I loved this book so much! Meg is such a great character, and I loved she still had that spark that she had in the movie. Her story is both so beautiful and sad because you know she and her mother were doing the best they could. Like the journey that Hercules had to go on so did Meg, and her story was even more emotional. Also, one of my favorite moments had to be her calling out Zeus in the beginning and doing it in front of everyone. Also the epilogue was so beautiful. And one of the things that shocked me was seeing Persephone and Hades together, was a great moment. Also Meg helping them after everything Hades did to her. Meg was such a great main character and I loved seeing her bond with Phil and Pegasus. And the story of Meg’s life before Hades with her mother, was so emotional and you can see how she became herself. Overall, this book was so enjoyable it reminded me so much of when I was younger and how I would watch this movie every week.

The Review

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for this arc, because wow this was an incredible journey. As both a major Disney fan and fan of Greek Mythology, this book was the perfect blend of them both. Getting to explore a scenario where Meg and Herc had to fight for their happy ending together was great to see unfold.

Immediately the author delves even deeper into Greek Mythology than the Disney film had done originally, exploring a variety of new monsters and even various new locations that longtime enthusiasts of the mythology will be well aware of. Readers even get a chance to better explore the realm of the gods, as the narrative introduces the gods to Meg along her journey.

However, it is Meg who takes center stage and makes this story shine. The author brilliantly explores Meg as a character and explores why Meg became involved with Hades in the first place. From the tragic past with her mother to the shocking untold truths behind the boyfriend who betrayed her and the near-impossible journey to open up her heart to Hercules and those around her, Meg’s character evolution is the most gripping and engaging aspect of this novel, and expertly adds a new and much-needed chapter to the story began in the film.

The Verdict

A masterful, entertaining, and epic story, author Jen Calonita’s “Go the Distance” is a must-read YA Fantasy and Romance tale. The book is evenly-paced and perfectly captures the magic of the Disney film with the darker side of Greek Mythology and all of the amazing levels to that complex part of history. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

3.5-stars rounded up**

Picking up directly after the events of the Disney animated movie, Go the Distance follows Megara as she fights for her right to be with Hercules. After Herc regains his godship, the couple are ready to celebrate. As Hercules is called by his parents to return to Mount Olympus, however, they run into a problem. Zeus quickly points out that Meg cannot go, as she is a mere mortal. Meg can't believe it. After everything they have been through, is this how it is going to end?

Hercules is shocked as well and advocates to stay with Meg. He'd rather be with her than have a life of immortality alone. His parents aren't going to stand for that though; no way. Hera, seeing how happy Meg makes her son, offers Meg a deal; a way for her to earn her way into a spot on Mount Olympus.

All she has to do is complete a mysterious quest in 10-days. Unfortunately, the quest involves saving her ex-boyfriend's, new wife's soul from the Underworld. Obviously, Meg has some mixed feelings on this, but she agrees nonetheless. We're talking about eternity with the man she loves here.

Joining her for support is Philoctetes, better known as Phil. The coach to the Gods. If anyone can help Meg work through her quest, it is him. And let's not forget Pegasus!! He's along as well, to give Meg a helping hoof. Meg needs to put her hurt emotions aside, as well as face her nemesis, Hades, again. She escaped his clutches once, could she be so lucky as to do it again?

I really had a fun time reading this story. I love Megara. She's one of my favorite characters within the Disney universe. She's smart, she's snarky and she's not constantly looking for someone to save her. I enjoyed the backstory Calonita created for her. The loss of her mother, their relationship, her previous relationship with her ex-boyfriend and even Hades manipulation of her.

I thought the quest was fun. Having Phil and Pegasus along definitely made it more humorous. I loved watching both of them come to accept Meg for who she is. Overall, I think this is a fun addition to this series. If you are a Megara fan, as I am, you should definitely give this one a shot!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I always look forward to the new releases in the Twisted Tales series!!!

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.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley

I loved to get the chance to get in the heads of all my favorite characters from the Hercules movie. The gods in this book seemed more in line with what I know of them from the original myths as opposed to the movie, which seemed to make them all nicer.

Also the Persephone subplot was such a good addition, hers is one of my favorite Greek stories and it’s so fun to think of her with this version of Hades.

The characterizations of Hades and Phil were so spot on, it felt like they had been lifted right out of the movie. I felt that
as I was reading it their voices came to life.

I’m a big fan of the character journey and backstory for Meg. I’ve always been curious about her life before the film and this really felt like reading this fulfilled my curiosity.

I went into this book thinking it was YA like the other novels from the Twisted Tales series but found it read more like a Middle Grade.

There was a Disney World reference in one of the chapter titles that literally killed me.

The book was really fast paced and I didn’t feel the emotions or pressure until about the last fourth of the book.

It was a cool continuation of the movie but I wish the writing style was a little more mature.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★.25/5

Summary:

In this twisted re-telling of Disney's "Hercules", Zeus forces Hercules to stay on Mount Olympus and will not allow Meg, a mortal, to stay with him. While Meg isn't sure if she wants to spend the rest of her life with Hercules, she still wants a chance to figure that out.

Hera offers Meg a solution to her problem, which is to perform a series of tasks that include saving her ex's wife from the underworld (just a small thing, right?).

Meg runs into all sorts of troubles along the way, and we get to watch her and some other loved characters from the original Disney film navigate this challenge given to her.

Thoughts:

I'll first start by saying that this installment in the A Twisted Tale series is DEFINITELY more middle-grade than young adult. I went into this expecting a much darker twist on the story (similar to the vibes from other books in this series), but that isn't what you get here. Part of me wishes that the writing was a little more mature, to match and reflect the other books in this series. However, another part of me likes that this installment was a little softer so that younger audiences can experience this unique series.

This was a good story, but is not perfect by any means. I liked seeing some of Meg's character development (learning to accept help from others, forgiving others, etc.,) but I also wish that her character would have been written as less...annoying and a little more badass. In Disney's Hercules movie, I always saw her as this super fierce, lovable (in her own way), bold heroine. We didn't really get this in the book, so I was a little disappointed. One thing I did love about this re-telling was that Meg and Hercules got a completely happy ending - Meg does become a goddess and her and Hercules will get to live out the rest of their long, immortal lives together.

If you're looking for something to remind you of your Disney childhood, this is it. However, if Meg was your all-time favorite Disney heroine, keep in mind that this book definitely does not do her character justice so you may feel aggravated at times. Overall it was a cute, fun, fast-paced read. I would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed this series so far, or someone who just simply enjoys Disney.

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.