This book was cute and enjoyable and my first twisted tale to read! Jen Calonita is one of my favs so I'm glad she was the one to bring stubborn and relatable Meg to life.

I love that Meg got her own quest in this book! I loved getting to know her in the Hercules movie, but I felt like her journey ended too quickly. I'm happy I was able to get a continuation of it here.

Meg felt very much like Meg in this book. That means she was stubborn, and rash, and desperate at times, but completely loyal to Hercules. Sometimes Meg's rash acts could be frustrating, but it all still felt like something she would do. Plus, her acts just showed how very real of a character she is. She makes so many mistakes to try to protect those she loves which makes her more relatable than most Disney characters.

Some of the book did feel kind of young. I thought maybe there would be some darker moments, but it never really got too dark. It had that vague Percy Jackson and the Olympians (in the early days) feel where things happened and people were hurt, but things didn't get *too* bad.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to focus more on Meg in this book and reading a continuation of her and Hercules' future together. This was a very fun and exciting trip to take with one of my favorite (and most relatable) Disney characters.

Meg was an amazing character in Disney's Hercules -- she was smart, strong, and completely sarcastic with a little edge of "evil", for lack of a better term. Totally not the typical Disney heroine. I am thrilled she is finally in the spotlight -- she's constantly left out of the Disney movie princess lineups! In author Jen Calonita's Go the Distance, we get to know more about Meg's backstory and how she became so jaded towards love, and we also get to see just how tough and heroic she can be. This story is full of action and adventure, just like the Disney movie "prequel", and Calonita's writing is so descriptive and vibrant readers will be able to picture the action scenes in vivid detail. And fans of the Disney movie will delight in the Meg-Phil moments as he helps her on her quest to become a god in her own rite. Even Pegasus is along for the ride (pun intended). I also appreciated that we get the opportunity to explore how Meg got to this point -- her difficult childhood and her relationship with her first love -- and Meg's evolution from angry jilted lover who isn't even sure how she truly feels about "Wonder Boy" to a woman who learns to understand her own heart and what it means to care about others. So why did I take off one star??? I needed more Hercules! He's an adorable character with a heart of gold and I would've loved to see more interactions between he and Meg. He's not left out of the story or anything -- Meg does have to complete this quest without his help, of course -- but I enjoy these two characters together and how they compliment one another. But this was such a fun ride and Meg is an incredible character!

**Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Go the Distance is another addition to the Twisted Tales series. This one gives a new take on Hercules where the story takes place after the Disney movie and Hercules is now a God. Instead of Zeus allowing Hercules to remain on Earth with Meg, he refuses as he wants him to remain on Mount Olympus. Instead of being focused on Hercules’ side of things, this tale shows the aftermath from Meg’s point-of-view.

Megara Egan (love that they gave her the last name of the actress, Susan Egan, that voiced her in the movie) is conflicted as she stands on Mount Olympus where she is happy for Hercules becoming a God, but sad that she will most likely lose him. Hera takes sympathy on Meg, as she does not agree with Zeus, and decides to send Meg on a quest so she can become a God and join Hercules as an immortal. Meg decides to take part and must do the journey alone as Hercules is unable to join her (he does make appearances here and there, though).

In addition to Meg’s journey to immortality, the story highlights Meg’s childhood and the infamous deal with Hades where she sells her soul in exchange to save her boyfriend’s life. Her boyfriend then goes off to marry another leaving Meg heartbroken. Meg’s quest integrated both plots from her past as they are a key part to her completing it. Her character misses some of her sass that we are familiar with in her movie version, but it tries to emulate it. She continues to be a strong-willed and I appreciated the depth that the novel gave her due to her backstory, but there were times where the story tried too hard to show that this is the same character; multiple times iconic lines were copied and pasted and it felt unnecessary.

I loved that Meg learns a lot about herself while confronting her past all while on a journey to travel and “rescue” someone from the Underworld. It felt in-character as Meg would be the determined-type who jumps in head-first and figures everything out along the way. Hercules lends Meg Pegasus to help her travel around and it was cute to see the two of them start to bond after their previous rocky relationship. The times Hercules does reappear in the story, he is very supportive of Meg and is there to give her advice or hear her vent. He was a great support system for her in this story.

Overall, this story is written for a younger (young adult) audience, so it never becomes a truly dark story that is usually associated with the word “twisted.” It is difficult while reading to not compare this material to their known versions, so it is important to go into this with an open-mind and realize not everything will line up perfectly with the characters. This story has an additional subplot featuring Hades and Persephone, which was unexpected. I know their story from Greek Mythology, but I did not expect to read about it in this novel. It seemed random, yet also made sense for the story as it was needed at times for the plot to move from point a to point b. Meg’s journey to and from the underworld was a fun adventure where the pace goes fairly quickly and the reader does not get bored while reading. This was a fun addition to the Twisted Tales family or stories and I cannot wait to read more!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Disney Hyperion, for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one but I honestly really enjoyed it. For movies as iconic as Hercules, it’s so hard to capture the voices of Megara, Phil, and Hades especially, so it’s important to approach the book knowing that it’s not going to be a perfect representation of the movie’s characters. That being said, I think Jen Calonita did a really good job at capturing their voices. Again, it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t glaringly inaccurate either. The things the characters said and did seemed, for the most part, accurate to what I would expect from them. Throw in classic character catchphrases and you have a pretty fun time.

I loved learning more of Meg’s backstory, as she is my favorite Disney heroine. I really enjoyed her interactions with Phil, and their enemies to friends dynamic was everything I could have hoped for.

Some spoilers ahead, so look away if you haven’t read the book yet.

There are two things about this book that I want to address, one that I liked, one that I didn’t really like. The first is the twist regarding what actually happened with Meg’s ex-boyfriend that she sold her soul for. It made so much sense to me that Hades would manipulate her into thinking that he (I’m completely blanking on his name) abandoned her for someone else. I didn’t see that twist coming, and it seemed to work so well with what I knew about Hades and the story that I really appreciated it.

What I didn’t really like was the Hades and Persephone story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Persephone, and I loved how she completely bosses Hades around, but it also just felt so weird to me to see that side of him. In my mind (which knows next to nothing about Greek mythology by the way), the Hades from Disney and the one from mythology are separate, and I don’t really see the Disney version as one who would fall in love. That being said, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole, it just felt a little weird.

Overall, this was a fun read. It met my expectations in almost every way, and exceeded it in others. As someone who loves the Disney film and Meg’s character, I definitely think this is one to check out.

Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. I will publish this review on my blog on April 6, 2021 (A Bookish Star). I will post a shortened review and photo to my Instagram (@abookishstar) on April 6, 2021. I will also publish this review to Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads and Indigo Canada.

Go The Distance is a fun and quick read! Megara is one of my favourite characters from the Disney movie Hercules. This novel focuses on Megara and her story after the events of the Hercules movie. I thought Jen Calonita’s writing flowed nicely throughout the book. Go the Distance was easy to read, and it was a fast-paced novel. This book kept me entertained while making me ponder how it would wrap up at the end.

I loved seeing all the familiar characters from the Disney movie while also meeting new faces. My favourites, other than Meg, were Hades and Phil. I enjoyed Meg’s character development throughout the events of Go The Distance. I related heavily to Meg’s character and her weaknesses. I felt the traits she was strengthening were skills that I need to work on myself.

My only personal critique is that I wanted more Hercules. I felt his absence was noticeable in this book. I wanted more scenes and romance between Meg and Hercules.

Overall, Go The Distance was a fun and quick read. It is a perfect add-on for fans of Disney’s Hercules movie. It will allow readers to reacquaint with familiar characters while also meeting brand new ones. If you’re a fan of Hercules, then I recommend checking out this book.

I really liked this! It was a fun, fast paced, adventure tale. Meg is a great main character, and I could definitely read a longer book with her as the main character. That was my only gripe; I wish it was longer. There was so much Calonita could have done with the story if she had the page count. I'm really not sure if she would have been allowed to write a long book, I know these are controlled by Disney, but Unbirthday was 505 pages, so I think this could have been at least 140 pages longer. Overall though, a really good, short standalone.

A huge thanks to Disney once again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disney’s ongoing series “Twisted Tales” is back with another installment, and its newest victim is Meg from a fan loved classic, “Hercules.” This book takes the happy ending of “Hercules” and throws it on the chopping block. When Zeus denies Hercules’s request to stay mortal, Meg is approached by Hera and the chance to go on a quest to become a god alongside Wonder Boy. The quest is not an easy one though. Both physically and mentally challenging, Meg is forced to look at her past and the relationships that have created her tough personality, and fight through to be with the one she loves.

As someone who loves “Hercules” and was excited to see it (especially Meg) get a chance to be in the spotlight once again, I couldn’t wait to read this book. For fans of the movie, it does not disappoint!

Meg is written very true to her character from the movie, so she’s back in full force with her witty charm and comments as well as the fire under her butt that keeps her motivated to finish her quest to the end. In addition to Meg, many characters return with the most notable being Phil, per Hercules’s recommendation, who helps her along the way and helps Meg combat the quest she is sent on. In addition to Phil, Hercules makes some appearances as well as some of the gods who have sent her on this quest.

What really makes this book shine is the quest Meg goes on. Warning that there are spoilers ahead! Meg’s quest is to recover the soul of her ex’s deceased wife. At first, Meg is terrified of the quest and when she sees her past lover, she is outraged at thinking he moved on quickly, but that was not the case. What launches from there is a beautiful story of reflection and learning to move on. Meg eventually takes full advantage of the quest she has been sent on and is able to help the couple that she had spent years despising.

Furthermore this book absolutely flies. It took me a while to get through the last “Twisted Tales” I read (“Unbirthday”) because that one was longer and a bit more complex, but I was able to finish this one in a little over 24 hours. It feels like a Disney book and a Disney story and stays true to the original movie.

My only complaints about this are that the ending felt a tad rushed, though it was still a good ending. In addition, the story does stray very far from Greek mythology and feels much more fan-fictiony than some of the others feel. The other “Twisted Tales” that I have read feel like dark continuations or rewrites and this one feels a little more out there than the others. It is still a good read, but has a slightly different feel than the other books in the series.

Overall this was a wonderful addition to the “Twisted Tales” series. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to revisit the characters of “Hercules” and see how Meg’s story could have continued after the movie. I almost wish this was how the story had ended, as it gives Meg a stronger character arc and a chance to explore what she has to offer. For fans of this movie, I can’t recommend this enough.

My final rating: ⅘ stars

Go the Distance is a new installment in Disney's A Twisted Tale collection. These books take the traditional Disney story and provide a unique twist - in this case it's "what if at the end of the movie Hercules, Zeus makes him a God and Megara has to find a way to be with him forever." This story is from her point of view and is an action-packed read. It feels like Cinderella II or Little Mermaid II - they build on characters you already know and take them on new adventures. It also reads like a straight to DVD sequel, interesting but not as good as the original. This is a good middle grade book for fans of the movie Hercules who want to share another adventure with the head-strong Meg.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

honestly, i'm not really sure what i was expecting. i honestly really like this series, so i was kind of happy to get into this book. but, also i am a really big Hercules fan, and i'm so happy that they get to have some fame, since i feel like they are the forgotten characters. but, i really liked the whole book and to see meg actually become a god, and since this takes place after the movie it was super cool. but, as the book kind of wined down, especially the last 20%, i feel like everything was moving so quick it was honestly so confusing. but, it still was a really good book and i honestly liked that they got a book, especially since it was so good, even if the format was a little bit of a mess.

Hercules is a Disney film that doesn't get enough attention. Well, I don't think so. You have the Classics like The Little Mermaid and Cinderella that get all of the hype and merchandise, and then there's good ol' Hercules that just... exists? I don't see Meg dolls at the stores! It's all Elsa and Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Get me more sass and get me it now!

Well, this book provided! Go The Distance is one of my new fave Disney inspired tales. It's a fun, fast paced book that gives Meg the attention she deserves. I highly recommend it if you're seeking some fairy tale spins that also include your favourite Disney films.

This cute story happens after the Hercules movie has ended. Hercules is going to be a god and Meg is just... well, Meg. She upsets some of the gods (is anyone surprised?) which will split her and Hercules up together. But don't fret folks! Hera is here to the rescue... kind of? She informs Meg she has a mission for her, that if she chooses to accept would give her the opportunity to be a god. That means she can be with Hercules forever! But does she truly love him? Will she take this path? Especially since it involves her ex-boyfriend whom she gave up her soul for...

This book is fun, fast paced and light hearted. It reads as a pre-teen level book, but I absolutely loved it! The book wasn't dark, slow or boring. All of our fave characters are back - Pegasus, Phil, The Fates, Hades - and we see a lot more of the Gods and Meg's back story. It's a truly lovely tale for a character that deserves so much more hype. Hercules is also in it, but he takes a back seat. I think this book works really well, and Disney lovers will dig it.

This book isn't as twisted or dark as some of the others in this series, so buyer beware. I think it's a lot of fun and is exactly what I want in a fairy tale romp.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide and Disney Hyperion for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I loved this story. I enjoyed how it picked up at the end of the Disney movie and that you could actually recognize many lines from the movie. The story and characters evolved, but it didn’t deviate from the visual I already head. I was impressed with the author’s ability to seamlessly weave together the animated movie and a novel written with a twist.

Meg’s past is a lot more clear, and many of the characters I met were interesting and I wanted to learn more. Pegasus and Phil were my favourites, especially when I think of how they behaved in the movie.

The pacing is good, and it was a quick, interesting read. It flowed quickly enough for me to finish within a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for providing a copy of this eARC for review.

Synopsis: 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?
Review: If Hercules is a favorite Disney movie or if you've never heard of the Greek gods you'll still enjoy this story. I liked that it is steeped in myths, but you don't have to be well read in those stories to find Meg's journey interesting. It is a story that will definitely be most enjoyable for those who've seen the movie, but Megra is a captivating character and her journey fills the hole of her story left by the movie focuses on Herc.

So I've never read any of the twisted tales from anyone else. I have thought about reading them but I just needed the right story. And when I saw A Hercules retelling about Meg and Hades I was like this is it. I have a love hate relationship with Meg in the Disney movie. But Hades is the best So the story picks up right after the Disney movie ends. and Meg has to go on a quest to become a god. You get a lot of her back story from the time she was little until she sold her soul. I feel like I'm not the right age group for this story. It took me awhile to read it. This is more for a younger reader. The writing style wasn't my style either.

A problem I had was it felt like it leaned on the movie but then back tracked things you learned from the movie. As I said earlier I have a love hate relationship with Meg and this made me not like her. I also wanted more of hades and I felt like he was wasted. Then they shove some things about Greek mythology in there but not fleshed out and some parts just took to long and the the parts I wanted to read more was quick. Then it ended.

I didn't hate the story but It just wasn't for me. I'm sad about that because I love Hercules and esp Hades But I feel like I'm to old for this story.

For a younger audience this would be a cute read for them. I'm guessing all the versions would be good for them to read.

But for me its a No and I wont be picking up any of the other stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Edelweiss Disney for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book so much! If it never becomes a sequel movie wise I will be sad.

Watching Megara’s character go through growth was something that I never though we’d get to see. She’s such a strong, independent character, and seeing her have to become vulnerable was such a great thing to see. It’s especially uplifting to other young women.

I normally love this series, and I enjoyed Calonita's books while I was growing up. That being said, this was my least favorite installment of the series, mostly because I found the writing style to be a little annoying and trying too hard to feel updated. I also felt this book skewed younger than the rest of the series. I did love reading more about Meg's background, as she was one of my favorite Disney characters growing up.

I love Hercules and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I always thought this was a Disney movie that didn't get enough love and I'm glad this book exists that focuses on my favorite character: Megara. Meg was dealt a bad hand and there are many people that don't particularly warm to her because she willingly deceived Hercules. HOWEVER, you need to think of her backstory and what put her into that position in the first place, which is exactly what this book focuses on. THANK YOU!

In the movie, we learn that Meg was once in love with a boy and she sold her soul to Hades to save him. Once she saved him, he moved on and found someone else without giving a second thought about Meg. You can see how that would make someone feel jaded towards love and would make this same person not trust her feelings towards guys in the future. After all, she sold her soul to the Underworld and got stuck doing Hades' bidding for nothing.

In this book, it picks up from the end of the movie with Hercules wanting to go to Earth and live as mortal to be with Meg. However, in this version of events, Zeus strikes that idea down and refuses to make Hercules a mortal. Instead, Hera presents Meg with a quest that would grant her immortality upon its completion. The quest: rescue her ex's wife from the Underworld. The same wife her ex moved on from Meg with. You can see how this could be messy.

I loved that this book focused on Meg figuring out her feelings, dealing with the past, and choosing to move ahead with the future. It really took the character I love and made her realistic in a way. (Also, Pegasus accompanies her on her quest. I love Pegasus. I'm glad he gets the focus he deserves. You cute winged horse, you.)

If you love the Hercules movie as much as I do, read this book. I'm choosing to believe it's canon.

I'm always a sucker for alternate/expanded/'what if' stories, and this one didn't fail to deliver! It definitely kept the tone of the Disney film, which is overall lighthearted with scenes of genuine emotion and peril. I've seen some complain that the story is "too juvenile", and while it's certainly on the younger end of YA, I didn't have a problem with it. The film is geared towards younger kids (and is most assuredly NOT a genuine retelling of the Greek myths), so why shouldn't the book be as well.

I greatly appreciated Meg finally being given more of a backstory than just being a scorned girlfriend; Calonita took that trope/cliche and twisted it (see what I did there ^_^) to flesh Meg out and give her real human emotion, drive, desires, and reasons for doing the things she does. Trauma can mess people up where they sabotage themselves but don't know how to stop and accept the fact that the world isn't out to get them, that there are people who truly care about and love them for who they are, faults and all. That's something Meg has to come to terms with through a lot of emotional pain throughout the story.

I did feel that there were some things missing from the overall story (i.e. how Hades' new relationship got started and how it may have affected the events of the film if it had already been established beforehand), but it's already difficult to take adult stories and shape them into things suitable for kids without being 800+ pages and going off track from the focal main character, so I'm not going to quibble about that. There were also a few times where something was explained, then almost immediately forgotten only to be brought up much later as a big revelation; on the flip side, there were a couple of times something seemed like it was going to be explained or made into at least a minor plot point, but was never mentioned again. Kinda odd.

If you enjoyed the Disney film without tearing its "accuracy" apart (yes, in the myth Hercules killed Megara [who was actually a princess] and their children after being driven temporarily insane by Hera [who was not Hercules' birth mother and actually really hated him], but that's not exactly good Disney material, so shut up), you should enjoy this expanded alternate ending/continuation.

Go the Distance - A Disney Twisted Tale
By Jen Calonita
Release Date April 6, 2021
3.5 stars/5

Ever wonder what happened with Meg and Hercules after the 1997 Disney movie? (Tied for my fav Disney movie of all time, btw) In this Twisted Tale, Hercules is required to stay a god on Mount Olympus, and Meg is offered a chance to join him as a god *if* she can complete a heroic quest. (If, if is good)

I really really really wanted to absolutely love this book, and while I really enjoyed the overall plot, a few things got in the way for me. The cutesy nicknames instead of the character’s actual names started to annoy me after the first few chapters. The writing skews a little young for me - which is fine, since that is the market for this type of book - but for a book that deals with past grief and death, I expected something a little more YA feeling than Middle Grades.

That being said, I have always loved Meg, and I devoured this book in 3 hours of reading time! Hearing Meg’s backstory, especially learning more about selling her soul to Hades for her first love, was super interesting to me. At its core, this tale is about a girl learning to forgive herself and others - and that’s a story worth telling and reading, IMO.

Thank you so much for the chance to read this ook, NetGalley and Disney Hyperion!

What if Meg had to become a Greek God? This is how the story starts and it's absolutely brilliant and thrilling! Meg is a wonderful main character, I loved the setting, so lush and evocative and the mission, the plot twists and everything is great and I totally recommend it!!!

Title: Go the Distance
Author: Jen Calonita
Pub. Date: April 6, 2021
Rating: 3

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. The moment I learned that there was going to be a Twisted Tales novel based on Hercules, I knew I needed to read it. Despite the amazing tagline, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, and ultimately, I enjoyed this one.

I will say that I have a sort of love/hate relationship with these books. I don’t ever find them actually “twisted”. I don’t know. I get that the authors are taking the well known and loved movies and altering the plots to be something slightly different. But to me “twisted” has almost a darker connotation. I’m always left having enjoyed it, but also feeling a little bereft.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, Meg felt a little out of character – I didn’t quite get the sass she has in the movie. But I did appreciate the backstory and how her character was shaped. I think I still like Movie Version Megara over this version but having more depth to her character is really nice. She was always capable in the movie, and you care about her, but you can really get behind her and her actions in this book.
And yes, I wish Hercules – aka Wonder Boy – had a little bit bigger of a role, but it’s fine.

I will say the most shocking element in this book – and I really wasn’t expecting it – was the Hades and Persephone plot line. Maybe it’s just me, but the Disney version of Hades never came across like he would care about anyone – like, he was the stereotypical rendition of Hades. Like, actual evil, hell bent on causing chaos, Hades. Not, soft, tortured, morally grey, in desperate need of a hug and good conversation, Hades. I just found it weird, and I didn’t really like it.
Also, on the note of the Gods – they felt like they came out of PJO.

As long as I turned my brain off and just enjoyed the story for what it was – Meg’s journey to become a God – then I had no problems. It was a pretty quick read, enjoyable and endearing at times. But if I started thinking too much, I started comparing and then I wasn’t necessarily enjoying it. I’m also quickly realizing that these books are 100% geared towards a younger YA crowd – which also might lend to my different interpretation of “twisted”. I still want to read the other books in this series, because I want to see the various takes.

You can check out Go the Distance when it hits shelves next week!