Almost There-A Twisted Tale

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Wow, what a fun book to read! Such a fast pace and fun adventure book and I think this will get u out of a slump if u are feeling a reading slump.... Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books and Disney Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. 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.

Whenever I hear about releases of new Disney retellings, I am the first to hand over my cash to the “House of Mouse.” While there are a variety of standalone retellings, Disney’s publishing house, Disney-Hyperion, also thrives off of their young adult fantasy series dedicated to villain retellings and retellings “ with a twist.” I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of the books in the “Twisted Tale” series, which takes well-known Disney movies and gives them “what-if” scenarios. As the 13th installment of the “Twisted Tale” series, “Almost There” by Farrah Rochon is a retelling of “The Princess and the Frog” (itself a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale “ The Frog Prince”). I'll admit, I didn't grow up watching Hercules the way some kids did. I've seen it, sure, but it doesn't hold a space in my heart as much as other Disney animated films. However, I always admired Meg. She was bold and feisty and I loved her charisma and determination, even in the face of danger. She knew how to put "Wonder Boy" in his place and stand her ground. I think that's why a lot of people admire her. After reading this book, there's only respect in my mind for this strong female character. I really enjoyed this one. I like the Twisted Tales and how they offer a “what if…” for the story. It’s interesting to see what could have happened instead of the ending we know. Straight On Till Morning (Peter Pan) - What if Wendy first traveled to Never Land with Captain Hook? The good thing here is that I read an arc rather than spending money on it. Because if I had I would be pretty annoyed right now. More annoyed than I am at wasting my time trying to give this one a chance.In “Almost There,” Tiana has the life she’s always wished for — her previously-deceased father is alive and well, and they have finally opened a restaurant together. But this life came at a hefty price; she had to make a deal with Dr. Facilier. When Tiana and Dr. Facilier confront each other, Tiana threatens to destroy his precious talisman. Similar to a dream sequence in the movie, he presents a life to her where all her dreams have come true; all she has to do is add a drop of a potion — provided by his friends on the other side — into her signature gumbo dish at her future restaurant and the life is hers. So instead of turning Dr. Facilier away, Tiana has no choice but to accept the deal after he threatens those she loves. If there’s one thing Disney movies are known for, it’s their fairy-tale endings where the protagonists live “happily ever after,” and “The Princess and the Frog” is no different. However, “Almost There” starts at a point where Tiana and Naveen haven’t gotten their happily ever after yet, and it’s a mystery whether or not they will even get one due to the terms of Tiana’s deal. Since the deal allowed Naveen to turn human again, he consequently forgot the adventure he and Tiana had as frogs. I worried that Naveen’s character growth ( rare for a Disney prince) would vanish in this new storyline, but Rochon proved me wrong. Naveen works at Charlotte’s father’s sugar factory and expresses his desire to make a name for himself in New Orleans, inspired by Tiana’s hard work and determination. 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. As for the plot it was just weird and all over the place. The gods helping her out was an interesting touch but the conversations felt so stilted and awkward. Just none of it worked and in truth Meg would have mostly died due to these quests she did and would have never made it to Hades but the plot had deus ex machina after deus ex machina to make everything just fall into place for her in the most unrealistic way possible with no smooth transition.

This story is the twisted tale that I have been WAITING for! I was truly worried that there wouldn't be one for The Princess and The Frog, and when I heard that this was coming out, I got so excited! And when it comes to this book, it reminded me of the direct-to-video sequel. The early morning, poorly animated tv show sequel. The characters were... sort of the same, but also... not quite. It can feel quite forced at times, but the outline is still there and it's still a fun time. Calonita, Len (April 2, 2019). Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale. Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 9781982520458. I liked Tiana a lot. She was so strong and independent, but I liked seeing her learn to accept help. Her relationship with Naveen was sweet even though she tried not to enable it. I also liked seeing more of Lottie and how passionate she was. She was a great friend to Tiana, and I liked their dynamic. Braswell, Liz (September 7, 2021). What Once Was Mine: A Twisted Tale. Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 9781761200205.I'm Jen Calonita, a MG and YA author who loves what I do because it lets me connect with all of you (and no, I wasn't intending for that to rhyme!). Calonita, Jen (August 31, 2023). Suddenly Super: A Twisted Tale. Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 9781368063807. 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.

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!! That out of the way - We have a delightful young woman, Tiana, who loves to cook and wants to open her own restaurant in New Orleans. It is due to her agreement with the villainous Dr. Facilier that she not only gets her father helping her dream (he died in World War I) as well as an eatery popular among many locals and more. But Facilier wants to change the agreement they made and is pressuring Tiana with eerie happenings around the city and disappearing friends. Go the Distance twists the tale of Hercules. Asking what would happen if Meg was offered the chance to become a goddess and be with Hercules forever. But to do so she has to go on a time-limited quest. Can she make it? Tiana • Prince Naveen • Ray • Louis • Mama Odie • Juju • Dr. Facilier • Lawrence • Charlotte La Bouff • Eudora • James • Eli La Bouff • Evangeline • Reggie, Darnell, and Two Fingers • Stella • The Fenner Brothers • Facilier's Friends on the Other Side • Facilier's Shadow • Firefly Family • Swamp Gators • Georgia • Spoonbills • Marcel • Bayou Animals Thank you NetGalley and Edelweiss for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest reviewIn This book we will follow Meg, in her quest to be a God by completing a quest in 10 days .. what's her quest ? it's returning the soul of the wife of her ex boyfriend to the land of living, so she must face her past and confront her greatest flaw, not believing in the power of love and only trusting herself like her mom taught her .. 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, perhaps most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted... I don’t know why I keep reading the Twisted Tales 🥴 Every time I expect something different, but I’m just left with this feeling of incompleteness. I will say I’m super happy that Tiana got her own story, because I feel like she’s an underrated princess who never really got her time in the limelight. It was also really nice to read something where she’s not a frog for 3/4 of the story… this had all the elements a fun adventure story—a high-stakes quest, a hades/persephone subplot, greek mythology in general—but the execution just fell flat. it reads more like bland middle grade fiction than ya, it turns a tough, sarcastic heroine into a sappy mary sue, and the dialogue is so stilted.