Zel

Rating:
Summary: This book is not bad for children!
Review: I am writing this review because of LClarke's complaints about this book. Yes I would not reccommend giving this book to all children, but it does not contain premarital sex. I can see how that may be misleading, but Zel and Konrad actually gave each other their vows before sleeping together. Just becuase they weren't married in a church or a synagogue with a big ceremony doesn't mean that they weren't married. This same situation is showed in John Steinbeck's story The Pearl;the two main characters were never married in a church, but they were married in their hearts and loved each other very much. Konrad and Zel were married by sharing vows, so this book does not encourage premarital sex. I can definatly understand why a parent with young children would not want to read this story with adult concepts in it to them as a bedtime story.In my opinion, this book is for an audience of 12 and above. I hope that LClarke will read this review and change her mind about giving this book to her daughter, becuase it is a beautiful story about love and how it can drive people to the two extremes of this powerful emotion.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: Zel is a good book, in my personal opion. If you're looking for a passionate love story, this is good. But don't read it if you want a wonderful happily ever after book, because they do have a happy ever after, but its not the big great kind. Also, it based on Rapunzel, but its better than the original fairy tall. Each of the chapters is from one of three person's point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Warning
Review: Do not give this to your daughter as I was about to do, unless you want to encourage premarital sex. I was very disapointed that a potentially good story had to be ruined with values I so strongly disagree with.

Rating:
Summary: Great Story
Review: I really liked this book. It is a great rendition of the original Rupunzel story. If you love fairy tales, you should read it. It is great, and the ending is so happy!!!

Rating:
Summary: I will always be grateful that I read this book
Review: I wavered on the prospect of buying this book for at least a month before finally purchasing it, simply because I wasn't sure if I would be getting a "kid's book" that would interest me or a more mature novel. Because Donna Jo Napoli's books are mostly listed as "young adult," and because some of her other titles, such as "Soccer Shock" and "Shark Shock" looked like "kids' books," I kept putting this recommendation aside.

I wanted to read fairy tales, but not Disney-style, written for children with children's themes. I was (and am) interested in the adult side to these tales, but every time I would search Amazon.com for fairy tales, this was one of the first recommendations. Eventually, I succumbed, and I am unbelievably grateful.

"Zel" is one of the finest novels I have read, period. Napoli's fierce command over language, tone, content, setting and narrative prose shines so brightly in this book that I re-read it every day for three weeks just to absorb it all.

Zel, of course, is the story of Rapunzel, but as with most of Napoli's work, the details have been rearranged. Zel's love of life is corraled by her mother, who loves her daughter so much that she can't bear the thought of losing her to anyone or anything. And besides, Mother is a witch.

The character of Mother is a careful, powerful description of a woman in torment, as well as the crushing ability of love. Her internal struggles take root in the very fundamental question of evil: why do bad things happen? In Mother's case, the "bad thing" is her inability to have children. The desire is so intense that her barreness drives her away from God (at one point, she asks how He could make her want one so badly and yet not let her have one). She is unconcerned with selling her soul for the powers that allow her to acquire a child.

Mother has a need to both justify her actions and suffer for them. The increasing amount of control she imposes over her daughter - to the point that Zel is locked in a tower - drives both Mother and Zel to madness, but while Zel's madness is born from loneliness and isolation, Mother's is driven from guilt and fear. Mother works to bring her daughter wonderful gifts -- which Napoli describes in a way I've yet to see another author master, through patient mentions of foods, receipes, and other basic goods -- yet knows as she delivers them that Zel doesn't want them.

Konrad is the impetus for placing Zel in the tower. Zel's chance meeting with the 15 year-old count arouses all the fear Mother has of her child growing up and leaving her - as well as loving anyone besides her. But Mother can't control Konrad, who seeks Zel out everyday.

The alternating views -- between Mother, Zel and Konrad -- keep the book balanced with everyone's viewpoint. Mother is kept from being a black-hat villain because she can tell her story and therefore allow the reader to understand. Of course, you have to cheer for the young lovers, but despite the ending, I could sympathize with Mother's position.

Napoli doesn't shy away from adult situations -- including sex -- but she handles them tastefully and powerfully. "Zel" has themes that I don't think younger children or even younger teenagers can entirely grasp. It certainly isn't a novel to keep kids away from, in my opinion, but it is strong in nature.

The final paragraph is perhaps the most powerful of the entire novel, and it's probably why I keep rereading. Those are always the best kinds of books, I think; the ones that _make_ you read them again. I would recommend Zel to everyone except the very young. This book has caused me to gobble up nearly every book by Donna Jo Napoli, and for that, I will always be grateful to Amazon.com, who continued to recommend it no matter how many times I ignored it.

Rating:
Summary: split perspective makes for tickled tummies
Review: i loved this book, i have read it 3 times and am actually in the midst of reading it now...recommended to anyone who likes fairy tales.

Rating:
Summary: The way Rapunzel was meant to be told
Review: "Zel" was excellent. Incredible, amazing. What can I say? It was the best "fairy tale" I've ever read.

It tells the story of an almost 13 year old mountain girl, named Zel. She lives in a secluded cabin with her mother, who loves her greatly. One day, when Zel and her mother go to town, Zel meets a wealthy boy, Konrad, and she can't stop thinking about him. When her mother finds out, she takes Zel away to a tower, where she's locked up. She believes her mother is keeping her safe from an evil person, as she told her. But Zel nearly goes crazy - she wants to see people, she wants to live her life.

This book is told by 3 characters: Zel, her mother, and Konrad. It was very emotional, and I'd recommend it for ages 12 and up. Be sure to read the other books by Napoli!

Rating:
Summary: Finally, the story of Rapunzel gets some depth!
Review: One thing that's always bothered me about fairy tales is that we never know anything about the characters. In Zel, we follow several years of Zel's life before she's locked in the tower and we find out, in a story format, exactly why the "wicked witch" locks poor Rapunzel in a tower. Also, Donna Jo Napoli always gives the female protagonists in her stories personality and spunk. Zel tries to rescue herself, instead of waiting for a vailiant prince to save her from her tower prison. Anyone who loves fairy tales, but wants to know more about the characters behind them, should definetly check out Napoli's work.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: Zel is written wonderfully. The way the author decribes everything is so intriuging. I am now thirteen but, I read the book when I was eleven. The way Donna Jo Napoli explains how the wicked witch got Zel captured my attention so much I couldn't put it down. Although the prince is a little stuck up (I thought) he still has the heart to do away with the witch and rescue Zel. It is a great book and I just loved it!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: Zel is great book! Donna Jo Napoli pulls off a successful retelling of Repunzel. This book matains the classic fairy tale but has modern realism to it.