Towering by Alex Flinn

GoodReads Summary: At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother...until now.

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Expected publication date: 14/05/13

Towering is an enchantingly dark re-telling of Rapunzel with a modern twist.

The story opens with a clash of modern and fairytale-esq scene setting. Trapped in a tower she's never left Rachel reads classics and wonders what the world outside her confinement is like. Alternately, Wyatt checks his cell phone for reception as he exits a train and steps into the small, isolated town of Slakkill.

My favourite aspect of this book was the mystery. Flinn creates a creepy, and desolate atmosphere that adds to the overall tone of the story and immediately sucks you in. After a devastating incident, Wyatt is  sent to live with Mrs Greenwood, his mothers childhood best friends mum. Upon arrival he finds the journal of Mrs Greenwood's long lost daughter, Dani. Using this journal he tries to piece together the mystery behind Dani's disappearance - all the while questioning his sanity. Did he really just see Dani's ghost? Why can he hear singing that no one else can? What secrets lie in the town of Slakkill?

Flinn throws a bunch of questions at the reader, which makes for an interesting and unpredictable read. You wonder why Rachel's 'mama'  keeps her trapped in a tower, and question how she fits into the puzzle Wyatt is trying to solve. Plus, you know as the reader that the two will unite at some point...

...and when they finally do, there is definitely some insta-love between the pair. Not long after meeting they declare their love for each other. The romance was very cheesy, and when Wyatt called Rachel darling or other terms of endearment it kind of made me cringe. However, because the driving force for me, was the mystery, the insta-love didn't bother much as much as it usually does.

Ever since I saw Beastly (the movie) I've been curious about Flinn's books. Towering is a quick read with a solid writing style and an interesting mystery. 

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