Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" (Once Upon a Time) [Mass Market Paperback]

Cameron Dokey (Author), Mahlon F. Craft (Designer)

Book Description

Release date: June 26, 2007 | Series: Once Upon a Time

"Once upon a Time"

Is Timeless

Before Rapunzel's birth, her mother made a dangerous deal with the sorceress Melisande: If she could not love newborn Rapunzel just as she appeared, she would surrender the child to Melisande. When Rapunzel was born completely bald and without hope of ever growing hair, her horrified mother sent her away with the sorceress to an uncertain future.

After sixteen years of raising Rapunzel as her own child, Melisande reveals that she has another daughter, Rue, who was cursed by a wizard years ago and needs Rapunzel's help. Rue and Rapunzel have precisely "two nights and the day that falls between" to break the enchantment. But bitterness and envy come between the girls, and if they fail to work together, Rue will remain cursed...forever.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cameron Dokey is the author of How Not to Spend Your Senior Year and nine Once upon a Time novels for Simon Pulse. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416939261
• ISBN-13: 978-1416939269
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #503,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cute, Funny, Romantic Take on the Rapunzel Story February 19, 2008

By B. Calhoun

Format:Mass Market Paperback

When the sorceress Melisande catches her neighbor stealing the herb known as rapunzel for his pregnant wife, she makes a deal: the wife can have as much rapunzel as she likes, but if she cannot love her baby just as she is, Melisande will take possession of the child. Of course, the vain, selfish mother cannot bring herself to love the baby when it is born completely bald, so Melisande takes the child, who she names Rapunzel. Rapunzel never grows hair and is therefore considered something of an oddity by most people, but she is loved by Melisande and is, for the most part, quite happy. Rapunzel also makes friends with a tinker named Mr. Jones and his handsome adopted son, Harry.

When Rapunzel is sixteen, a heatwave causes a drought and crop failure and Rapunzel is rightly worried that a mob will take its frustration out on the local sorceress and her oddly bald daughter. After abandoning their home, Melisande reveals her secret to Rapunzel: she has a biological daughter named Rue who has been trapped in a tower and Melisande thinks that Rapunzel is the one who can free her. Although Rapunzel agrees to help save Rue, doing so will not be easy. Fear, hurt feelings and jealousy threaten to come between the girls. Both girls are envious that there is another daughter in Melisande's life and Rapunzel fears that Harry, who has come to the tower to watch over her, has fallen in love with the utterly beautiful Rue, whose perfect golden locks contrast sharply with Rapunzel's bare head.

This is definitely one of the best of the Once Upon a Time series, and my favorite after another of Dokey's works, Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" (Once Upon a Time). My biggest complaint for this book is the same for most of the Once Upon a Time books: it's too short and needs at least another 50-100 pages to be properly fleshed out. However, even given its short length Dokey does an amazing job of bringing the Rapunzel story to life and creating characters to really care about. Melisande is not the wicked witch she is usually portrayed as, but instead is a wise old woman who genuinely cares for both her daughters. Rapunzel is a clever and strong heroine who nonetheless deals with the typical teenage concern that the guy she likes favors the prettier girl. I especially liked Harry, the tinker boy, and his interactions with Rapunzel. GOLDEN is cute, sweet and funny (I laughed out loud at some points) and a great addition to the Once Upon a Time series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this one May 2, 2010

By small review

Format:Mass Market Paperback

A retelling of the fairy tale Rapunzel from the Once Upon a Time series reimagined with a completely bald Rapunzel. How can that possibly work, you say? Well, all I can say without giving anything away is that Dokey makes it work. With the exception of Belle, all of Dokey's retellings have been filled with inventive and often unexpected twists that somehow manage to be not only enjoyable, but also beautifully compliment the original tales. It also helps that her characters are endearing and fun to read, and Golden's characters are no exception. Also continuing her pattern is the presence of not one, but two sets of lovers whose eventual pairing is left up in the air until the very end. Recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rapunzel will never be the same June 1, 2008

By D. Allensworth

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Golden was the first book I read of the Once Upon a Time series. It captured my imagination and now I own all the books of the series. I've always been a sucker for a great fairy tale and Golden did not let me down. The book is mesmerizing right from the first page and character development is remarkable. Cameron Dokey creates a Rapunzel never before seen. She is a stronge heroine and her journey to discover the value of herself is something that we can all learn from. This book is a must read for all ages.