This was a really fun Rapunzel retelling.
It reminded me a little bit of The Princess Bride as the actual Rapunzel part was made up by a brother telling his sister (who is in the hospital) a story. They would cut to their reactions sometimes.
The actual Rapunzel story was what would happen if the queen drank a potion made with moondrop flower instead of sundrop flower. Rapunzel killed the nursemaid the day she was born and was given to a witch who could help her understand her powers when she got older. The witch turned out to be Mother Gothel. A lot of the story is the same, but different. Rapunzel has different powers. Flynn is in it and there is another character Gina who I can't remember if she was in the movie or not. There was a different endgame for Mother Gothel and a lot of exploring done with Rapunzel's new powers.
This was definitely a really creative take on Rapunzel and I had a lot of fun reading it!

This is, I believe the 10th book in the series. I love Liz Brazwell's rendition of What Once Was Mine. She twists the tale Rapunzel. Instead of finding the flower that they need to help cure the ailing queen, Rapunzel is born with silver hair - the color of the moon, and the difference - it's dangerous to touch it! In this version, the king and queen make the decision to send their daughter off to protect their kingdom. This story is full of adventure and follows in with the rest of the series for being very enjoyable.

My daughter absolutely loves these books and this one was such a good addition to the series. Great twist and kept me engaged even as an adult. Definitely recommend!

Rapunzel is without a doubt my favorite Disney princess. This story was beautifully told and only reinforced my true love for this character. Liz Braswell has another hit on her hands in this series. I purchased this as soon as it came out! I will be collecting them all.

Even though it changes pretty much the entire plot of Tangled, this was a cute reimagining of the story. I listened to this as an audiobook with Rachel Kimsey as a narrator, and that was a really fun way to experience the book (even though some of the dialogue and squealing was over the top).

I think reading vs listening to this book was a very different experience, because tbh I was not super focused on the writing style and (as some other people have pointed out) awkward similes and metaphors. I’m also struggling what to classify this book as — it’s not really Middle Grade because of the mature-ish content and themes but it has a very childish feel. Either way, it was a quick listen as a played a game on my phone for hours.

Overall this is a solid story if you want some more Tangled in your life. I’m now off to rewatch the movie.

Finally, a Twisted Tale I actually enjoyed! I think a lot of this series drags on a bit and are unnecessarily long - but I was drawn into this story immediately and really loved it!

I think I loved the realistic backdrop, of someone telling this story. It provided some much needed breaks from the action-packed book.

Retellings, or reimaginings, can be so difficult - as they will always be compared to the original work. And I think this one definitely pays homage to the original work and characters, but still felt like an original work.

The Twisted Tales series seems to be hit or miss for me. Even though I was unable to connect to this particular story, I will still keep an eye out for others in the series. Also, I would definitely recommend it to readers of YA who enjoy different types of retellings of their favorite Disney stories.

There is something about Disney retellings that just really make my heart so so happy. I think Liz Braswell in particular is one of my favorite authors in this series of retellings. I enjoy her writing style immensely and also how the story jumped back and forth. Overall I think that this was an exciting read that any fan of Disney or tangled in particular would enjoy. It truly was such a fresh and fun idea.

Cute but too incredibly long.
You had to get a third of the way through the book before she even left the tower.

Liz Braswell always gives a great story that twists what we already know. Her "what if" questions always take you to a point of hopelessness before pushing it through to a strong ending. This book was a ride for my emotions, and it will be perfect for any Disney loving person. The whole series is strong and I can't recommend them enough!

absolutely loved this twist on one of my favorite fairy tales, Rapunzel … “What Once Was Mine” by Liz Braswell was fabulous and cannot wait to read more!

We all know the story of Rapunzel from the Disney movie “Tangled”. But what if it was different? In this version, Rapunzel’s mom drinks a potion from the moon drop flower instead of the sun drop flower. So when Rapunzel is born, she has silver hair. And it does have powers…but not good powers. She ends up killing a maid. So for the safety of everyone in the kingdom, they hire mother gothel (still a villain) to raise Rapunzel and teach her how to control her powers. But we all know that mother gothel had a different plan.

I really enjoyed this different take on this classic story! I loved that we are introduced to a new character that is a badass woman who becomes good friends with Rapunzel! I think it was interesting to have Rapunzel learn how to control her hair/powers by learning the different phases of the moon. And I loved the inclusion of a real historical figure-lady Bathory!! Thank you to Netgalley, Liz braswell, and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

…this is quite possibly the worst retelling I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. I just…what? Why? What on earth was the author thinking? I am so…mindblowingly disappointed.

I really need to stop reading Liz Braswell books because I’m finding that I always get excited about them (because of the source material) and then I just can’t help feeling exceedingly annoyed at how terrible the “twist” and subsequent writing of the story is.

What even was the point of the outside, non-related characters in the hospital? This was such an utter waste of pages in the novel to begin with, but made even worse by how poorly written it all was. And then everything about the adaptation of the characters themselves? Forget having a decent time reading it when a book that’s supposed to be the same characters with twists to their stories ends up so far from their personalities that they’re not even recognizable.

And that child trafficking subplot? What the hell was Braswell thinking???? Not only was it an unreasonably poor decision to include in a young adult novel, it was poorly written (again) and deeply disturbing for literally no reason.

I just can’t believe how bad this book was.

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for a review copy of this book.

Unfortunately, as this book came with no content warnings, the last thing I expected, when reading this for a "comfort read" prompt, was for the book to immediately start with the topic of terminal illness. I was confused, as the names did not match the fairytale, and went to the author's note in the back, only to immediately see more on the same topic. Please, please, please, authors, put content warnings in your books. This could be a great book, just one that I would not have requested.

As an educator, I will always recommend the Twisted Tale series to my students. Liz Braswell’s take on Rapunzel is another successful flipped take on what would happen if the story was changed.

Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel: long hair, trapped in a tower, escapes and meets Flynn, magical lanterns flying in the sky. But what would happen if Rapunzel was CONVINCED that her hair is poison and anyone who touches it will immediately die? When she was a baby, the queen and king were devastated with a maids death and had to send their baby daughter away. Of course, the evil mother steps in to watch over R in a tower and keep her safe from all harm. But, the Princess cannot stay in her tower for the whole story and meets friends who turn her world upside down.

Being told as a story being read to a cancer patient, What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell was a delightful story that will make young readers continue to fall in love with these books. I wish that Rapunzel would’ve grown more spunk and not been as crazy with her hair discovery throughout the later half of the story.

See review for audiobook. It is the same review. I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun story and interesting take.

Running, adventuring, meeting witches and human demons, seeing violence firsthand and learning about life. Disney’s New York Times Best-Selling A Twisted Tale Series continues to grow and enchant its readers, while also appearing to get darker.

The series, renowned for twisting well-known Disney stories and giving them alternate taglines or driving plot points to their traditional Disney counterparts, invites readers on an all-new adventure alongside classic characters they know and love. The real intrigue of these stories is that they indulge in darker fairytales which perhaps target a slightly older (middle grade and up) audience.

What Once Was Mine is the twelfth book and newest addition to the series (a full list of the books in this series can be found at the bottom of this article). Written by famed A Twisted Tale series author Liz Braswell, Rapunzel’s tale stays close to the original story framework and vibe of Disney’s Tangled, and yet adds an arguably even more adventurous – and certainly darker – touch to the story. Original (and even historically-inspired) characters are a welcome addition and perhaps my favorite part of the story involves a fun twist on none other than Maximus, the Corona Kingdom Guard’s most faithful steed.

The dark themes in this book are particularly striking compared to earlier novels in the series. This is largely thanks to the involvement of Countess Bathory who is in fact based on the infamous Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer. In real life, Bathory is rumored to have bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth. In What Once Was Mine, this fact is shared with Rapunzel who spends some time in Bathory’s castle. Bathory is a fun albeit surprising addition to the story.

Another darker theme transpires through Rapunzel’s “murder hair” and its power to harm rather than to heal. (It is also an intriguing moon silver color rather than the sunshine gold locks we are familiar with in the film.) Baby Rapunzel accidentally kills a nurse and thus she is whisked away to her tower under Gothel’s care. Later in the story, Gothel forces Raps to kill a chicken to remind her why it is not safe for her to leave the tower. If murder isn’t dark enough, coercion to kill certainly is. While this sounds particularly grim for our protagonist, it triggers an interesting journey in seeing how Rapunzel learns about and uses her magic – thanks to her friends and one very kind and quirky witch.

While there are relatively few major plot point differences between What Once Was Mine and Disney’s Tangled (Rapunzel is still a girl in a tower with magical hair dreaming of a great escape to see the floating lights), there is a greater sense of adventure, personal discovery and more characters to love in Braswell’s book. This is largely what makes it worth reading for any Tangled fan. There is a more detailed forest adventure sequence and, as all great books adapted from films (and vice versa) should do, the relationships between key characters are further explored. An interesting shift in character dynamic is also added with the introduction of Gina who transforms the Raps-Rider dynamic duo into a fun-loving trickster trio.

Another interesting aspect to this book is that it captures a story-within-a-story. The “outer” story is a young boy is telling his sister his version of Rapunzel’s tale while his sister is receiving cancer treatment in a hospital. The “inner” story is Rapunzel’s tale. The epilogue tells us that both outer and inner stories were inspired by the author’s younger sister who survived cancer. Braswell explains that following treatment, her sister opted for a silver wig which was complimentary to Games of Thrones’ Khaleesi’s style. Thus, Raps’ silvery locks were born, which makes for a special, deeply personal connection between author and story.

What Once Was Mine satisfies the series’ demand for a mix of young adult and adult themes to keep fans of all ages interested and involved. Pearls of wisdom abound (“[y]ou can’t step into the same tower or goat farm twice; for it is not the same goat farm or tower, and you are not the same person”) and Braswell’s contemplative storytelling is complimented by typical themes like teamwork, friendship, and pursuing unrealized dreams. Interesting questions also arise from ideals of motherhood and power that were left comparatively untouched by the Disney film.

What Once Was Mine is a worthy and compelling twelfth addition to the New York Times Best-Selling series. A Twisted Tale fans will not be disappointed, and I expect that Tangled fans will be pleasantly surprised by the magic Braswell weaves in this book.

For newcomers, please check out the below list of books in the series to date. Note that there is no narrative connection or continuation between each of the books, so they do not have to be read collectively or sequentially to be enjoyed. As standalone stories they shine and this is thanks to Disney, the authors, and the enchanting twists therein.

This series really depends on the author and how the fairytale is twisted but I enjoyed this one! The beginning was a bit slow but the writing fit the story! I hope this series continues!

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If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I absolutely LOVE Disney’s Twisted Tales. I just love how they take a beloved story and turn it around, giving it a new life. So when I saw What Once Was Mine on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it. I just wish it had met my expectations.

WHAT ONCE WAS MINE REVIEW
This is the first time I haven’t particularly cared for one of the Twisted Tales books. I’ve loved every other book I’ve read from the series and I own about half of the series. But for some reason this one just didn’t give me the same happy feeling I had with the other ones.

I am thinking that the reason for this is that What Once Was Mine has a different format to how the story is laid out. Instead of just starting from the beginning of the actual Disney version of the story, this one starts out in the “real” world. In this Twisted Tale, the twisted version of the tale is being told to a girl by her twin brother. I don’t think this would have bothered me quite as much if it weren’t for the fact that the girl will occasionally interject and disrupt the flow of the story. While I understand this meant to help convey the fact that the story is being told to her, it is rather annoying to have the flow of the story just interrupted.

Other than that, I found the story to be rather boring. It just wasn’t holding my interest and it took me a while to actually read the book. I couldn’t get behind the characters and the plot just wasn’t doing it for me.

I’ll buy it to complete my collection but I doubt I’d re-read it any time soon. Maybe if I re-read it in the future I’ll like it more, but right now, it’s a 3 star for me.

I love this series! Yes it is a series of sorts but each book follows a different characters story so you don’t have to read them in any sort of order. This one follows Rapunzel and I loved the differences in her magic. Her mother drank a potion from the moon drop flower by mistake which gave Rapunzel very different powers which change with the phases of the moon. The story is also being told by an older brother to his little sister during her chemo treatments. After watching the movie and reading all the books a hundred times he decides to tell the story with a twist. This was an excellent book that focuses on believing in yourself and also has a lot of feminist ideas sprinkled throughout. It was exactly what I needed to read Rn and I will be gushing about this book for months and trying to persuade friends and family to read it.