"What if Tiana made a deal that changed everything?"
Growing up in New Orleans with her mom and dad, Tiana has worked hard for what she has. One thing that's kept them close through it all is their love for cooking, especially making her dad's special gumbo. But desperate times call for desperate measures; So when Dr. Facilier backs Tiana into a corner with an offer she can't refuse, her life is changed in an instant. In her new reality, she has her dream restaurant and all her loved ones are safe, including her dad. As time goes on, the town she's known and loved becomes increasingly eerie. As strange things keep happening and new threats pop up, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to make everything right. Will they save New Orleans and can Tiana protect everything she cares most about in the process?
Welcome to Disney's A Twisted Tale series, Farrah Rochon! The wait for Almost There is finally over and I'm so pleased to say she did not disappoint. I've not read any of her work before and this addition to the series has made me eager to read more stories written by Farrah. I loved the direction Tiana's story was taken in and couldn't wait to see how it all played out. I also enjoyed seeing iconic characters getting a lot of exposure. The narrator, Kaliswa Brewster, did a wonderful job bringing Tiana's twisted story to life. If you're a fan of The Princess and the Frog or Disney in general, add this to your TBR!
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and Edelweiss+. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

An exquisite retelling of the The Princess and the Frog with a twist. I loved the changes and the what ifs that this story brought to life. It made you fall in love with Tiana and Naveen all over again. I appreciate how the series is written by different authors but still maintains a cohesiveness.

I love the Twisted Tales series! This book fits in with the theme of all the rest perfectly. Can't wait to add it to my physical collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC and audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
Sometimes life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.

Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized: she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted. . . .

But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up in unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right—or risk losing everything she holds dear.

I really like the Twisted Tales series from Disney and have read most of them. Tiana is one of my favorite princesses. So when they announced that Tiana’s story was next, I was super excited. The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices. I felt like this was a natural twist of the tale. I like how Tiana handled Charlotte never thinking about Tiana being Black being a problem when shopping. The change in Naveen even without being with Tiana. Oh and Dr. Facilier’s point of view was interesting as well.

Overall: 4.5/5

"𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦."

Anyone who has followed me for while, knows that I am a HUGE fan of the Disney Twisted Tales books!

And when I found out there was a new one coming over, I was obviously excited. SO, imagine my excitement when I got the opportunity to get an advanced copy of the book to review! *faints*

"Almost There" follows the story of Tiana in 1920s New Orleans. But the story takes us away from the original story we know and love...

Instead, Tiana is backed into a corner and forced to make a deal with the evil Shadow Man in order to keep her friends and family safe. All she has to do to keep them safe, bring her father back from 'the other side' and turn Louis and Naveen human is to add a potion to her special gumbo... and stay away from Naveen.

Approaching one year from that fateful night in the cemetery, things around town are getting weird, and Tiana may be the only one who can stop these strange occurrences before it's all too late!

Wow, this one was worth the wait. From start to finish this was a masterpiece. With so much tradition and spirit it felt like I was living in New Orleans and eating with Tina. It had enough point of views from all your favourite characters, just the right amount of spookiness and history to keep it going. A must-read for any Princess and the frog fan. thanks, Farrah Rochon, now I am hungry for more!

Another Disney Twisted tale that managed to be more interesting than the movie on which the book is based.
I loved the twist, the reasons that led Tiana to strike a deal with Facilier, and how Facilier managed to screw up the terms of the contract.
Louis finally gets his chance to be part of a band.
I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. I absolutely loved this book.

It was my first attempt at the the Disney Twisted Tales series and I will definitely be reading more of them! I think they will/should be very popular with middle and high school readers and I think this amazing addition by the amazing Farrah Rochon will help bring more readers to this line of books. This was a fun look at a beloved Disney movie, looking at the repercussions of Tiana making a deal with the Shadow Man. I won’t go into more details so as to not spoil the fun but I really enjoyed this book. Fun read and a fresh look at a much-loved movie! Five stars!

Absolutely LOVED this book! I spent the weekend re-watching the Disney movie and reading this book. It was the perfect set up and such a fun twist on an already amazing story! The only thing that could have made my experience better is a bowl of gumbo while I read :)

Of all the twisted tales I think this has made my top 4!

This book starts nowhere near where I thought the story was going to start or where Tiana was going to make her deal. I thought she would have made it when she was younger, so I was very surprised and had no idea where the story was going to go. I loved reading about the characters from the movie, and I could just hear the accents (which I loved in the movie). I wish there were more of the characters from the movie in this book, because a few were not in here. I also wish that the characters were described better. I, personally, just couldn't visualize the new characters or the transformation of the old characters, and that was discouraging for me. Overall, this was a good book. I was a little scared reading another Twisted Tales after I read As Old as Time by Liz Braswell (which was confusing and unenjoyable for me), but this was in no way like that. I also loved seeing the growth and the lessons the characters learned in this book, growth and lessons that weren't in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Almost There is the 13th-installment in Disney's Twisted Tales YA-series. These can be read in any order, as they each follow different characters and their stories are completely unrelated. The point of this series is to take our favorite Disney tales, twist one element and explore what would have happened if that twist had actually occurred. Think of it as a sort of alternate history for Disney stories.

It's Tiana's turn to take center stage in this magical volume set in 1920's New Orleans. I'm sure many of you love The Princess and the Frog as much as I do and it was so nice to return to that setting and characters through this story. The twist in this tale involves a deal that Tiana agrees to make with the notorious Dr. Facilier. Even though Tiana only makes the deal because she feels backed into a corner, it still provides her with all of her deepest desires: her own restaurant, T&J's Supper Club, her friends safe, and her beloved father's return.

Unfortunately, sometimes when things sound too good to be true, they are. As Tiana finds herself navigating her new reality, she also begins to notice strange occurrences popping up everywhere around her. It ends up being a race against both time and evil forces, but luckily Tiana has her good friends Naveen and Lottie on her side. New Orleans is getting creepy and it's pretty clear Facilier has something to do with it. Can Tiana and friends set things right before she loses everything she holds dear?

Almost There was great. I flew through it so quickly. It was such a treat to be back in this setting, 1920s NOLA, with this fantastic and nuanced set of characters. I really appreciate what Rochon was able to do with this story. I felt transported. The atmosphere was very well done. A strong addition to the series!!

I did listen to the audiobook and as always, Disney does a great job with that format. The narration was fantastic, perfect for these characters. I definitely recommend this story to fans of this series, or <i>The Princess and the Frog</i> movie. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you pick it up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books and Disney Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I am a huge fan of this series and am looking forward to continuing on with it!

The Twisted Tales continue to be just amazing. Taking a look at what happens if Tiana took Facilier's deal in the graveyard, <i>Almost There</i> seems like an unofficial sequel, like Cinderella: A Twist in Time. The characters are just as fun in the movie (however the deal took place after Ray joined Evangeline, so he's not in it), and the story is fast paced and fun. Rochon made sure to add in as many characters as possible, and added pretty good new characters.

The book gives some backstory on the Shadow Man and turns him into a more sympathetic figure. Not just a con man, he's revealed to be a man in over his head after doing what he could to survive after the death of his mother. Like so many since then, there wasn't enough support for him growing up so he took it how he could and eventually got caught up in a life of crime with no way out. It makes for a better comparison to Tiana, two figures who want better in life, despite the racism and classism. Rochon really highlighted the disparity here, which was quickly glossed over in the film. The imbalance in the friendship between Lottie and Tiana was even addressed! Honestly, I think this is my favorite Twisted Tale.

Another great installment in the Disney Twisted Tales series! I had not read anything written by Farrah Rochon before but she managed to bring the Princess and the Frog to life. It is hard to bring a story from the movie to print in a way that makes you feel as if you are in the same story. Not only do they do this but they have the added twist as well! I honestly am not sure which I prefer the canon or this twisted version of it. We get to see more of the side character's stories fill out as well as being introduced to some new ones. My only wish is that we got to see more of Ray the firefly however his part at this point in the story had already played out. The author's clever plots surrounding loss will hit your heartstrings but also bring you some hope. If Rochon writes any more in this series I would pick it up in a heartbeat!

This is the first book that I have read in the Twisted Tale series, but I intend to read them all. This book focuses on Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. What would have happened if Tiana had made a deal with Facilier?

Tiana rejects the offer of gaining her restaurant, but folds when the Shadow Man offers to bring her daddy back from the dead. She is also lead to believe that if she doesn't make the deal Naveen will be a frog for the rest of his life. She gets Louis the gator turned human for good measure. As part of the deal, Tiana must not pursue a relationship with Naveen. The one year anniversary of her deal is coming up, but it turns out the Shadow Man made a mistake. He has to get Tiana to sign the contract or its his soul at risk. Strange things keep happening around New Orleans and Tiana starts feeling overwhelmed. She must learn that she doesn't have to do it all and can depend on her friends to help her.

These twisted tales books are always so good. They seem to be more of a sequel to the original story I stead of a retelling.
In Almost There, Tiana makes a deal with the Shadow Man that effects all of New Orleans. With the help of some dear friends and protectors Tiana is able to figure a way out and save the town.
The story was great and well written.
My only complaint was the political topics mentioned. There was no need to have a plug for strong female characters in a story that takes place in the 1920s for example. Some stories are meant to be read to escape the drama and realities of real life.

Thank you so much Farrah for taking the time to write this book in the manner that you did. You breathed new life into characters that are super near and dear to my heart, and honestly, I could not be happier about how this book came out. Tiana is spot on. She is still hard working, dedicated, and loving to her family and those around her. Naveen has grown as a person and even though he cannot remember his time with Tiana in the swamp he is not willing to go back to being the lazy prince that he once was. Can we talk about Charlotte. Thank you, thank you for building out such an underrated character and making her still supportive of Tiana, and also allowing her to have some personal growth that helps further solidify Tiana and her friendship. Even your portrayal of the Shadow Man was spot on. This is a book I can’t rave enough about. I will be recommending it forever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This movie means so much to me and I know it will mean so much to everyone who has ever loved this movie. Farrah did and amazing job, please read this book you will not be disappointed.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

An interesting alternate take on Disney’s Princess and the Frog. Loved revisiting these characters. Disney should make movies out of these Twisted Tales!

Tiana is one of my very favorite princesses and this book felt like I was right back in the movie. Farrah Rochon did an incredible job taking me right back to New Orleans and the bayou of the film. The character voices also perfectly match their film counterparts. I alternated reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, so I can also comment that I really enjoyed the narrator. This book quickly became a new favorite in the Twisted Tales series.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I loved this book so much. I have always been a huge fan of the twisted tales series and this was no exception. Farrah Rochon was a welcome addition as a new author to the series, and this Princess and the Frog twisted tale was just wonderful. All the characters seemed true to themselves, the setting of New Orleans was depicted really well. Reading this book made me want to watch the movie again (which I did). Overall a fantastic read I will happily add to my bookshelf.

If you love Disney, pick this up. If you love Princess and the Frog, pick this up! If you love spooky New Orleans settings and familiar, loveable characters, PICK THIS UP!!
Almost There is my third Twisted Tales read, and I loved every minute of it. It was fun, mysterious, and slightly spooky. I loved the chance to revisit our favorite characters and see what could have been if Tiana had taken Dr. Facilier’s deal.
I loved seeing Tiana and Naveen fall in love again. Farrah did really well writing both characters and managed to bring them together again in a new, yet familiar way. Also, I loved seeing Tiana struggle to keep her distance from Naveen for his safety, while Naveen felt drawn to Tiana for reasons he couldn’t explain—it was perfect! Seriously swoon.
And Tiana and Charlotte’s friendship! It was perfect. The girls would do anything for each other and were so close, despite their differences. Charlotte’s character was also *chef’s kiss*. She’s a bit ignorant about the differences in Tiana’s position and her own, but once she realizes them, she immediately goes to bat for her best friend.
And New Orleans. Damn. I just want to go there. Like when can I book my flight?? Farrah Rocha is from Louisiana too, so I imagine the setting was pretty accurate.
I only have 2 complaints, and they’re the only things keeping this book from 5 stars:
1. The ending was so rushed. I’ll admit, I personally feel like 99% of endings are too rushed (even my favorites), but when there’s unanswered questions, it really bothers me! There’s one big thing that was never revealed, and I really wanted to know. But no answers…
2. The flow. Maybe this is just the nitpicky writer in me, but Almost There tried really hard to make things happen, but things just didn’t flow together right. There was more than once where I just thought huh? There were some things that needed to happen for the rest of the story, but the way they came about didn’t quite make sense.
Overall, Almost There was an amazing revisit of The Princess and the Frog. Easily four stars.