ROOTBOUND

A month after the events of the Disney movie Tangled (2010), Rapunzel is struggling to adjust to her new court life despite the care of two loving parents.

When an invitation arrives for the newly rescued princess to visit the kingdom of Astera, she jumps at the possibility of adventure. The archipelago of Astera is isolated and mysterious and has been cut off from contact with the outside world for years. Rapunzel, along with love interest Eugene, who accompanies her, discovers a conspiracy that lies deep at the heart of the kingdom. Owen brings a realistic depth to the ways that Rapunzel interprets the world through the eyes of an artist; she uses sketching and painting as ways to both cope with and interpret life. Astera is a fully realized and interesting world, from its systems of infrastructure and government to local customs. The author touches on Rapunzel’s recovery from the trauma of abuse with care. Eugene and Rapunzel have their own personal concerns when it comes to what they see and experience in Astera, but they still manage to work together well and inspire each other to grow. Eugene’s characterization expands beyond that of the source material and the chapters, which follow the white-presenting leads’ third-person points of view, shed light on his search for the truth about his birth parents. Readers should be familiar with the movie to fully appreciate this story.

A well-executed expansion on the world of a beloved animated film.