Book Review: Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin (no spoilers)

Book: Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
Author: Liesl Shurtliff
Publication: April 9th, 2013
Source: Local Library
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary (From Goodreads):

In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

My Thoughts:

Rump was such an amazing novel. Words can't even describe how brilliant this novel was. Rump was full of mystery, suspense, and a boy on an adventure to find his destiny.

After I first heard of this book I knew I had to read. I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. After reading it I'm so glad I did. I have to admit I couldn't really remember the original tale of Rumpelstiltskin although once I started to read the novel it all came back to me.

A girl who is trapped in a tower who is forced to spin straw to gold before she will ever be let go. All because of one boy. That boy is Rump. Rump was an amazing character and very unpredictable. Rump was an easy character to cheer for. I wanted him to succeed, but the author always put doubt into my mind. In the next moment I would be back to thinking maybe he could get his happy ending. Rump tells the story of why he only knows half of his name. How his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother. Rump grows up in a village where food is scarce and his only friend is a girl named Red. Red was also an amazing character. She was witty and smart. She was not afraid to speak her mind. That is why many people in the village didn't understand Red. Rump gravitated to her since he had nobody else.

Rump sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the rest of his name and his destiny since names are directly tied to destiny. Along the way he meets many other fairy tale creatures such as trolls and pixies. All things come to help Rump find his destiny.

I especially liked Rump's rhyming. He would get bored and he would make up rhymes. Rump's aunts were also played a key role in Rump finding his name. They were overall funny characters that fed Rump until he was full. Ida, Hadel, and Balthilda are their names. They help Rump discover so many secrets about his life and his mother.

The miller, and the king were the villains of this tale. I hated them from the moment they were introduced in the novel. In a village so poor they only cared about themselves and gold. It is their greed that leads them and Rump into trouble.

Rump is an amazing novel. I loved every second I spent reading this book and was sad to have it come to an end. This book was very lighthearted with touches of darkness. I always enjoy a little darkness in fairy tale retellings. Shurtliff created a story where Rump was in deep trouble, but only he could untangle the mess. I enjoyed every moment it took him to come his ending. The cover of Rump is the most beautiful cover. I was attracted to this book first for the story and second for the cover. Rump was an amazing debut novel and I believe only great novels will come from this author. I highly recommend Rump. I think no matter how old we are our life can always use a little magic. Rump is a novel full of magic and how that magic can tangle up our lives.


Thanks for reading


Rachael