Book Review: Go the Distance by Jen Calonita

Go the Distance

Jen Calonita

Twisted Tales, #11

Publisher: Random House

Published Date: April 6, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Fiction

336 Pages / 7 Hours 48 Minutes

Date Read: June 23-July 15, 2025

Format: 🎧

Source: Audible

This is part of an ongoing standalone series based on Disney tales. As always, if you prefer a spoiler free review please read my quick review instead of the in depth review below.

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About the Book

Hercules saves Olympus, becomes a God, and is being congratulated by all of Olympus. Meanwhile, Meg is having a serious realization. Zeus will not allow her to be with Hercules because, well, she's mortal. Luckily, Hera offers her a solution. Meg is given a chance to prove herself worthy of securing a spot on Mt. Olympus-as a God. The mission that she is given? Oh, it's just to rescue her ex's current wife from the Underworld. Easy, right? Can Meg put her past behind her and find her place in the world?

Quick Review (Spoiler Free)

I’ve always loved Greek mythology and Hercules is one of my favorite Disney movies. I was pretty excited to see this book on Audible.

I liked the integration of the Gods stories together. I liked that we got to see more than just Hera, Zeus, Hades, and Hercules. There were little nods to things that were said in the movie when it flashed back to Megara’s previous life that I thought were well placed. 

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Now, let's get into the details!!

(Note: Some text may appear to be blocked out, just highlight that text to read it.)

I liked the integration of the Gods stories together. I liked that we got to see more than just Hera, Zeus, Hades, and Hercules. It felt like the author really tried to make Olympus feel whole rather than just highlighting the reunion area at the end of the movie where this story begins. I also feel like Meg’s personality was brought to life in this story. There were little nods to things that were said in the movie when it flashed back to her previous life that I thought were well placed. I got really annoyed with Meg in the movie but while going through her story in this book, I began to feel bad for her and it softened my feelings for her. We get to see her life in flashbacks from when she was a small child to the moment she was given her task at Olympus.

Plus, there are things within the storyline that I loved: I loved seeing the nod to Hades and Persephone and how that tied in to the things that Megara heard while she was in Olympus watching Hercules be welcomed home. The way that the author integrated little details like Demeter searching for Persephone and then it becoming a part of Megara’s task was a cool addition.

Narration Comments

Amanda Troop did a great job of keeping the mannerisms that were given to Meg within the voice acting from the movie. The way she spoke stayed true to the original portrayal of the character by Susan Egan. Some of her voices for the other characters were a little dramatized, but there were several that I was very impressed with the range she had. I didn’t find myself trying to speed up the audio or any quirks that threw off my interest while listening.

Ratings