3,5⭐
For the first 30%, I couldn't get into this book - it was more of a world set-up, but when I got into it, I decided that it’s an amazing Tangled retelling!

Zella grew up in the Lighthouse, not only a building, but also an organization run by her mother - so her life only concentrated on it.
Ryder, on the other hand, is a foster child who finally gets a chance for a normal family. He knows he needs to be more careful since he’s not like other children his age. A series of unfortunate events leads to the point he’s on the run from the police, and he wants to hide in the lighthouse. He accidentally meets Zella - a girl who never tasted freedom, so he takes her out, showing the real world, breaking a few laws on the way, but making Zella realize what she had lost in all those years.

The first thing I noticed is how uneasy the cult thing made me, but I think it’s just personal. All of this made me love watching Zella discover the world, though. That was the start of her personal HEA, which was even more refined at the end of the book. Oh, and not forgetting Zella’s cat - Paxton - he was so adorable, and I loved him!! I also really enjoyed reading about Ryder and his struggles with foster care, so I loved watching him get the happy ending he absolutely deserved. Maybe he annoyed me at first, but I really connected with him over some time. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the plot twist all that much - I think it made the relationship between Ryder and Zella a bit weird for me.


I think it's a really great & short YA book, which isn't only about romance but also about finding a home. It made my heart swell a bit, so you definitely should try it if you love Tangled.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good fairytale retelling! The Lightkeepers is a Rapunzel retelling set in modern times where Rapunzel is part of an extremist cult where she is locked up out of fear of a (fake) virus that impacts children under 18 the most. She meets her travel companion for a night of freedom after starting to question the validity of the virus her ‘mother’ tells her about. CW: this story does involve foster care experiences, kidnapping, and near the end there is a gun pulled but not shot. This book also explores found family, finding yourself, coming of age, and all the children are safe by the end of the book btw. I enjoyed this retelling and how it explored the capacity people (even young people, stop underestimating teenagers) are capable of and resilience the world often demands of them. The journey of our two leads finding home was collectively heart wrenching and heartwarming.

Lightkeepers. Rapunzel. Retelling. Yes, yes, yes. I think almost everyone has heard this story at least once in their life. I finished this book literally in one day. I was fascinated by how comfortable it was for me. I enjoyed this fairy tale retelling as much as possible. 

Zella has spent her entire life in the Lighthouse, where she's protected from life's dangers. But her most exciting desire is to be free. Ryder is a boy who has a variety of families and the only thing he wants is to be eighteen years old. He wants to be free. (The conversations between them were amazing and there were some extremely cute moments between Zella and Ryder). Despite the fact that it is the retelling of an old children's fairy tale, this book covers significant topics like the relationship between children and parents. In addition, it also discusses how they should communicate with each other. These scenes touched my heart. If you like retellings, this will be your book. 

Some of the plot twists made me wonder what might happen next. Thank you NetGalley and Kennedy Plumb for the book, which gave me hours of enjoyment.

The book cover is absolutely gorgeous. I am a big fan of Rapunzel, and this book did not disappoint. It was a roller coaster of an adventure, but I had a great time.

OMG, y'all. I am so shook by how much I loved this book. I couldn't put it down and tore through it in less than a day (oops). What a fun parallel of the original film! Plumb has the characters' personalities, relationships, and overall feel of the story down to an absolute tee and I loved watching the story unfold all over again in such a fresh, clever, lovable way. If you are a fan of Tangled (especially if you enjoy YA), you MUST give Lightkeepers a read. It's a masterclass in fantasy retelling and has set the bar impossibly high for any others I may read in the future.

I cannot believe this book hasn't gotten more traction. I really hope more people discover this absolute gem of a book! It's YA lit at it's finest and I could not possibly recommend it more highly- to anyone, both fans of Tangled and people who don't even know the story (yet). This is a book I believe anyone could be completely enchanted by. An instant new favorite for me.

Thank you to Kennedy Plumb for the ebook, which I received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, retelling the story of Rapunzel in a modern world in a very believable way. The backgrounds of both Zella and Ryder made sense in the context of the characters even in the original story. It was very easy to read, and you become invested in the characters quite quickly, wanting to see how things will turn out for both of them separately and together. The twist in this book wasn't apparent at first, though I did guess before it was officially revealed, but even so, it was unexpected when you do figure it out. A really good YA book.

Lightkeepers is a modern retelling of the Disney movie Tangled told through a dual perspective narrative following our two main characters: Zella and Ryder. Seventeen-year-old Zella is trapped in a dangerous cult, kept in isolation in a lighthouse since birth as the first “Child of the Lighthouse” and the daughter of the program’s leader. Ryder is in the foster care system and has been moved around from family to family his entire life. One night, Ryder is seeking shelter and he climbs through the window of a remote lighthouse, straight into Zella’s bedroom. He introduces Zella to life outside the lighthouse and a connection starts to grow between the two of them.
The events of the story take place over the course of a matter of days so the book is fast paced and relatively short but there’s still so much character development in both our protagonists. There is a wild twist at the end of the story which I really wasn’t expecting.
Breaking up each chapter is a page sharing something relating to the events of the chapter just gone, utilising a range of different forms of media. This includes documentation about the cult Zella is trapped in, newspaper reports, social media comment streams and little lists Ryder has made. This inclusion is very in keeping with the YA genre and does a wonderful job of supporting world building without taking too much away from the narrative.
Although this may be a retelling of a Disney story, it is quite dark and does covers some difficult subject matter. As a result of this, there are a number of important content warnings I want to signpost people to before reading and you can find these listed in my blog post.
Both Zella and Ryder are instantly loveable characters who are really genuine and easy to connect with. Between them a beautiful romance blossoms which is the perfect wholesome exploration of first love. Through Ryder’s story we get a really powerful insight into the American foster care system and I particularly enjoyed watching him grow and mature throughout the story.
This was my first experience of the world of fairy-tale retellings but I absolutely devoured the story in one sitting and it’s definitely got me hooked on the genre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

what a fun and delicious read!! this was amazing and wonderful and i'm so thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early! what a blessing! i love reading!!!!

I give this book a 3.6. While there was some great character development, Zella was too well-adjusted and knowledgeable about someone whose been in a cult her entire life and has never seen the outside world. Ryder on the other hand had a genuine and real narration. You can tell that Kennedy Plumb has experience with foster children and the system. And it's awesome that she is bringing attention to children in the foster system. The pacing of this book is very fast. Zella and Ryder didn't meet until around 40% through the book, and then everything after that takes place over a few days. One of the main reasons that I did not give this book a higher rating was that it took me almost until Zella and Ryder meet to get hooked in the book.

A modern day, YA retelling of Rapunzel. Zella grew up in the Lighthouse - both literally a lighthouse but also an organization run by her mother. She has never been outside and for a long time has not really questioned her life. Ryder is a foster kid who finally has a family he likes. However, he has to be careful since he knows he can get in trouble easier than other kids. After a party goes wrong, he seeks refuge from the cops in a lighthouse. There he meets Zella, who begs him to take her with him when he leaves. As she sees the outside world, she starts to realize maybe her past is more sinister than she realized.

This was an easy read and lots of nods to what is imo the best version of Rapunzel, Tangled. There were a couple twists I didn't see coming as well.

Lightkeepers was very enjoyable! I don't often happen upon a good Rapunzel themed retelling and this one delivers. I enjoyed the story but it didn't feel like there was much to it at times - still a fun and cute read that I do recommend.

One of the best feelings is when a book you had no prior conceptions about goes above and beyond to surprise you (in a positive way), and Lightkeepers was that for me. Plumb shows great finesse in handling some sensitive topics, offers a unique modern take on the familiar story of Rapunzel, and does so despite the relatively short length of the book. Plus, the writing style is really laidback, accessible and fun, which makes it all the more enjoyable to read without negatively impacting the quality of the work, either. It's a rare thing in retellings to keep the magic of a fairytale (especially when setting it in the contemporary mundane world) but this book more than delivers it!

As a fan of fairy tales, princess stories, and Disney’s “Tangled,” I was draw to this book when I first laid eyes on it. Yes, I did judge a book by its cover. And I am glad I gave this story a chance.

This is the tale of Rapunzel but with a modern twist! Instead of a dashing prince or smouldering thief, you have a teen boy who simply tries to survive life being bounced around from foster home to foster home. Instead of a tower, you have a lighthouse. And instead of a looooong haired fair maiden locked in a tower, you have a young girl who lived her entire life high up in the Lighthouse. As the first “Child of The Lighthouse,” she takes her duties seriously as she shares her religion with others via the internet. Even though it isn’t safe for her to venture outside due to disease and contamination, she longs for freedom and connections. One fateful day, Ryder finds himself scaling the ladder to her window, and their stories are forever changed.

This book was a little slow to capture my interest, mainly because it spends the first few chapters setting up the worlds in which our characters live. It is told in alternating viewpoints, which I personally love! It may not be everybody‘s cup of tea, but I feel that stories from multiple perspectives give me a better mental image of the entire story. It also is short in length, so you can get through it quickly as well. It is YA, so the writing style may not appeal to all audiences.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this retelling so much that I went and re-watched Tangled right after I finished. It also took me two days to read this; I couldn't put it down. I have recommended this to everyone I know who loves Disney, and those who don't love Disney, either. I loved the modern twist, Zella being in a cult and Ryder being a foster teen. It made it feel more realistic and engaging.

Kennedy Plumb has a writing style that creates a captivating dynamic between characters in such a way that keeps those pages turning. Her sarcastic wit seeps through the pages and makes the reader feel like she is sitting beside you telling the story. Her understanding of adolescent/child behaviour is apparent in the pages.
I absolutely love Tangled and this modern retelling did it justice. A must read for anyone that enjoys retellings.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a digital copy to read and review. The opinions expressed are my own.

At first I was worried I wouldn’t like this book because of the narrating style, how it went back and forth so much. But I actually wound up loving it. The writer has a unique writing style. The story line is very intriguing as well. Only downsides I can think of is it’s too short!

This was a very middle-of-the-road book for me. But I do know people I can recommend this book to that will love and enjoy it.

Ser um reconto da Rapunzel foi definitivamente o me atraiu para ler Lightkeepers. Não é um conto comum de se ver como releitura, mas a premissa pareceu promissora e, apesar de não dar muito por ela de início, me surpreendeu de verdade.

Isso porque, tão logo comecei a ler não demorei para me envolver na leitura ao ponto de devorar 30% em um só dia. Os capítulos da Zella foram os mais instigantes pra mim de antemão, enquanto os do Ryder demoraram um pouco para me conquistar, mas achei interessante tanto essa mescla de temas como de personalidade distinta dos protagonistas.

"“You know what I’ve learned tonight? I’ve learned that I’ve never gotten to make a single choice about my life. Ever. That ends now.”"

E falando em temas, nossa, essa foi uma escolha bem ousada, tanto o lado de crianças e jovens que vivem sob a tutela do estado, quanto a parte de cultos religiosos que são pura fachada para coisas mais densas. Fiquei bem investida nessa parte da leitura em especial, tão ansiosa por saber sobre a Lighthouse e o que havia por trás dela, da mãe da Zella e afins.

O romance não me cativou muito, mas eu já meio que esperava. Mas gostei da sintonia dos personagens enquanto tanto a Zella conhecia o mundo do lado de fora quanto o Ryder aos poucos se permitir abrir-se para relacionamentos de verdade, e não apenas com ela, mas com a nova família que o acolhera naquele momento.

Só o final que deixou um sentimento levemente agridoce por correr um pouco tanto entre o retorno da Zella e o confronto junto ao Ryder e tudo o mais, mas a leitura ainda se manteve boa e entregou um desfecho satisfatório e de leitura em geral fluída, então, felizmente os pontos para indicar sua leitura se sobressaem aqui. Espero que gostem tanto quanto eu gostei!

"“You changed my life the second you climbed through that window. You know that right?”
“And you changed mine by not letting me leave,” I reply with a chuckle. That’s true in more ways than she even knows."

One thing about me is that I will read EVERY Tangled retelling there is, so when I saw this on Netgalley I immediately requested it! Side note, before I get into the actual review - I followed the author on instagram before I even started reading this and she is the sweetest human being. I’ve grown to love Kennedy and think of her as one of my friends, despite never having had a real conversation with her.

Now for the book!

To be completely honest, I don’t want to give a detailed review of this because I just want you all to go read it for yourselves and experience it with no prior knowledge aside from the synopsis, just like I did. It was so good.

I took off 1 star purely because of the writing style at certain parts, but in the author’s defense, it is a YA book so I suppose I need to be more accepting of the cringy/unbelievable or the not-so-well written parts. Thank god it was only a few scenes that made me feel that way and not the whole book.

And for Kennedy - I will be needing a sequel to this immediately, thank you! I also now need a cat named Paxton.

Very cute and fast read. Loved how it was a twist on Rapunzel and Flynn. Overall very cozy feels and a good read for a cold day!