Towering by Alex Flinn (review)

Title:       Towering
Author:    Alex Flinn


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. 




Repunzel, Repunzel
Let down your hair!


Alex Flinn has done it again. Another successful fairy tale retelling.


As you can tell by the beautiful cover this is a retelling of Repunzel. Again Alex Flinn has told this from dual perspectives of the main characters Rachel (Repunzel) and Wyatt, and I liked both characters instantly. Rachel, stuck in a tower since she was a child, yet not disheartened or anything because of it. Wyatt, a down to earth boy, also not cursing the world because he was sent to live with a creepy old lady his mum used to know.

While reading this I found I don't really know the original fairy tale. I can see a cartoon playing in my head but it's so long ago that I don't remember it at all. (Best remedy that soon)

I found the writing easy to follow, simple yet not, you know, too simple. It was so easy to imagine everything throughout the telling without being confused.

Ok so this book did have a few negatives, for example I had worked out the plot, the who, the how, and I was left thinking just hurry up and make it all come out please so I can get on with the end. That is never a good thing, to want a book to hurry and get on with it, I should always be left wondering what's going to happen next and be eager to read it.

I liked that Rachel had the ability to see her future self being rescued but I would have liked more of a reason as to why she had this ability. Instead of just 'oh we need this for the story', that's how it felt to me anyway.

But with that it is still an enjoyable retelling, just not perfect.