What once was mine definitely puts an interesting twist on the rapunzel story. It is dark at some points but it is definitely geared for a younger and pre teen audience. The writing style is very much like a friend is telling a story but reads differently then read aloud. 

I think the characterizations could be better. I always imagined rapunzel as naive but strong in her own right and intuitive. She isn’t portrayed that way until the very end of the book. The ending also feels a little rushed. You are hearing this story from the perspective of a young boy telling it to his sister. So I gave it some reprieve as it tries to evoke that language.