Towering

Flinn (Beastly, Cloaked) again puts a modern spin on a classic fairy tale. In this Rapunzel retelling, Wyatt, a teen mourning the devastating loss of his best friend and his best friend's sister, moves to a remote town where his mother grew up. There, living in a large house with a lonely old woman whose only child disappeared years ago, Wyatt has vivid nightmares and hears a haunting singing voice that seems meant for him alone. When he meets Rachel, a beautiful girl locked in a crumbling tower out in the forest, they begin to untangle an even larger mystery plaguing the area. Flinn upturns some gender conventions (Rachel initially leaves her tower to save Wyatt from drowning), but the blending of magical elements and the more banal modern story lines is not always harmonious, and the copious back-story saps momentum from the present-day plot. By the time Wyatt and Rachel finally face off against the town's most wicked villain, some readers may be anxious for a speedy happily-ever-after. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May)