Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Fantastic Fairy Tales - Towering by Alex Flinn


Published: May 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 293
Copy Provided by: Bought
Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.


Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now. 

Review:
When  it comes to fairytale re-tellings, I always turn to Alex Flinn.  She incorporates not just one but several aspects of fairytales into her novels.  It is usually always a fresh new take on an old tale.  Ironically I had just finished watching Disney's Rapunzel prior to reading this novel.  The HarperTeen version characters did not burst out into song  as I envisioned scenarios in my head though.  In fact, they were a teeny bit darker.  

Towering started out slowly at first and about 1/2 through I was debating whether or not to put it on my DNF shelf but it improved as the story developed.  Wyatt uncovers quite a few different secrets in his mother's old town.  I would have liked to see more about her relationship and life in the town as a teenager besides her relationship with Danielle.  Perhaps even more about Wyatt's relationship with his mother.  He didn't have the same pizzazz and dazzling self-confidence as Flynn Ryder but he was a very honorable character with good intentions.  

For me, Towering was interesting but not memorable.  I was expecting there to be a story line with more magic.  Maybe I should have stuck with the Disney version instead?

3 comments:

  1. I agree. I really enjoyed this while reading -- I never considered DNFing. But, it certainly hasn't stuck with me. I guess not every book is meant to...Great review!

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  2. I like Alex Flinn a lot, too, but I wasn't in love with Towering, either. I did finish it, and I thought it was okay, but it certainly doesn't stick with me. I definitely prefer Disney's retelling of Rapunzel than Flinn's.

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  3. That's too bad. I'm usually pretty iffy with fairy tale retellings because most often I find they lack pizzazz. I did like Beastly by Alex Flinn though! It's too bad it wasn't memorable.

    It has such a pretty cover though!

    Kristen @OCA

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