Modern Rapunzel Retelling

What if Rapunzel found herself ensnared in a perilous cult, while Flynn Ryder was caught up in the foster care system? How would fate still bring them together and lead them to the lives they yearn for?

Zella has dutifully adhered to the Program her whole life, never questioning Mother’s decision to shield her from the world since birth. As the inaugural “Child of the Lighthouse,” she has always borne the burden of setting an example for the others—be thankful, be subservient. However, after seventeen solitary years locked away in her tower, it becomes increasingly challenging to suppress her clandestine—and forbidden—desires for a normal existence, despite the looming risks. She yearns for liberation in secrecy.

Ryder has lost count of the number of “families” he has been passed around to throughout the years. Shuffled from one home to another for as long as he can remember, he remains unimpressed by the opulence of his latest foster family’s mansion or the prestigious new school they have enrolled him in. They may be putting on a façade of friendliness, but their true colors will inevitably emerge. Fortunately, he only needs to endure a bit longer until he turns eighteen and can finally break free.

A single transformative night alters the course for Zella and Ryder, intertwining the paths of these two dreamers and granting them a glimpse of what genuine freedom could mean.

This haunting yet enchanting contemporary reimagining of the Rapunzel tale we hold dear presents a fresh perspective on finding love and liberty in unexpected places.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains material that may be triggering for some readers, including: parental abuse, cult elements, instances of coerced self-harm, and verbal sexual harassment involving a minor. Approach with caution.

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