What if Rapunzel's mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?The Twisted Tales this time revisit the tale of Rapunzel-specifically, Disney's animated feature Tangled with elements from the TV spinoff included. In this version, a peasant brings a different sort of flower to save the ailing, pregnant queen: the Moondrop flower as opposed to the traditional Sundrop, which has magical, healing properties. The mix-up changes things a little bit: Rapunzel grows long, silver hair that imbues her with the power to kill, rather than heal. For the safety of the kingdom, little Rapunzel is tucked away in her tower and watched over by the duplicitous Mother Gothel. Of course, Rapunzel yearns for freedom and finds it in escaping her tower and traveling the countryside with handsome rogue Flynn Rider and a young woman named Gina. The trio investigates the secrets of Rapunzel's magical hair while Gothel and other villainous characters hunt them down. The action is crisp, and the characters are well rendered; one small drawback is the book's inability to break free of Tangled's (admittedly airtight) structure despite the series' promise of twists. Regardless, the read remains compelling, and the author effectively captures the balance of enthusiasm and longing that makes Rapunzel such a beloved Disney princess. Die-hard fans will thrill, and, at the end of the day, that's what really matters. Main characters read as White.An engaging redressing of a near bulletproof tale. (Fantasy. 12-16)

Gr 6 Up The 12th book in the "A Twisted Tale" series asks: If Rapunzel's mother accidentally drank a potion from the Moondrop flower instead of the Sundrop, how would Tangled have gone? Rapunzel grows long silver hair and develops powers that hurt rather than heal. To protect the kingdom, she's locked away in a tower under the care of Mother Gothel. When Rapunzel finally escapes the tower, she runs into Flynn Rider and a woman named Gina, and together they investigate Rapunzel's mysterious hair while running from Mother Gothel. The book takes on Tangled 's tight pacing and action sequences, which isn't as twisty as the series name implies, but ultimately provides a fun time for fans. Characters cued white. VERDICT A fun, if not particularly standout, reimagining of a beloved story.