I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Go the Distance by Jen Calonita Series: A Twisted Tale #11
Published by Disney-Hyperion on 2021-04-06
Length: 336 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2021, 2021 New Release Challenge, COYER 2021
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What if Meg had to become a god?
After Hercules proves he's a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can't be with Hercules because she's, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus--as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest.
The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex's current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend who immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld. Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick-wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?
Written by the author of Mirror, Mirror and Conceal, Don't Feel, Jen Calonita's latest twist is sure to delight and surprise.
Go the Distance by Jen Calonita is the latest installment in Disney’s A Twisted Tale. This time the story focuses on one of my favorites, Hercules, and twists the story at the end of the tale. What if Hercules wasn’t allowed to become human to live with Meg? Instead, what if the gods sent Meg on her own quest and allowed her to become a god? To me, this question needed to be explored. It was something I had wondered as a child. If Hercules parents loved him so much and went through all that to bring him home, why couldn’t they convert Meg as well? Go the Distance fleshes out Meg’s character in a way the original cartoon did not, giving life and depth to the choices she made both prior to meeting Hercules and after.
Told mainly from Meg’s point of view, I found myself rooting for Meg in a way that I hadn’t before. We see her vulnerabilities, the trials she’s already faced in her life, how she wound up working for Hades in the first place, and the way she falls in love even when she really doesn’t want to. My heart broke learning about her childhood, her first love, and how everything is ripped from her. The part that truly broke me is how she expected it to be ripped from her at every turn. No part of Meg’s life had shown her that some people stay. That was heartbreaking.
The plot of this one was muddled, and the pace was inconsistent. I struggled to finish it. Meg is given her task by Hera, first to find Athena’s lost lute and if she can do that, then the rest of her quest will be revealed. At this point of the story, Meg is doubting her love for Hercules, questioning if she wants this opportunity, which makes her determination on the quest ironic. Flipping between past and present with little transition left me lost, thinking I’d skipped a page by accident. Not only that but it distracted from the present plot Meg was facing. Eventually the flashbacks tied into the present day for Meg, making sense and giving clarity to the story.
Overall, while I didn’t love Go the Distance, I did enjoy it enough to finish the story. I’ll admit that I did skim through some chapters, only reading dialogue to find out what I might be missing. Meg is a strong character both in cartoon and on paper. I loved seeing more of her story here. If you enjoy retellings and mischief making gods, you will enjoy this one.
About Jen Calonita
Jen Calonita has always loved writing. Her first published piece was in the sixth grade newspaper where she wrote about an attack snake who bothered her canoe on a class field trip. These days she writes about fairy tale worlds, Hollywood lives and music.
A big fan of Cinderella as a child, Jen always wondered what would happen if the Wicked Stepmother apologized to Cinderella for her behavior and tried to prove she was now a good fairy tale citizen. Jen figured the Wicked Stepmother might convince other villains to behave and together they would teach children on the path to wickedness how to be good at...Fairy Tale Reform School. The series, which includes many classic fairy tale characters, has its own stories to be told, starting with Misfits.
Sorry to hear that this one wasn’t up to par! I am soooo behind on this series. I’ve the majority of them in my TBR pile. The first two books were kind of duds for me but I’ve been enjoying them ever since the third! lol. This one definitely presents an intriguing question and I can’t wait to see what the outcome will be. I always did want to know more about Meg’s past, so hopefully it won’t throw me too far through the loop. Lol. Nice review!
I enjoyed aspects of this one. The twist was my favorite part. I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it!