I might have enjoyed this more if I had been the target audience (aka younger) but as it was, I was pretty indifferent to it. The writing isn't bad and seems to fit the voice of the characters pretty well, which I appreciated. More than anything, what was hard to get behind was the story, especially since even at the end, I'm still not sure what the heck was magical about the lagoon in such a way that was so goshdarn important they keep it hidden and a secret.

I didn't much care for Cass all that much, she was very distrustful and generally pouty. She was making a much bigger deal out of never telling anyone anything and her fear of banishment and obcession with discovering the secret of the lost lagoon and 'protecting the kingdom' than necessary. I wonder if she's better in the t.v. show?

Strongly disliked Deliah - she was super annoying and honestly more suspicious than the actual bad guy.

What the heck was up with the owls drying Rapunzel's hair? Kinda bizarre addition there but okay.

The whole 'Winged Beast' thing was dumb. The way that maneuver was described and then finally executed just didn't seem like it would really work quite so well. All I could think of, however different the two, was the Iron Lotus from Blades of Glory.

incredibly empowering book for young girls that shows them that you don't HAVE to be a princess or where pretty dresses and wait around for the princes!

I wish that I'd liked this book more than I did. It was okay, but, not as amazing as the singing dancing movie.

For the most part, it was about Rapunzel and Cassandra. And its point of view switched chapter to chapter between the two. Cassandra is a new character in the universe. She's the daughter of the Captain of the Guard and she too wants to be a guard, but, because she's a girl she's not being allowed. But, she's made maps of the whole kingdom and is a whiz with weapons and moves and such. They meet and then Cassandra becomes Rapunzel's sort of friend when Rapunzel finds a book that claims to know about some kingdom altering sort of place, the Lost Lagoon. And they're off on their adventure.

From there, unfortunately, the middle had a lot of what seemed like treading water, but then right near the very end it did pick up again, and for the most part, I did like the ending.

Honestly, my biggest annoyance with the book was the apparent lesbian subtext that screamed at me from the pages re: Cassandra and Rapunzel. I understand that that was not what was supposed to be, they were supposed to be friends, but, it was there on so many levels that I couldn't just not see it. We each read a book differently, and, I saw subtext. I have no doubt that those who this is supposed to be for, kids/teens much younger than me maybe won't see it the same way.

Overall it was a fun book, I just wish that some of the meandering in the middle had been taken out.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of Disney Book Group

For fans of twisted fairy tales, Disney. and Peter and the Starcatchers series. Recommended for library collections with a strong demand for juvenile fantasy and fairy tales.

I have not seen the movie or show that this book is based on, but I think that children who are familiar with the show will enjoy the book.

Rapunzel is on another quest in this book. The cover art was beautiful and the story was good. The writing not always fluid and sometimes a little difficult to keep interested. But it was a cute story and loved the new characters. Would recommend.

Set in the world of Disney's Tangled, this middle grade chapter book revisits the familiar characters from the movie in a wholesome story of friendship and belonging. The perspective switches back and forth between Rapunzel and her new lady in waiting Cassandra (who would really prefer to be in the Guard). They both come to value their own strengths and to support one another. This book is suited for readers in grades 3-5 and the movie connection might lure in more reluctant readers. I would be happy to include this book in my classroom library and I expect students will pick it up for independent reading!

My daughter whom is 8 years old read this book and will be writing the review for the book.
Oh my gosh the story is right after the movie. I mean seriously like right after the movie ends. I love Rapunzel she is like me and has a hard time trying to figure out where she fits in the world. Than there is Cass I think that's her name and she is so fun and like me too because she doesn't like all the girlie stuff that sister likes. She wants to be a guard and that is awesome.
I loved the friendship in the book and how you can be anything you want to be even if your a girl. I can't wait to read the next book.
Thank you to who ever gave my mom this book it was the best and I can't wait to read more.
Likes: Girls can be any one they want to be if they work hard. Girls can be princesses and be strong and fight for what is right.
Dislikes: NOTHING!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a Advance Copy.

I love disney. I love repuzel. I love fairy tales and adventures. I love the fact the lost lagoon mixes all these together! Its even based on the new tangled ever after series which i adore! This is a must read for princess who are ready to move on from beging chapter books.

If this wasn't set in the Tangled universe it would've actually been a little better. The story was fun, but having to tie it back to Tangled felt slightly forced. I do think that both fans and those who have never seen the movie or show will still like it.

This is the beginning of a series about what happened after the initial Tangled movie, but before the wedding of Eugene and Rapunzel. Overall, this was a fun middle grade read. There's a new character named Cassandra who essentially fulfills the role of co-protagonist. Daughter of the captain of the royal guard, she wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps, though she must overcome gender discrimination from her father, who wants her to fill a more traditional and admittedly safer role for a woman in the kingdom. Rather predictably, she is inserted into just such a role when she becomes Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting. What ensues is an unlikely friendship, where Cass resists being pigeonholed by her new title while Rapunzel, who is in dire need of experience in forming friendships with human beings, strives for acceptance in odd and charmingly naive ways.

There's an added component to the story where the two decide to uncover the mysterious origins of a secret location they discover, but it's more of a friendship building story than anything else. Rapunzel is trying hard to win Cass over from the moment that they meet, while Cass views Rapunzel as a hindrance to her plans to ascend the ranks of the royal guard. While Cass and Rapunzel build a relationship, they also inadvertently uncover clues about the origins of the Lost Lagoon, and play right into the hands of a dastardly trickster who wants the use the lagoon for evil.

Honestly, while this book will probably meet with the expectations of much of its intended audience, I was disappointed with the general flow of the story. The book is broken into three parts, but I don't think that was necessary. There was no significant event that signaled a need for a narrative pause. At the end of part one, there was this strange interlude section that seemed like what might be presented as a montage, if this were a movie. It was clunky, like a rapid-fire series of mini video diaries in a reality show. That brings me to the other part of the presentation that disrupted the flow. The book was written from two first person points of view, akin to what Rick Riordan has been doing in his series of late.

However, in Riordan's books, the story from multiple perspectives allows him to reimagine the scenes in other ways, and offer broader insights that change how a reader initially experienced an event. It adds suspense to the story, and allows the reader to experience the story from varied narratives. That wasn't the case here. The story wasn't action-based like a Riordan adventure. This story was more dialogue-driven, and for most of the story the dialogue was exclusively between Rapunzel and Cass. There wasn't a lot of nuance in seeing a conversation told by one versus the other. More than anything, it led to my having to backtrack to discover who was narrating from first-person at any given moment. I'd frequently ask myself, who is the "I" that said that? It failed to enrich the experience, and the book could've been more succinct without it.

All together, the plot was satisfying enough for younger middle grade readers to enjoy, but as an adult reader, I wish this had been more thoroughly edited. The narrative suffered from an ill-fitting structure.

Lost my interest in reading this book and even try to finish it... I need to slow down on my requests this year but so many good sounding books at first!

A fun & light read. It's reads a lot like the movie. The focus is on a different aspect of Rapunzel's life - about adjusting to her position and mostly about a new friendship. The tone is light and great for beginning (& older) readers who enjoyed the movie.

Fans of the Tangled movie and Disney Channel series are going to love this book. The characters we were introduced to through that enchanting movie and Mandy Moore bringing Rapunzel to life continue on in this heartwarming story.

In true Disney fashion we are treated to a lively and entertaining book with bright characters that leap off the pages and provide a story that has the ability to both educate and entertain.

It's a must buy for anyone who loves the movie and wants some more background on Rapunzel's life, her family and friends. My daughters, who are huge fans of the Tangled movie and series, loved this book!