir Gerek, loyal knight of Duke Wilhelm of Hagenheim, comes to their rescue. He is injured in the attack and forced to depend on Rapunzel and her mother to return him to the city. Rapunzel is intrigued by this handsome but boorish savior, even though her mother has warned her to never trust any man. Sir Gerek is equally captivated by Rapunzel's beauty, but his future plans are driven by a desire for wealth and status, something a peasant girl can never provide. Once in Hagenheim, Rapunzel secretly sets out to fulfill her lifelong dream of learning to read, which reestablishes a connection with Sir Gerek, who becomes her teacher. Rapunzel starts to question why Mother has always taught her to fear others, and she decides she must leave to pursue her destiny. As a servant to the royal family, Rapunzel soon begins to unravel family secrets. This retelling, set in the Holy Roman Empire in 1413, incorporates elements of romance, deceit, and revenge through a Christian fiction lens. VERDICT Fans of the author's previous works will adore this new tale.-Susan Harris, Ridgeway High School, TN

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

happypug12 - This book was a sweet, sweet, romance. It is so much different than any other romances out there. First off, it developed slowly, but not in a boring way, unlike most books I have read where the 2 main characters immediately like each other after first meeting and start a bit of flirting about 2 pages later. No. This book is not like THOSE books. It is a clean, beautiful, story of a perfectly true romance. It's the very perfect twist on the classical Tangled movie we all know and love. I DID find it a bit hard to feel a connection with the characters until the middle of this book. It also did get a bit slow nearing the end, but then - CURVE BALL!!! So even if the beginning seems a bit putting-off, READ IT TO THE LAST PAGE! You will not regret it. I would say the interest level for this novel is Middle School and up, and I would recommend this to anyone who longs for a truly well-crafted AND clean romance that will make your heart flutter along with it.