Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon: A Tangled Novel Hardcover – September 5, 2017

Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon by Leila Howland bridges the gap between the Tangled movie and the Tangled: Before Ever After special from the television series. The book was a pleasure to read because it was written in a way that anyone could enjoy, as long as they are at least at a middle school reading level. It is written in first person and switches between the perspectives of Rapunzel and Cassandra. I read the ebook version and found it very informative and enjoyable. I highly recommend it if you want to know more of the backstory behind the series.Rapunzel and the Last Logoon reveals all of the juicy details that were missing from the Tangled series about how Cassandra became Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting. Since half of the book is written from Cassandra's perspective, it answers a lot of questions we might have, such as why she seems to hate Eugene, why she trusts Rapunzel so much, and how she feels about her royal duties. As the daughter of the captain of the guard, Cassandra is a fierce warrior who is always trying to prove herself to the rest of the kingdom. Though not implicitly stated in the book, it seems that Cassandra feels she needs to work twice as hard as a woman to prove that she is just as capable of being captain as her father or any other man. She is obsessed with what people think about her to the point where it gets out of hand later. That is why she is reluctant to open up to anyone for fear of being judged. She thinks that she needs to be perfect all the time because there are no other women in the royal guard.Unfortunately, I didn't learn too much more about Rapunzel than I already knew because she is pretty much an open book. We already know her life story from Tangled. Since she trusts everyone, she readily speaks her mind no matter what the situation. Her thoughts and actions are usually pretty obvious. Just like in the series, she feels trapped in the castle and wants to go on adventures and see the world now that she's finally out of her tower. Rapunzel takes an instant liking to Cassandra, which influences her mother's decision in making Cassandra her lady-in-waiting. It takes quite a while for Rapunzel to break through Cassandra's heavily guarded exterior, but as usual, she sees the good in everyone, and they eventually become friends. Cassandra sees Rapunzel's overly trusting nature as a flaw, but Rapunzel never ends up trusting any of the wrong people. To be honest, it would have been more interesting if Rapunzel had trusted the wrong person and learned a lesson at the end, but that would have overshadowed Cassandra's need to learn how to trust.I found that constantly switching between Rapunzel and Cassandra's perspective in each character was a bit distracting. Since the chapters were so short that I found myself forgetting whose perspective I was reading. I think the book would have worked better if it had been written in the third person or switched perspectives halfway through instead of every other chapter. Though the two are very different in personality, the writing style doesn't change in each switch so it can be a little jarring if you're trying to read quickly. It doesn't help that Rapunzel and Cassandra are usually in the same place doing the same thing in each chapter.One thing I found interesting about this book is that Eugene played a very small role in the story. Tangled was one of the last romantic princess movies of this era, and Disney has been trying to focus more on sisterly love than romantic love as of late. If Eugene served any purpose, it was to stand as a wedge between Rapunzel and Cassandra's friendship. Even in the series shorts, Rapunzel makes it clear that she cares about Eugene and Cassandra equally and wishes they could get along instead of constantly competing for her trust. That was the main focus of this novel. Rapunzel nearly loses Cassandra's trust because of her relationship with Eugene, so she must put her romantic relationship on the backburner in order to earn Cassandra's friendship. The book shows us that the love we have for our friends is just as important as the love we have for our significant other.Overall, Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon was a pleasure to read. It answered most of the questions people might have after watching the series and shed new light on Cassandra's personality. It also showed that Disney is placing less focus on romance in modern times, even for characters who are already partnered up. The book was long enough to be enjoyable for an older audience, but not too advanced for a younger audience. The only thing that was a little distracting was the switching perspectives.

Remember Rapunzel? She was a Grimm’s Brother’s princess locked in a tower and rescued by a prince willing to climb her long golden tresses to rescue her. Ever wonder what happened to the princess when released from her prison?Wonder no more. Leila Howland solved the dilemma in her creative fairy tale revival, Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon.Rapunzel’s savior was Eugene, who returns her home to the grateful king and queen of Corona. But, to protect their daughter from becoming a prisoner again, they hire a lady-in-waiting to teach her the intricacies of royal living—sitting, drinking tea, eating, and of course walking.However, Rap’s lady-in-waiting is a feminist warrior with little interest in embroidery or preparing the perfect muffins for tea. Cassandra, the daughter of the captain of the guard wants only to become a soldier for the Corona Guard and protect the kingdom from invaders. Rap is delighted, for she secretly wants Cass to teach her how to handle a sword or throw a lance.Tension builds between Cass, who does not trust Eugene (he used to be a thief). Also, a heartwarming friendship blooms between Cass and Rap that is tested throughout the story. One day, the young women stumble upon a mysterious lagoon that may hold the key to the kingdom’s greatest power. It’s up to Rap and Cass to figure out the mystery before a sinister force learns it first.Author Leila Howland does a superb job of upstaging the Grimm’s Brothers’ fairytale as she shows readers the true personality behind the Rapunzel legend. The story Howland tells in Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon will keep readers motivated as they thumb through an excellent read. It is also the first in Howland’s Tangle Novel series.Michael Thal is the author of the Koolura Series.

LOVE this book and excited for the books that are going to follow it! It's a more mature (I use that term loosely - its still written for children, but an adult can enjoy it as well) and refreshing take on the story. I love being able to get in the heads of these characters. Cannot wait for Vanishing Village, where I hope Eugene has a more prominent role in!

This book is aimed at kids, yes, but Rapunzel fans of any age will enjoy the perspectives this book shares! Each chapter alternates from Rapunzel’s point of view to Cassandra’s! It’s unique in that you get to see what these characters are thinking, unlike the third person perspective in the show.

A thrilling tale of Rapunzel meeting Casandra. My children adored this story! I found this story wonderful, even if it was terribly slow at times. My children are not at an age where they can read this themselves, but we read a chapter each night. I highly recommend it, just be prepared for some long drawn out moments.

One of my 8 year old's favorite books. She has re-read it multiple times. It was the only book of hers that she asked me to read so we could talk about it together. I did - and I loved it too. Entertaining and Engaging. Can't wait for the next one.

This was such a fun read and I love how it's based on the show-- Tangled: the Series / Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. EVERYONE should watch the show!!!

Cool Rapunzel and Cassandra story: gives a good look into their motivations and backgrounds, especially Cassandra, who was basically introduced here!