I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I absolutely adore the spin on these cherished Disney tales! This one tells Meg's story as she is asked to go on a quest to prove that she is worthy to be with Hercules. Her task? Saving her ex's wife from the underworld. This one will surely take you for a wild ride!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!

Let me start out by saying that a. I love the Twisted Tales series and b. I love Hercules. It's one of my favorite Disney movies ever and Meg is a plain old feminist icon. So to say I was stoked for this book is an understatement. Unfortunately, my hopes were a bit too high. I liked seeing more of Meg's background and seeing her have a chance to shine on her own as she is forced to undertake a quest so that she and Hercules can be together. I really enjoyed seeing her confront the pain of her past and overcome it once and for all. I also lived for Hades's dialogue both in this book and in the movie. The book is at its best when Hades finally comes in the picture, and I really loved that the author incorporated the myth of Hades and Persephone in this book. I live for that kind of dynamic. I wish the book had stayed more centered on that at times. I would have enjoyed it better. Sadly, much of this book fell flat to me. I know that the Twisted Tales are based on the Disney movies we all know and love, but most of the other's I've enjoyed have not feel like caricatures the way this one did. I felt like I was reading a cartoon in this book. The references felt super out of place in Ancient Greece and the humor was cartoonish in a way that wasn't all that funny to me, but read cornily. I also felt like there were times when Meg's character development in the movie was just thrown out the window. Frankly, she irritated me at times with her whining and her obstinateness that made her read pretty mean. I'm all about independence, but there's independence and then just being a jerk to everyone around you. So sadly, this was not what I had hoped, but it I wouldn't say it was horrible. It certainly appeals to younger readers, But if you're looking for a fresh and twisty retake on Hercules this isn't it.

The Twisted Tales series are some of my favorite reads and I will always recommend them to my elementary students. Go the Distance, a Twisted Tale, is a beautiful retake on what may happen if Meg cannot join Hercules in Mount Olympus, Zeus will not allow it and thus, Hercules’s mom sets Meg on a quest to prove herself worthy of being a God. With surprising characters, remarkable battles and everlasting friendship, this book is a tale unlike any other.

Hercules is my favorite animated Disney film! When Netgalley had this one available in advance I had to see what it was about.

This book was AWESOME! I loved almost everything about it. This book is what takes place after Hercules had become a God and earned his place in Olympus. The author stayed very true to the Disney film. The real story of Hercules isn't as wholesome. The author included some of the character traits from the animated characters and I really liked that.

There were some times where I had to stop and ask myself, "Would Meg really say that?" or "would Phil really do that?" But for the most part, I think the author got the characters spot on.

I don't normally cry when reading but this one brought on the tears.

I also enjoyed that the author brought in some original Greek mythology to give Hades his happily ever after.

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021 and I picked it up in hardback as soon as I could get to the book store!

I'm not sure I will continue on with this series but this one was a 5 star in my book!

This was a cute story but I definitely found it pretty corny!

I've always loved Hercules so it was cool to read a little more in this story. Still, I didn't love Meg in this. It was an enjoyable read though. I love greek mythology!

I’ve been eyeing the titles in this series for several years and am so glad for this e-galley of Go the Distance. Thank you Disney Hyperion for providing this copy that finally encouraged me to start this series! I love the twisted fairy tale genre and this book focusing on Megara from Hercules was such a fun summer read. I’m looking forward to reading more titles from this series!

This read felt true to the spirit of the movie Hercules and its characters all the while presenting a super fun, fast-paced, and thoughtful Twisted Tale.

GO THE DISTANCE was my first opportunity to read a story in the Twisted Tales series, and it didn't disappoint! The story follows Meg, who after the events of Hercules the movie, sees her love Hercules appointed a god. She realizes that they will have to part and doesn't want to settle for that outcome. So, Hera gives her a quest to prove that she is worthy to become a god herself, allowing her to spend the rest of her days with Hercules. The quest gets off to a quick start, but takes a turn when the second phase is revealed, and Meg must face old wounds.

The story then becomes one of healing and finding one's self. It's a great way to get into the mind of Meg and also think about our own journeys of forgiveness and healing. With a HEA, this is a perfect pick-me-up read for readers in middle school all the way to adulthood. I would definitely recommend it!

I thought this was a cute continuation of the Meg/Hercules romance. I know it's marketed as a YA (as is the whole series) but I think MG readers will love it- and there is no reason not to hand it to them.

I am SO pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I’ve read a number of Disney books in the past that I struggled to get through but this was so well done. I had really low expectations, especially because Hercules is my favourite.

The characters stayed true to the original story and the dialogue completely matched the movie personalities. I loved the addition of Hades and Persephone.

The quest aspect gave me Percy Jackson vibes in the absolute best way.

I never expected to want to read the other books in this series, but I’m looking forward to them!

Initial Thoughts
Hercules was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up and I was so excited to learn that the Twisted Tales series was doing a version of this story.

Some Things I Liked
Meg as the main character. Meg was totally under appreciated in the original movie and I was so glad she was the star in this story. I also loved the way her backstory was filled in. She wasn't just spurred by a former lover, her story came full circle and I loved it.
Themes of love. This book was so much more than just a romance between Hercules and Meg. I loved the themes of sisterly love, familial love, and so much more. Meg found her family during this story and I really enjoyed that.
Big themes that parallel the classics. I also found myself enjoying some of the nods to classic greek myths and the way this story had some deep themes. It wasn't cookie cutter happy all the time Disney and I welcomed that bit of darkness and realism.
Phil. Loved that Phil was featured in this story.

One Thing I Wasn't Crazy About
Hercules kinda seemed like he didn't believe in her for a minute there and I didn't love that. I was hoping Herc would be more supportive but useful boyfriend rather than a backseat character.

Series Value
I love the Twisted Tales series. I've read at least four by now and don't plan to stop. As far as a continuation of this specific story, I don't think it would be necessary but if it existed, I'd read it. I can easily see Meg going on more adventures.

Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this installment in the Twisted Tales series. I'm actually on a real greek mythology kick these days so this was right on theme.

It was almost a 5-star read!

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just love, love, love this book. It suddenly brought me back to my childhood after watching Hercules. It almost seemed like time didn't pass between the last time I watched the movie and when I started this.

It did almost feel like reading a pre-teen book but that didn't stop my enjoyment with it. It's an easy read but it still lacked a bit of conflict. I didn't mind because everything tallied up at the end for me.

We get to see some flashbacks and I'm impressed how easily that was woven into the story without changing the font or chapter altogether.

The characters:
*Megara has always been fascinating to me as a kid and I adore her even more now. She learned to grow, accept, and mature during her quest. She tied all the loose-ends of her bitterness or any self-doubt she had. She was very hot-headed and almost lost in the middle but she pulled herself back. She rose!

*Phil, the lovable satyr. Here to help someone become a god again but this time - he formed an even more precious bond than he did with Hercules. His character here was very much like in the movie.

*Hades and Persephone were probably the characters that were a meh in this book. It gave the story a conflict but their parts just seemed rush.

*Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera helped Megara in her quest. She prayed and they <mostly answered. Their part here was very adorable but again, made things a bit too easy.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. Megara is one underrated character in the Disney world and I'm glad they wrote a book for her. I hope ya'll enjoy this as much as I did, if not more.

Review originally posted on Goodreads.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is fun to read these what if books. I enjoyed learning more about Meg during her quest to become a god so that she and Hercules don't have to be separated. I always like getting the backstory of characters in movies and books. Meg is strong and I like how she was able to face her past, learning how maybe things weren't always actually the way that Hades had shown her and growing because of it. The Hades and Persephone storyline was really cute too. I am glad that was added in.

Yes, it does read as a younger person book, but that is okay. I still enjoyed it.

I loved this book! One of my favorite Disney movies is Hercules. Seeing Characters I love going on adventures, I love Mag's character development in this book and finding out the backstory of why she went to work for Hades. her emotions were so complex and so true to the original character from the movie.

The story was amazing too, I loved how huge figures in Greek Mythology showed up in the story. I highly recommend this one to Disney fans.

Go the Distance picks up at the end of the Disney film, where, instead of remaining on earth with Megara, Hercules becomes a god on mount Olympus and Zeus forbids his relationship with a mortal. Hera offers Meg a solution: complete a quest and become a god herself.

this had all the elements a fun adventure story—a high-stakes quest, a hades/Persephone subplot, Greek mythology in general and I thoroughly enjoyed my read through. Will definitely be recommending.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc.

This story picks off right where the movie Hercules leaves off. Once Hercules becomes a god, Meg is no longer allowed to be with him because she is mortal. Hera has a solution, she gives Meg a quest to prove herself worthy of becoming a god. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It played well and developed upon the characters that we know and love in the movie.

I’m going to be perfectly honest here – I’ve never watched Disney’s Hercules. Everything I know about it is from playing the first Kingdom Hearts game. That’s pretty much it. But, I love the Twisted Tales series, so I had to read Go the Distance regardless.

The Characters
Since I hadn’t seen the movie, I hadn’t really met Megara or Phil. To be honest, I know who Hades, Hercules, Hera, Zeus, and the other Greek gods are because I do have a thing for Greek mythology. But Megara and Phil were two characters I hadn’t met before.

Philoctetes (Phil)
Again, my only interaction with this character before was playing the Colosseum in Kingdom Hearts. I hated the character in Kingdom Hearts, but I have to say, he grew on me in Go the Distance. He gave Meg sound advice, even if she didn’t want to take it. At the beginning of the book, their distaste for each other is pretty clear. It was nice to see Meg grow on Phil and vice versa.

Megara
Meg reminds me a lot of myself. I don’t like to ask for help, I don’t like to depend on others. I also lost family members at a young age, so I know what that is like. Meg’s been hurt and that hurt is never more obvious than when she has to take on this quest for Hera. But she’s a strong, funny character. She ties her own shoes and everything1
The Atmosphere
Ok, I’m going to be perfectly honest, the atmosphere is pretty much what you’d expect. A good portion of the book takes place in the various settings in which Meg finds herself trying to complete her quest. So the atmosphere changes rapidly. I will say that the author did a fairly decent job of describing the various places that Meg and her gang found themselves in.

The Writing Style
Believe it or not, this is actually the first book by Jen Calonita that I have read. I found her writing style easy to read. I was able to read this book fairly quickly, without having to struggle to understand what she meant. This is a good thing, especially in a YA novel. She doesn’t use ridiculously flowery language when she writes, but she doesn’t make it so basic you’re rolling your eyes because a first grader could read it. I really like her writing style and I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.

The Plot
I can’t say I cared much for the premise and plot of the story at first. I was expecting a story that either took place during the course of the original movie or that at least changed something integral to the story. But this was more of an afterthought story – Hercules has received his godhood, but oh wait…. Meg’s mortal. Oops. Better do something about that.

Again, this is probably because I haven’t seen Hercules. I know, I know, I’ll watch it eventually…

The Intrigue
This book intrigued me mostly because it was part of the Twisted Tales series. But the book itself held a lot of intrigue as well. Would Meg be able to get into and out of the Underworld under Hades’ nose? Would she have to sacrifice something to get out of the Underworld alive? These were questions I needed answers to as soon as I read what the second half of Meg’s quest for Hera was going to be. So the book definitely kept me intrigued.

The Logic
I have to admit, I didn’t really see the logic in this particular installment of the Twisted Tales series. Maybe it’s just the way my brain works, but you’d think Hercules would have seen an issue with him being a god and Meg being a mortal in the first place. Yes, I realize that there were instances in Greek mythology in which gods consorted with mortals, but not usually in a manner that made the god want to stay on Earth instead of on Olympus. I’m just saying. But of course, that little bit of flawed logic is necessary or we wouldn’t have a story!

The Enjoyment
I actually didn’t really start to enjoy this book until Meg actually went to the Underworld to retrieve her ex’s wife. At that point, I really started to get into the book and started enjoying it. That half of the book is what made me rate the book four stars instead of two or three. Had the book not picked up then, I probably wouldn’t have rated it as high as I did.

Overall Thoughts
The ending saved this book. This book was a solid 2-3 star read until I hit the ending – Meg trying to get out of the Underworld with her ex’s wife was what made me start to actually love the book. Plus, the very ending of the book didn’t hurt either. I thought the epilogue was just super cute.

I gave this book 4 stars. I think I’d recommend watching Hercules before reading this if you’ve never seen the movie. You might enjoy the book a bit better.

I am a MASSIVE Hercules fan so this book was perfect.

What if Meg became a god? After Hercules saves her and becomes a god, they realize that they cannot be together. Hercules is now a god and Meg is just a mortal and mortals are not allowed to stay on Mount Olympus.

Meg is devastated until Hera gives her a chance to become a god. She has 10 days to complete a quest that will turn her into a god. If she succeeds she can stay, but if not she must leave and never see Hercules again.

Follow Meg on her quest to become a god. Can she succeed? Find out in Go the Distance.

It was cute and I loved every second of reading it. I got bored in the middle but the ending made it all worth it.

Jen Calonita's Go the Distance is the eleventh book in the successful Twisted Tale YA line which takes classic Disney films and twists them into compelling, aged-up adventures. The premise of the story is, what if Meg had to become a Greek god in order to have her Happy Ending with Hercules? Picking up directly after the events of the Disney animated movie, Hercules, Go the Distance, after being refused entry into Mount Olympus by Zeus because she's human, Megara is offered a dangerous quest by Hera in order to prove herself and earn a spot on Mount Olympus.

Hera comes up with a fair solution and that is to offer Meg a chance to prove her worth and earn a spot among the Gods on Mt. Olympus. All she has to do is complete a quest in 10-days. The first part of her quest sends Meg off to find the lost flute (aulos) of Athena. The last time Meg made a deal with a God, she lost her soul to Hades. Meg's journey takes her to the Cyclades where she encounters an Empusa; a vampire beast known to seduce men.

The flute is said to be able to put Cerberus asleep which is a good thing since Meg will once again have to travel to the Underworld in order to find the soul of the woman named Katerina who married Meg's former lover, Aegeus. For some reason, the Gods feel responsible for Katerina's death and want to redeem themselves through Meg. Joining her for support is Philoctetes, better known as Phil. The coach to the Gods, as well as Pegasus aka Peg. Phil is a hero of the Trojan War.

As she tries to complete her quest in time, she has some support from some very powerful women like Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. And, even though Persephone is a self centered ass at times, Meg's journey wouldn't be complete if she didn't try to make her happy even though she has ever reason in the world to hate both her and Hades. Meg is given the opportunity to succeed, to fail, to lean on the assistance of others, to face destiny on her own, and essentially forge her own path into the halls of Mt. Olympus.

Meg's character development throughout this book was so profound and much needed. From her past issues, to her future possibilities, everything is on the pages in front of you. Throughout her journey, I loved seeing her peel back the layers of these issues one by one and put them on display for the readers. Succeed or fail, Meg was going to do things her own way and damn the consequences should she not complete the quest on time.

For more twisted adventures, try the other books in the A TWISTED TALE series:

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell
As Old As Time by Liz Braswell
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
Part of Your World by Liz Braswell
Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita
Conceal, Don't Feel by Jen Calonita
Straight On Till Morning by Liz Braswell
So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim
Unbirthday by Liz Braswell
What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell (on sale 9/07/2021)

This was my first Twisted Tales book. My daughter has a small collection of them, but I haven't read any yet. Dangle one of my favorite (and far too often forgotten) Disney movies in front of me though, and I'll choose then to take notice.

Personally, I had some mixed feelings about this book, but when it came to rating Go the Distance, I wanted to give it a fair shake based on what I knew my kids would think of it. Ultimately, they are the target audience here. The Twisted Tales series is shelved as YA, but it is very much a bridge series. As Disney stories at their heart, these books are perfect for the older Middle Grade crowd, as well as the YA crowd, and adults who just love Disney. As one of those adults who love Disney, I could see some things in the book that didn't quite fit. I don't believe younger readers would notice the things that bothered me. Hence my decision to give this book the four stars I think my kids would give it instead of the three stars I would.

Visually, I think this book did a great job. Having watched Hercules many times, I could see the events of Go the Distance in my mind as they might have appeared on the screen. Some characters, like Phil and Hades, felt very much like the character we saw in the movie. As this book only changes the ending of the movie and then moves forward from there, I felt that capturing the characters as they were in the movie was important.

Unfortunately, it was Meg that struck me as not true to her previous character. And as this book centers entirely around Meg, that was a huge problem for me. For probably half of the book I struggled to find the sassy, confident, independent woman that I love so much in the movie. Honestly, that loss of Meg's voice was the main reason I would have rated this book lower. I will say that the author did find her stride with Meg, but it was just a bit too late for me. Hercules was a pretty minor player in the book. I was a little disappointed in that fact alone, but even more so by the fact that when he did show up, he was trying way too hard to help Meg in her quest. Yes, Hercules is a helpful guy, but he understood Meg's independence better than that and it ended up feeling far too intrusive rather than supportive.

Once I started to feel Meg's voice return to the character I already knew and loved, it was much easier for me to sit back and enjoy the last half of the book. It really was a fun read in the end, despite my own issues. And, as I said previously, the younger readers will love it. I am glad I finally read a Twisted Tale. I'm still intrigued by some of the other titles in this series and the takes the other authors have on those stories. I'm also really glad to now confidently know that this series really feel more like an ages 10 and up series and that I can get these books into the hands of my 10 and 11 year olds, in addition to my 14 year old.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.