Title: Don't Fall
Author: Rachel Schieffelbein
Purchase: Amazon
In this contemporary retelling of Rapunzel, seventeen-year-old Anya leads a secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn't go to public school, doesn't even have a best friend. But Anya doesn't seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams and would do anything to please her mom.
Until one day at the library, the only place Anya is allowed to go alone, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy. Before long she's lying to her mom, and sneaking out to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she's going to have to risk her relationship with the only other person she's ever cared about.
A contemporary retelling of Rapunzel? Like, you guys should have already known I would be all over that. This was a very cute, romantic story that I enjoyed. I will say, that had I not been told it was Rapunzel, I'm not entirely sure I would have caught on (but then again, sometimes I'm just slow about these things). But since we do know that, I could definitely see the Rapunzel-esque elements that made up this story.
Anya lives with her adopted mother out on the edge of town. She isn't allowed to go anywhere, even having a tutor instead of going to school, except for the library. It's here that she meets Zander. Since her mother refuses to let her date (or have any kind of life), Anya can only see him on her library days, and they begin to date in secret.
Anya lives with her adopted mother out on the edge of town. She isn't allowed to go anywhere, even having a tutor instead of going to school, except for the library. It's here that she meets Zander. Since her mother refuses to let her date (or have any kind of life), Anya can only see him on her library days, and they begin to date in secret.
Anya did seem a bit childish at first, but I tried to remember that she has pretty much had no social interaction, her main goal being to try and please her mother. How her mother thought she could get away with hiding her away, especially after she became an adult, I'm not entirely sure. As Anya continues to meet Zander, she becomes more daring, acting out against her mother. She definitely could have made some more mature decisions, but when you've been literally locked away, I guess you can't help it.
Zander was cute. He wasn't super swoon-worthy like I was hoping, but he was still plenty cute. He was willing to wait for Anya, and deal with her mother issues and baggage. It was a bit insta-lovey, but it was definitely cute and so sweet.
I liked the dual perspective between Anya and Zander. Sometimes it doesn't work, but this time it did. It was nice to see things from both perspectives, especially with the whole crazy mother thing. The writing at times seemed a bit simple and didn't seem to flow well, but otherwise this was an easy read.
I did enjoy the reimagining of this story. Even without telling me that it was a contemporary Rapunzel, this was a cute story. It was a light, fluffy read, perfect for a summer day.
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Rachel Schieffelbein:
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.
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